Archive of Our Own ^beta

I – The Coming Together

"This is the south gate of the Karnak Temple complex and was reserved for worship for over 1500 years. During the Old Kingdom, which ran from twenty-six hundred to twenty-two hundred BC, the object of worship was a triad of gods, namely Amon, representing the male reproductive force, Mut, the mother, and her son, Khon, the moon god. In the Middle Kingdom, Amon became predominant and the original Amon sanctuary of Karnak's main enclosure was built. Most of what you can see today, the great pylons and colonnaded halls, were built during the New Kingdom when Amon evolved into Amon-Ra, linking—"

"Doctor Jackson?"

Daniel stopped and, thanks to the shocked expressions of his group, decided he'd better turn around. He wasn't surprised to find himself facing two Air Force officers. Removing his sunglasses and cocking his head, he said, "I'm Daniel Jackson."

The taller of the two motioned with his hand and said, "If we could borrow you for a moment?"

Daniel nodded. "I'll be right back, folks, just – enjoy the view."

He followed the two men to a relatively quiet corner of the ruins. The taller officer – a major – removed his hat and glasses and said, "The President of the United States is requesting your presence in Colorado Springs, Doctor Jackson."

Eyes widening, Daniel said, "The President?"

"Yes, sir. There is an urgent matter that he and several others believe you can be of assistance in solving. We have a plane standing by at—"

"I need to get a few things, and my bike--"

"We have everything you might need, Doctor, including clothing and toiletries on the plane. Your bike will be taken care of as there is some urgency involved."

"I see." He looked over his shoulder at the group gathered around the ruins of Karnac and said, "I need to take care of—"

"We'll make any explanations required. If you'll just follow Captain Marshall to the car?"

"You don't understand—"

"Sir, again, there is some urgency involved."

Daniel sighed and nodded. He put his sunglasses back on and followed the other officer.

Twenty minutes later, he was in the back of a dark U.S. military vehicle and speeding toward a waiting plane.

~~~

The flight was, as expected, long and he found himself mostly nodding off. He didn't bother to ask questions, he knew the men with him would have no answers, so he slept or watched clouds drift by his window while praying that Sam, Teal'c and... Jack... were all right.

When the plane finally touched down, he was quickly ushered off and into another vehicle. As well-known scenery slid past, he could feel the familiar rushed beating of his heart, something that usually preceded an encounter with Jack.

He wasn't surprised when the car headed into the mountains, nor when the familiar signage heralding NORAD appeared.

It had been over eight months since he'd left Cheyenne Mountain for the last time. For what he'd thought would be the last time. He scrubbed a hand over his bearded face and adjusted his glasses. He glanced down at his rather dusty jeans and blue and white shirt and realized he should have changed on the plane.

Oh, well.

"Daniel?"

He glanced up and realized that the car was no longer moving and his door had been opened. Major – no, now Colonel Paul Davis was smiling at him.

"Paul?" He slid over and climbed out, his muscles protesting so many cramped hours in flight. "It's good to see you again."

"You too, Daniel. Found you at a dig in Egypt, eh?"

Daniel blinked in the sun, frowned and said, "Not exactly...."

Paul wasn't listening. He simply took Daniel's arm and started leading him into the Mountain. "There have been a few changes since you left—"

"That would be expected," he said.

"I suppose so. I've been permanently assigned here now. I work for General... Landry."

Daniel stopped. "Landry? What about Jack? Did something—"

"General O'Neill was promoted again. When General Hammond retired, he took over Homeworld Security. He's based in Washington now."

To say that Daniel was shocked to his core would have been an understatement. Nevertheless, he managed to keep his feelings under wraps as he nodded and followed Paul into the Mountain.

~~~

"Doctor Jackson, thank you for coming. I hope this wasn't too inconvenient. I understand you were on a dig?"

Daniel had been allowed precious time for a shower and a change and now, standing in the familiar blue fatigues, found himself shaking hands with a man about Hammond's height and size, but with marginally more hair that was cut in the typical military crew cut. "Not exactly, General Landry—"

The man turned slightly and, for the first time, Daniel noticed that another officer was in the room.

"Good, good," Landry said, clearly not having really listened. "Doctor Jackson, I'd like you to meet Colonel Mitchell. He's the new leader of SG-1."

The man in question was about Daniel's height and could have been his brother: minus the beard and the glasses.

And the new leader of SG-1? Sure, why not? He stepped closer in order to shake hands with his doppelganger, who was saying, "Doctor, thank you for coming on such short notice. I hope you can help. And sorry about pulling you away from the dig."

"Uhm, yes, well," was all that Daniel could say. He rubbed his beard absently and wondered why he felt like such a stranger.

"Why don't we take this to the briefing room, gentlemen?" Landry suggested.

Paul and Colonel Mitchell immediately moved forward and Daniel found himself drifting toward the room he really didn't want to enter. Just too damn many memories.

~~~

The usual regulation Air Force portfolios had been placed around the table and Daniel found himself gravitating to the seat closest to the coffee; his usual choice back in the 'good old days'. He sat down and tried not to look at the box that sat on the table in front of what would be General Landry's seat. He suspected it was the reason he was sitting deep within the bowels of Cheyenne Mountain instead of enjoying a drink at the small bar near his room in Luxor. He noticed that Mitchell took the chair to the left of the General while Paul sat next to him.

"Doctor Jackson, let me begin by thanking you again for coming. Rather than take up your valuable time with anymore chit-chat, let me show you why you're here."

General Landry opened the box in front of him and took out something wrapped in what appeared to be a piece of very old linen. Holding the object as if it were the most delicate thing on Earth, he handed it to Paul, who in turn handed the item to Daniel.

Balancing it in the palm of his hand, he mentally weighed it in at about two pounds. Oddly enough, his hand began to tingle.

"Doctor Jackson, I'm going to turn the meeting over to Colonel Mitchell and he'll give you the history on the object. Colonel?"

Mitchell smiled slightly and said, "Go ahead and open it, Doctor."

Daniel set it down and gently pulled the material away. He knew -- before the final fold of cloth revealed the item – that it was a tablet. A perfectly cut tablet with writing on it. His world here at the SGC had been full of the damn things, although none in such excellent condition, let alone all in one piece. He nodded to himself as he acknowledged that this one was not unlike the one he'd found on Abydos, only so much more beautiful, it took his breath away. Similar to marble, it was smooth to the touch in the areas unmarred by the tool that had painstakingly marked out the symbols that adorned three- fourths of its surface.

"We found that on P3X-898. That's one of the coordinates downloaded by General O'Neill—"

"I recognize it, Colonel," Daniel said as he continued to stare at the tablet in front of him.

"Yes, well. Our interest in the planet arose from the mineral readings. I led my team there a little over a month ago. The planet, which the inhabitants call Rondri, is much like Abydos but the ruins around which the Rondrin built their towns were similar to Dakaar, meaning that they'd been left by—"

"The Ancients," Daniel said easily, eyes still glued to the tablet.

"Yes, exactly. Anyway, we connected up with the leader of the Rondrin, a man called Josef. The negotiations understandably took on greater significance once we realized the Ancients had once been on Josef's planet. We were there a week pounding out a treaty. When we left, it was with a promise to return with the final agreement."

Mitchell looked away then and Daniel could feel the sudden misery emanating from the man.

"When we went back, we found a world decimated by an attack that seemed unfathomable. Josef was alive – but barely. He lived for another two hours, and in that time, was able to tell us an extraordinary story. Evidently, not long after we left, he was visited by another who came through the Stargate, but in a ship. The man told Josef that he could call him Paladin—"

"Paladin? You're joking," Daniel finally said.

"No, Doctor Jackson, he isn't," Landry said, his voice low and serious.

"Josef said that this Paladin gave him the tablet saying that he must ensure its safety and that it must go to 'those who travel the stars through the Stargate and wear the sign of the Stargate'." Mitchell opened the portfolio in front of him and took out a piece of parchment paper. He slid it over to Daniel. "This is what Josef was given to illustrate the 'sign of the Stargate'."

Daniel wasn't surprised to find himself staring at a crude representation of the patch worn by every member of an SGC team.

"Of course, Josef recognized it immediately. Paladin also told Josef that, ultimately, the tablet must end up in the hands of one individual; the true paladin, and that those who travel the stars would make it so."

Eyes still on the tablet, Daniel asked, "Do we know who this 'true paladin' is?"

Mitchell shared a look with both Landry and Davis before saying, "No. But that seemed far less significant than the rest of the message." He took out another sheet of paper and read, "'there is a new evil on the horizon. The tablet will explain how to defend against this evil and how the true paladin may protect all.'" He glanced up and added, "The man also told Josef to take his people through the 'Gate as soon as possible because the evil was only days away and that later they were to send someone back in time to meet 'they who travel the stars'."

Daniel looked up, a quizzical expression on his face. "I'm hearing a 'but'?"

General Landry answered, his voice low but authoritative. "The Elders didn't believe the man and, while Josef was their leader, the people listened to the Elders. Josef believed and sent his family through to us. They're now in the Land of the Light. As for the evil – all we know of the attack is that a ship suddenly appeared over the main city and streaks of light shot out of it. Wherever the light landed, destruction followed. Josef said it was fast, horrific and unstoppable. And they have an array of very impressive weapons for defense, which was one of the other reasons we were so anxious to align with them."

Paul leaned forward and said, "Can you translate it, Daniel?"

Turning his attention back to the tablet, he ran his fingers over the symbols ... and nodded. "I think so."

Looks were exchanged again between Landry and Mitchell, the former of whom said, "None of our experts could make heads or tails of it, Doctor."

Daniel didn't miss the slight patronizing undertone, so he simply smiled as Paul said, "With all due respect, General, no one here is the foremost expert in languages, let alone—"

"Thank you, Colonel Davis," Landry interrupted Paul's defense of Daniel. "Doctor Jackson, that Paladin fellow also told Josef that the evil would soon destroy 'those who travel the stars' if he failed to get this tablet to them. From what Colonel Mitchell and his team witnessed of the destruction of Rondri, they make the Goa'uld look like preschoolers. How long do you believe it will take to translate?"

He could only shrug. "A few hours, a few days – hard to say."

Landry rose to his feet. "Then I suggest that Colonel Davis escort you to the office we've made available, and you get started."

"I'll need—"

"We've already moved all your reference materials, journals etc. and if there's anything we missed, just let us know. We'd provide your old lab to you, but it's now a storage facility."

"I... yes, thank you, General."

"Time is of the essence, Doctor."

Daniel nodded at the warning and got to his feet. Paul smiled and indicated that he should follow him, so he found himself nodding again and... following.

~~~

"Do you think he can really do it?"

"I haven't a clue, Colonel. All I can tell you is that General O'Neill has every faith in him. So much so, that the President spared no expense in tracking the man down. And speaking of General O'Neill, he's on his way."

Mitchell looked back at the briefing room and said, "Well, at least there's one-third of SG-1 here. I guess that's something."

"Still haven't gotten over that, eh?"

Mitchell smiled slightly. "No, General, I haven't. Leading SG-1 was never my interest. Serving with them was."

"Well, Colonel Carter seems quite happy at Area 51 and Teal'c is needed by his people. And you and your team are doing fine, Colonel."

"My team? Sir, I'm borrowing—"

"Colonel?"

"Yes, sir, I'm on way, sir."

~~~

"So how have you been, Daniel?"

Daniel found himself moving constantly aside as SGC personnel rushed past him. He managed to glance at Paul and say, "Fine. You? And congratulations again on your much deserved promotion."

"Thanks. And I'm fine. Getting married in three months."

Daniel came to a standstill. "You're kidding."

Smiling almost shyly, Paul shook his head. "Nope. I—"

He got no further as Doctor Lee careened around the corner and slammed into Daniel. Papers went flying as both men went down.

"Oh, my, now I'm... and where's the folder on—"

"Bill?" Daniel asked as he shook his head to clear it.

The man in question adjusted his glasses, sat back on his haunches and regarded Daniel. He squinted and canted his head slightly to the right.

"Bill, it's me, Daniel."

"Daniel? Daniel?"

"Yes, Bill," he said with a smile. "Good to see you again, and in our usual meeting place."

Bill Lee blushed and nodded. "We... I always did seem to...."

"Yes, well, let's get your stuff together and—"

Even as Daniel, Paul and Bill began picking up the papers, an SF came around the corner and came to a stop next to Paul. "Colonel Davis, you're wanted by General Landry."

Handing off the papers he'd managed to gather to Daniel, Paul said, "I'll check in with you later, all right?"

"Sure."

"Oh, and the office? It's Jack's old one. Mitchell took the one near the 'Gate."

Surprised, Daniel could only nod.

~~~

He looked around and felt... nothing. The office was basically a shell and bore no resemblance to the mess that had been Jack's. Not that Jack had ever been in it that much. Daniel moved to the desk and sat down. The tablet had been delivered and sat in front of him. To his right, several legal pads made an impressive pile, along with a couple of pens and pencils, and a cabinet full of his research books stood to the left. The books had been haphazardly set up and that surprised him. He'd left them with Nyan, who would never have allowed them to be treated in any manner other than with reverence. Not because they were Daniel's, but because of their history and value.

Shaking his head, he decided he'd better get started – fate of the world and all that jazz.

~~~

Jack walked down the hall and sucked in a breath. Damn, he'd missed this place. Why the hell had he ever... yeah, right. He knew. Oh, brother, how he knew. Mistakes he'd made, but none as large as the boner he'd made all those months ago.

"General O'Neill, welcome back."

He turned to find Walter Davis – nee Harriman, walking beside him, his short strides doubling in order to keep up. "Walter, good to see you again. Are you keeping General Landry organized?"

"He's not you, sir."

Jack paused ever so slightly, the tone of Walter's voice saying more than Jack would have believed existed. "Yes, well," he finally said rather lamely.

"Doctor Jackson is in your old office, General."

Jack's heart began to beat triple time.

"They treating him right, Sergeant?"

"Not to my way of thinking, General."

That did stop Jack – in his tracks. Walter wasn't usually so forthcoming, especially considering that he was talking about his boss. "Maybe you'd better explain."

Walter realized he'd already said too much and did some quick backpedaling. "I spoke out of turn, sir. I'm sure that Doctor Jackson is fine."

"Walter...."

"Your old office, sir."

"How long has he been here?"

"Eight hours, sir."

"He hasn't eaten then."

Walter smiled. "No, General, he hasn't left that office since his arrival."

Just like old times, Jack thought. Only... not.

~~~

Daniel heard the footsteps approaching but expected them, like all the others, to keep going. When they didn't, he figured it was Paul. He stretched and went back to work. The door opened, and in spite of knowing it was Davis, he almost said, "Go away, Jack." It would have been so normal. And then Jack would say, "Whatcha—"

"Whatcha doin', Daniel?"

Daniel almost fell out of the chair. Gathering himself together, he looked up to find Jack, looking better than any man had a right to look in uniform, lounging against the doorframe. He settled back in his chair and tilted his head. "Nothing much, Jack. You?"

Jack grinned and stepped inside. "Oh, just hanging around. You know me."

Daniel bit back the immediate response of "Not as well as I once thought" in favor of simply smiling back.

"So, I understand you were on a dig."

Daniel sighed. "Not exactly—"

"This must be pretty boring after getting your hands dirty again. But hey, if you didn't save Earth occasionally, you'd forget how."

"There's always that, Jack. And congratulations on your new job. You're moving up faster than—"

"Don't say it, Daniel. I hate it."

For the first time, Jack's façade slipped. Daniel sat forward. "I'm sorry, Jack."

His friend shrugged, a particularly elegant one, given the uniform. "Who knew politics would be so painful."

Smirking, Daniel said, "You did."

"Oh, that's right."

Daniel suddenly thought about Sam. "Hey, where's Sam? Is she with you?" In spite of everything, he wanted to see her again.

"Carter? No, she's not with me." He nodded at the tablet. "How's it going?"

Surprised, but hearing something in Jack's voice that told him to move on, Daniel said, "It's in code but I'm making headway. I think I can crack it."

"Of that, I have no doubt. In the meantime, care to join me for dinner? I'm betting it's been awhile since you had anything."

"What makes you say that? I ate on the plane, I had a sandwich a while ago and—"

"Can it, Mister. Get your ass out of that chair and let's go."

"Jack? Last I heard, this translation was rather critical?"

Jack sighed heavily. Daniel hadn't changed – if one didn't count the beard. Speaking of which....

"What's with the," he twirled his finger at the scruffy mess, "you know. Don't they let you shave on those digs?"

Daniel fingered his jaw and said, "What's wrong with it?"

"Besides hiding your face? Nothing. Nicely shaped and all that. And damn, not one single gray hair. How did you manage that?"

"I'm not... old?" Daniel said with a waggle of his head.

"You just turned forty—"

"Oh. About that. See...."

"Daniel?"

"Look, I need to give General Landry what he needs so the new SG-1 can go save Earth, okay?"

Daniel's tone wasn't brusque, but there was definitely an underlying message, as in amscray. Jack shrugged and said, "I'll be back – with dinner. Until then, do your thing, Daniel."

With that, he was gone.

And Daniel felt more alone than he had in the last several months. How strange.

~~~

"Jack, good to see you. How's Washington?"

"Washington is hot, humid and full of—"

"Yes, well," Landry said with a grin.

Jack smiled back as he took the chair in front of Landry's desk. "Checked in with Daniel – you do realize that he requires special handling, right, Hank?"

Landry quirked a bushy eyebrow. "Special handling? Last time I looked, Doctor Jackson was a grown man."

"You'd better look again. Daniel Jackson is a scientist who buries himself in a task and doesn't come up for air until he gets the job done. This makes for a very unhealthy situation."

"I don't think—"

"Hank?"

Landry chuckled. "All right, Jack, all right. Don't worry."

Satisfied that his message had been received, Jack said, "Any word from the Tok'ra?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"What about Teal'c?"

"They're still in session, but when they break, word is he'll come through."

"Good, good."

"You all right?"

"Me? I'm fine. Just... peachy keen."

Landry chuckled. "Okay, we've known each other for several years so I think I know you well enough to know that I'm looking at an unhappy man."

Jack rose easily to his feet and said, "On that note, I'm going up to the Commissary. Mission: feed our resident genius."

Jack got to the door and was about to step out when Landry said softly, "If you need to talk, you know I'll listen."

Without turning back, Jack said, "Thanks, Hank, thanks."

~~~

The odor got to Daniel first and his stomach reacted in typical fashion by growling. He took another sip of coffee in hopes of quelling it but the odor of food actually grew stronger. A moment later, Jack walked in pushing a cart.

"Restaurants on the Run, Doctor Jackson. You growl, we deliver."

Daniel let the pen drop from cramped fingers and watched, amazed, as Jack rolled the cart up to the desk.

"All right, sir. Here," he lifted the lid off one of the plates, "we have our very special chicken fried steak – with extra gravy. And of course," another lid was lifted, "the biscuits. And finally, a lovely fresh green salad with honey mustard dressing. Oh, and of course, for dessert, chocolate cream pie ... and milk. We hope it's to your liking, sir."

Daniel stretched his chin and scratched his neck. He sniffed ... and sniffed again. He licked his lips.

"Hungry, Daniel?" Jack teased.

"I could... eat."

Hiding his grin, Jack began to load the desk down. When he was done, he pushed the cart away and pulled up the chair that was against the wall. Taking his seat, he said, "Dig in, Daniel."

"What, no wine?"

Jack laughed outright. "No liquor license, sorry."

"Damn."

They shared a grin as Jack took the cellophane off the two glasses filled with ice. He popped open the tops of both Cokes and poured first one, then the other. When Daniel took his glass, Jack raised his and said, "To saving Earth – and the day when it will no longer be necessary."

Their glasses clinked, they sipped their colas and then dug in. For Jack, it was a strange experience. For one thing, they were in his old office, but he was on the wrong side of the desk, and for another, it had been months since he'd seen Daniel – hard, lonely months. Odd how he could admit it now, admit that he was in love with his friend. Absence certainly does make the heart grow fonder – and more honest.

And of course, now that he knew – scratch that – now that he acknowledged the truth, there was really nothing he could do about it. Maybe that's why the whole thing with Carter to begin with. Hopelessness.

Nice excuse, O'Neill.

He paused in his rare moment of self-truth to notice that while Daniel was looking at the tablet and his notes, he was also eating like there was no tomorrow. Jack literally stopped to watch. Okay, this was – different. He'd never, in all their years together, seen Daniel eat the way he was now. And it wasn't in that absent-minded way that would have been completely familiar. No, this was in a....

Jack really looked at Daniel.

"Hey, don't they feed you on those digs?" he finally asked.

The fork was paused midway to Daniel's mouth. "Wha'?"

"Eat. Food. Dig? Capiche?"

Daniel blinked several times behind his glasses. He finally shoved them back up his nose and said, "I've been up since six, haven't eaten since," his head bobbed, "... six."

"Ah."

Not the whole story, Jack thought. Because now that he'd really looked, he could tell that the beard hid a face that was much thinner than it had ever been. And the fatigues, one size too big – something that hadn't been true since Daniel's first couple of years with the SGC. But they did a great job of hiding a much more slender Daniel.

Was this normal for Daniel on a dig? Did he get so busy, so preoccupied that he didn't eat until late in the day, and then whatever he could grab? And with no Carter or Teal'c around to remind him....

Something they hadn't had to do for years.

What the hell was going on?

Suddenly Daniel picked up the pen and started scribbling. A moment later he gave an uncharacteristic "Yeehaw" and looked up. "Got it, Jack. I've got it!"

"Well, for god's sake, don't give it to me!"

That stopped Daniel cold. One eyebrow rose.

"Okay, okay, what do you got?"

"The key. I've cracked the code. I'll have this translated within the hour."

"And this is news ... why?"

Stunned, Daniel went back to rapid blinking.

"Daniel, that was a compliment, in case it did a fly-by."

"Oh."

Jack sat back. "So I guess this means I get to sit though a Jackson briefing again?" He rubbed his hands together and added with a grin, "God, I've missed those."

"Who are you and where are you keeping the real General O'Neill?" He paused for a split second before adding, "I'm only asking so that I can make sure he's never found."

~~~

Daniel swiped a hand over his face. This couldn't be true. It wasn't possible. It just wasn't... possible.

He sat back and tossed his glasses down onto the table.

How in the hell was he going to explain this one?

~~~

"Doctor Jackson, the floor is yours."

Daniel stood up, mostly because he had the urge to run and, already being on his feet, he'd have a head start. He squashed the urge, cleared his throat and fiddled a moment with the pad that contained all his notes.

"Doctor?"

He glanced up to see General Landry looking at him with an impatient expression on his face. Where was the ever-patient George Hammond when you needed him? He didn't dare look over at Jack.

"Yes, of course, sorry. I'm ... not sure how – exactly -- to explain what this," he tapped the tablet gently, "is all about, so I'll start at the beginning."

"Always a good place, Doctor," Landry said with a smile.

"Yes... well." He glanced downward again, took a deep breath, and said, "This was written by an Ancient by the name of Peater – and no, I don't know why he chose to call himself 'Paladin' to Josef, that's not explained. Anyway, he's actually the one who ... he built the time travel ship... actually. And the information here was gathered partly as a result of his experimenting with the ship and partly due to another Ancient by the name of Lorien, his wife, and evidently prone to visions."

Seeing the confusion on the faces of Landry, Mitchell and Davis (he still didn't dare look at Jack) he quickly added, "This was written before the ascension. Well, not really before, but before Peater and Lorien ascended. The actual process had already begun, but it took time for all to decide to do it. Lorien had her first vision before ascension was even a thought. In fact," he began to warm up to his subject, "it's altogether possible that the idea of ascension was because of a vision."

Daniel started pacing. "She foretold the plague and gave them the idea for experimenting with time—"

"You mean like what you found on P4X-639?" Paul asked as he sat forward with interest.

Excited, Daniel nodded. "Yes, exactly! But as we discovered, they never made enough progress, but that didn't stop Lorien's husband. He took what they'd developed and decided to apply it to a ship in the hopes of traveling back and stopping the plague."

"But he failed," Jack said.

"In a way, Jack. In a way. You see, by the time he'd perfected the ship, the ascensions had begun and Lorien was having more visions, including one that gave the time traveling ship a new mission." He looked at each of them in turn, and finally said, "She saw a split among the acscended."

"A split? What kind?" Paul asked as he leaned forward, clearly interested, and just as clearly worried.

"You mean like Oma and her followers," Jack guessed.

"No, no," Daniel said, waving his hands sharply in the air. "No, what Lorien saw was much ... much worse." He started pacing again and, as he ran his fingers through his hair, said, "You know the strict rules the ascended Ancients have, and if you'd just stop and think about it, you'd understand." Hands punctuating his words, he continued. "I mean, come on. With that kind of power at their fingertips? Can't you see how tempting it would be to use it to get what you wanted? And how -- possibly – unstoppable such beings would be? Especially if they banded together -- which is precisely what Lorien saw. She told Peater and, together, they decided what to do about it. This tablet was the final step."

"All right, so you're saying several of the ascended Ancients broke away from the main group?" Landry asked.

"Not just 'several', but yes, eventually, that's exactly what happened."

"Couldn't the others stop them?"

"They did, they stopped them cold, General."

"All right, I'm confused now. If the Ancients were able to stop this rogue group, then what the hell—"

"Hank, give Daniel a chance," Jack said.

Shooting Jack a surprised look of gratitude, Daniel said, "They stopped them, thanks to Lorien. She saw their location in a vision. I can't tell you how they achieved it because frankly, I don't understand it. Anyway, Lorien and Peater were trying to decide whether to ascend or not, they'd already left Atlantis and were actually here on Earth. Then Lorien received another vision. I won't go into it because its content is less important than the fact that it caused Peater to use the time ship again. He went into the future and discovered, to his horror, that the Origoi had found a way to escape their prison."

"The Origoi?" Mitchell asked.

"Oh, sorry, that's what they called themselves. As you know, our Latin has its actual roots in Ancient. Our Latin 'origo' means the beginning, source, or birth and then you have oriri which is to rise." He looked around the table. "See?"

Landry coughed slightly before saying, "Yes, we get it. Go on, Doctor."

"Right. Okay, so Peater returned to his wife and they worked up a plan to warn us of the Diesa Iraeo, and before you ask, that's 'Days of Wrath'. Basically the Origoi had centuries to hone their anger and feed their need for revenge, and Lorien and Peater both knew that once all had ascended, nothing would be done to stop the Origoi."

"Okay, now that sounds like the Ancients I know," Jack said dryly.

Landry leaned forward, his impatience evident again. "Were these Origoi responsible for what happened to Josef and his people or not?"

"They were. And it will only get worse once all the Origoi have gained their freedom."

Speaking for the first time, Mitchell asked, "Wait, what do you mean by 'all'?"

"Escaping the prison turned out to be, from what I could fathom, similar to ascending. The Origoi had to ... learn... how. But unlike ascending, no one can help the process. Each of them has to do it on their own. And it's still happening."

"So just how many are free? What are we looking at?" Landry asked, now thoroughly engrossed in Daniel's briefing.

"Three."

The astonishment at the table was almost palpable.

"Three?" Mitchell asked, incredulous. "You're saying that three of these Origoi destroyed an entire city?"

Daniel nodded. "Three ascended Ancients who put their energy together and concentrated it on Josef's city. That wasn't a weapon Josef described, that was... the Origoi."

~~~

Daniel sat down next to Jack. He wasn't done, but clearly the other men around the table needed time to digest what he'd given them so far. He was glad he'd decided not to give them everything. He sat back and waited. The questions would undoubtedly start any minute.

It took several minutes and it was Paul who spoke first.

"How the hell do we stop them?"

Daniel found all eyes on him. Before he could say anything, General Landry said, "Tell me there's something on that rock that will answer that question, as opposed to just telling a very scary story?"

"Yes, sir... I mean, no sir, not exactly. What there is to find, is a defense against them. And yes, before you ask, the tablet gives the location."

"And we can go there?" Mitchell asked. "Through the 'Gate?"

Daniel nodded. "We can. But we need to move quickly. As in hours."

Landry turned to Mitchell. "How soon can you have your team ready?"

"Actually, we'll need Sam – and Teal'c – and Jack. And I'll need to go... to translate once we're there."

The looks he was getting were telling him he'd better explain. He took a deep breath and on exhale, said, "PeatercreatedakindoftestforusandonlyTeal'cSamJackandItogethercanpass."

Jack held up a hand before Landry could explode. "I've had years of Daniel-speak, so allow me to translate. We need to go because Peater has designed it so that only the four of us can do whatever needs to be done in order to use the weapon."

Landry looked at Daniel – who nodded.

Jack preened. "Spanish and Daniel-speak. My two claims to fame."

"Well, obviously you can't go, Jack. The President would—"

"The President has no choice, General," Daniel interjected. "Peater knew what he was doing. And without all three—four—of SG-1, it won't work. He needed to ensure that what he'd done didn't fall into the wrong hands."

It was lame, but it was the best he could offer without divulging everything.

"Well, then, Jack, it looks as though you're going through the 'Gate at least one more time," Landry observed.

Judging by Jack's grin, he wasn't overly upset by the idea, but that didn't really surprise Daniel.

~~~

Daniel's work was done, but there was nowhere to actually go. He'd already checked in with his old department and found many had moved on to other projects like Area 51 or the Arctic. Nyan, he discovered, was one of those who'd chosen the Arctic. Feeling truly strange – and the stranger – he wandered up to the Commissary. His stomach was grumbling again and he figured he might as well give in to it. Besides, he'd never had a chance to eat his dessert.

Walking the corridors of the SGC felt weird. There was no one to say, "Hi, Doctor Jackson," or to smile tentatively at him. He recognized no one and they certainly didn't know him from Adam. He wasn't surprised. After all, you really can't go home again.

When he reached the Commissary, he got into line, made his way past the food until he got to the desserts. He really wanted a piece of chocolate cream pie. A big piece. He stared at the array, unsure which of the four slices was actually the larger. Frowning, he was about to reach for the one in the middle when a hand from the other side stopped him.

"No, Doctor J. Let me get you a good one."

He looked up and grinned. "Maggie!"

"None other, Doc."

"You were on days, what happened?"

"The hubby got transferred to nights, so here I am. Now our hours coincide, so it's worth it. Now you stay put and I'll be right back with a nice, big, fresh slice and an ice cold milk. And it sure is nice to see you back here."

He smiled his appreciation and watched Maggie Sweeten disappear into the kitchen. A few moments later, she was back, a slice of pie in one hand and a tall glass of milk in the other.

"Here you go, Doc. Enjoy. And you look like you could use this. Obviously wherever you've been keeping yourself, there's been no one to take proper care of you."

"Maggie, I'm a grown man, I can take care—"

"Don't give me that, youngster. You need a keeper and you always have."

He might have been offended if the smile on her face hadn't been so full of love. He ducked his head in embarrassment and, after paying, quickly headed for a table. He slid into the chair, picked up the fork from the tray and dove into the whipped cream and chocolate.

"That looks a helluva lot better than it did a couple of hours ago," Jack said from behind him.

"Yeah, well, this piece is fresh,"; Daniel said with some degree of smugness.

"Ah, Maggie."

Smiling and chewing delightedly, Daniel nodded happily.

"I hate you, Daniel. All I ever got from her was cold coffee in the morning."

Daniel kept on chewing ... and smiling.

Jack took the chair next to him and said, as he picked up an unused spoon and joined Daniel in eating the pie, "You've got one of the VIP suites for tonight. Carter will be here in the morning and Teal'c should be arriving any minute."

Daniel swallowed, thought about attacking Jack's hand, but decided to share as he said, "It'll be good to see them again. Has Teal'c been named—"

"No. There's a small battle going on with the Jaffa and their council. Seems they can't agree on how to run their new world. Well, actually, the one thing most of them do agree on is keeping their distance from us. Hence Teal'c's current predicament. It's kind of weird, actually," Jack said as he took another bite of pie. After swallowing, he added, "It's like Jacob. The Jaffa feel that Teal'c has been too influenced by his association with us. I think he's going to lose."

Daniel's fork dropped from his fingers as he stared at Jack. "But... that's asinine. If not for Teal'c, they'd still be slaves to the Goa'uld. He is first and foremost, even after all these years, a Jaffa warrior. How can they—"

"You're preaching to the choir, Daniel. Landry's already made several trips to meet with a Jaffa by the name of Gerak. They didn't go well. He's of the old world and basically wants nothing to do with the Tauri" Jack shrugged. "He has a lot of followers and unless I miss my guess, he'll be the new leader of the Jaffa."

"Well, maybe it's time you met with him, Jack."

Eyes wide with surprise, Jack said, "Oh, yeah, that'd be the right thing to do. "Mister Shoot First-Ask Second O'Neill?"

"You're not exactly that man anymore, Jack. And maybe what this Gerak needs is someone who'll shoot from the hip and straighten him out."

"Have you noticed any reticence on General Landry's part to do just that?" Jack asked with a knowing smile.

"Good point. But he's not you. Not the leader of SG-1, not the First Son of the Asgard. He's not, in short, General Jack O'Neill."

Now it was Jack's turn to drop an eating implement in shock.

"What? You didn't think I appreciated you or something?" Daniel said with mischievous grin.

"First Son of the Asgard, Daniel?"

"If the Thor-love fits...."

Jack had made the mistake of stealing Daniel's milk and was taking a sip when Daniel threw the "Thor-love" remark out. He promptly splattered the younger man. Wiping his face, Daniel said innocently, "Was it something I said?"

~~~

The pie was gone, Daniel and his clothing were now fairly milk-free, and neither man had said a word in the last ten minutes. Jack was fiddling with the silverware and Daniel was watching, a half-smile on his face. Oddly enough, it was Jack who finally broke the silence.

Without looking up from his "Knife kill fork" game, he said, "Carter wasn't too happy about being called back. Are you certain she's needed?"

"That surprises me," Daniel said. "Not that I could ever see Sam retired, or anything."

Jack glanced up. "Retired? Carter—"

His words were interrupted by the all-too familiar ringing of the klaxons and the usual disembodied voice announcing, "Unauthorized off world activation!"

The two men looked at each other and mouthed, "Teal'c" simultaneously. They pushed back their chairs and took off.

~~~

The wormhole exploded outward and was just settling back when Daniel and Jack rushed into the 'Gate room. They skidded to a stop in front of the ramp and, a little breathless, Daniel nudged Jack and said in a low voice, "What happened to General-like decorum?"

Straightening his tie, Jack said, "I don't know what you mean."

Daniel answered with a snort. A moment later, Teal'c walked through the wormhole, Bra'tac beside him.

To Daniel, his friend looked almost regal. He moved forward as Teal'c smiled, nodded, and said, "DanielJackson, it is very good to see you again."

"You too, Teal'c." He looked over at Bra'tac. "Master Bra'tac."

"Doctor Jackson."

"Excuse me? Am I invisible?" Jack almost whined.

Daniel stepped back and hissed out, "General-like decorum, remember?"

Shaking his head at Daniel, Jack reached out and clasped arms with Teal'c.

"It is good to see you as well, O'Neill."

"How long's it been again?"

"Three weeks, O'Neill," Teal'c answered with a hint of a grin.

"Right. Seems like—"

"Three weeks?" Daniel said, eyes wide with innocence.

"Daniel, I hate you."

"I do not believe that you do, O'Neill," Teal'c said.

"Nor do I," Bra'tac added. "In fact, I believe—"

"Why don't we head up to the briefing room so that Daniel can fill you both in," Jack said quickly.

~~~

Daniel could admit it. He was exhausted. He'd caught Teal'c and Bra'tac up on the Origoi and, in retrospect, was actually glad Bra'tac wouldn accompany them. Another staff weapon would be needed and now they had one. Of course, it was odd that Bra'tac hadn't been mentioned in Peater's tablet. Damn, maybe Bra'tac shouldn't go with them. Maybe it would change things – and not for the better.

"Daniel, stop thinking. You'll hurt yourself."

He looked up to see Jack smiling down at him. "Since when?"

"Since now. Peater may have seen Bra'tac with us but didn't believe it important enough to scratch into a tablet – a very small tablet, by the way."

"How the hell did you know what I was—"

"Oh, please, Daniel. Years working with you? Now, up you go so we can head off for our respective VIP rooms and get some sleep. You have an appointment first thing in the morning with the Infirmary."

"Infirmary? What are you talking about?"

"Pre-mission physical?"

"I'm no longer a member of the SGC. Why would I need a pre-mission physical? What, if I fail, they're not going to let me go? 'Oh, gee, Doctor Jackson, we'll just have to skip saving the world this time because your allergies are kicking up again.'"

"Come on, smartass, let's go."

Daniel gathered up his notes and folders and pushed the chair back. As he got to his feet he said, "Teal'c and Bra'tac settled in?"

"They are, and we're about to be."

"You're very weird, Jack."

"You're just noticing?"

~~~

Jack pulled out the security card and slid it up through the lock. He pushed the door open and, at the questioning look from Daniel, said, "Come on, you're a guest this time. You know how it is."

"It doesn't bother me, Jack," Daniel said as he walked into his temporary room. A room that looked exactly the same. Same furniture, same weird-assed painting that always looked like a spacey version of Superman's "S", and the same windowless, functional ambiance.

Home-sweet-home.

He took off his jacket and tossed it on the bed before turning to Jack, who was now standing just inside the door. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Just want to make sure you're comfortable."

"Always. Been here, slept here, Jack."

"Right." He smiled suddenly. "Not like the last time, eh?"

"No, not like then. I know who I am, and this," he waved abstractly, "is just a room. No stored stuff."

Jack frowned at that, feeling that something had just "not" been said. "Yeah," he finally said, feeling like an idiot for a reason he couldn't fathom. "Well, I'll let you get some sleep – head next door to my room and do the same," he said, sounding lame even to himself.

"Night."

Jack nodded and, with one hand on the door, turned back and asked, "Why did you leave?"

Daniel's answer was immediate. "Why stay?"

Jack frowned at that. "Are you kidding? The SGC needed you, Daniel."

Doing an excellent impression of Teal'c and his eyebrow, Daniel cocked his head and said, "Oh, really? They seem to be doing fine, Jack. And trust me, if they can do great without you, Sam and Teal'c, then they can survive without one archaeologist. Besides, we accomplished what we'd set out to do – the defeat of the Goa'uld. Teal'c had a life to return to, you and... it was just time."

"I see."

When he made no move to leave, Daniel said, "Jack?"

"Sorry. See you in the morning."

Daniel nodded and Jack opened the door. He cleared his throat, paused, and finally walked out, shutting the door quietly behind him.

~~~

Daniel flopped backwards and stared at the ceiling. He didn't feel comfortable, nothing seemed really familiar and, in fact, felt even stranger than when he'd returned after his descension.

He supposed he should undress and get into bed, but at the moment, he was just too ... unnerved.

Jack looked so damn good – if a bit pale -- and it had only serve to remind Daniel of what he'd missed most in Egypt. Not that he really needed to be reminded. He frowned slightly as he reviewed Jack's behavior since seeing him again.

Something was...off... Because Jack didn't seem happy.

Okay, he'd appeared happy in Daniel's presence, but there'd been an underlying...melancholy. Was it because Sam wasn't with him? Had she retired?

Man, that did not sound right. No way could he put the words 'Sam' and 'retirement' in the same sentence. They weren't exactly synonymous. Of course, nothing said that once retired, she had to go wherever Jack went. On the other hand, if not retired, than whatever she was doing had to be important and joining Jack here, now, had been impossible. Although he'd always assumed that once together they'd never want to be apart – let alone having several states between them.

But that did explain the source of Jack's melancholia - because Jack would never step between Sam and her career, even if it meant his unhappiness. So Jack was stuck in Washington – doing a job he had to hate while Sam was... where? And if she was somewhere else, why the hell hadn't Jack retired?

Okay, all these 'what-ifs' were giving him a headache. Time to quit.

He thought, instead, about tomorrow and his apparent lack of a future. Odd, after all he'd been through. Of course, he was supposing that what he needed to do would result in his death – and it was a pretty good assumption. From all that he'd put together, a whole helluva lot of energy was going to come from him and surviving didn't seem ... likely.

But then, he really couldn't call what he'd been doing in the last months – surviving. Let alone living.

He should probably be angry with his government – but he'd been unable to get up a good head of steam – he understood all too well what had happened. He didn't agree with it, but he understood. Hated it, but understood.

Seemed so ... odd, really.

Suddenly he got up. He couldn't stay here, certainly wouldn't sleep. He grabbed the card Jack had left on the dresser and walked out.

~~~

Funny how things changed, yet the Stargate remained the same. Tall, majestic and still mysterious. As he stared up at it, he discovered feelings that he'd thought were long dead. He could hear himself saying, "It's not that I mind...rejoining SG-1 and exploring the galaxy, meeting new cultures, jeopardy, saving the world, that kind of thing...we get paid for this, right?" And he could see Jack so clearly, his lopsided grin as he said, "Welcome back."

Odd memory considering how many times he'd been in this room over the years. How many times he'd been going or coming, or running in because someone else was going ... or coming. He tried to remember how many times he'd been thrown through the 'Gate only to roll – conscious or unconscious – down the ramp. Seven? Eight?

In looking at his eight – all right – seven – years with the SGC, and knowing that the first two had been all about finding Sha're, he'd have to categorize year one as the year of careful learning; spent getting to know his teammates, forming an odd family unit and experiencing the unparalleled thrill of discovery that even an archaeologist would never find after years of digs.

Year two would be the settling in year, and – maybe -- the testing year. SG-1 testing each other, pushing the boundaries and finally accepting each other without reservation. Okay, at least three of them had been accepted without reservation.

When he looked at their third year - dispassionately - he had to classify it as their penultimate year, the complete coming together of four distinctly different individuals in order to make the perfect SG team. The fact that it was also the year he really and truly lost Sha're ... and found Shifu, only to give him up, seemed, somehow, to fit. By then, he'd been more SG-1 than "Dan-yel, son of Abydos, husband to Sha're."

What he could he call year four? The dysfunctional year? The year the family unit began to unravel as Jack and Sam started their mating dance?

Oh, yeah.

The one thing Daniel could agree with when it came to the military, was their stance on officers fraternizing with their subordinates was a damn fine reg.

Okay, that was unfair and only highlighted his own jealousy. The fact that his and Jack's friendship had begun a slow and painful spiral into its very own black hole during the fourth year couldn't necessarily be laid at the door of Jack's affection for his 2IC. Exactly.

On the other hand, what other explanation was there?

Other than his own failings in the friendship. There was always that.

He'd never learned to leave well-enough alone and, considering what they'd been doing for a living, that particular trait must have eventually worked like fingernails on a blackboard for Jack. But still, Jack wasn't exactly without his small – grating -- personality traits either, but they'd never worn him down or caused him to pull back from the friendship.

And there was a point to thinking about this now? When he'd managed to avoid just these thoughts for the last several months?

He walked halfway up the ramp and stopped, wanting to go no closer. The desire to touch the 'Gate was absent, unlike his first sight of it all those years ago.

"It's pretty incredible, isn't it?"

Daniel turned to find himself facing Colonel Mitchell. He nodded his agreement. "Yeah, it is."

Mitchell joined him and said, "Do you have any idea how excited I was when General O'Neill offered me any position I wanted?"

Daniel knew Mitchell's back story, knew that he'd been badly injured following a maneuver that had saved their collective butts in their efforts to get down to the Ancient outpost, but he hadn't known about any offer. Surprised, he asked, "So you chose to lead SG-1?"

Mitchell gave him a wry smile. "No, I chose to be on the team." He paused for a heartbeat and then added, "With you, Colonel Carter and Teal'c."

"Ah."

"The General failed to mention the part where all of you were off doing other things."

"Oh, yeah, well, that's not exactly – not that it matters. But hey, it was time for new blood anyway."

Mitchell nodded and looked back at the 'Gate. "That's all I wanted," he said wistfully. "Just to be a part of the original SG-1."

Feeling the need to comfort the man who'd suffered so much for them, Daniel put his hand on Mitchell's shoulder and said, "So tomorrow, you get the chance. After a few hours with us – you'll be so damn grateful not to be part of the old SG-1 that you'll be thanking us for moving on."

Mitchell looked back at him, saw the glimmer of humor in the eyes so much like his own, and grinned. "You're probably right."

"Hell, I know I am. Count your blessings, New Guy. Count your blessings."

~~~

Daniel never slept once back in his room. Instead, he read his notes over... and over ... and over again. When seven o'clock rolled around, he took a shower, shaved, got dressed, gathered everything up and headed for the Infirmary. He understood there was a new CMO and he hoped like hell that he got Warner. It was bad enough without Janet, but he'd be damned if he'd undergo a physical by her replacement.

When he arrived, he discovered his wish wasn't to be granted as he was greeted by a small, dark-haired woman who said, "Doctor Jackson? I'm Doctor Carolyn Lam. It's an honor to meet you."

He shook her hand and said, "We going to do this without any needles?"

She smiled and said, "Afraid not. Blood tests, but I promise to make it as painless as possible."

"Umph, that's what they all say."

~~~

Jack walked into the briefing room only to come face-to-face with his ex-second-in-command.

"Carter."

"General. How are you?"

"Fine, fine."

The silence stretched uncomfortably and finally Jack said, "We can do this, can't we, Carter? We're still friends, right?"

Her expression softened and she nodded. "Yes, sir, we are. Above all else, we're friends."

He felt himself relax and grinned. "We were—"

"Stupid is the word I think you're looking for, sir. We were stupid."

"Is that any way to talk to your commanding officer?"

She matched his grin. "Yes, sir, it is."

Slowly Jack held out his arms and Sam moved into them. They hugged hard before stepping back from each other.

"So where's Daniel?"

Jack nodded. "Right about now, enjoying his pre-mission physical. You know how he always loved those."

She laughed outright and said, "The needles especially. As did you, sir, as I recall."

He made a jabbing motion with his hand. "Oh, yeah. And no one could give a shot better than Janet."

Both their expressions at that moment reflected the love for their fallen friend. Finally Jack said, "How's Cassie?"

"She's doing well. She's still debating entering the academy but after her trip to Europe, but I think the debate is more for show than real. She's chomping at the bit."

"Full circle," he said, his voice tinged with awe.

Smiling, Sam said, "Fitting, isn't it?"

"Very." He was about to say more, but General Landry came out of his office and said, "Jack, Doctor Lam would like to talk to you."

Jack noticed that the petite doctor was standing next to Landry's desk and he didn't like the expression on her face. He turned back to Sam and said, "Teal'c and Bra'tac are in the commissary, what say you join them, they can fill you in, and I'll meet you there after I grab Daniel?"

Eyes on the doctor, Sam nodded. She reached out and rubbed her hand up and down Jack's arm for a moment before leaving. Once she'd exited the briefing room, he sighed, and joined Landry and Doctor Lam.

~~~

"So you're saying ... what, exactly? Is he or isn't he fit for this mission?"

"If Doctor Jackson were a member of the SGC – I'd ground him, General. His weight is far below the norm – at least according to his last official physical here -- and his blood work is less than ideal. But I also understand the nature of this particular mission. I simply felt that you needed to know."

Jack sat back in the chair and huffed out a breath. He really shouldn't have been surprised. He'd already noted the weight loss, but had chalked it up to Daniel's typical work mode. But the blood results told a slightly different story. He felt anger at whatever archaeological team had been working with Daniel, that they'd allowed this.

"So the mission is a go, then?" Landry asked.

Lam glanced over at Jack, who shrugged. "We really have no choice. We can't do this without Daniel, and if we don't do this, it won't really matter what condition any of us are in."

"Then we'll go with the eleven hundred hours departure as planned. Is there anything else General O'Neill should be aware of?"

She shook her head. "Just watch him. Try to ensure that he eats when possible or you could be facing a hypoglycemic reaction that you probably won't want to deal with in the middle of a mission of this importance."

"Trust me, Doctor Lam, you're looking at one of three individuals who are experts in the art of ensuring that Doctor Jackson eats."

~~~

"You ready for breakfast with the old gang?"

Daniel turned around to see Jack walking toward him. He hopped off the bed and said, "Finally. I was beginning to think I was a prisoner here."

"You almost were. Doctor Lam wasn't happy with some of your results or your weight."

"Hey, I'm not running around shooting up the Goa'uld anymore. No need for the bulked up look, you know?"

Jack dropped an arm across Daniel's shoulders, winced at the feel of shoulder blades, and said, "And don't think I didn't tell Doctor Lam exactly that. Which is why you're free as a bird now. Carter, Teal'c and Bra'tac are waiting in the commissary, so let's grab a final meal, relive old times, then go kick some weird-assed, new age, Ancient-gone-bad butt, okay?"

"Now that's the O'Neill I've missed."

~~~

"Then you do not regret your move, ColonelCarter?"

"No," Sam said just as she looked toward the entrance to the commissary. "At least I didn't until right this minute," she suddenly added.

Teal'c turned to see what had captured her attention and immediately understood. But it was Bra'tac who put it into words.

"It would appear that SG-1 is once again whole."

~~~

Sam watched Jack and Daniel walk towards them and she immediately zeroed in on the beard – and the obvious weight loss – of her friend. She wanted to get up, go to him and hug the stuffing out of him, but she didn't. She found the same reluctance that had characterized the months before the dissolution of SG-1 holding her back now. But she did smile – brilliantly.

"Doctor Jackson, I presume?"

"Hey, Sam, you're looking good."

She rubbed her chin and jaw as she indicated his beard. "Love the new look."

He grinned at her as he slid into his seat. "Thought it made me look older – more distinguished."

"I think sexy would be more accurate," Sam said with a wicked gleam in her eye. "And I'll bet you had every woman on the dig going ga-ga."

"Uhm, not exactly—"

"Enough with the chit-chat," Jack said. "You all have plates full of breakfast and we need to catch up. Be right back." He patted Daniel's back. "Come on, you sexy hairy beast, let's get some food."

Forehead wrinkling and glasses bobbing, Daniel pushed away from the table and, with a slight wave at a laughing Sam, followed Jack to the line.

~~~

Jack was just getting ready to urge Daniel to load his plate when the younger man dished up three large spoonfuls of scrambled eggs, forked over several slices of bacon, and nodded yes to the inquiry of whether he wanted waffles. Jack snapped his mouth shut. Maybe the food available on digs simply didn't appeal to Daniel.

Jack took pancakes and bacon, they both took glasses of orange juice. When they got to the cashier, Jack said, "Two," and being the general, was waved on along with Daniel. He looked over his shoulder and said, "Pro."

Daniel laughed, clearly remembering the conversation between Jack and his team over the pros and cons of Jack taking the promotion to general. They walked back to their table and, after unloading their trays, took their seats. With expressions of varying degrees of wonder and bafflement, everyone watched Daniel eat, which he did with a kind of wild abandon. Like someone who hadn't had a decent meal in ages – or someone enjoying his last meal on Earth.

~~~

Jack shut his locker door and turned to see a sight he hadn't seen in five years: Daniel struggling with his pack. Grinning, he stepped up behind him and quickly tightened the left shoulder strap. "That better?" he asked.

"Damn, I figured it would be like riding a bicycle," Daniel said sheepishly.

"You gonna get sick going through the 'Gate?" Jack asked, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"I didn't the first or the hundredth time, Jack. You might save that question for Sam – who did."

Jack rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You're right," he finally said. "It was Carter."

Daniel gave Jack a quizzical look. "Even now, you don't call her by her first name?"

"What can I say? She's... Carter."

"Still? Even now? What, you two find yourselves in an intimate moment and you whisper, 'Carter'?"

Jack's eyes popped wide. "Intimate moment?"

Looking disgusted, Daniel said, "That's a euphemism for s-e-x, you idiot."

"You think that Carter and I... that we—"

Expression changing to one of wary surprise, Daniel asked, "Aren't you? Didn't you... you know, after... and at the lake, and you two stayed after and... DIDN'T YOU?"

Taken back by the raised voice, Jack could only shake his head – and then nod.

"What, was that a yes ... a no? You did but you didn't? You are, but you aren't?"

"We were ... we tried... but we aren't because... well, basically... I drove her crazy and she drove me crazy and we discovered that we loved each other but ... we weren't in love with each other."

Daniel dropped down on the bench, his expression reflecting his shock. Frowning, Jack sat next to him.

"Daniel?"

"I figured you two were married by now. Living happily ever after."

His voice was so low, Jack had to struggle to hear him, but when he did, he gave out with a small guffaw. "Not likely, Danny boy. Not likely. It turns out she's a career officer all the way, while my dreams of retiring to Minnesota and consulting on the side, with my soul mate beside me, turned out to be nothing more than a pipe dream. As for Carter – well, she discovered a small part of her – the part that dreamed of a knight on a white charger – was a part she'd have been much better off dumping during one of her many trips through the wormhole. Somehow she'd mistaken me for that stupid-assed knight. Which personally, I find to be the funniest part of the entire fiasco. Me, a knight in shining armor. Go figure."

"So you stayed on at the SGC," Daniel said flatly.

"Well, it was a bit difficult for us so when the R&D thing came up at Area 51, she jumped at it. As for me, well, running this place without you... without all of you," he hastily added, "just wasn't the same. So when George decided to retire and ask me to take his place, I did."

"Why didn't you retire?"

Jack shook his head almost sadly, his expression taking on a melancholy look. "Retiring alone? No thank you."

"You were alone last time, Jack."

"True. But by the time Carter relocated, I'd discovered something that made it impossible to retire."

"What? You found out you needed a dog? What?"

Laughing, Jack got up. "Yeah, that was it exactly. Come on, we have a mission, buddy."

Daniel followed him out of the locker room. "You know, you can go to any pound and save a dog's life, Jack."

"Thanks for that tip, Daniel. But I need a very ... special dog ... and we'll talk about it when we get back, okay?"

"Gee, now that's something to look forward to."

~~~

General Landry stood in the control room as Sergeant Miller counted down the locking symbols. He thought the opening of the Stargate to still be the most miraculous thing he'd ever witnessed, other than the birth of his daughter. Whom he still couldn't believe was working right here in the SGC – with him. Carolyn had always been headstrong, opinionated, everything he admired in people. And now she was here, with him. In charge of the medical facility. A small miracle in and of itself.

"Chevron seven – locked, sir."

He moved to the window and gazed down on Jack, his team, and SG-8 and 11. Mitchell was staring at the blue event horizon with the same look of awe that he'd had the first time, and it looked as though... Jack and Doctor Jackson were ... arguing? He leaned forward and, holding the mike, said, "General, you have a go."

Jack stopped mid-sentence and said, "Okay, kids, it's off to see the wizard time."

Landry couldn't help the grin. There was no one like Jack O'Neill in this, or any other, world.

SG-1, Bra'tac. and SG-8 and 11 walked through the Stargate.

"May God be with you all," Landry whispered.

***

II -- The Battle

 

"Okay, this is different," Jack said as he took off his sunglasses. "The M.A.L.P didn't do it justice."

Sam stepped up next to him and looked around, her eyes alight with the wonder of it. "This is ... beautiful."

SG-8 and 11 had already fanned out in the typical recon/defensive position, leaving Jack, Mitchell, Bra'tac and the rest of SG-1 standing on the platform that held the 'Gate.

"Oh, gu-ys."

Daniel's sing-song voice, coming from behind Jack, caused them all to turn around.

"Holy shit," Mitchell said as he looked up at the 'Gate they'd just come through.

"Okay, from now on, I insist that the M.A.L.P turns and gives us a view of the exit 'Gate," Jack said, his voice tinged with awe.

The Stargate they were all staring at was unlike any they'd ever seen. If Jack had to describe it, he would have said it was a more modern version. No dark lines and shadows around the symbols, but rather, color and vague swimming designs that reminded him of way kids played with paint, mixing their favorite colors in swirls with their fingers – the way Charlie had when he was a toddler. Only these colors weren't the bright primary colors kids were drawn to, but rather soft pastels. The symbols themselves were in relief, each one a different shade of... what, pink?

"Rose," Daniel suddenly said.

Jack turned to stare at him.

"What? Weren't you trying to figure out the color of the symbols? The shades?"

Looking affronted, Jack said, "No-o. Do I look like the kind of guy who'd be worried about what shade a Stargate symbol was?"

Daniel simply smiled.

"It's beautiful, whatever color you want to ascribe to the symbols," Sam said, eyes wide with wonder.

Daniel nodded and said, "This was one of the last 'Gates they erected. They were obviously more artistic toward the end."

"Or in a better mood," Jack said.

"Or that," Daniel agreed, his smile growing wider.

They finally tore their eyes from the 'Gate and turned back toward the land in front of them. In a very familiar gesture – and one that had been sorely missed by the rest of SG-1, Jack rested his arm on his P-90 and said, "Been to Bermuda – this is better."

No desert, no evergreens. Just layers of palm trees, beautifully bright flora in deep, rich island colors and the most startling lucent green grass any of them had ever seen. It was a tropical forest, and yet, not. There was also the faint scent of water in the air which fit with the river Daniel had told them about.

Jack turned to Daniel and said, "Now what?"

Daniel, who'd taken off his clip-on sunglasses, put them back on and said, "According to the tablet, we have a ten mile walk to what Peater referred to as the 'Dumi Speria, Sperio'."

"That sounds vaguely familiar," Sam said.

"There's a Latin phrase, ' Dum spiro spero', which means 'If I breathe – I hope'," Daniel said softly. "Peater was telling... us ... there's hope against the Origoi."

"As long as we breathe," Teal'c said, sounding almost religious.

"Well, we're breathing, kids, so let's get going," Jack said, starting down the steps to join the other SG teams.

Leaving Colonel Preston and his SG-8 to guard the 'Gate, Jack, at a nod from Daniel, headed for the barely-there path, his people following close behind.

~~~

For a change, the early morning walk was anything but boring, thanks in part to the strangely colored birds flying overhead, many with wing spans that took a person's breath away. They seemed to show no interest in the humans currently walking on their world, but, nevertheless, Jack kept his weapon at the ready. Birds that big – oh, yeah, he was ready for them.

The scent of fresh water carried on a tropical breeze intensified the further they went, but the going was slow, partly due to their own desire to see as much as possible, and to Sam, who had them pause several times so she could take samples of the plant life. They might be in paradise, but Sam was still a scientist.

At some point, Mitchell had taken the lead, which only made sense since he had the coordinates provided by Daniel. With compass in hand, he was keeping them on the right path. But Jack couldn't help but notice how the man's head kept swiveling from right to left as he tried to take in all the sights of the planet. Jack smiled inwardly. Mitchell had earned this and he was enjoying it to the limit. Jack checked his watch and figured they had a good three hours to go. He had the feeling it would be the last peaceful hours they'd experience.

~~~

"There it is," Daniel said as he pointed slightly to Mitchell's left.

All eyes turned to see the structure, but all that was visible over the dense jungle growth was a faintly rose-colored dome that shone brightly in the afternoon sun.

Jack wiped his face and looked with longing at the river they'd been following for the last two hours. It looked cool and inviting, especially since the tropical paradise had changed and become a tropical rain forest. Bra'tac, Teal'c and SG-11 had been hacking away at jungle vines for the better part of the last hour, clearing a path the rest could follow, but it was still difficult going. They were all sweating, the breeze that had been so helpful before, unable to penetrate the dense jungle growth now.

"We have time, Jack," Daniel suddenly said from his right. "We can afford to rest and cool off."

Something in Daniel's tone told Jack that his friend hadn't been as forthcoming with information from the tablet as everyone thought. And that scared him. Big time. But for now, he just nodded.

"Okay, everyone, let's take," he glanced at Daniel, who held up both hands and fisted three times. "Okay, thirty. Let's take thirty."

Even Bra'tac and Teal'c looked relieved.

~~~

Sam had her boots and socks off and was sitting on the bank, feet in the cool, almost crystal clear water. Next to her sat Mitchell, also barefoot, feet kicking gently in the water. They'd all been taking turns enjoying the peace and the river while others took guard duty. So far, the only ones who hadn't partaken of the refreshing water were Jack and Daniel, who stood several feet away, talking quietly, bodies close. Sam turned back to the river.

"Feels good, doesn't it, Sam?"

Smiling, she said, "Yes, it does." She looked at him then and asked, "How are you settling in at the SGC?"

He shrugged. "Not bad. Not what I'd expected, or hoped, but not bad."

She glanced down then as she said, "Sorry, Cam. I know how much you wanted to be a part of the original SG-1. The General should have been more forthcoming."

"I think I understand now. He really didn't believe you'd all scatter the way you did. I suspect he was as disappointed as I was."

She looked up sharply at that. "What do you mean?"

He picked up a small frond from the ground and started picking at it as he said, "Hey, it's just a feeling I had. No reason for it, really."

Sam turned her head again to look over at the man she'd once believed herself to be in love with and frowned. Had he thought she'd come back once they'd realized their error? And in doing so, had he believed that Daniel would then return? And Teal'c? She gave a short shake of her head. Would she ever understand the man?

No.

She smiled because that was okay. She no longer needed to. He was her friend, one of her best friends, and all she had to do was trust him – and follow him.

~~~

"Daniel?"

Daniel closed his eyes and counted to ten. He hated it when Jack said his name in just that way. It meant Jack knew more than Daniel wanted him to.

"Oh, Dan-iel?"

Sighing, he said, "Jack?"

"What aren't you telling me about this mission?"

Daniel also hated it when Jack did that whole sing-song speak. It reminded him of too many foster fathers who thought they were being clever in wheedling information from a kid.

"What makes you think—"

"Don't waste your breath lying, Daniel. Spill."

Now it was Jack's no-nonsense voice. The one Daniel nearly always listened to because it was the one that said, "Daniel, I'm serious and I'm worried."

"The Origoi will be here in three hours, Jack. But by then, we'll be safely inside the dome and in the process of activating the defense system."

"They're coming here?"

"Yes."

Looking suspicious, Jack said, "And?"

"And what?"

"Don't play dumb. What are you still holding back?"

Daniel sighed heavily before saying, "We're going to destroy all the Origoi today. There's no other way. The defense system will protect Earth but leave the rest of the galaxies at their mercy. The decision on whether to destroy them all today – or simply take the defensive shield was something Peater left up to me."

Jack felt his heart creep up into his throat. "Why would he leave such a choice up to ...you?"

Daniel turned to face his friend. "Because I'm the paladin. Because someone would have to make it and it only makes sense that it would be the one...."

He stopped, took a breath, and said, "Did you ever wonder where the Sentinel came from or how the people of Latona came to have such a weapon?"

"Sure. But since there were no answers, it didn't exactly keep me up at night. And what do you mean -- you're the paladin?"

"Look, I don't get the whole paladin part, but evidently, that's what Peater calls me, okay?"

"Do you know what 'paladin' means, Daniel?"

"Of course I know, Jack—"

"It means a military leader, Daniel. A champion of causes."

Daniel frowned. "Jack?"

"Come on, you know I play chess. And does 'Have Gun Will Travel' ring a bell?"

Daniel blinked rapidly.

"Daniel, there is no doubt in my mind that nobody champions causes like you do, and hell, I'll even buy the military leader part – but in a civilian kind of way – but in all honesty, the idea that you're the paladin leaves me a wee bit worried. So-o-o, the right thing to do is convince me that my worry is totally misplaced. Feel free to begin any time."

Daniel made a little huffing sound, scratched his bearded face, and said as if Jack hadn't opened his mouth, "The Ancients provided the Sentinel for the Latonans, Jack. And what we're going to be dealing with today is not unlike that device. It will ultimately take a human to activate it and serve as a conduit. By itself, it could take out the three Origoi because according to Peater, they'll be tired, having just destroyed another civilization advanced enough that, in time, would have proven a threat to them. As a re—"

"Daniel, when did you start talking so fast?"

"Since I finally clued in to the fact that if I talked fast, you'd be forced to listen and I wouldn't have time to bore the hell out of you. Satisfied?"

At Jack's sheepish nod, Daniel went on.

"As a result, they won't be able to completely shield their ship. But to destroy the dimension where the rest of the Origoi now reside will take the human conduit—"

"You," Jack said in disgust.

"Me, working with the device. Now since I am here, and I have decided that destroying the Origoi is the right – and only – thing to do, well, that's where SG-11, Colonel Mitchell, and Bra'tac come in. They'll keep the three Origoi busy while Sam, with her computer and the program provided by Peater, works to get the weapon online."

Jack nodded thoughtfully – as if he'd actually understood Daniel – which he hadn't. He then asked, "Could you define ... conduit?"

"The power of the weapon will be intensified as it passes through me.

"Ah, I see – and may I say you've failed miserably to convince me that I was wrong to worry? On the other hand, won't any human do? I could be the conduit, right?"

Daniel smiled. "'Fraid not, Jack. This is all about the fact that I was once ascended. There are, according to Peaater, reserves within me that will be required to," he waggled his head, "you know, intensify the weapon."

The desperation turned to downright horror for Jack. "You're telling me that this damn Peater is sending you to your death and there's nothing I can do about it?"

"There's nothing to say that this will result in—"

"You're a liar, Daniel. I can see it in your eyes. You don't expect to survive."

Daniel shrugged. "I don't honestly know, Jack. But unless you have another descended ascended tucked away – I'm it."

"You know, I really hate it when you go all honest on me. I really do."

"That mean you want me to quit with the truth?"

"What, there's more?"

"Sort of. Not necessarily about the mission or the Origoi, but... there is something I need to say and there won't be time once we reach the domed building."

"Do I want to hear this?"

"I haven't a clue. But I'm going to say it anyway." Daniel looked down and absently kicked at the ground. "You asked me last night why I left the SGC and I wasn't exactly honest with my answer."

"Ya think?"

Daniel grinned without looking up. "Yeah, I think."

"So? Therefore?"

"So, therefore, I left because ...."

Daniel exhaled and tried again.

"I left because I'd kind of ... sort of... maybe... you know, had the hard rocks for you. Maybe."

Jack thought that now might not be the right time or place to show Daniel how he felt about his declaration, but he could damn well tell him. In his own way.

"Hard rocks, Daniel? Hard rocks?"

Daniel, as much an expert at Jack-speak as Jack was with Daniel-speak, simply batted his eyelashes at Jack while grinning like a fool.

Jack's expression softened. "You're not going to die, Daniel. I won't permit it, and I'm a general now. I can do anything I want, including ensuring that you don't die."

"More power to you, Jack. I've died more than enough, so if you can keep it from happening again, without stopping what I have to do, then I say go for it."

Jack stepped close enough to Daniel so that their shoulders touched. "Don't think I won't."

~~~

Bra'tac gave Teal'c a small nudge and indicated O'Neill and Jackson. "I do believe they have—"

Teal'c nodded. His expression turned thoughtful as he said, "I hope they will have time to enjoy the life that is promised in the closeness we are now witnessing."

"Is it not up to us to ensure just that, my friend?"

"It is indeed."

~~~

They stood in front of the structure, Jack looking thoroughly disgusted. "I had to travel god knows how many light years just to see a duplicate of the Jefferson Memorial?"

"You're so picky," Daniel said.

"So what happens now?" Sam asked as she came abreast of the two men.

"Now...we go inside."

~~~

"What was that buzzing sound?" Jack asked as he pivoted around.

"I'd have to assume it was the scanner. Remember I told you—"

"Yeah, yeah. Only SG-1 – yadda-yadda."

Jack moved forward, toward the pedestal that took front and center under the dome. "Daniel?"

Joining Jack, Daniel pointed down to the base and said, "Sam, that's where you need to hook up the computer. You need something to slip behind that plate and pop it off."

Sam unhooked her pack, with help from Teal'c, and then knelt down in front of the pedestal. She took her computer out of the bag and, while Teal'c took off the plate, which made a slight clanging sound when it hit the ground, pulled out her laptop. When she spotted the USB plug, she looked up at Daniel, an expression of amazement on her face.

Smiling, he said, "Peater thought of everything."

Shaking her head, she plugged her cable into the laptop, and then into the pedestal. Once she was booted up, she began the process of downloading the formulas provided by Peater.

"How long?" Jack asked.

Daniel, eyes on Sam, said, "Don't know. A few minutes, an hour...."

"How long before what, O'Neill?"

"Before the Origoi arrive," Jack said.

Even as her fingers flew over the keyboard, Sam said, "Maybe now would be a good time to tell us everything, Daniel."

Looking at his old team members – his family – Daniel said, "We're on the world of the Origoi, but they're out of phase to us. Once the weapon is online, I'll destroy them and the free Origoi."

That got Sam's attention – and Teal'c's.

~~~

"General!"

Mitchell's yell brought Jack and Teal'c to the archway that separated them. He didn't need to ask what was going on – the slim, compact ship hovering over the dome was clue enough.

"It's the Origoi," Jack yelled back. "According to Daniel, you'll need to keep them busy while we power up the device."

Mitchell, looking somewhat amused, said, "And we might 'keep them busy' how, General?"

"Their shields aren't at full power – start shooting if they try anything."

Mitchell nodded and was about to turn away when Daniel's voice reached them.

"We need Bra'tac's staff weapon, Jack. Give him your P-90!"

"Daniel?!"

"NOW!"

Jack tossed his weapon at Bra'tac, who, once he caught it, did the same with his staff weapon. They both shrugged and Bra'tac turned away in order to move up next to Colonel Emerson, the leader of SG-11.

~~~

Things were getting sticky. Outside, they could hear the sounds of gunfire as SG-11, Mitchell, and Bra'tac fired upon the ship. They could also hear a strange sound – which Daniel identified as concentrated energy blasts from the Origoi.

"Carter, me thinks now would be a good time to tell us you're done," Jack said as he and Teal'c watched the energy blasts hit much too close to home.

"The information is ninety-eight percent downloaded, sir. Just a few more minutes."

"I believe I should—"

"You can't, Teal'c. I'll need both you and Jack – with the staff weapons," Daniel announced from his spot on the floor next to Sam.

The two men turned around to look at him. "Uhm, Daniel? Why do I have a feeling that there's still something you haven't told me?"

"Because there's something I still haven't told you?"

Jack looked over at Teal'c and said, "I knew that." Glancing back at Daniel, he said, "It's obvious you never learned to play well with others. Would you care to share now?"

Daniel rose gracefully to his feet and started to remove his pack as he said, "You're not going to like it, Jack, but you'll have to do it."

Jack started walking back toward Daniel and Sam, Teal'c right beside him. "Daniel?"

Daniel took off his jacket and then his watch. He removed his glasses, folded them, and tucked them into one of the pockets in his jacket, which he then laid carefully on top of the pack. Finally, he faced his friends.

"I'm going to get up on the pedestal now, I have to be in place when the formulas are finished downloading. The base of the pedestal will go red. A shield will come down, a clear one, so you'll see still be able to see me. Now this is the part you're not going to like, but if you fail me – you'll be failing Earth and every other planet out there. And the end result is that we'll all die here, and now, because the Origoi will kill us. Do you understand?"

Jack's face lost color as he said, "Hell, no, Daniel. I most definitely do NOT understand."

Daniel indicated a triangle on the floor, catty-corner to the pedestal. "There's another one on the other side. You and Teal'c need to stand there. When the shield lifts and the pedestal glows green... you need to fire the staff weapons ... at me."

Carter's head shot up at the same moment that Jack yelled, "The hell we will!"

Daniel glanced down at Sam's computer, noted that ninety-nine percent was now loaded, and quickly stepped up onto the pedestal. Eyes dark and full of emotion, he looked at Jack and said, "You have to, Jack. It won't kill me. I won't even feel it. But you'll be helping me unleash the energy. Without that – this whole exercise is pointless and, like I said, we'll all die."

Carter jumped up and said, "Daniel, there has to be another way."

He shook his head. "There isn't. Peater saw everything. In less than thirty days, all the Origoi will free themselves and they'll move on Earth. It will take them less than seven days to destroy us. So believe me when I say that I won't feel a thing, but you'll be helping save more than our world. Jack, Teal'c, you have to do this."

Suddenly the room seemed to ... hum. The sound was all around them.

"Daniel?"

"It's time, Jack. Please, you and Teal'c need to take your places – please."

Teal'c immediately moved the triangle behind Daniel and stood ready. It was clear he understood and would do as his friend asked. Jack, on the other hand, hadn't moved. He stared up at Daniel, eyes telegraphing his pain.

"Please, don't ask me to do this, Daniel."

His expression softening, Daniel said, "Jack, you told me you wouldn't let me die. Without the energy from that weapon – I may do just that. I need it, Jack. Maybe to survive. Please?"

"Daniel, the download is complete. The pedestal ... it's changing color," Sam warned.

"Jack, please."

Slowly, the older man stepped back until he was standing on the triangle. Eyes locked on Daniel's, he said, "I won't let you die, Daniel. I won't."

Smiling, Daniel said, "I'm holding you to that. We have some unfinished business."

"Damn right, we do."

Daniel turned to Sam. "You'll be safe as long as you remain right where you are. Do not move beyond Jack, all right?"

She nodded, gulped, and blinked hard to keep the tears from falling. "Daniel, I need to say—"

He shook his head and smiled softly. "No, you don't."

At that moment, the humming increased to the point where none of them could hear themselves breathe, let alone speak. Daniel finally tore his eyes from Jack and looked up. At the same time, a shimmering veil seemed to drop down and encircle him – eventually solidifying to form an almost crystal-like cone around him.

Daniel raised his arms straight up -- the humming became almost intolerable – and Teal'c and Jack lifted the staff weapons. All around them, shadows began to pull away from the walls and circle them. Jack, sensing the truth that they were seeing the beginnings of the Origoi moving from one phase to another, said, "Carter, step closer to me, but stay between me and the pedestal."

She moved quickly, but kept her eyes on the base. A moment later, she said, "Sir, it's green."

At almost the same instant, the veil dissipated and Daniel began to ...brighten. There was no other word for it, but it was nothing like an Oma-glow. The light seemed to be ... from within and thus illuminating him with its unearthly brightness.

"O'Neill, we must fire now." Teal'c lifted the weapon and trained it on his friend.

Jack shook his head even as he too lifted the staff.

The shadows, which were now beginning to take on vague human-like shapes, began to rise toward the gold circle in the center of the domed ceiling. Somehow, Jack knew that if they reached it – none of this – whatever this was – would work.

"NOW, TEAL'C!"

They both began to fire on Daniel.

The discharge never struck him, but instead, seemed to be absorbed by him. His body brightened to such a degree that Jack thought he'd be blinded. But he kept firing. Somehow, he knew he'd understand the moment when he and Teal'c could stop.

The shadows were changing, moving from vague, grey shapes to fleshed out forms. And they were moving upward at an alarming rate. The humming was almost unbearable and Jack felt a change in the air around him. His skin was tingling and the hairs on his arms were standing up.

Jack and Teal'c kept firing.

Daniel suddenly spread his arms wide – and from the tips of his fingers, thin, bright trails of light shot out and up.

If asked, Jack knew he'd never be able to describe what happened next.

A voice – soft and gentle – Daniel's voice, seemed to whisper – "Bring them in now – bring them in."

Jack found himself nodding even as he yelled out, "MITCHELL, GET EVERYONE IN HERE!"

A moment later, SG-11, followed by Bra'tac and Colonel Mitchell, ran in, only to come to a shocked stop a few feet from the pedestal.

The light that was Daniel grew brighter ... and brighter... and brighter still. The pain from its brightness pieced Jack's soul and he felt himself falling....

~~~

Headache.

He had a headache.

Jack rolled slowly over onto his side and cracked open one eye.

Grass.

Green grass instead of the marble-like floor.

He glanced up to find himself staring at blue sky instead of a domed ceiling.

"O'Neill?"

Jack sat up and looked to his right. Teal'c was shaking his head like a bull who'd just hit the boards. Sam was a few feet away, on her back, blinking at the sun above her even as she raised a hand to shield her eyes.

"Sir?"

"I don't know, Carter."

Teal'c spotted Bra'tac and crawled to the older man's side. He touched a finger to his neck, and smiled. Master Bra'tac lived. Colonel Mitchell made his slow, on-his-hands-and-knees way to Carter, while around them lay the four members of SG-11, all starting to regain consciousness.

There was no sign of the domed structure. Just grass, palm trees and birds.

"Daniel," Jack suddenly said even as he got shakily to his feet. He spun around, searching for him ... and let out with a whoop of success.

Daniel lay several feet away, face down in the grass.

Jack rushed over and dropped to his knees. Heart in his throat, he carefully turned his friend over.

God, he wasn't breathing. Holding his own breath, he felt for a pulse.

Nothing.

"No, no, no, don't do this to me, Daniel. Don't do this."

He quickly checked Daniel's airway and then began to give him mouth-to-mouth. He was vaguely aware of the others beginning to make their way over to him, and was grateful when Mitchell dropped down next to him and said, "Ready, sir?"

He stopped, nodded, and watched as the other man placed the heel of his hand over the lower part of Daniel's sternum, covered that hand with his other, and did fifteen quick compressions. Jack then breathed twice into Daniel.

Mitchell – compressions Jack – breathing.

Each minute, for what seemed like an eternity, Jack checked for a pulse, closed his eyes, shook his head, and went back to breathing while Mitchell compressed. During each of his turns at compression, Jack would pray, sometimes to himself and sometimes out loud, "Breathe, Daniel. Come on, breathe."

Suddenly struck with an inexplicable inspiration, Jack said, "Colonel, stop."

Mid-compression, Mitchell glanced up. "Sir?"

"Stop."

Breathing hard, Mitchell shook his head even as a teary-eyed Sam said, "General?"

Ignoring her, Jack said, "Colonel Mitchell, that's an order."

Slowly, he sat back and rested his hands on his thighs.

Jack rose to his feet, held out his hand, and said, "Teal'c, give me your zat."

"You would not rob us—"

"Trust me, Teal'c."

Head cocked, Teal'c finally nodded. He unhooked the zat and handed it over.

Looking down at Daniel, Jack said, "I swore to him I wouldn't let him die – and I failed. But that doesn't mean I don't know how to bring him back." Jack aimed the zat at Daniel ... and fired.

The energy sparked around the prone body and, unbeknownst to those watching, ignited the small glowing orb of energy buried deep within Daniel.

~~~

The energy surge finally ended – and when it did -- the zat dropped from nerveless fingers. Jack fell to his knees and, with a shaking hand, reached out to place his palm over Daniel's heart. He held his breath, swearing that he wouldn't take another one ... until Daniel took his first.

SG-11 was now standing in a quiet circle around SG-1 while Sam hiccoughed slightly as she watched Daniel. Teal'c remained standing, his own breath caught in his throat. Bra'tac, fist to chest, waited silently next to Teal'c. Mitchell remained where he was, accusing eyes on Jack.

And then -- slowly – ever so slowly – Jack's hand – rose. And fell. Rose ... and fell again.

Keeping his hand in place over Daniel's heart, Jack leaned over and watched his friend's face. His hand continued to rise... and fall... rise and ... fall.

Daniel coughed.

~~~

Jack ran a hand through his graying hair – growing even more so by the minute – and squeezed his eyes shut. It would not be appropriate for SG personnel, let alone two Jaffa warriors, to see their leader and the man in charge of Homeworld Security – crying.

"Whoa," a weak voice said.

Jack opened his eyes. Daniel was talking and moving – well, he was moving an arm anyway.

"Daniel?"

Daniel turned his head and opened his eyes. He smiled – a beautiful smile. "Hi, Jack."

"Daniel, what am I going to do with you?"

"Woof-woof? And why am I lying down?"

Jack waved a hand in the air – much like Daniel usually did – and said, "Oh, you know. The usual – as in DYING again."

"Whoops."

"Whoops? WHOOPS?"

Daniel started to sit up, but didn't make it. He flopped back down and dropped his arm across his eyes. "I think I'll stay here a while longer."

"WHOOPS?"

"Get a hold of yourself, Jack," Daniel said, his smile just visible under his arm.

"Daniel, is there anything—"

"Just give me a minute, Sam."

She grinned, patted his shoulder rather awkwardly, and said, "Take all the time you need."

"And while you're taking all that time, care to tell us what happened? We're on the grass, in the middle of nowhere, and there's no building in sight, Daniel," Jack said. "And whoops?"

Daniel dropped his arm and looked at Jack. "You really don't let things go, do you?"

"Daniel," Jack said patiently. "You died again. As in died. No, I don't let things like that go, especially when you say 'whoops'."

"Well, technically, I didn't really die," Daniel said as he slowly – and with Jack's sudden help – sat up.

"Oh, really? Gee, Daniel, you could have fooled us. No heartbeat, no breathing – yep, you sure looked dead to us. Real dead. Stone cold dead. Memorial service time again dead, eulogy dead, name the god-damned mountain after you dead, KILL you BECAUSE you're dead again dead, dead—"

"I believe DanielJackson understands, O'Neill."

"I believe we all understand," Bra'tac added.

"Well, I don't understand. You were D.E.A.D and now you're saying that technically—"

"Jack, you know – I kind of feel like I always feel when I've been... zatted." Daniel cocked his head. "Did you, by any chance, zat me?"

"I... uhm... well, I—"

"He did, DanielJackson, and it worked."

"And why did it work?" Daniel asked.

"You're asking us?" Jack said, having regrouped.

"You zatted me, Jack. Why?" Daniel prodded.

"Oh, fer crying out loud, how the hell do I know? Energy, staff weapons, it just made sense—"

"Because there was something telling you I was still alive, perhaps?"

"Oh, shut up," Jack said, disgruntled.

Stifling her laughter, Sam said, "Daniel, can you tell us what happened? Where we are?"

"We're exactly where we were, Sam. The building was destroyed and so were the Origoi. All of them."

"Just like that?" Jack asked, somewhat suspiciously.

"Just like that? Well, gee, Jack, I did die again," Daniel answered with a mischievous grin.

"AH-HA! Didn't I say that you'd died? Didn't I?" Jack crowed.

Daniel rolled his eyes.

~~~

Daniel, for all his humor, tired quickly as they made their slow way back to the Stargate. He was sweating profusely, his breathing harsh. Jack noticed how close they were to the spot where they'd stopped on their way to the structure, so he raised his hand and called a halt. The river was just as inviting as it had been the first time around, so Jack guided Daniel over to the edge and sat him down. When he started to untie the younger man's boots, Daniel said, "Jack?"

"Water, cool, refreshing. Dangle feet."

"Ah. Good idea."

"Ya think?"

Jack got Daniel's boots and socks off and didn't even make his usual "Ewww" jokes. Once Daniel's feet were in the water, Jack unzipped a pocket and pulled out a power bar. "Here, eat this."

Daniel eyed it with surprise and said, as he took it, "That's one of my favorites."

"I know. I packed extra – just in case. Now eat up and, if you're a good boy, I'll give you a surprise."

One eyebrow rose at the "good boy", but Daniel was too tired to challenge Jack. He tore open the bar – chocolate-raspberry – and started munching. Behind them, Sam was working on coffee, knowing that in spite of the heat, Daniel would need it – want it.

"So, can you be a bit more specific about how the Origoi were destroyed?" Jack asked as he gave Daniel a nudge with his knee.

Looking down at the water, Daniel shrugged. "Not sure – exactly. Peater knew that they'd try to – what – coalesce? when I stepped onto the pedestal. You see, somehow, someway, we were offering them an immediate way out – and he knew they'd take it. That's why our timing was so critical. You experienced a change in the environment, didn't you? While you were firing the staff weapon?"

Puzzled, Jack nodded.

"That was the melding of their reality to ours. That's when they became vulnerable. There was a brief window of opportunity, a moment when they existed in both realities – and it was then, and only then, that I could destroy them. And ... I did."

Daniel looked up then, met Jack's eyes and said tonelessly, "There were one hundred and twelve of them. One hundred and twelve."

"One hundred and twelve," Jack repeated. "And only three destroyed Josef and an entire people."

Daniel turned his head away and gazed down at the river. Slowly he nodded.

~~~

They remained at the river for two hours, time desperately needed by Daniel. The surprise Jack had for him turned out to be a chocolate bar – with nuts. Daniel would have shared it, but everyone wisely refused, forcing him to eat it all. Which he did, with great joy. Along with a mug of coffee.

Once they started up again, the path back to the Stargate was considerably easier, thanks to most of the hacking already having been done. By the time the 'Gate and SG-8 came into view, Daniel was barely on his feet. Sam rushed ahead and began the dial-out process even as SG-8 regaled them with all that they'd seen of the destruction of the Origoi ship, which had ignored the 'Gate altogether in favor of the structure.

After the wormhole exploded out and the SG code delivered, they went home.

~~~

Landry stood in the control room, staring anxiously at the computer screen as he, and everyone else in the room, waited for SG-1's code. When it came, he, and the man next to him, breathed a sigh of relief.

"This was the part of the job I hated, Hank."

Landry turned to look at George Hammond. "I'm with you on that, George. But this time, it looks like we're okay."

George nodded, indicated the stairs, and with a smile, followed Landry down to the 'Gate room. He was very grateful for the call letting him know what was going on. He might be retired, but he still served as a consultant to the President and retained his security clearance. Besides, if SG-1 failed – well, George never once entertained that thought.

They entered the 'Gate room, which was staffed with SF's just in case. The wormhole settled and SG-11 walked through, followed by Bra'tac, Colonel Mitchell and Colonel Carter. All were smiling, but George, who knew two of them well, noticed the slight tightness to the grins. Carter confirmed his worry by stepping forward.

"We could use some medical help. I don't think Daniel will be able to walk down to the Infirmary. And General Hammond, it's good to see you again.."

George looked at Landry, who immediately barked out the appropriate order. At the same time, SG-8 walked through, closely followed by Jack and Teal'c, who held Daniel up between them.

Even as they moved down the ramp, Doctor Lam and two of her staff rushed in with a gurney.

Jack and Teal'c stopped at the end of the ramp as the gurney was positioned so that Daniel could sit on it. But naturally, he waved it off and said, "I can... walk."

"Sure you can, Danny-boy, but me and Teal'c, well, we're exhausted, so do us a favor, okay? Accept a ride. I'm thinking of asking for one myself."

"As am I, DanielJackson."

He shot them both a disgusted look and said, "Sam, you need a gurney too? And how 'bout SG-8? SG-11?"

Colonel Preston stepped forward and said with a grin, "I could use a wheelchair, actually, Doctor Jackson."

Lying down in a huff, Daniel said, "Everyone's a ... comedian."

~~~

Jack sat in the briefing room drumming his fingers. Next to him, George sat doing much the same.

"He didn't look too bad," George said.

"You mean for a dead man? No, no, he didn't. But hey, it was only a ten mile walk back to the Stargate."

"Right."

They both went back to drumming their fingers.

After several moments, George said, "I'm a retired general now and you're the head of Homeworld Security, so technically, there's absolutely no reason why we can't join Colonels Carter and Mitchell, and Teal'c and Bra'tac in the Infirmary."

Jack looked at George, who stared back at him. "Good point, George. Hank's the boss around these here parts. He's the one who has to maintain—"

"Exactly," George said with a sly smile.

Jack jumped to his feet and, with a wave of his hand, said, "After you, George."

~~~

"He's going to be fine."

"He will indeed, Colonel Carter."

She didn't look up, just nodded. "Of course he will. He looked fine – sort of. Okay, he was pale and sweaty, but he was joking, right?"

"He was," Teal'c affirmed.

"So he's going to be just fine."

"Is it always like this?" Mitchell asked from his seat beside Sam.

"Pretty much," Sam said with a wan smile.

"So maybe Doctor Jackson was right," he mused.

Sam started drumming her fingers on her thigh. "I never said good-bye to him, you know." She looked up at Teal'c. "I never even thought about him. I said good-bye to you, but never once—"

"Colonel Carter, I do not believe that this has haunted DanielJackson."

She glanced up at him. "You don't? You don't think he felt abandoned?"

"It is not in his nature, Samantha. And has he not been free to pursue his love of archaeology?"

Her face brightened. "Of course. Of course."

"Still no word?" Jack asked as he and Hammond walked up to where Sam was seated in the hall.

"No, sir."

Teal'c bowed in front of Hammond, as did Bra'tac.

"Hammond of Texas, it is good to see you again."

"You as well, Master Bra'tac." He looked over at Teal'c and said, "I understand things aren't going too well on Dakaar, Master Teal'c."

"I believe in the Jaffa – they will make the right decision and move forward while accepting the assistance of the Tauri."

Bra'tac shook his head. "I am not as hopeful as my young friend."

George would have answered, but at that moment, Doctor Lam entered the hallway. She looked at the array of people and shook her head. "I've been told about this, but never thought I'd see it."

"It?" Jack asked.

"SG-1 waiting on word about one of their own."

"Ah," Jack said sagely. "And naturally, it was usually Daniel we were waiting to hear about."

"When it wasn't you, General," Carter added.

"Or you, Colonel," Teal'c threw in.

"Or all of you," Hammond said, his look warning that he'd better have the last word.

"So, how is Daniel?" Jack asked the petite doctor.

"I'm not exactly certain. He's explained what happened on the planet, and his theory is that he's simply out of energy. He seems to think a few hours sleep will take care of it, but my tests aren't quite so agreeable."

"Care to be a bit more forthcoming, Doctor?" Jack asked.

"I ran an EKG on him and the results were not favorable. It's too early to tell if any real damage has been done to his heart, so I'm keeping him here for the next forty-eight hours and we'll run some additional tests. In the meantime, he's resting comfortably. In fact, he's sound asleep."

Jack experienced a wave of coldness steal over him at the words "damage... to his heart" but he managed to swallow his fear and say, "I see. I think I'll sit with him for a bit. Colonel Carter, Colonel Mitchell, I believe you both have reports to write up? General Landry has called for a debriefing at sixteen hundred hours."

Sam rose to her feet and nodded. "Yes, sir." She looked over her shoulder at the Infirmary and said, "Tell him – if he wakes up—"

"That will probably be sometime tomorrow, Carter, and you can tell him yourself."

Smiling, she said, "Yes, sir."

Watching the two walk away, Jack said, "Teal'c, if I recall correctly, the Council reconvenes tomorrow, right?"

"That is correct."

"Baring any change in Daniel's condition, I think I'd like to go back with you, if you don't mind?"

Straightening up, Teal'c said, "I would be honored, O'Neill."

Bra'tac nodded his agreement.

"Good. Then it's settled," Jack said, his eyes going toward the Infirmary.

~~~

Jack didn't stay for a bit – he remained by Daniel's bedside throughout the rest of the day, trusting that Mitchell and Carter would provide all the information Hank would require. In truth, he had no intention of leaving Daniel at all.

For Daniel's part – he slept soundly, rarely moving, as the hours ticked by.

Food was brought for Jack, and Doctor Lam went so far as to have another bed rolled in. Jack had to smile at that and, as she started to walk out, after taking Daniel's vitals herself, he nodded at the bed and whispered, "You learn fast."

Smiling, she whispered back, "Your reputation precedes you, General."

"I have never slept—"

"But things are different now, aren't they?" she said in a very 'don't ask-don't tell' way.

Eyes on a sleeping Daniel, Jack simply nodded and, satisfied, Carolyn Lam walked out.

"Yeah," he whispered, "things are very different now."

~~~

"Jack?"

Startled, Jack jerked awake as his chin slid from his hand. He sat up to see Daniel watching him. "Hey, you're awake."

"Apparently." Daniel looked around and gave out with a disgusted noise. "Infirmary. Why am I not surprised."

"Because we're talking about Mr. Die-Die And Die Again Jackson?"

"Hey, I'll have you know I haven't died once in the last eight months."

"That's not true," Jack said softly.

"Not counting yesterday – and I assume it was yesterday."

"It was, and I'm not counting yesterday either."

Daniel sat up, with some care for all the wires that had been hooked up to him, and plucking at the blanket, said, "Maybe a small death."

"Uh-huh," Jack said knowingly. "Same here, you know."

Daniel looked back at him then and smiled. Jack grinned back before saying, "However, all the sympathy should be for me. While you were living it up on a dig, I was stuck in Washington."

"Oh, about that." Daniel stretched, looking distinctly uncomfortable as he added, "I wasn't exactly on a dig, you know."

"Excuse me? You were found at Karnac, in Egypt. Of course you were on a dig. And speaking of digs, don't you eat when you're doing archaeological type crap?"

Daniel looked around at that and asked, "Did I miss breakfast, speaking of food?"

"No," Jack said sharply. "They'll be bringing it shortly, I'm sure. Now answer the question."

"I did already. I wasn't on a dig." He gave Jack a thoroughly disgusted look. "They don't dig at Karnac anymore, Jack. It's a touristy thing now, you know?"

"So what the hell were you doing there?" Jack asked angrily.

Sitting up straight, Daniel said, just as angrily, "Mostly NOT eating, thanks to our beloved government, that's what!"

"Oh, so now you're blaming our government because you can't take care of yourself on digs?"

"I WASN'T on a dig, JACK!"

"Oh, fer crying... lower your voice or Lam'll be in here before you can say 'needle'."

Daniel fell back against the pillows and closed his eyes. "I really hate you, Jack."

Shaking his head, Jack patted Daniel's arm. "I know, I know."

A couple of quiet moments went by before Jack threw his final barb. "You know, for a forty year old man – you sure can act childish."

"Thirty-five. I'm thirty-five," Daniel said without opening his eyes.

"Now, Daniel, I know how traumatic it can be to turn the big 4-0, but point of fact is – you went there last month."

"No, I turned thirty-five last month. My file isn't exactly accurate – just like I wasn't exactly on a dig, you asshole."

"I'm having an almost irresistible urge to hit you with a pillow, but you died yesterday, so I'm doing my best to restrain myself."

"Good for you," Daniel said sarcastically. Then he said, "You going to let me explain, or are we going to continue with this witty repartee?"

Another bit of witty repartee was on the tip of Jack's tongue, but he had the feeling if he said it – Daniel would clam up and that would be the end of whatever the hell it was that they had. He swallowed the words and simply said, "Go ahead, I'm listening."

Daniel narrowed his eyes, studied Jack for a moment and, apparently satisfied with what he was seeing, said, "There was a mistake made when I was in the foster care system so my age of record is wrong. The mistake was partly my grandfather's and later ... mine. Deliberate ... mistakes."

Jack gave him what he hoped was an encouraging look.

"Nick was worried about me and, while he couldn't take me, he wanted me to have a good life -- but I was – well, let's face it, I already spoke four languages and was – you know – a bit ahead of other children my age, so he kind of ... upped the ante by adding a couple of years. Then when I wanted emancipation, well, it was pretty easy to do – there were no records and I simply told the courts that my grandfather didn't have a clue about my real age and wasn't it obvious that I could hardly be fourteen and when they finally reached him – he told them I was right, and didn't he feel a fool, so the courts had no choice. I was granted emancipation and entered—"

"You know, you're not making me feel any younger – or smarter, Daniel."

Daniel ducked his head but Jack had the feeling it was more to hide his grin than out of any embarrassment.

"Sorry, Jack. You go on thinking I'm forty, okay?"

"And now the 'not dig' explanation?"

"Oh, well, it seems the government feels that my being on a dig might be too – stressful. I might not be able to contain myself and thus blurt out things that are best left unsaid. They made it impossible for me to pick up my life in archaeology." He held up a hand. "And before you get mad, don't bother. I should have suspected it. But I didn't. Fortunately, an old friend was very honest with me about why I'd been unable to get work. He felt terrible, but had no choice. I told him not to worry about it, after all, once a flake – always a flake.

"The tough part was – well – I'd sold my house, you see, and thinking that money wouldn't necessarily be a problem – wait, I'd better back up a bit. You see, after Janet died, I kind of ... well, I paid off the mortgage on her house so Cassie would have a place to call her own. I knew there was enough for college and all, but with Sam's schedule and Cassie was seventeen by then, and so, well, you get my drift. Anyway, when I sold my house in preparation for leaving Colorado, I decided to set up a fund for Cassie that would allow her to do the whole Europe thing and then, if and when she decided on the Academy, well, money wouldn't be an issue. So by the time it became apparent that...."

Daniel paused and started tapping his hand on his thigh. Jack recognized it as a nervous gesture and surprised himself by reaching out and taking the wayward hand in his. He found that not only did it feel good, but he didn't give a damn if they were seen.

Daniel glanced down at their hands and started to pull away, but Jack just tightened his hold.

"Go on, Daniel."

"Nothing else, really. I settled in Luxor and I made enough money to get by... as a... oh, fercryingoutloudasatourguide."

Jack leaned forward. "A – tour guide? You were a fucking tour guide?"

"Hey, I was a damn good tour guide. Freelance, you know?"

"Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. What am I going to do with you?"

"You asked that once already. I'd have thought by now, you'd have come up with something."

"Yeah, well, I may have to rethink what I'd planned – now that I know you're not even forty. Hell, you're just a kid." Suddenly Jack's eyes popped wide. "Dear God, you were just a KID when we went through the Stargate that first time!"

"And this has significance now – how?"

"I thought you were thirty!"

Daniel just rolled his eyes.

~~~

"The good news is that his EKG this morning was normal. So were his blood tests. The doc is going to release him later this afternoon."

"Good, good," Landry said. "The President is very happy right now, Jack. Very happy."

"What he should be – is ashamed of himself. Did you know that Doctor Daniel Jackson, the man responsible for all of this, the man who – once again – saved not only this world, but a helluva lot of other worlds – has been working as a tour guide because we couldn't trust him to work in his own field?"

Hank sat back in his chair, completely shocked to the core. "Tell me this is one your famous jokes, Jack."

"Can't do it, Hank. I'm serious. I've received two promotions in a year. Sam can write her own ticket. And Daniel? Jesus." He stood up then. "Which is why I'm turning in my resignation. I'm going to Dakaar, see what I can do for Teal'c and the Jaffa, but when I get back – Homeworld Security and the SGC are on their own."

Landry got quickly to his feet. "Jack, you need to think about this. The chances are pretty damn good that the President didn't even know about Doctor Jackson's inability to get work within his field. You don't give up a career—"

"Don't I? Guess again. I'm retiring, Hank, and may I say that your own response to Daniel has been less than respectful. He might not be Air Force, but he's a better soldier than anyone I know. Anyone."

"Jack, it wasn't my intention to—"

Jack held up a hand, stopping Landry mid-sentence. "Teal'c and Bra'tac are probably already in the 'Gate room waiting for me. As it happens, I've already sent my letter of resignation to the President. We'll talk on my return."

With that, Jack turned and walked out. Landry sank back down, stunned.

~~~

When Jack walked into the 'Gate room, he was surprised to find Daniel and Sam standing next to Teal'c and Bra'tac.

"Daniel, what are you doing here?"

"Doctor Lam released me, hello? Where else would I be?"

"Oh, I don't know – resting perhaps?"

"I don't think so, Jack. Sam and I thought we might join you guys."

"Wow, you're funny today." He turned to Sam and said, "Colonel Carter, you're more than welcome to accompany us." Turning back to Daniel, he said, "But you, Doctor Jackson, are not. May I suggest you retire to your quarters?"

Jack knew instantly that he'd made a mistake. A huge mistake. Gargantuan. A mistake of epic and "No sex ever" proportions. He decided to quickly backpedal.

"Or not," he said lamely.

"I believe if DanielJackson is well enough, we would be honored to have him join us," Teal'c said, in no effort to help Jack out.

Daniel, eyes cold, waited. Jack couldn't fail to notice the tapping foot.

"Yes, well, he certainly looks much better, doesn't he, Carter?"

"Yes, General, he does."

A façade of dignity in place, Jack turned and looked up at the control room. "Walter?"

Davis leaned forward and said into the mike, "Yes, General."

The Stargate began to turn.

***

III – The New Jaffa Nation

"So, am I forgiven?" Jack hissed as they stood inside what was now the primary meeting place for the Jaffa and the council.

"I'm considering it," Daniel whispered back.

"Got any ideas on how to beat this Garage guy?"

"You might try pronouncing his name correctly, for starters."

"Anything else?"

"Yes. The Jaffa don't need any more system lords."

Jack turned to stare at Daniel, mouth open.

"And close your mouth or you'll look dumb."

Jack snapped his mouth closed.

~~~

"We are honored by a visit from such an important Tau'ri dignitary such as yourself, General O'Neill."

Jack wasn't falling for Gerak's words, but neither would he give the man any satisfaction by behaving in any way less than the twice-promoted general that he was. If he could handle the bastards in Washington D.C. – he could damn well handle a power-hungry Jaffa like Gerak.

Especially with Daniel right behind him.

He bowed slightly and then touched his fist to his chest. "The honor is mine, Gerak."

Gerak was clearly surprised by Jack's gesture and homage to the Jaffa way, but he covered it quickly. "I understand from Rak'nor that you wish to address this Council, General O'Neill. Is that correct?"

Bristling at the fact that Gerak had refused to acknowledge Teal'c and was already acting as though he controlled said Council, Jack deliberately turned to where Teal'c, Rak'nor and Bra'tac sat. "I would be honored to be allowed to address this most esteemed group."

Bra'tac rose to his feet. "We are most interested in what you might have to say, O'Neill."

Jack bit back the grin that was fighting to escape. Bra'tac had just put Gerak nicely in his place – with a wee bit of Irish help from Jonathon 'Jack' O'Neill.

Remembering all that Teal'c and Daniel had told him, he moved onto the copper-colored "speaking" circle in the middle of the floor. He bowed again and, as Bra'tak retook his seat, said, "I understand the desire of the new Jaffa nation to be free of all influences... both external and," he glanced briefly over at Gerak, "internal. You have fought long and hard to achieve what you have today so I would simply like to set forth a few thoughts for your consideration. The dream of Jaffa freedom was born within the heart of one man: Master Bra'tac. He, in turn, passed the dream to those of his students who would listen. One of them, Master Teal'c, held the dream to his heart and spent years in exile, a Shol'va to all including his own family, in his attempt to bring the dream to fruition. While Master Bra'tac worked within – Master Teal'c worked from without after finding an ally he felt worthy of the fight – namely the Tauri."

Jack stopped just long enough for his words to penetrate and for Gerak to get up a good head of steam in preparation for interrupting him. He then plunged ahead, effectively cutting off Gerak's attempt to speak.

"And we, in turn, were fortunate to have been found by Master Teal'c. He saved our lives on Chulak all those years ago – and many times since. He has shown us the true nature of a Jaffa warrior. Master Teal'c has demonstrated a courage we could only aspire to and an honor and loyalty that served as our beacon. His knowledge proved invaluable to all of us in our joined fight against the Goa'uld.

"We come to you now as allies and, more importantly, as friends. And perhaps -- as a people who would wish only to aid you as you build your new nation. It is not our desire to conform you to our way but rather to help only by offering our own experiences in building a governing body that recognizes ALL individuals and protects those who would need protection."

Jack suddenly realized he hadn't talked this much since – his school days. Sheesh.

"The new Jaffa nation has nothing to fear from the Tauri. We have no desire to control the Jaffa nation, contrary to what may have been said by some." He shot another 'friendly' look over at Gerak. "Our desire is simply to offer any assistance you deem appropriate."

Damn, he sure could use some water right about now. And were the words rolling out of him, or what?

"I would be less than candid if I did not, however, express my own fears for the future of the new Jaffa nation and this very Council. The Jaffa have been under the thumb of the Goa'uld for centuries. You have seen how a philosophy of 'only the strong survive' works and you rebelled. So now I find that I must ask: Why would you wish to continue such a philosophy? Such a way of life? Are you not great warriors who serve to protect? Strength is not the only way – force is not the only way."

Jack turned and faced Gerak directly as he added, "The new Jaffa nation does not need another system lord." He pivoted slightly to face the other members. "What you need are men and women of heart, courage, strength, and honor, as well as a desire to move forward for the good of all Jaffa, not simply the strongest among you. If you rely on only strength and power, you will foster a world of fear – and that is the world you have fought so hard to escape.

"I believe in the alliance between the Jaffa and the Tauri because I believe it will enhance both our nations. Together, we have already proven our ability to work side-by-side to defeat any who would threaten us, and now I pray for a future where the alliance only grows and deepens."

Jack slowly stepped back and joined Daniel and Sam. He'd done all that he could. He only hoped that it would be enough.

~~~

Daniel sat on a stone in the center of the city. Next to him, and clearly nervous, Jack paced.

"You were great, Jack, don't worry. I watched their faces, and the expressions of the Jaffa in the gallery. You hit several nerves and, if my opinion counts, I think you did it."

Jack stopped his pacing and turned to look at his friend. His eyes crinkled with his smile as he said, "No one's opinion matters more, Daniel."

"Ah, go on with you."

Laughing, Jack waved his hand and said, "Scoot over."

Daniel did and Jack sat down. His shoulder connecting with Daniel's, he said, "I'm resigning when we get back, Daniel. Thought we'd head up to the lake – together – just the two of us. Get your hard rocks off."

The laughter burst out of Daniel before he could stop it. Jack shook his head but kept on smiling.

"I have to tell you, Jack, listening to you with the Jaffa Council got my rocks harder and heavier than they've ever been."

Looking inordinately pleased, Jack said, "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Who knew the Silver Fox possessed a silver tongue too?"

"I think it's the addition of 'general' before my name."

"Undoubtedly."

"Or you finally rubbed off on me," Jack added.

"Rubbing is one of the things I do best. And there are so many ways to ... rub. Can't wait to show them all to you."

Jack wiggled his finger at Daniel's face and said, "You are going to shave that off before you start... rubbing, right?"

"Hey, this is a good beard I've got going here."

"No doubt, but where there's beard, there's no rubbing on this body. Got that, Doctor Jackson?"

"I wonder if Teal'c has anything I can use to shave off this disgusting beard."

"Now you're talking." Jack leaned forward and rested his arms on his thighs as he said thoughtfully, "You don't find it odd, after all these years, to be sitting here talking about ... rubbing ... with a guy?"

"Not really. Do you?"

"Honestly? Yeah. I haven't had ... rubbing ... discussions with a guy for ... a long time. Over nine years in fact."

Daniel looked sideways at him. "Nine? As in... the year between Abydos and ... Abydos?"

"Hey, I was retired -- and divorced. Didn't have to worry about 'don't ask, don't tell'."

"So rubbing isn't all that foreign to you, then?"

Looking somewhat sheepish, Jack shook his head.

"I knew that about you," Daniel said smugly.

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did."

"Didn't."

"Did."

"And you're a big rubber expert, are you?"

Humor making his eyes dance, Daniel said, "Rubber expert, Jack?"

Jack tried to hold it in, but he couldn't. He had to laugh.

"And yes, I consider myself a 'rubber' expert," Daniel said as Jack tried to catch his breath. "Going way back."

"So we're straight on this, then? We're both rubber experts – but a bit rusty."

"Straight, Jack?"

"Quasi."

"O'Neill."

Both men jumped at Teal'c's voice. They spun around to find themselves facing Bra'tac, Teal'c, Sam and Rak'nor. All of whom were smiling.

"O'Neill, the Council has voted and the decision is that each faction, no matter size or strength, will be allowed one member on the Council, which will function as the head of our new Jaffa nation. And the Tauri's advice will be welcome at all times. In addition, the Council has asked that one Tauri be assigned the duty of ambassador to the Jaffa Nation, and we in turn will appoint a Jaffa as ambassador to the Tauri. Lead Council was also voted – and I am proud to say that the honor went to Master Bra'tac."

"Only after you turned it down, Teal'c," Bra'tac said.

Surprised, Jack said, "You turned it down? Why?"

"It would appear that Teal'c has another position in mind," Rak'nor said with the hint of a smile on his lips.

Daniel, grinning, said, "Perhaps ... Ambassador Teal'c?"

Teal'c's eyebrow rose significantly. "Not ... precisely."

"You have something else in mind?" Daniel asked.

"Ind—"

"Don't say it, Teal'c," Jack warned.

The other eyebrow rose. "Indubitably."

~~~

"The vote went well, then?" Landry asked.

"It did. We'll exchange ambassadors and work to help the Jaffa in any way we can," Jack said.

They were in Landry's office, Jack, Daniel and Sam having returned earlier.

"The current Council's last order of business before they reconvene next week with their new members will be to decide on the new ambassador and whether to ask for anyone in particular from us." Jack shrugged. "Teal'c doesn't know what direction they'll go yet, but it should be interesting."

"Are you still planning on resigning?"

"I prefer to call it ... retiring."

"I think you're making a mistake, Jack."

"Really?" Jack scratched his chin. "Has anyone even thanked Daniel?"

Hank Landry found himself suddenly speechless.

"No, I didn't think so." He got to his feet. "Daniel and I will stay a bit longer since Teal'c asked us to wait until the Council had chosen an ambassador, but then I'll head to Washington to make it official."

"Who will take your place, Jack? Who could possibly know more about this—"

"I'll let the President handle that, Hank, not that I don't have a couple of ideas. In the meantime, I think Colonel Carter would like to return to the SGC. I suspect she and Colonel Mitchell will do great things for you."

With that, Jack walked out. He'd never been truly comfortable in that particular office anyway.

~~~

When he walked into Daniel's assigned room, he found the younger man on top of the bed, fully clothed and sound asleep. Smiling, he shook his head. The camera was off, on his orders, so he wasn't overly concerned and he really didn't want to go to his own room. He undid his tie, took off his jacket and laid it carefully over the back of the desk chair. For a moment, he stood over Daniel and watched him sleep. Until it hit him: Daniel had shaved.

Smiling, Jack sat down on the edge of the bed. This was the SGC and he was a general – for a few more weeks anyway – and he supposed it would be in very poor taste to actually do anything with Daniel – here – at the SGC. On the other hand – how much harm could it do to do a bit of ... rubbing?

~~~

Daniel stretched like a cat and, after a yawn, asked, "What was that for?"

"That was your official thank-you from your grateful government, that's what," Jack said as he rolled over onto his back and clasped his hands behind his head. He was one satisfied general.

"Wow, if I'd known the government could be this ... appreciative... I'd have demanded a thank-you years ago."

Smiling, Jack closed his eyes and said, "Hmmm."

Daniel turned onto his side and propped his head up with his hand as he regarded his bedmate. "Did it escape your notice that we're in the SGC?"

"Nope. But I'm a general and I had your camera turned off. Of course, that was simply to give you privacy – I had no ulterior motives at the time I gave the order."

"Not consciously, anyway," Daniel quipped.

Looking at his friend, Jack smiled lazily and reached out to touch Daniel's lips. "Just so you know – officially, that is – I'm crazy in love with you, Daniel."

"Glad you clarified. I'd hate to think we had sex just because you and our government were grateful."

Jack grinned. "That too."

They shared a silent few minutes, just watching each other – almost as if afraid the other would disappear. Finally Daniel said, "Not in a million years would I have ever thought we'd end up like this. All the fights, the friendship, the women, the—"

"Dying?"

"The dying. And yet, here we are."

"Right where we belong, if you ask me."

"And if I'd asked you ... oh, say... a year ago?"

"I wish you had, Daniel."

"No, you don't. You were in the middle of Sam-worship. The last thing in the world you would have considered would be doing what we just did. Together."

There was no censure in his voice, just... truth.

"You're probably right," Jack agreed.

Daniel sat up and rested against the headboard. "I figure if you couldn't put two and two together when I was about to go with Oma, or when I miraculously returned – well, I suspect we're damn lucky this happened at all. You being you... and all."

"Have I just been insulted?"

"Is the shoe a good fit?"

"Is that Oma talking?"

"No. She would have said something like, 'If the shoe is not dirty, the road has not been traveled'. And speaking of Sam – are you two all right?"

A rising eyebrow told Daniel what Jack thought of the switch.

"Hey, I'm just asking."

"Carter and I are very fine."

"Good. Good."

"Thanks for shaving, by the way," Jack said as he reached up and ran the back of his hand against Daniel's cheek.

"My pleasure."

"And damn, you look like a kid now. I'm robbing the cradle."

"Lucky you," Daniel said with a smirk.

Voice lowering and eyes soft with love, Jack said, "Yeah, yeah, I am."

~~~

"You're just having a salad, Daniel?"

"Nothing else looks good," he said as he reached for the plate of greens.

Jack swatted his hand and said, "That's it. I'm taking you off-base. We're going out to dinner."

He took both their trays and got out of line. Dumping everything on the conveyer belt, he grabbed Daniel's shirt and tugged him along.

"Jack—"

"And yes, I'll ask Mitchell and Carter too."

"Well, okay, then."

~~~

"We had some good times here, didn't we?" Jack said as he looked around O'Malley's.

"Yes, sir, we did."

Looking back at Carter, Jack smiled and said, "How 'bout we try 'Jack and Sam' tonight?"

"You first ... sir."

Rolling his eyes, Jack said, "So, how's your wine, Sam?"

Grinning, she said, "It's excellent, Jack."

"Gosh, I think they're having a moment, Cameron," Daniel quipped.

"And to think I might have missed this," Mitchell said drolly.

"I told you that you'd regret ever having any desire to be a part of SG-1, didn't I?"

"You did, Doctor, you did. But so far...."

Jack leaned forward and said, "Don't tell me we haven't convinced you that leading a new SG-1 is the way to go?"

"Sorry, no."

"Maybe we should tell him how lucky we are that we're still allowed inside O'Malley's?" Sam asked.

Daniel shook his head. "Nope. The only reason they let us in is because Jack's in uniform, his hair is much more grey, and we're with Mitchell. They didn't recognize us, Sam."

"Good point."

Mitchell looked from one to the other, then over to Jack. "Sir?"

"It involved bracelets and a slur against Daniel. Oh, and Sam, who beat the shit out of a trio of rednecks at pool. If I told you anything else – I'd have to kill you."

"Now, see, that's what I'm talking about," Mitchell said. "That's the SG-1 I've heard about – the legend."

Daniel snorted. "Legend? That's rich. Wait... that's actually semi-true." He looked with love and admiration at Jack and Sam. "Very semi-true, and if Teal'c were here – it would be mostly true."

Mitchell frowned and glanced over at Jack, who shrugged and said, "He never did get it, Mitchell. Even now."

"Get what?" Daniel asked.

Sam reached over and patted his hand. "Nothing, Daniel. Nothing."

Mitchell's frown faded, to be replaced by an almost sad expression. "I get it – now. In more ways than one." He paused, glanced from Jack, to Sam and finally to Daniel. "There's only one SG-1. Which means – there's no SG-1 now. Can't be -- ever again."

~~~

"Jack, you may have ordered the camera in my room turned off, but the ones out here?" He pointed up, his hand hidden between their bodies.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, if you go in and don't come out til morning... duh?"

"And I care ... why?"

"Oh, because you'd like to resign as opposed to go to jail and then be dishonorably discharged?"

"Daniel, I've already resigned. I talked to the President before we left for dinner, while you were gathering up Sam and Mitchell. It's a done deal."

"Well, fer crying out loud, get the fucking door open, already."

Jack flipped the card out of his breast pocket and deliberately moved close to Daniel, who stood between him and the door. He reached past him and, sliding the card, whispered, "I love it when you swear, Daniel."

"Well, hot damn," Daniel whispered back.

~~~

"Jesus, Danny, jesus...."

Sweat trickled down his face as he thrust again, and yet again, his arms holding him above Daniel, whose legs were wrapped tightly around him. At the moment, Daniel was clenching his ass, which in turn, was doing pretty remarkable things to Jack's dick, which was currently buried in said ass. "I'm—"

"No, no, not yet," Daniel whispered, "not yet."

He squeezed his legs, holding Jack in place. "Slow... slow...."

For Jack, it was exquisite torture. Daniel only allowed him to pull out just so far before he could bury himself within Daniel once again.

It had never been like this – never so real. There was no part of himself or Daniel that he couldn't feel.

"Now, Jack ... now," Daniel hissed out, his voice tight with the effort to hold himself in check.

Jack lowered his head and captured Daniel's mouth even as Daniel slipped a hand between them and began to pump his erection. Jack thrust deep, felt Daniel's ass clench again, and groaned into Daniel's mouth. He could feel Daniel's muscles spasm and knew he was close to coming. He lifted his head, ending the kiss, and turned his attention to Daniel's neck. It only took one small bite and Daniel was coming. The heat of it, the sound of Daniel as he arched upward, all was enough for Jack. A final thrust and he was coming.

~~~

"Damn, I don't know which I enjoy more. Topping or—"

"Me either," Daniel said around a yawn. "But no matter which, doing it here in the SGC is a helluva turn on."

Jack laughed at that and then turned his head so he could bury his face in the crook of Daniel's neck. "Doing it with the famous Doctor Daniel Jackson is my turn on," he murmured against still-sweaty skin.

"Infamous – it's infamous."

"Don't say that, Daniel, not even in jest."

"No joke, Jack."

He could hear the smile in Daniel's voice and for some reason, it made him madder than hell. He rose up, rolled over and got up. "Daniel, sometimes... I swear—"

"I know, Jack. I know. I make you mad. My lucky lot in life."

"Damn it, Daniel. You saved the world – hell, entire galaxies. You were willing to give up your life—"

"So? You did the same thing. Saved us all from Anubis. Risked your life. Difference is, well, let's face it, we only have words on a tablet. For all I know – I did nothing but murder a hundred and twelve people. Now come back to bed, I'm cold."

Jack stood there, paralyzed. He felt his throat close up and his eyes ... water. Damn, he was going to cry. Daniel had made him cry. Hell, he hadn't cried when Daniel had ... or when he'd... but now? Now?

"Damn you, Daniel. Damn you," he managed to choke out.

Concerned, Daniel was out of the bed and by his side in an instant. "Jack?"

Jack did the only thing he could think of – he pulled Daniel to him and held on as tight as he could without hurting the man.

~~~

Daniel was asleep, but Jack was far from it. He was still holding him.

He would hold him forever. And maybe ... just maybe, someday, Daniel would get it.

But he doubted it.

~~~

"So, do you think the whole base is talking now?" Daniel asked as he put on his pants.

"Actually, no. I honestly don't think anyone cares at this late date. The most that might be happening is an exchange of money between those who thought it would be Carter and I and those who were sure you and I were doing it."

"Hey, what about poor Teal'c?"

"Everyone lost that one. As if Teal'c would throw Ishta over for George? Get real."

Daniel started choking. "Teal'c... an-d... Hammond?" he finally managed to say.

"What can I say? The military mind."

"Well," Daniel said as he got to his feet and pulled his t-shirt on. "You're showing me a whole new side to the military mind, one that I'd have never believed existed. Hammond and Teal'c?"

"Hey, there was a pool about Hammond and Jacob, fer crying out loud."

"Oh, God, no."

"And you and Jacob."

Laughing now, Daniel held his stomach and said, "No, please, stop."

"I think you and Jake would have made a terrific couple. Not as hot as you and me, but right up there."

"And to think, I only heard about the me and Teal'c pool. Amazing."

Jack frowned. "You and... Teal'c?"

"Well, sure. This is news?"

"Teal'c and me, heard it. Sam and Teal'c, top of the list. But you and Teal'c?!"

Disgruntled, Daniel said, "What's wrong with Teal'c and me?"

"Oh, come on, Daniel. You? And Teal'c? I don't think so."

Eyes narrowed, Daniel got to his feet. Challenge in his posture, he said, "Jack? You'd better find a way out of this."

Swallowing hard, Jack backed up. "Yes, well, I just meant – you know – you're too much man for Teal'c." Looking inordinately pleased with himself, Jack almost preened.

"You ass."

Crestfallen, Jack said, "What?"

Shaking his head, Daniel walked over to the dresser and checked his reflection in the mirror. He made a half-assed attempt at swiping his hair down as he said, "I'm going to breakfast – you can go to hell. Oh, wait, you've been there – we both have. So go take a hike." With that, he walked out.

Jack decided he'd gone too far. Way too far. He sighed, slipped his uniform jacket on, did a little checking in the mirror himself, and headed out after Daniel.

He had a feeling their relationship would be a lot like this in the coming years. One of them always going after the other.

He smiled.

Life was good.

~~~

He had to slow to a more officer-like walk as he got to the commissary, not wanting to look too anxious – or anything. He straightened his shoulders, lifted his chin, and walked in.

He spotted Daniel immediately – sitting alone at a table – with two trays of food. Jack walked over, trying to look as nonchalant as possible, and said, "May I join you, Doctor Jackson?"

"Only if you're in the mood for waffles," Daniel said without looking up at him.

That's when Jack noticed that the other tray was laden down with all of his favorite breakfast foods, waffles included.

"Mmm, looks good," he said as he took the seat opposite.

"Thought you might approve," Daniel said, still too busy eating his own French toast to look up.

Jack decided to bide his time by eating his breakfast – starting with the waffles.

~~~

Jack sat back and patted his very flat stomach. "Stuffed to the gills, Daniel. This is going to cost me in the gym."

"Doubtful. Your metabolism is scary."

"Mine, what about yours?"

"Same. Scary."

Jack piled their plates onto the now-stacked trays and was about to remove them when one of the commissary personnel came over and took them. Daniel grinned and said, "Perks."

Jack gave him a charming shrug before leaning forward, both arms on the table. "We need to talk about the future. I've been thinking and ... I don't believe you'd be happy in Minnesota, Daniel."

Suspicion clouding now narrowed blue eyes, Daniel said, "Is this your way of saying it's over – already?"

"Hardly. But let's face it – the SGC needs you, Daniel. And buried out in the sticks with me? No way. That's not for you."

"Wow, you're really going serious all of a sudden. I thought the whole me-Teal'c thing was good for another couple of hours, anyway."

Smiling, Jack said, "At least. But come on, you know I'm right."

"About me and Teal'c?" Daniel asked innocently.

"Daniel."

Letting the smile fade, Daniel said, "What about you, Jack? Will you be satisfied in Minnesota?"

"We're not talking about me. I've had a full career, Daniel."

"What does that have to do with anything? Are you finished doing what you wanted to do?"

"We're not talking about me—"

"Yes, we are. If we're talking about me, we're talking about you. Are you really ready to retire to Minnesota? Is it time? Because if it is – then it's time for me too. Because, not that I want to sound ridiculous, or anything, but where you go – I go."

Looking completely pole-axed, Jack let his mouth drop open.

"Gee, I've surprised you," Daniel said, obviously pleased with himself.

Before Jack could respond, the klaxons sounded and the loudspeaker announced, "OFF WORLD ACTIVATION!"

When all Daniel did was to take another sip of his coffee, Jack said, "Daniel?"

"What?"

"Off world activation?"

"Doesn't concern me anymore." He grinned. "I don't work here, remember? But if you want to go, I'll tag along."

Jack felt as though he were in another dimension, but he got up anyway. "Well, let's go. Maybe it's Teal'c."

"Gee, I hope so. I'm so ... drawn to him," Daniel said with a straight face.

"You knucklehead."

~~~

"It's Teal'c's ID, sir," Walter informed Landry.

"Open the iris, then."

Landry watched as the iris slid open and the wormhole did its usual thing.

"What's up, Hank?"

Landry turned and smiled at Jack. "Teal'c. Must have news about the ambassadorship."

Jack nodded and wiggled a finger toward the 'Gate room. "We'll just go on down there."

"Of course."

Jack turned, with Daniel by his side, and together they headed down. They were just entering when Teal'c stepped through the 'Gate.

"Hey, Teal'c. Long time, no see."

"That is not correct, O'Neill. It has only been—"

"Can it, Teal'c," Jack said good-naturedly. "So what's the news?"

"Perhaps we should discuss this in private?"

Worried, Jack nodded, gave a look up at Landry indicating the briefing room and, at his nod, all three left the 'Gate room.

As they climbed the stairs, Jack couldn't help but feel that maybe everything had fallen apart since they'd left Dakara. It would be so typical.

***

IV – The Coalition

"... so Rak'nor is our new ambassador to the Tauri and it has further been decided I shall have the final word on the Tauri ambassador," Teal'c said with a bow.

Jack, Hank, Daniel, Sam, Mitchell, Paul Davis and Teal'c sat around the briefing room as Teal'c explained the situation.

Daniel wasn't surprised by the news and, in fact, heartily agreed with the Council's decision. What had surprised him was the look on Colonel Mitchell's face. The almost speculative gleam that had come into his eyes.

"This is very good news, Master Teal'c. And we would welcome your input into the selection as well," Landry said.

Teal'c nodded and glanced over at Daniel. "I believe DanielJackson would be an excellent ambassador for the Tauri."

Daniel jerked himself away from thoughts about Mitchell to stare, dumbfounded, at Teal'c. "Me?" he squeaked out.

"Indeed, DanielJackson."

"I believe our government will be looking at more experienced ... ambassadors, Master Teal'c," Landry said.

Jack was about to jump down his throat when Colonel Mitchell did it for him.

"With all due respect, General. There is no one more qualified than Doctor Jackson. No one."

"I would have to agree," Sam agreed, followed by a quick and apologetic, "General."

"And Doctor Jackson thanks you both, but he's not interested," Daniel said easily. "However, I do think that Colonel Mitchell would be an excellent choice. He's made himself very knowledgeable regarding the Jaffa, and as a liaison between the new Jaffa nation and us, he'd be ideal."

There was stunned silence at Daniel's little speech, but finally Landry responded lightly, "And he's already on the payroll, which considering how the President is being pressured to cut our budget by seventy percent – is saying something."

"Seventy percent?" Daniel asked, shocked. "But that's ... that's impossible. Unbelievable – and totally unacceptable. After all this program has accomplished? How much—"

"You're preaching to the choir, Doctor," Landry said. "But the Appropriations Committee feels the money would be better spent with the Atlantis project and the pursuit of knowledge regarding the technology of the Ancients. I'm afraid we're doomed to lose."

Daniel turned to Jack. "You knew about this?"

"Yes."

"And still you resigned?" Daniel asked, his anger clear.

"You think I haven't tried to change their minds, Daniel? Hank and I have talked until we're blue in the face, but President Hayes isn't taking a stand. If we could get him to step up to the plate – but he won't."

"Why the hell not? He's experiencing his highest approval rating since he took office. Now's the time to strike," Daniel said passionately.

Landry glanced over at Jack, who looked back and nodded suggestively as he said, "You know, Hank, I'm thinking I should take one more crack at President Hayes – with Daniel."

"I'm thinking that might be a very good thing, Jack," Landry agreed.

"Huh?" Daniel asked cleverly.

~~~

"How is this happening?" Daniel asked as he looked out the plane window. "We should be on our way to Minnesota, not Washington DC."

"True, but you opened your big mouth, so here we are."

"I opened my big mouth last night, more than once, which is why I figured you'd have me on my way to Minnesota now, Jack."

"I love it when you talk dirty, Doctor Jackson."

"Good. After the little stunt of not telling me about the cutbacks, you're gonna have to live on 'dirty' talk."

"Gee, Daniel, why would you care," Jack said snidely. "You don't work there anymore, remember?"

"And that means I wouldn't care about its future?"

"That's exactly what it would mean. You don't seem to care that you're needed there, so why would you care about its financial future?"

Daniel turned in his seat to stare at Jack. "Are you insane? What does my not being needed have to do with how the SGC functions? It's still our best defense and our best educational tool. It's our future, Jack."

Pointing sharply at Daniel, Jack said triumphantly, "And that's exactly why you, Doctor Daniel Jackson, are needed at the SGC, and why I'm taking you to Washington instead of Minnesota. I rest my case."

Disgusted, Daniel simply shook his head and went back to looking out the window.

~~~

"Wow, you generals live pretty well," Daniel noted as they were ushered from the plane into a waiting limo. "Not even Air Force issue," he added as he slid in. "Presidential issue, no less."

"Yeah, well, there ya go again – perks and pros."

"Or the President is trying to make saying no more palatable," Daniel muttered.

"Ha-ha."

The ride to the White House was made in companionable silence, the kind that Jack found almost exciting because there was now a level of intimacy that had been missing before. They'd done nothing but quibble and squabble since arising – after making love – and yet – it was like old times, only more fun because now he knew that no matter what – he'd be in bed later that night with Daniel. Better than Christmas.

The White House came into sight and Daniel broke the silence. "So what happens now?"

"You and I have a meeting with President Hayes followed by dinner with him and his lovely wife."

Daniel nearly choked. "What!? Jack, hello? Would you look at what I'm wearing? And you're telling me I'm not only meeting with the President of the United States, whom I've never met, but also having dinner with—"

"Calm down, already. I have friends in the White House. A change of clothes awaits you."

"So help me, Jack—"

"Chill, Daniel."

"Chill, he says. You are so going to pay—"

"Actually, I'm thinking we add to our exciting collection of places to make out. Like... the Lincoln Room."

"Jack, that's a bedroom in the White House, okay?"

"Your point?"

"Can he hear us?" Daniel asked, pointing at the driver.

"The window's up, Daniel," Jack said patiently.

"Your point?"

Rolling his eyes, Jack said, "He can't hear us. And we'll be spending the night at the White House. If all goes well, we'll be appearing before the Appropriations Committee tomorrow. If it doesn't, we'll be going home in the morning after having made love in the Lincoln Room, which we'll be doing no matter what."

"What, one of us is going to go sneaking through the halls of the White House in the dead of tonight in order to—"

"No, we'll both be assigned the Lincoln Room, you twit."

"Twit? Twit?"

"Twit."

"Jack, you can not ask the President of the United States of America to put you, a general in the United States Air Force, in the same bedroom with me, a man. In the White House."

"But I'm going to. And he's going to say yes. We deserve this. You deserve this. You earned it."

"I earned ... sleeping with you in the Lincoln Room?"

"You heard me."

"Gosh, if only I'd known earlier I would have done even more stupid things."

"Oh, you've done more than enough stupid things to deserve tonight, Daniel," Jack said smugly just as the limo stopped and the door was opened.

"Well, hot damn."

~~~

Jack couldn't believe it. Daniel was fucking nervous. He was sitting very uncomfortably on the edge of the chair while they waited for their meeting with President Hayes. He'd changed into a nice, dark blue suit, courtesy of a Captain Rogers, who'd met them upon entering the White House. Now he was jiggling not one, but both legs, and Jack had the wild impulse to give him a blow job to settle him down. But even for him, that was probably going too far.

On the other hand, he knew where the bathrooms were....

"Hey, Daniel."

"Uhmm?"

"Bathroom break?"

"What?"

Jack glanced surreptitiously around and, satisfied that no one was paying them any attention, he made a little yanking motion with his hand and leered at him.

Eyes narrowing, Daniel adjusted his glasses ... and stood up. "Okay, I'll go first, you follow."

With that, Daniel walked away.

"Uhm, Daniel?" he said in a sing-song voice.

"Yes?"

"Second door on your right."

"Oh. Right. Sure."

Grinning, he watched Daniel leave. He didn't for a minute believe that Daniel really thought he'd show up, let alone that they'd do anything, so Jack was fully prepared to surprise the hell out of the man. He waited exactly three minutes before getting up and heading for the restroom.

He couldn't explain his sudden sense of freedom, other than being head-over-heels in love and, more specifically, in love with Daniel. He had a feeling of carpe diem, which considering the number of times they'd both died, he could fully understand.

Jack walked into the bathroom, thanking God for locking bathroom doors and the fact that this one wasn't open to the public and, therefore, not under surveillance. He walked up to Daniel, who was standing over the sink and holding a dampened paper towel up to his face, another sign of his nervousness. Jack was pretty sure he'd never loved the man more.

"Hey," he whispered.

The paper towel flew up as Daniel yelled, "Shit!"

Laughing, Jack grabbed Daniel's belt under the jacket and started hauling him toward one of the two stalls. He pushed him inside, shut the door – slammed the latch home – and pushed Daniel up against the stall wall. Pressing in close, he whispered, "Hey, sailor, looking for a good time?"

Shock kept Daniel from answering, but his mouth was doing an excellent imitation of a carp. Jack decided to give Daniel's mouth something else to do.

When he finally released Daniel, he rested his forehead against Daniel's and said, "I've been fantasizing about this for ... ever, Danny." He slipped his hand between them and fumbled with Daniel's belt and zipper.

"Jesus, Jack, this is the White House," Daniel mumbled breathlessly.

"Uh-huh, I know," Jack breathed against his neck. "And I'm about to test my knees by going down on you – in the bathroom – in the White House."

Breathing harsh with lust, Daniel blinked behind his glasses as he watched... Jack ... in his Class A's – go to his knees in front of him.

"Ohshit."

~~~

Jack took another swipe at his knees, grateful that the White House janitorial staff kept the floors so clean. Daniel was leaning against the sink, a still-dazed expression on his face. Jack grinned as he straightened and said, with a smirk, "Got any gum?"

"It's not my suit," Daniel said automatically.

Turning toward him, Jack cocked his head. "You okay?"

Daniel blinked twice and finally looked at him. "Me? Sure. I always look like this after my brain's been sucked up and out through my dick. Just don't ask me to sound intelligent anytime soon."

Smug smirk firmly in place, Jack looked at his watch. "Well, you're going to have to sound intelligent, and in exactly ... fifteen minutes, give or take."

"Ohshit."

Laughing, Jack pushed Daniel gently toward the door.

~~~

"You don't, by any chance, have any gum?"

Daniel looked at the young woman Jack was trying to solicit gum from and figured she'd manufacture it on the spot in order to supply Jack. From her expression, she'd do anything and supply anything that General O'Neill required. The Silver Fox in action.

She should have seen him about ten minutes ago.

"Of course, sir," the woman said as she reached into her drawer – without taking her eyes from Jack's.

She handed him a stick of Dentyne and made sure her hand brushed his.

Man, women really fell for men in uniform.

And by the way, so did archaeologists.

Jack turned away, unwrapped the gum, stuck it in his mouth, and promptly put the wrinkled silver wrapper in Daniel's pocket.

"Bastard," Daniel murmured as they went back to their seats.

"Yep," Jack said proudly.

~~~

"General O'Neill, Doctor Jackson, the President will see you now."

Daniel was pretty certain those were words he'd never thought to hear. Oh, the General O'Neill in the same breath with the President, sure, just not the Doctor Jackson part.

"This is it, Danny-boy. Let's go get 'em."

Oh, sure, easy for Jack to say. But Daniel followed him anyway – hell, he'd follow Jack anywhere.

A moment later, they were being ushered into the Oval Office. Daniel had the urge to straighten his tie and slick back his hair – he refrained from doing either for the simple reason that his hands were shaking.

He stuffed them into his pocket – and almost immediately had to remove them when President Hayes rose to his feet and said, "Jack, don't salute. And Doctor Jackson, this is an honor," and put out his hand.

Daniel managed to shake it without betraying his tremor but it took chomping down on the inside of his cheek.

"Please, let's be comfortable." Hayes motioned that they should sit on one of the two couches.

They sat down, Jack giving a subtle pull on Daniel's sleeve to guide him to the couch opposite the President. Daniel took his seat next to Jack and waited – like an idiot.

"We both know why you're here, Jack, so we can skip the tap dancing for a change. Neither of us were ever good at it, anyway."

"I don't know, Mr. President, I've seen you tap dance your way out of more than a few press conferences when trying to explain SGC related incidents without explaining the SGC," Jack said with a smile.

"Good point." Hayes sat back and crossed his legs. "So, you want more money for the SGC, right?"

"No, Mr. President, I don't. I just want the same money – although – a budget hike wouldn't go unappreciated. A budget cut, on the other hand, would be very unappreciated. And a seventy-percent cut would be devastating."

"You can't disagree that we need more ships like the Daedalus and the Prometheus, and you know what they cost. We have to fund their construction and we need to pursue the Ancient technology, Jack."

"And you need to continue to explore the galaxies, Mr. President," Daniel suddenly found himself saying. "If anything, that's more important now than ever." He leaned forward. "For the future, for our protection, we must continue to go through the 'Gate, discover more allies and find out more about our past and our ancestors if we hope to survive ourselves. We're out there, Mr. President, in societies and environments we could never imagine. We can learn so much about who we are, who we can be – if we keep going through the Stargate."

He stood up quickly, energy coursing through him. "Mr. President, the stargates were built to unite, and that's how we need to use them. And maybe, by doing so, we'll be better prepared for the next enemy we run across. The Ancients ran from the Wraiths, they couldn't defeat them, but maybe there's someone else out there that can. And maybe there are beings out there that make the Origoi look like kindergarten children. We need to be forewarned so that being forearmed makes sense.

"But of equal importance is the chance to explore. It's what we do, it's who we are. It's how we got to where we are. We can't turn our backs on this, Mr. President. And it would be foolish to do so. Uhm, with all due respect," he quickly added as the energy drained away.

President Hayes sat forward. He stared at the man in front of him before glancing at Jack, who nodded his agreement to every one of Daniel's words. Hayes sighed and finally said, "And how do we fund further exploration and the necessary follow-up, as well as continue to build the ships and fund Atlantis at our current rate, let alone an increased rate? Do you have an answer for that, Doctor?"

"Actually, Mr. President, I do. We don't fund it – by ourselves. We make the program – international. And... inter-galactic."

Hayes' eyes narrowed. "International." He rubbed his face and said again, "Inter-galactic."

Daniel waited, his heart in his throat.

"And who would govern this international-intergalactic SGC program, Doctor?"

The President's words were not a challenge, which surprised the hell out of Daniel. Instead, the man was asking from legitimate curiosity.

"By use of a kind of mini-United Nations, Mr. President. A committee that includes one member of each... er ... paying ... country, as well as a Jaffa and ... an Asgard representative. And any other allies... uhm, offworld allies, that is, who'd be interested."

Daniel knew that if he didn't sit down – and now – his knees would buckle. He sat down.

Hayes rose to his feet and walked over to the windows behind his desk. He faced the city, hands behind his back

Daniel glanced over at Jack, who simply smiled and mouthed, "I love you."

Funny how three words could make a man feel pretty damn good.

After what seemed an eternity, but was probably less than five minutes, Hayes said, "General O'Neill, I don't think either you or Doctor Jackson will be needed to address the Appropriations Committee tomorrow."

Daniel's heart sank. He'd failed the SGC.

He'd failed Jack.

"The current budget will remain in effect until I can get this 'International-Intergalactic'' idea of Doctor Jackson's off the ground." He turned and faced them. "Then you'll both be needed – and badly. In the meantime, I expect exploration, both cultural and otherwise, to go forth under the leadership of SG-1. With that in mind, Jack, I accept your resignation from Homeworld Security, but I do not accept it from the Air Force. I will be phoning Hank Landry later today and let him have the good news that his great friend, Jack O'Neill, recommended him for the position just left open by said friend."

He walked around the desk and sat back down. "I really don't see a way for the head of the SGC to be going through the 'Gate with any kind of regularity, do you, Jack? No, I didn't think so. And of course, you and international politics don't really mix either, do they? No," again he said without waiting for Jack to answer, "I didn't think so. On the other hand, a general leading the flagship first contact team? Very appropriate, not to mention giving you the clout you need to help the new head of the SGC. Which brings us to who would be the best person for such a job.

"Obviously we need someone with experience, and I'm not willing – or ready – to put the SGC in civilian hands, especially since the most qualified civilian will be on your team, Jack. Will, in fact, represent the civilian aspect of the new international-intergalactic SGC on the flagship team. So I'm thinking the only way to go – is by looking at someone who already has experience leading the SGC – what do you think, Jack?"

"General West is retired," Jack said carefully.

"Ah, true, true. And of course, General Bauer is out."

"Definitely," Jack agreed. "Which really leaves only one person."

"Agreed. And I do believe, under the conditions we've just outlined, General Hammond will accept."

"And it's only fair that since he once brought me out of retirement – I now have the opportunity to do the same kind deed for him," Jack said with an evil grin.

"What goes around, comes around, eh?"

"Exactly, Mr. President."

Hayes looked at his watch, gave a low whistle, and said, "This is a first. We'll actually be on time for dinner. Holly will be so pleased. And me, I'm going to win ten bucks. You two ready to eat?" He stood up and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "We're going the barbecue route tonight. And no," he said, catching Daniel's surprised look, "unfortunately, doing my own barbecuing isn't possible, although, some day, I hope to find a way. Tonight, Chef Andrews is doing the honors. Gentlemen?"

Daniel and Jack got up and followed the President out of the Oval Office.

~~~

The informal dining room was somewhat surprising for Daniel, but by the way Jack moved around, he was very familiar with it. What surprised Daniel was the décor. It was simple, homey and comfortable. At his interest, Holly Hayes said, "There are precious few rooms that really 'belong' to the residing president, but this is one of them. We can decorate as we please."

"Ah, I see. Does that apply to the entire East Wing?"

"No, actually. Just three rooms. This one, the living room, and the study. The bedrooms are too famous so, other than the bedding," she grinned, "we're stuck."

He grinned just as someone entered rolling a cart in front of him.

"Great, dinner's here," Hayes said easily. "Shall we sit?"

All four gravitated to the small, intimate table – no seating chart or placards required. Another man entered and, while platters of ribs, corn on the cob, potato salad and a three-bean salad were placed before them, he asked both Jack and Daniel what they'd prefer to drink. Jack chose a beer, the same as Hayes, while Daniel chose a glass of wine, specifically a merlot.

Evidently, dinner was a very informal affair as Hayes dug right in, his wife following suit. Jack had removed his jacket and tie earlier and looked damn comfortable – and sexy. Collar open, sleeves rolled up, and yet still exuding the air of the officer that he was – oh, yeah, sexy as hell.

There was no way Daniel was going to get a boner while having dinner with the President and First Lady.

A few stern words combined with thoughts of a naked Master Sergeant Davis-Harriman did the trick. The fact that he'd pictured Walter naked and in bed with Landry had really put it over the top.

Siler was way more suited to Walter.

***

V – SG-1 Rides Again

 

"Thank you for these few private moments, Mr. President."

"This country owes you several debts that could never be repaid, Jack. Now sit down and finish your drink. Holly will only be able to keep Doctor Jackson company for so long before she'll start talking about the kids and boring him stupid, which would be a very bad thing."

Jack chuckled at that, and finally said, "This country owes Doctor Jackson considerably more than it owes anyone else, Mr. President. Which is not why I need a few minutes – exactly."

Hayes had the grace to look ashamed as he said, "Damn, you're right. I meant, several times this evening, to give him my personal thanks, but each time, we'd all go off on a tangent and my good intentions went right out the window. I'll apologize before you two retire."

"Don't. It will only embarrass him and make him feel very uncomfortable. If you want to thank him, I'm pretty sure you can come up with other methods. For instance, you could ensure that he receives no grief over the individual he's seeing."

Hayes glanced up, surprise registering on his face. "Who would that be? A Russian spy?"

"Not exactly," Jack said with a smile. "He's involved with a man."

"He's a civilian, Jack."

Pleased with the lack of shock or any other emotion on the part of his country's leader, Jack said, 'True. But the man isn't."

"Oh, shit."

Jack waited.

"Oh, double shit. It's you, isn't it?"

"It is." Jack took another sip of his Glenlivet.

"Are you asking me to protect you?"

"In a way." Jack leaned forward enough to place his now-empty glass on the coaster. Sitting back and stretching an arm across the back of the couch, he said, "First of all, I resigned. I could easily stay resigned and thus, no problem. I was fully prepared to spend the rest of my days, with Daniel, in Minnesota. As was he. But tonight changed that. There's no way I'm going to take this chance away from Daniel. His vision of the Stargate Program is not only spot on and the way we should go, but it means a helluva lot to him, and thus to me. I don't know if we can lick the politicians – present company excluded – and all the crap that comes with trying to do the good and the right thing, but if he wants to try, I'll be right there protecting his six—"

"I just bet you will," Hayes said with a devilish gleam in his eyes.

"Why, Mr. President, I'm shocked."

"Sure you are, Jack."

Grin widening, Jack went on. "I'll run interference, I'll do whatever it takes to make this happen for him – hell, for the world. Because it is a good thing, the right thing, and Daniel Jackson is the best thing that ever happened to this country and he's the best thing that ever happened to me. So there it is. On the table, so to speak."

Hayes studied the man across from him, and finally said, "He really died again?"

"What?"

"This last time. He really died again."

Jack's eyes darkened. "He did."

"I read the report. It was ... I was more frightened after reading it than during the entire Anubis situation." Hayes looked over at the blazing fire in the fireplace. "You come into this whole president thing believing that you're prepared for the problems of this world. For dealing with pollution, crime, drugs, fanatics, terrorism... but then you find out that the only thing that kept you from complete annihilation was a forty year—"

"Thirty five – and don't ask."

Hayes blinked once – twice – and said, "Thirty five? He's only... thirty five?!"

"Yep. Disgusting, isn't it?"

"The fate of the entire galaxy was—"

"Has been...."

"Has been ... in the hands of a kid?"

"Well, come on, thirty five is hardly... well, yeah. A kid. And Carter's only forty. But Teal'c is over a hundred and I often feel over a hundred – although, last night—"

"TMI, Jack. TMI."

"Yes, Mr. President."

"So he's actually five years younger than we all believed?"

"That would be a correct statement, yes."

"Now that's scary."

"Yep."

"Do you think you'll get Colonel Carter and Teal'c back on board?"

"Absolutely. This is just what they both want now. It's why Teal'c turned down both the leadership role of the Council and the ambassadorship. This is precisely what he'd hoped would happen."

"Good. Good."

There was a companionable silence for several minutes, which was finally broken by President Hayes.

"My God, Jack, you're a freaking cradle robber."

They looked at each other and burst into laughter.

~~~

"We're actually in the Lincoln Room – together," Daniel said in wonder.

"Yep."

"And the President escorted us himself, Jack," Daniel added.

"He sure did."

"You didn't... you didn't ... tell him ... did you?"

"I told him."

Daniel dropped down onto the bed – and immediately jumped up again. He nervously smoothed the bedspread and muttered something about how it was probably Lincoln's original spread and they'd better not get anything on it. Jack grinned and walked up behind him. Wrapping his arms around him, he said, "Daniel, I think Lincoln's bedspread could probably use a little sem—"

"Don't even say it, Jack. You can expend it, and lick it up, and swallow it down, but do not say it in the White House."

Seeing the mischievous gleam in Daniel's eyes, Jack whispered, "Semen, semen, semen, semen...."

"Oh, you pretty talker, you."

~~~

"Well, I'll be damned. We actually did it – and rather loudly – in the Lincoln Room – in the White House."

"We did indeed, Daniel. And may I say, you really rocked my ... rocks."

Staring up at the ceiling, Jack's head pillowed on his stomach, Daniel said with a grin, "At your age – it's artifacts."

"Oh, I just knew that would come up eventually. You're so predictable."

Daniel slapped Jack's bare butt and said, "You're the one with the artifacts, not me."

"You were enjoying those artifacts earlier, Rock Boy."

"Well, duh." Daniel leaned over to kiss Jack's temple. "I'm an archaeologist, so of course I love artifacts. Old things, that's what I do."

"Well, you sure did me tonight, Danny-boy. I'll be walking at an angle for the next couple of days."

Daniel laughed at that and Jack smiled as the sound rumbled beneath him. He had one arm up around Daniel's chest so he squeezed a bit harder than necessary – a sudden sense of fear his motivation -- before kissing the flat stomach and resting his head back down.

"You okay, Jack?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just... I don't think I have a lot of those 'losing you' moments left."

"How did we go from your artifacts to losing me?"

"Gee, I don't know – maybe because it happens every time I turn around?" Jack shot back.

"Oh, now, really, you turned around several times today and every time you turned back, there I was."

"Very true. Can you promise to always be there when I turn around?"

Daniel leaned over again, but this time he covered Jack's body with his. Head on Jack's, he said softly, "Yeah. Yeah I can. And you do the same. From now on, where one goes, so goes the other."

"Sweet," Jack murmured.

~~~

The 'Gate room was looking its festive best, with streamers and flags everywhere one looked. On the ramp stood a podium draped with an American flag and the Presidential seal. Uniformed men and women, as well as civilians, mingled and chatted while awaiting the start of the "event". No one was exactly certain of what the "event" was, but once the Presidential seal on the podium had been noticed, certain expectations rose. Rumors were flying fast and furious and those in attendance were expecting announcements and changes.

Daniel stood next to Sam, who looked incredible in her Class A's. She seemed to be fairly glowing and he could pretty much guess why. He was excited himself. He felt completely free for the first time in years. SG-1 would soon go through the 'Gate once again. The full, complete, and original SG-1. And if that weren't enough, he had Jack.

He sipped his glass of champagne and looked around the room, smiled at a few, there still be many more new faces than old, and spotted Teal'c making his way toward them. He was dressed in a black suit and looked every inch the great Jaffa warrior that he was, in spite of the Earth clothing.

"How's Rak'nor settling in?" Sam asked.

"Very well. He is enjoying the classes he must attend on Earth, its customs and history. His mate is not eager to come through the 'Gate, but I believe he will be able to convince him."

Sam, who'd been taking a sip of her drink, sputtered and choked as she looked with surprise at Teal'c. "Did you say... 'him'?" she asked as she wiped her mouth.

"Indeed. Rak'nor's mate is To'nak, a formidable warrior in his own right."

Daniel looked at Sam, who looked at him and said, "Wow."

"Yeah," Daniel agreed. "Wow. I hope Rak'nor succeeds in convincing To'nak to join us. I'd love to see the reaction to a male ambassador – from another world – joined by his equally male mate."

"Indeed."

The doors to the left of the 'Gate opened and Jack entered, followed closely by General Landry. Jack smiled as he passed them on his way to the podium. They each raised their glasses slightly, in a gesture that most wouldn't have noticed.

The room quieted as Jack took his place behind the podium. He cleared his throat and looked out at the men and women of the SGC, gave them a half smile, and said, "You're probably wondering why I called you all together like this." His grin broadened. "Always wanted to say that to a large group."

Everyone laughed easily and Jack went on.

"There are great changes ahead for Stargate Command, and consequently, Homeworld Security. I'm here today to share a couple of them with you. First up, it is my pleasure to announce that the mandate for Stargate Command has gone back to include space exploration, with emphasis on first contact and cultural exploration."

Before he could say more, the room exploded into applause. He glanced over at Daniel and smiled at his surprise. Really, the man was clueless.

He held up his hands and, as the applause died down, went on. "While Stargate Command will resume our original mandate, this will not mean a lessening of interest or funds toward building more ships like the Daedalus and continuing our efforts to understand and utilize the technology of the Ancients."

Again he was interrupted by applause and he waited patiently. When it once again died down, he said, "In order to ensure our success in both arenas, there will be a few ... personnel changes. The first of these is that I have resigned my position as head of Homeworld Security and am pleased to announce that General Harold Landry has accepted the position."

The stunned silence continued for a moment, but then, as a collective group, it must have been decided that Jack would once again resume command of the SGC, so everyone started clapping. Landry grinned up at Jack, who held his arms up again. As the noise subsided, he said, "With General Landry moving up, that naturally left command of the SGC ... open."

Anticipation filled the room and Jack didn't try to tease the mood. He smiled and said, "So it is with very great pleasure that I introduce you to your new leader: Lieutenant General... George Hammond."

Hammond walked in to shocked silence – followed by deafening applause.

~~~

George stood behind the podium flanked by Jack on one side, Landry the other. The applause had finally died down enough for him to speak but he was clearly still choked up by his reception. Finally he coughed, adjusted the mike and said, "Thank you all. It is an honor to have been – volunteered -- by General O'Neill to resume command of the SGC. Although hog-tied might be a better phrase." He paused for the laughter, then went on. "As my first official act, I would like to officially recognize, and present to you, Earth's ambassador to the new Jaffa Nation: Colonel Cameron Mitchell."

Mitchell separated himself from the crowd and, surprised and somewhat embarrassed, walked up the ramp to stand to the left of the podium as the crowd clapped and whistled their appreciation of the news.

When things calmed down – yet again, Hammond said, "I must admit that my initial response to being," he glanced sideways at Jack, "volunteered was reluctance. I had no desire to resume command without my flagship team. Without SG-1. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that I wouldn't have to. At this point, I'd like very much to present our first contact team as we go forward: the new SG-1."

He stepped out from behind the podium and, in a voice more than loud enough to carry, said, "Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter."

Sam walked half-way up the ramp as, surprised, everyone started applauding. When she stopped, George said, "Master Teal'c of Chulak and representing the new Jaffa Nation."

Teal'c joined Sam and bowed slightly, again, to even more applause, this time, the clapping taking on the edge of eager anticipation of what else was to come.

"The third member of the team will actually carry two titles. He will not only represent the civilian aspect of Stargate Command but will also head the exploration portion of the new mandate. He is imminently qualified for this position, not only due to his two doctorates, one in Archaeology, the other in Languages, but he's the reason – on so many levels – that we're standing here today, in front of this miracle, this Stargate." He paused for effect and finally said proudly, "Doctor Daniel Jackson."

The applause, whistles and cheering lasted several minutes as Daniel walked up the ramp to stand next to Sam. George let it go on, knowing that no one deserved it more. But since he wasn't finished, he finally had to calm everyone down.

"And finally, the leader of SG-1. Who better to lead the first contact team than the man who led it for eight years -- General Jack O'Neill."

Jack moved to stand beside Daniel as tumultuous approval seemed to rock the very foundation of Cheyenne Mountain.

~~~

It had finally quieted down enough that George could go on. With a smile wide enough to rival the Grand Canyon, he said, "And now, it is my honor to introduce ... the President of the United States of America."

Once again the door slid open and President Hayes, notebook and a square, velvet box in hand, walked in. The surprise for the crowd came in the form of the two individuals walking by his side: Master Bra'tak and Thor.

To thunderous applause, President Hayes walked up the ramp, pausing long enough to shake hands with Teal'c, Sam, Daniel and Jack, and then General Landry and George before taking his place behind the podium.

He glanced over at General Hammond and said, "George, trust me on this, the honor in this case is all mine." He turned back toward his audience and said, "Today marks a truly momentous occasion in the history of Stargate Command. I believe in this program, in what it has done for us in the past, and what it will accomplish for us in the future. I believe in it so strongly that I will be expending a great deal of time and energy in the next year to form an international – and intergalactic – coalition, part of the purpose of which will be to help fund the SGC. I am pleased to announce that on the intergalactic side, the new Jaffa nation as agreed to join the coalition, as have our allies, the Asgard."

Bra'tac put his fist to his chest as Thor bowed ever so slightly.

The incredible miracle of Thor and the Asgard agreeing to such an alliance was not lost on anyone in the room. The coalition was practically guaranteed.

The President closed the notebook in front of him and once again addressed the men and women of Stargate Command.

"In the military, exemplary service and courageous acts result in awards, commendations, medals and promotions. Even on the civilian front we have awards to recognize those whose contributions to the betterment of our country can be recognized. Awards such as the Medal of Freedom. But here, within the bowels of Cheyenne Mountain, we have no real method of awarding our civilian counterparts, so much of what they do being top secret. The Medal of Freedom, even if deserved, could not be awarded without giving up the ghost, so to speak. So how can we recognize civilian SGC members? This is a question that has taken up a great deal of my time recently.

"Less than a week ago, this world, and indeed, our galaxy and others, were once again saved thanks to the knowledge, and courage, of one individual. An individual who, knowing that it would result in his death, did what had to be done to save us all. It was not the first time this individual risked his life for his country, his world, or his friends, nor was it the first time this individual – died. He does, in fact, have a bit of a reputation around the SGC for doing just that on a fairly regular basis." Hayes glanced down at Daniel and smiled gently. "One can only hope it's a reputation he will put behind him. Neither General Hammond nor General O'Neill can afford any more gray hairs."

Knowing laughter greeted his words as Jack poked a stunned Daniel in the side.

"In trying to figure out how to properly express this country's gratitude, and knowing that our soon-to-be formed coalition would need a name, I decided that I could thank this individual by using his name. However, I was reminded by someone who shall remain nameless – Jack O'Neill -- that the coalition was actually this individual's idea, so naming it after him was pretty much a done deal. Which meant that I'd have to come up with something else. It was rather remarkable then, that General Hammond and I had recently developed an entire series of awards designed specifically for Stargate Command, the highest of which will become the highest award any individual can receive. A true international and intergalactic award.

"And it is only fitting that the award be named after the man who gave us the Stargate and equally fitting that the first recipient should be the man himself: Doctor Daniel Jackson." He looked at Daniel and said, "Doctor Jackson, if you would?"

Daniel, red-faced, was literally pushed forward by Jack, Sam and Teal'c. He stumbled a bit, but with Jack's hand steadying him, he walked toward the President.

Hayes picked up the velvet-covered box, opened it, and took out a medal the size of a woman's compact. He held it up by the attached, thick, rainbow-colored ribbon. The gold Stargate replica gleamed under the lighting and brought forth another round of applause which increased in duration and magnitude as President Hayes slipped the Doctor Daniel Jackson Award over Daniel's head and rested the ribbon across his shoulders.

~~~

Jack sat at the end of the 'Gate ramp, Carter next to him and Teal'c standing beside Carter. The room was in the process of being cleaned up, the flags and streamers disappearing one by one, the podium already gone. Jack's uniform jacket was unbuttoned, his tie loose. The only member of the "new" SG-1 missing was their archaeologist, who was in a private meeting with the President a deliberately private meeting designed to embarrass the hell out of Daniel. Jack smiled at the idea and congratulated himself on having had it. Thanking Daniel at the White House a week ago would have been wrong, but a personal thank you from the President, at the SGC, with George present, and following today's ceremony and announcements, was most definitely the right way to go.

Now the three of them awaited Daniel and Hammond so that they could go out to dinner and celebrate. Bra'tac had already returned to Dakaar and, of course, Thor had returned to his ship, the Daniel Jackson. Colonel Mitchell was in seventh heaven and would spend the next two weeks learning the ropes of ambassadorship before joining Bra'tac on Dakaar. He was one happy man considering his dream of joining SG-1 had gone up in smoke. But considering how many times SG-1 would be traveling to Dakaar, there was every possibility that Mitchell would have many opportunities in the future to share an adventure or two with them.

"Sir, you do realize that we need to do something special for Daniel tonight, right?"

"What, receiving the first 'Daniel Jackson Award' wasn't enough?" Jack asked lightly.

"Not for his fortieth birthday, it isn't. That's a milestone and it came and went without us."

"Oh, well, we can certainly have the waiters sing Happy Birthday to him, but skip the whole fortieth thing, Carter."

"But sir—"

"He's not exactly ... forty. There was a bit of a mistake with the date of his birth, thanks to Nick," Jack rolled his eyes, "so—"

"So he's what, thirty-nine, thirty-eight?"

Jack gave Sam a thumbs down gesture, his face scrunched up in a "not quite" way.

"Thirty-seven?"

"Oh, you might want to go a bit lower, Carter."

Jack sincerely wished he had a camera right now. He'd love to have captured her expression.

"Sir?"

"He's ... thirty-five."

Sam gulped. "Thirty... five?"

Jack nodded and sighed heavily.

"Okay, I was willing to accept that there might be a couple of years between us – but -- five?"

He patted her knee and said in an effort to comfort her, said, "He was only twenty-five when he figured out how to open the 'Gate."

A frown marred her smooth forehead. "Sir, if that was supposed to help – it failed."

Jack chuckled. "Now, now. You don't look your age, by any means, Carter. Don't worry about it."

"Okay, that helped."

Jack looked up at Teal'c and said, "Don't you have anything to say about the news?"

Teal'c canted his head and, naturally, the eyebrow rose. "I believe you are robbing the ... stroller, O'Neill."

As Sam burst out into laughter, Jack, looking disgusted, said, "Cradle, Teal'c. I'm robbing the cradle."

"Indeed."

~~~

"What are you doing out here, Daniel?" Jack walked up behind him and put one arm around his waist. "Everything all right?"

Looking up through the trees at the stars twinkling overhead, Daniel nodded. "Everything is ... perfect, Jack. Too perfect, if you know what I mean."

"I do." He sighed against Daniel's hair, kissed one ear, and said, "But I have faith in all things that are ... Daniel."

Daniel gave a little "humph" sound deep in his throat and continued to focus on the stars.

Jack craned his neck so that he could see his expression, grateful for a full moon. "Daniel? Come on, what is it?"

"You haven't asked. In all these days since the Origoi, you haven't asked."

Truly puzzled, Jack said, "Asked what?"

Daniel turned in Jack's arms and said, "You haven't asked how I did what I did, let alone how shooting me with a zat brought me back."

"Ah. You noticed that, did you?"

"I did."

"You haven't exactly ... volunteered anything either, in case it escaped your notice."

"Ah. You noticed that, did you?"

"I did," Jack said with a chuckle.

"Too afraid to try to explain. Since we all did a bang up job of skipping that small detail in our reports, I prayed everyone was simply chalking it up to the device and not me."

"I expect Colonel Mitchell is doing exactly that, and since the device was destroyed, why risk any questions by putting it in the report. He's a smart man and has SG-1 down pat. He'll make an excellent ambassador."

"And Teal'c? Sam?" He paused. "And you?"

"I think... we know the truth, and prefer not talking about it. Too ... too much for us to grasp, I guess."

"So you know the device—"

"Wasn't responsible? Yeah, Danny, we all know. It simply helped you focus. It was the conduit, not the other way around."

"Damn, you're smart."

"Yeah, but I try damn hard to hide that fact." He cocked his head. "Don't you want to know how I knew to use the zat?"

"Okay, how did you know?"

"I'm pretty certain Janet and Jacob told me."

Daniel's glasses started their little "What?" dance on his nose as he stared at Jack, who shrugged. Finally Daniel simply shook his head and then ran a finger across Jack's bottom lip before kissing him lightly and then saying, "I'm not sure what I am, Jack."

"I am. You're .. you. Daniel Jackson, the man I love more than life. You're a scientist who tends to get so involved in things, he has to be reminded to eat. You're stubborn, talk too much, touch when you shouldn't—"

"Jack, I haven't done that in—"

"But you will now that we're an exploration team again."

"Good point," Daniel admitted with a grin.

"You argue way too much, are never where you're supposed to be, and wouldn't know an order if you tripped over one—"

"Oh, I know from orders, I just choose not to ... hear them."

"Exactly. Your brain is far too full for my comfort level, you can do the New York Times crossword puzzle in three minutes, which still drives me crazy considering that I have to cheat to get it done in under five days, and you see the world in ways I can't even comprehend. You'll always fight, snark, argue and generally drive me around the bend. On the other hand, you're beautiful, have a heart too big for your own good, and you're a damn fine lay. So basically – I think I'll keep you."

"You left off the part about how I glow in the dark."

Looking suddenly suspicious, Jack said, "Do you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Daniel said with a teasing grin.

"Actually, Danny – I wouldn't. There are certain things, that for my own good and sanity, you should keep to yourself, okay?"

"Fair enough," Daniel agreed.

Jack pulled Daniel closer, so they were hugging. "I love you, Daniel Jackson."

"Love you, Jack O'Neill."

~~~

George Hammond watched the Stargate rotate and listened as Walter called out each locking chevron. Truth be told – he'd missed this. Down in the 'Gate room, Jack and his team were readying themselves for their first mission as the reunited SG-1. Doctor Jackson was reviewing his notes while Colonel Carter looked through the photos taken by the UAV two days previously. Jack and Teal'c appeared to be ... Hammond craned his neck....

"They're playing "Rock, Scissors, Paper", sir," Walter informed him as the seventh chevron locked.

"Of course they are," Hammond said with a shake of his head. "I don't think General O'Neill will ever change – thank God."

"No, sir."

The wormhole stabilized and Hammond said into the mike, a thrill of anticipation running up his spine, "SG-1, you have a go."

He watched Daniel stuff his notes into his pack as Colonel Carter did the same with the photos. The two walked up to Jack and Teal'c. Packs were adjusted as F.R.E.D. moved upwards toward the event horizon. Once it went through, Jack turned, gave George a jaunty salute and, as his team stepped up beside him, Daniel to his right, Sam to his left, and Teal'c next to Daniel, he turned back to face the wormhole.

With a backward wave, SG-1 stepped through the Stargate for the first time – again.

The End