Fanfiction: Necessary Backup

[rachel500]

Fandom: Stargate SG1
Series: Aftershocks
TAG to Episode: S4 The Curse
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Team friendship.  Daniel/Sarah.  Mild Sam/Jack UST.
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.  Written for entertainment purposes only.

 

Necessary Backup

Petersen Airfield

Jack O’Neill was furious. Furious in a way that he couldn’t remember being for a very long time. So furious that his anger had zipped straight through red hot fury and had distilled into an icy rage that tensed every muscle in his body. His whole demeanour spoke of barely restrained violence. Anyone looking for reassurance in his face failed to find anything of comfort. His features were a granite mask, the lines carved deeper than usual; hardly any expression flickered across the stern visage and the chocolate brown eyes were hard and deadly.

It had been the eyes rather than his rank that had gotten Jack special permission for him and Teal’c to collect Samantha Carter directly from the landing pad where the helicopter bringing her in from Andrews was due to arrive. Jack stood tensely in a position that belied its name of ‘at ease.’ Teal’c stood beside him. Both wore SGC BDUs; all their usual patches and identifiers removed. The two men had hardly spoken since Teal’c had reconstructed the cell phone Jack had dismantled to find the voicemail packed with messages. Teal’c had listened to them before telling Jack he needed to listen to them too. Jack hadn’t argued; the look in Teal’c’s eyes had been enough to convince him refusing wasn’t an option.

A muscle flexed in Jack’s jaw as he remembered the litany;

‘Jack, Daniel. I guess you probably know that. I mean, you’ve probably recognised my voice. Anyway, just to let you know I’m heading back to Chicago to try and find, well, you’re probably not interested but I think it could be important. Anyway I left the other jar with Sam. She’s examining it. Talk to you later.’

Jack remembered thinking three things: one, what the hell was Daniel doing calling him? Two, what jar? And, three, what the hell was Daniel doing calling him?

‘Sir, this is, uh, Carter. I’m really sorry to disturb the, er, fishing and I know you didn’t want to be disturbed but we discovered a Goa’uld in this jar Daniel brought back from Chicago. Daniel’s gone back to see if he can find the missing second jar. Obviously if anyone opened it, that would be bad. If you get this, you might, uh, want to call in. OK. Bye.’

His gut had started hurting right around then. There was a Goa’uld in a jar and Daniel had gone back alone for a second jar which presumably might have another Goa’uld in it?

‘Uh, Jack? Daniel. Listen, I don’t really want to bother you but if you could call the Chicago police department and vouch for me that would be great. Steven – uh, an old friend – well, not really a friend more of a colleague and, well, obviously an old colleague because we don’t work together anymore. Anyway that’s not what’s important, he and I, we, uh, found a body and I think they think I might have had something to do with it. Of course, I can hardly tell them I think it was an alien parasite. I’m going to call Sam too so if you don’t get this, don’t worry. Say hi to Teal’c for me.’

He’d been on his feet by then. Just the news that Daniel had discovered a body would have had him on his feet but the fact that the likely culprit was a Goa’uld running around on Earth had him packing away his fishing gear haphazardly and tersely telling Teal’c they were leaving, only to find Teal’c was already packing.

‘Jack, Daniel again. There’s been a third death; we think Steven might have opened the jar and you know. Anyway, I’m on my way back to the SGC. Call if you get this.’

Jack had given up on the packing at that point; he’d headed for the truck.

‘Sir, this is Carter. I guess the signal is really bad out there. General Hammond wanted me to recall you for a mission. We think Steven Rayner has been taken by a Goa’uld. He’s on his way to Egypt and we’re going after him. If you get this in the next hour we should still be able to rendezvous. Hope you can make it, sir.’

Jack’s heart had stopped. Literally. He’d felt it seize and what seemed like a whole minute pass before it had started up again. He’d checked the time on the message – he was a day late picking it up. They’d gone after the Goa’uld alone. The anger at his own stupidity in dismantling the phone had started right around then.

‘Colonel, this is General Hammond. Major Carter informed me that you didn’t pick up likely due to a poor signal so it was unlikely you received the recall order. As the Egyptian authorities were reluctant to allow any further personnel into the country beyond the initial extraction team of Major Carter, Doctor Jackson and Doctor Fraiser, I’ve decided I won’t send someone to recall you; there’s no point if you can’t go as additional back-up so your leave stands. Hope the fish are biting, Jack. Hammond out.’

They’d gone after the Goa’uld alone with no back-up? Was Hammond nuts? It was a Goa’uld. Daniel was a civilian and Carter was a good soldier but her speciality wasn’t tactics and strategy, it was astrophysics, for crying out loud. And sure, the Doc was a trained Air Force officer and knew how to handle a weapon but she was a medical doctor unused to frontline warfare with a Goa’uld. The urge to call Hammond back and rant at him at been fairly strong and only tempered by the fact that Hammond deserved to rant at Jack for not picking up Sam’s message in the first place.

‘Sir, Carter. Just wanted to give you an update. We, uh, we ran into some trouble. Turns out it wasn’t Steven Rayner who was taken as the host but another one of Daniel’s friends. Anyway, she took us by surprise and, well, I hate to say this but the Goa’uld managed to escape. We’re OK. I mean, Daniel got subjected to the hand device again and Doctor Fraiser and I got knocked out for a little while but we’re OK. Daniel and Fraiser are staying in Egypt with Rayner. I’m on my way back. I guess I’ll see you at the SGC, sir.’

Jack had pretty much ordered Teal’c into the truck at that point. He’d called the SGC for an update as he’d started the drive. Hammond had crisply confirmed Sam’s report and informed him when the Major was due to arrive. They’d had plenty of time to get back. Jack supposed he could have stopped, turned back and grabbed everything they’d left behind but he had continued driving, as though that would make up for his earlier petulance in dismantling the phone.

He was a Colonel in the Air Force; vacation got cancelled or interrupted, he knew that. He should have known that his commander and, more importantly in his eyes, his team would only call when it was important but instead he had chosen to cut himself off from them and by doing so had denied them the necessary back-up they needed. The knowledge at what he had done had coalesced into the rage he’d carried with him since. He’d snapped the phone off and tossed it at Teal’c.

‘I’m an idiot.’ Jack had slammed his hand into the steering wheel.

Teal’c hadn’t disagreed.

Hammond hadn’t either when Jack had presented himself to the General and admitted his actions. It hadn’t been a pleasant conversation.

‘You can’t be anymore angry with me than I am with myself, sir.’ Jack had said.

‘Don’t count on it, Colonel.’ Hammond had snapped. ‘The only reason why I waited so long to send SG3 with them was because we were expecting you to answer the message. By the time we realised you weren’t going to, it was too late. The Egyptian authorities refused to let us send anyone else in and I was hardly in a position to explain why they should.’

‘I take full responsibility.’ Jack had said.

In the end, Hammond had let him off easy. He’d put Jack’s dismantling of the phone down to pent-up frustration at being denied vacation for so long and Hammond had taken responsibility as Jack’s CO for not seeing Jack’s stress levels had evidently gotten so bad that he had been driven to feel that way. Hammond had also quietly taken responsibility for not sending a couple of Marines with Carter and Daniel in the first place instead of waiting on Jack’s reply.

‘There’s enough blame to go round on this one, Colonel.’ Hammond had finally concluded. ‘Let’s learn from it and move on.’

He’d have preferred it if Hammond had reamed him out some more; busted him a rank; taken away his privileges – hell, Jack thought angrily, he deserved the whole damn book thrown at him. He’d let down his team. They could have been killed while he had ignored his responsibility and fished.

Jack glared at the helicopter as it descended with a bump onto the landing pad. He straightened as he saw Sam jump out with a duffle bag. Her blonde hair was so short it was barely stirred by the blades even though her jacket puffed up around her as she ducked and jogged away from the helicopter. He saw the instance she noticed him. Her step slowed for a moment before she hurried over to him.

Sam saluted smartly. ‘Sir.’

‘Carter.’ Jack saluted back. His brown eyes ran over her; Sam was tired, rumpled from her hours of travelling but she was alive and breathing. He felt a wave of relief and some of the lump in his gut dissolved. He ignored the urge to wrap her in a hug; it wasn’t exactly protocol.

Teal’c inclined his head in greeting as Sam nodded sharply in acknowledgement at the Jaffa.

‘We thought we’d come pick you up.’ Jack explained needlessly gesturing at the jeep Jack had procured from the SGC vehicle pool.

‘Thank you, sir.’ Sam smiled at him tiredly.

Teal’c reached for her duffle bag and the three of them climbed into the car.

‘How’s Daniel and Fraiser?’ Jack asked as he started the engine and pulled away from the airstrip.

‘OK, sir. Doctor Fraiser’s mainly bruised and she thinks Daniel must have developed some resistance to the hand device after his experience with, uh, Ammonet.’ Sam adjusted her position, shifting to look fully at her CO. ‘He has a headache but he’s otherwise fine, sir.’

‘You?’ Jack shifted his gaze momentarily off the road to glance at her. ‘You got knocked out?’

‘Yeah, the old slam the human up against a wall thing.’ Sam commented. ‘I’m OK. I was only out for a few minutes. When I came to, Daniel was on the ground and Osiris was already in the rings.’ She sighed. ‘I felt the Goa’uld but I couldn’t make out the direction. I assumed it stayed in the temple after attacking Rayner and I was looking the wrong way; I didn’t even see her coming.’

Jack heard the guilt in her voice. ‘Not your fault, Major. You should have had back-up.’ He looked over at her grimly. ‘We should have been there.’

Sam suddenly seemed to clue into his internal anger. ‘Sir…’ she stopped as they drew up at the gate. She waited while they cleared the security barrier. ‘Sir, it’s not your fault you didn’t get the message in time…’

‘Yes, it is.’ Jack interrupted her. He sighed and looked over at her with complete honesty. ‘I dismantled the phone.’

Her blue eyes widened. ‘Oh.’

Jack squirmed in his seat, uncomfortable with his admission of guilt and fallibility. He sensed Sam regarding him thoughtfully and he shifted his gaze back to her challengingly. ‘What?’

‘I was just thinking I should have insisted we added two more to the team when the General gave us permission to go ahead without you.’ Sam said.

‘Carter…’

‘No, sir. I knew we were light with a three-person team especially going up against a Goa’uld.’ Sam admitted cutting across his attempt to interrupt her. ‘I should have planned for the possible contingency of you and Teal’c being unavailable or prevented from joining us later.’

Jack knew she was trying to divert him from his own self-flagellation. His lips lifted in rueful acknowledgement. ‘You’re just trying to make me feel better.’

Sam didn’t deny the charge. ‘It doesn’t make my statement any less true, sir.’

‘No,’ he agreed, ‘it doesn’t.’ He fought back his own guilt to examine her statement. She’d made it with a certain amount of objectivity, he realised, and it had lacked the recrimination evident in her previous recounting. She had focused simply on learning from her experience. He lifted a hand from the steering wheel and gestured at her. ‘So, what else did you learn?’

Sam thought about it. ‘I shouldn’t have tried to cover all directions myself. Janet should have handled Doctor Rayner and I should have had Daniel cover the entrance instead of him talking to his friend.’ She sighed. ‘It would be useful we could go over the scenario when we get back to base, sir. I’d like to get yours and Teal’c’s view on what else I could have been done.’ She bit her lip. ‘It’s not inconceivable that the same situation might arise off-world with only a four-person team involved; one down with three left to provide cover.’

‘I would be honoured.’ Teal’c said from the back-seat.

‘Me too.’ Jack agreed roughly. He looked across to her again as they stopped at an intersection.

‘Actually, sir, I wouldn’t mind adding some additional training into my schedule on tactics and strategy generally.’ Sam said hopefully. ‘If I do assume command of my own team sometime in the future, I’d like to be prepared.’

Jack’s eyes widened at the proposal. They’d talked about her moving onto command her own team in the future in the abstract before but it was the first time Sam had suggested something that would be a concrete step towards it. His mood unexpectedly brightened. Not that he wanted to lose her skills on SG1 but he knew deep down there would be a day when he was unable to stay in the field; when she would be a natural successor to him; when he would finally get out of her chain of command. That nebulous some day when he could ask her to go fishing and she would accept.

He had been disappointed when she’d turned down his invitation after Hammond had confirmed their leave especially as she had turned him down in no uncertain terms. It had stung. He knew why; appearances, propriety, regulations. But even as he’d told himself all of that when she’d turned him down, he had wondered in that instant whether the fact that she had been so adamant hadn’t been a sign that she was moving on from her feelings for him.

‘Sir?’ Sam prompted.

Jack belatedly realised she was waiting on him to respond. ‘Sounds good to me, Carter.’ He averted his gaze back to the road and pulled away.

‘Did you not also learn something from this experience, O’Neill?’ Teal’c prompted uncompromisingly.

Jack shot him a look in the mirror but the Jaffa was unrepentant and Jack figured he had cause.

Teal’c’s eyebrow rose in expectation.

‘That I shouldn’t have dismantled the damn phone.’ Jack admitted gruffly with a heavy sigh.

‘Indeed.’ Teal’c said firmly.

Jack caught Sam’s eyes and they shared a look of rueful amusement.

‘What about you, Teal’c?’ Sam asked impulsively. ‘Did you learn anything?’

‘I learned that I do not enjoy fishing.’ Teal’c replied.

The Jaffa sounded so disgusted that Jack couldn’t help but smile especially as Sam chuckled beside him unapologetically.

Jack took a breath, letting some of the tension seep out of his muscles. He wasn’t as coldly furious with himself as he had been before. One of his team-mates was back but Jack knew he needed Daniel home too. Maybe when the archaeologist returned and he was satisfied with his own eyes that all of SG1 was safe and accounted for, he’d forgive himself.

Maybe.

o-O-o

Egypt

Daniel Jackson sat down on the uncomfortable chair and sipped at the bottle of the water before setting it at his feet. His nose wrinkled at the underlying smell of disinfectant and bleach that seemed to pervade every hospital no matter what the location. He glanced up and down the empty corridor and wondered how much longer he would have to wait for news about Steven Rayner. Janet Fraiser had disappeared to find out what was going on with her patient hours before – just after Sam had left for the States. Daniel had spent the intervening time convincing the Egyptian authorities that Steven had been set upon by thieves. Luckily, they seem to have bought the act. He had no idea what he was going to tell Steven when he woke up.

He sighed and removed his glasses to rub tiredly at his eyes. His head ached; an echo of the pain engendered by the hand device. It wasn’t bad; he could handle it, he thought stubbornly. A wave of tiredness descended and caught him by surprise. It left him feel unexpectedly weepy.

God. What was wrong with him? Daniel wondered as he blinked back the tears and swallowed the sob that crawled up his throat. The squeak of sneakers on the cheap plastic flooring had him hurriedly replacing his glasses.

Janet came to a halt and collapsed into the chair beside him. She wiped at the back of her neck with a handkerchief. She looked as bedraggled and exhausted as he felt. Her khaki pants and shirt were crumpled; the blue vest top drenched in sweat. Her make-up had mostly evaporated with the Egyptain heat which had also turned her hair to frizz. Daniel focused on her warm sherry brown eyes.

‘How is he?’ He asked as he offered her the water bottle.

Janet sighed and opened the bottle eagerly. She took a long gulp and handed it back to him. ‘It was close but he’s going to live.’

‘Good. That’s…good.’ Daniel said. He took another sip of water before he accepted the lid from Janet and screwed it back on.

‘He’s in recovery but he’s going to have to stay here for at least a couple of days. His condition needs to stabilise before we transport him to the nearest US military base.’ Janet informed him. She looked at him sympathetically. ‘General Hammond has asked me to stay and oversee that.’

Daniel nodded. ‘He said.’

‘He mentioned to me that he’s authorised you to tell Steven as much as you feel is necessary.’ Janet said. Her expressive eyes gave away her curiosity.

‘I know. I just don’t know what I’m going to tell him.’ Daniel shook his head and sat back, resting his head against the white wall behind him. He gave a short, bitter laugh. ‘You know I’m not sure even if I told him the entire truth he would believe me.’

‘Why not?’ Janet asked surprised.

He stared at her before he shook his head. ‘Sorry. I just forget that people might not know.’

‘Know what?’ Janet prompted a slight snap in her voice.

Daniel looked down at the water bottle. ‘That I’m the laughingstock of the archaeology world.’ He attempted to smile and laugh it off but a quick glance at Janet revealed she wasn’t buying it. ‘Steven wouldn’t believe me because he’s never believed anything I’ve put forward.’

‘Surely, he has to now.’ Janet pointed out. ‘Didn’t he say something about getting proof of your theory?’

‘It’s one gold amulet which happens to be older than the world currently holds the Egyptian civilisation to be; an amulet which is now missing and the technician who performed the test is dead.’ Daniel sighed. ‘Hardly proof.’

‘But he knows it’s the truth.’ Janet pointed out gently.

Daniel shrugged. ‘Steven will believe what fits his own theories and nothing else. He always has; always will. It’s what makes him a really good archaeologist,’ he gestured, ‘and a really bad one.’ He sighed again. ‘Besides, I don’t think the world is ready for all…’ he waved wildly with his hand, ‘this. Do you?’

‘Maybe you’re right.’ Janet admitted.

‘Sarah asked me before I left Chicago; she begged me to tell her what I was doing and I…I couldn’t.’ Daniel snorted abruptly. ‘God! I’m stupid, I mean, she must have already been…’

‘You don’t know that.’ Janet comforted him. ‘We have no way of knowing when she took possession of the jar; when she opened it.’

‘I should have warned her.’ Daniel said guiltily. ‘But then, if she was already…’ he motioned at the back of his neck and pulled a face, ‘like you say we don’t know when.’ He stared at the floor and clutched on tightly to the water bottle. ‘I can’t believe she…’

‘I’m sorry, Daniel.’ Janet reached out and placed a hand over his. Her thumb rubbed over the knuckles.

‘Me too.’ He said softly.

They fell silent.

Janet slowly withdrew her hand and gave a self-conscious smile. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’

‘Not really.’ Daniel waved the bottle at her. ‘I just can’t believe it’s happened again to someone I cared about.’

‘Cared?’ Janet probed gently. ‘You and she?’

‘Six years ago.’ Daniel said hurriedly. He felt the heat rising in his cheeks. ‘She was good company and we dated. I think she took it all a little bit more seriously than I did.’

‘Oh.’ Her voice was filled with amusement at the embarrassment in his.

‘I, er, messed up and missed some things. Dinners, parties, that kind of thing.’ Daniel confessed, his mind drifting back to the past; old arguments and passion. ‘I was just so caught up in my work. I really wasn’t fair to her.’ He grimaced. ‘Actually I was surprised she welcomed me so warmly. We weren’t exactly on speaking terms when I left.’

Janet nudged him with her knee. ‘It may have been her, Daniel.’

‘Maybe.’ Daniel shook his head. ‘Maybe not.’ His hand went to his forehead and rubbed at the ache behind his skull. He took a gulp of water and handed her the bottle again. ‘By the way, how are you? You took quite a knock.’

‘Bruised like Sam was.’ Janet smiled to take away the bluntness of her reply. ‘But I’m OK. You?’

‘Sure.’

‘You know this isn’t your fault.’ Janet said forcefully, seeing the guilty look in his eyes as she passed the bottle back to him. ‘This would have happened to her whether you had been in Chicago or not.’

‘I guess a part of me knows that.’ Daniel admitted softly. ‘I know Sarah may still have opened the jar and…with or without my being around. I mean, I wouldn’t have even known about Doctor Jordon’s death if it hadn’t been for that article on the curse.’

‘He was important to you?’ Janet asked interested at the regret written openly across his face.

He nodded jerkily. ‘He was my professor for years. He knew my father. I think if I’d let him he would have been like a father to me but I…’ he’d shut him out, Daniel realised. He’d shut out a lot of people because he hadn’t want to get too close after his parents’ deaths. Maybe he had been right to do that. Look what happened when he let people in. He turned to look at Janet. ‘I just can’t help feeling like…like I’m a curse. I mean, Sha’re and then Sam and now…’

‘Hey.’ Janet laid a hand on his arm. ‘I’ve known you just as long as Sam and I’m fine, aren’t I?’

Daniel smiled crookedly as he considered her words. ‘Maybe you should be running in the opposite direction.’

‘Oh, too tired for that.’ Janet said, wincing as she arched her back. She glanced at her watch. ‘We should go in and sit with Steven. I got permission from his doctor before.’

‘You think he’ll wake up soon?’ Daniel brightened at the thought.

‘No.’ Janet shook her head. ‘But the chairs are more comfortable.’ She stood up and held out her hand. ‘Come on.’

Daniel took her hand. ‘Thank you.’ He said as he rose to stand next to her.

‘What for?’ Janet asked bemused.

‘Letting me babble on.’ Daniel said smiling self-consciously.

Janet shrugged. ‘What are friends for?’

o-O-o

The SGC

The whirring of the Stargate dialling out provided the background music as Jack and Teal’c walked into the gate room.

‘Are you really sure about this, Teal’c?’ Jack asked bluntly.

Teal’c gathered his robes around him and tightened his grip on his staff weapon. ‘I am certain, O’Neill.’

‘You really think going to meet these other Jaffa rebels is that important?’ Jack pressed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants and rocking back on his heels.

‘I do.’ Teal’c said firmly. There was a set expression to his features that Jack recognised as stubbornness. ‘I only regret I will miss Daniel Jackson’s return.’

‘He’ll understand.’ Jack figured that Daniel would probably understand Teal’c’s sudden urge to rouse the rebel Jaffa better than he did. Sam was picking the archaeologist up from Petersen while he made sure Teal’c got away safely. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. ‘I could grab my stuff. Come with.’ He offered; his tone was light-hearted but his eyes were deadly serious.

‘I will be fine, O’Neill.’ Teal’c assured him. ‘Bra’tac is waiting for me. He will provide me with any assistance I may require.’

Jack sighed; a sign that he knew he had lost the argument. The gate locked and the swoosh of blue over the ramp had both men turning toward the wormhole as it settled into a rippling circle. ‘Just,’ he sighed again, ‘take care of yourself out there, huh?’

Teal’c clasped Jack’s shoulder and bowed his head. He whirled away, marching swiftly up the ramp and through the ring.

Jack watched as the event horizon blinked out and rubbed a hand through his grey hair. Just when he had thought he would have all of his team back…he couldn’t shake the feeling that Teal’c was heading into trouble. He spun around on his heel and headed out of the gate room. He checked his watch. If Daniel’s transport had arrived on time, he and Sam should en route to the SGC. He skipped into the elevator and headed for the commissary. He figured he had time for a snack before Daniel arrived.

His team-mates found him at their usual table twenty minutes later. Daniel slid into the seat opposite, his tray filled with food while Sam sat next to Jack with only a bowl of jello.

Jack looked at the loaded tray and looked back up at Daniel. ‘Didn’t they feed you in Egypt?’

Daniel took a long, appreciative gulp of coffee before he set the mug down. ‘Nice to see you too, Jack.’

Jack nodded at him. The archaeologist seemed OK. No burn mark from the hand device. His hair was rumpled; he needed a shave but he was alive and in one piece. Jack felt the last of his internal anger flicker out; the tension stayed. His team was still out one member until Teal’c returned. ‘So, how’s your friend Stuart?’

‘Steven.’ Daniel corrected automatically. ‘He’s better.’

‘He go for the cover story?’ Jack asked, picking up his mug.

‘I think so.’ Daniel sighed. ‘I told him I was working with the government on the technology he had seen in the hidden recess in the temple; that was why I’d been interested in the amulet and tracked him to Egypt.’ He forked up some food. ‘He didn’t remember much about the attack. He remembers finding the recess, hearing a sound behind him and then…a bright light and pain.’

‘He doesn’t know it was…’ Jack forgot the name of the woman Daniel had been involved with.

‘Sarah?’ Daniel supplied. ‘No. He thinks it was thieves.’

‘Won’t he start asking questions when he gets back and finds her gone?’ Jack asked.

‘He’ll be told by the university that Doctor Gardner handed in her resignation and has returned to London. We think it’s unlikely he’ll try seeking her out. Major Davis is handling the paperwork.’ Sam added. She forked up some jello and waved it at the Colonel. ‘Did Teal’c get away OK, sir?’

‘Yeah.’ Jack frowned and reached for the chocolate cake he had abandoned before their arrival. ‘He thinks this meeting is important so…’ he shrugged.

Sam swallowed hastily. ‘I thought Bra’tac was with him?’

‘He is.’ Jack assured her as he took a bite and pushed the plate away again. ‘I’d have still preferred it if we went with him and gave him the necessary back-up though.’

He saw Sam and Daniel exchange an amused look at Jack’s evident anxiety and shifted position a little uncomfortable he’d been so obvious.

‘I’m sure he’ll be fine, Jack.’ Daniel waved his knife at the Colonel. ‘Teal’c can handle himself.’

Jack sipped his drink and regarded the archaeologist over the rim. He belatedly realised Daniel was still talking…

‘…so he’ll probably accomplish more without us.’

‘Huh?’ Jack thought it was the eloquent response he could manage.

‘Weren’t you listening?’ Daniel demanded before he rolled his eyes. ‘What am I thinking? Of course you weren’t listening.’

Jack glared at him. ‘What d’you mean he’ll accomplish more without us?’

Daniel shovelled some food into his mouth and Jack shifted impatiently while Daniel chewed and swallowed.

‘Daniel…’ Jack said warningly.

‘Teal’c’s meeting other Jaffa, right?’ Daniel said patiently.

‘Right, so…’ Jack put his mug down and gestured at Daniel.

‘So, there’s probably some kind of warrior test of trust going on.’ Daniel pointed out. ‘If Teal’c showed up with all of us…’

‘They would think he didn’t trust them.’ Jack concluded. He leaned back in his chair with a sudden frown. ‘He is going to take Bra’tac though, right?’

Daniel looked to Sam for help; she hastily scraped the last of the jello from the bowl, rising to her feet at the same time.

‘I, uh, have to go look at…’ Sam pointed at the door, ‘something. See you guys later.’

‘Chicken.’ Daniel mouthed at her.

‘Daniel?’ Jack prompted urgently. ‘Still waiting on an answer here.’

‘What do you want me to say, Jack?’ Daniel asked exasperated. ‘That no; I think Teal’c is going in alone without back-up?’

‘Damn it.’ Jack rubbed both hands over his face. ‘I knew it was a mistake letting him go.’

‘It could all work out fine, Jack.’ Daniel pointed out.

‘Yes, because your trip to Egypt worked out so well without back-up.’ Jack shot back.

Daniel flushed and looked down at his food. He suddenly pushed away his plate and reached for his mug.

Jack winced. He sighed heavily. ‘Sam said you handled yourself well; managed to get the Goa’uld with a dart.’

Daniel wrapped his hands around the mug. ‘It wasn’t enough.’

‘Fraiser thinks the sedative was slowed because of, you know, being injected through the host.’ Jack noted. ‘You did good.’

‘We still lost her,’ Daniel held up a hand, ‘and please don’t say we’ll get her back.’ He stared at his half-eaten food. ‘Not this time.’

Jack wondered what to say to the other man; how to comfort him – if that was even possible. ‘I’m sorry, Daniel.’

‘Not your fault.’ Daniel said staring into his mug.

‘Actually, you know, back there in Egypt, the lack of back-up,’ Jack raised a hand from the table, ‘kind of my fault.’

Daniel lowered his mug and frowned, a crease appearing between his brows. ‘You really dismantled the phone?’

Jack looked down at the table. His finger sneaked over to nudge carefully at the fork on his plate. ‘Carter?’

‘Teal’c.’ Daniel said giving away his informant.

Jack grimaced.

‘You deserved to take some leave without it getting interrupted, Jack.’ Daniel said seeing the guilt in the guarded expression of the other man. ‘We shouldn’t have called.’

Jack looked over at him. ‘I should have been there.’

Daniel set his mug down. ‘You know it’s been over a month.’

The Colonel tensed. Daniel had asked for an extended leave of absence; a year away from the SGC. The archaeologist had been through a lot and Jack had told him to take a month to consider it and Daniel was right, the month was up. ‘I know.’ He responded simply.

‘After the funeral, when Sarah took me into see the artefacts, I was thinking that maybe it was fate. Maybe I was meant to go back and reconnect. Maybe, despite my terrible reputation in the field of archaeology, I would be able to find a contact, get on a dig somewhere.’ Daniel confessed, pushing his glasses up his nose. ‘And then I found the jar and I knew it was too late.’

Jack looked at him uncomprehendingly at Daniel’s logic.

‘I can never go back, Jack.’ Daniel said. ‘I know too much and I can’t tell anyone. No-one would believe me and even if they did…I don’t think they’re ready to hear it yet.’

‘So?’ Jack asked softly.

‘So, I guess I stay here.’ Daniel concluded.

Jack nodded slowly. ‘If you’d like to take a few more days…’

‘No.’ Daniel smiled tightly. ‘I just want to get back to everything. See if I can track down any information on Osiris.’ His gaze dropped.

‘We will get her back, Daniel.’

Jack’s blunt statement had Daniel’s head snapping up. ‘Jack…’

‘This isn’t the same situation as Sha’re.’ Jack leaned forward, holding Daniel’s gaze. ‘We have friends now, Daniel. We know a lot more about what we’re facing. We can find her.’

‘I just…’ Daniel sighed. ‘I just don’t want to get my hopes up this time, Jack.’

‘We got Skaara back.’ Jack pointed out.

‘Yes.’ Daniel brightened a little at the reminder. ‘Yes, we did.’ He drained his coffee and looked longingly at the bottom of his mug. He set it down. ‘Well, I should…’ he waved at the door.

‘Daniel.’ Jack stopped him as the archaeologist got to his feet.

‘What?’ Daniel asked bemused.

Jack hesitated, suddenly unable to tell the younger man what he had intended; that he was pleased he was staying, that it didn’t matter if the world of archaeology didn’t get him, SG1 believed in him.

Daniel smiled. ‘You don’t need to say anything.’

‘I wasn’t going to say anything.’ Jack denied defensively.

Daniel smirked at him and picked up his tray.

Jack watched him leave. He took a mental inventory. One archaeologist safe and sound; check. One astrophysicist; check. One stubborn Jaffa…

‘No; Teal’c is going in alone without back-up.’

Daniel’s words worried at Jack. He had a really bad feeling about Teal’c’s trip; a really bad feeling the Jaffa was headed into trouble without the necessary back-up and there wasn’t a single thing Jack could do about it.

fin.