Title: Images from the Past
Category: Gen; missing scene; angst, friendship.
Spoilers/warnings:"Unending"-missing scene!
Summary: Even after spending over 40 years stranded in space and time, Daniel's curiosity can still land him in ... interesting situations :)
Notes: A huge Thank You to the Goofs for the encouragement and cheerleading, and to Devra for spotting some...well... spots.
Keep The Gate Open!

No one had thought of it.

They had all been so immersed into the struggle with the machinery and themselves, that something as logical and simple as that never crossed their minds.

And even then, he discovered it purely by accident.

Daniel had always been impulsive. So, when he stumbled upon the "alien database", he browsed though it, excited that he had found a new toy, something fresh to kill the time with. Only after reading his own name, and then Sam's after a while, did he pause to think. By then he had found out that selecting a name was followed by a static image of the "alien". Even just seeing his picture, something different from the worn, faded thing which he kept in his pocket all the time, brought mixed emotions up to the surface.

But there were unusual, oval blinking signs next to only a couple of names. They pushed his thoughts in a maelstorm and made him feel almost painfull hope and cautious excitement.

Because one of the oval things was next to his name, too.

Daniel's hand hovered over the Asgard equivalent of a computer mouse for several moments of indecision. What if he was wrong? What if he was hoping for nothing? But then he thought of Sam, and her high-tech sessions with Thor's hologram, and he clicked.

For a long, stretched out moment time stood still. And then the air crackled and shimmered, and Daniel slowly turned around.

The first thought, of all possible thoughts, that entered his mind was that he should keep this for himself. A selfish thought, quickly followed by "I gotta ask Sam how it works".

What he actually said was a stunned "Jack?".

A hologram was not a living being, and therefore limited in its knowledge. The latest set of data Thor appeared to had had was from some four years before their last – still ongoing - mission. There were less wrinkles, less strain in the familiar face looking at him with a calculating frown.

"Daniel?".

The voice was real and right and Daniel couldn't resist an insistent smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah. It's me, Jack. Long time no see."

Jack cocked his head to the right, his unreal but so realistic eyes assessing the situation. "You look old".

Daniel shrugged, dismissing it like it was nothing, although it was everything that really mattered. "A lot of time passed. Lots of stuff happened since you-... since you were... updated".

It was amazing how holographic eyes could be as expressive as the real ones.

"Stuff, huh?" Jack stuck his hands in his pockets, looked around then settled his gaze on Daniel, a wry smile on his face. "You got time for storytelling?"

Daniel wanted to touch. The need to connect was so strong, but not the one to be fulfilled anytime soon. So he used the remote to lock the door, then dragged a chair to him and sat down, watching Jack do the same – apparently – in the other avaliable seat. "O-kay. Let me tell you first about the last 40-something years. So you'd know why I look this... old."

His words were met with companionable silence and a raised eyebrow.

Daniel took a deep breath and let his mind roll back in time. "We headed out – I mean, SG1 and the General - ... ah, hell, you don't know about the new SG1...".

"New SG1?" The tone of voice was bordering on suspicious. "Daniel?"

Daniel pulled a hand through his thinning, gray hair, sighed and muttered to himself "This is gonna be interesting..." He looked up, the familiar feeling of fond almost-exasperation dulling the shock of seeing his friend – if only his image – sitting no more than a meter away. "It's a long story. Lots of things changed after what you last remember and-..."

"I've got time, Dannyboy... not going anywhere..."

Holographic eyes couldn't be made to twinkle, could they? He really should ask Sam. Instead, Daniel said "I know" and smiled.

THE END?

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