Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance
Rating: M for violence, language, mention of rape and sexual situations
Spoilers: Pretty much all the season up to the episode Space Race in Season 7, though if I named the episodes I mention (in passing usually) I'd be here for a while :) And this is a definite AU.
Season: This starts out about 5 months after the start of Season 7 and Daniel's descending, I don't know the timeline of the show exactly, but at this point Daniel's got his memories back.
Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters here, just the Captain in the beginning and the people on P7X-617. Everything else belongs to those who created the show, MGM etc. etc.

A/N: This is my first Stargate fic and I wrote the first version about 4 or 5 years ago. I never got the whole thing written out since I soon became dissatisfied with what I had down. But lately I got back into Stargate and I decided, after reading some awesome S/D fics, that I would come back and rewrite this totally. It's all finished, and though it might not be that good, I tried my best with it. Also, I'm reacquainting myself with the show, so if anyone's out of character that's why, but again, I tried my best and really this was written for fun and to contribute to the S/D fics there are here. I would greatly, greatly appreciate any reviews, but please no flames or criticism since as I've said this isn't perfect!

Chapter One
The Sapphire

Daniel Jackson arrived at his office at the SGC early to finish up a translation for SG-13 before he had to go to the briefing room for his next mission with the rest of SG-1. He searched through a folder on top of a stack of papers on his desk, finding what he needed just as the captain from SG-13 walked in.

"Finished that translation?" the man, Captain Boggs asked, seeing Daniel reading a paper inside the file he was holding.

"Right here, the symbols turned out to be a derivative of Ancient Sumerian," Daniel answered, handing the man the file. "Nothing really about the Gou'ald but what I managed to read from the photographs you brought back there were people on the planet that were from Earth."

"Was there anything about what happened to them?" the captain asked interestedly.

"From what I translated there was an illness that killed them all off over a period of fifty years; one hundred years ago," Daniel replied. "The last symbols in the temple you found were roughly carved, so I'm guessing the carver was sick too when he completed the last symbols."

"Well, at least they weren't enslaved by Gou'ald," the captain said, frowning. He shook his head and said, "Well, thanks Doctor Jackson, this'll help me get my report done quicker now that I know what happened on P3E-331."

"You're welcome Captain," Daniel said, straightening up his papers. He heard the captain call a goodbye and looked up to see him leaving. By then his desk was relatively neat and he looked at his watch to see how much time he had until the briefing. There was still a half hour left so he decided to grab a cup of coffee and see if Sam was in her lab yet.

Major Samantha Carter was in her lab, looking at pictures of a device that SG-10 had found on their last mission. It had turned out to be a scanner that was able to record writing and project it as a hologram. She hadn't had a chance to work on it yet as it was still on the planet it had been found, but she was hoping that when she returned from the mission SG-1 had that day it would be at the SGC. SG-10 would try to bring it back to Earth after they negotiated a treaty with the people of the planet.

Setting down the pictures, she stood up and went over to a file next to another device that had been found by SG-19. She had finished her analysis and the file contained her findings on it which she needed to turn in to General Hammond. She heard someone approaching, after she'd picked up the file, and she turned quickly which caused some of the loose papers in it to fall to the floor.

"Damn," Sam swore under her breath. She knelt down and started to pick the papers up, having to read them before she placed them in their proper order in the file, which took time.

As she was doing that, the person she'd heard walking entered the lab and spoke. "Morning Sam, having a little trouble?" Daniel asked when he saw what she was doing. He set down the two cups of coffee he had on the nearest flat surface and hurried over to help her.

"Thanks," Same said, "I must be getting clumsy. I'll be glad to have finished with this retinal scanning device from P6A-361."

"I thought you were done," Daniel said, grabbing two papers out of Sam's reach.

"Not until this gets to Hammond," Sam said. She reached out to pick up the last piece of paper just as Daniel did. Their hands brushed together and she was taken aback at the sudden shock of their touch. She glanced up at Daniel and felt her cheeks burn as he quickly pulled his hand away, handing her the paper. "Thanks again," she said, keeping her surprise under control. She stood up with him and walked over to the counter to set the file down.

"I'd better make sure I'm set for our mission," Daniel said a little lamely as he picked up the coffee he'd brought in. "I don't want to step through the 'gate and realized I left behind my field journal."

Sam nodded and took the cup of coffee he held out to her, being careful to avoid his fingers around it. "Thanks for the coffee too," she said before he nodded and then left. Alone, she looked down at her file, wondering what had just happened.

Never had she been so affected by Daniel's touch before he had returned. She had always felt a small flutter of something she never could name when they had hugged before, but touching his hand that feeling had been stronger. After thinking for a moment, she realized that she knew what that shock was and why she felt it. But as she looked at her watch for a distraction she pushed it away, leaving her lab to hurry to the briefing room.

As Sam was thinking about Daniel, the linguist was in turn thinking of her. He wasn't all that surprised at his reaction to the brush of Sam's skin against his. The same thing had been going on since he'd regained his memories after descending from the Ancients. His regard and emotions for his friend had changed considerably. He let out a soft sigh as he recalled his reaction when he first saw her on Vis Uban, where SG-1 had found him, and the dreams that had haunted him ever since then. He was wandering the same floor as his office but he didn't really need to go to it as he'd been packed for the mission since the night before. He was so deep in thought as he walked down the hall, thinking about Sam, that he nearly ran into someone coming out of his office.

"I am sorry Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said as Daniel halted abruptly in front of him. "I was searching for you; Colonel O'Neill is on his way to the briefing room. He asked that I find you."

"Oh, am I late?" Daniel said, surprised as he checked the time. He still had five minutes left, so he said to the Jaffa, "We'd better get going." And he and Teal'c started to walk to the elevator.

"You are well Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked suddenly. When the archeologist looked at him in confusion he continued with, "You were deep in thought."

"I'm… okay, I was just thinking about… something," Daniel said, hoping his voice didn't betray that he was embarrassed about who was thinking about. He was pleased when Teal'c said nothing in response to that and they entered the elevator. He remembered Sam's face when their hands had brushed together suddenly, and remembered his dream from the night before. Before he could get too deep into it though, the car stopped and he and Teal'c went into the briefing room. He was a little surprised to see Sam there already, but was able to keep himself from seeming flustered and he sat down next to Sam after Teal'c had taken the seat next to Jack on the other side of the table.

"Alright SG-1, your mission today is to the planet designated P7X-617," Hammond said once Daniel and Teal'c were seated. "We've sent the MALP on through and everything checks out. Oxygen levels are normal, there are no toxins or other harmful substances in the air, and the temperature recorded was around seventy five degrees."

"Any video sir?" Jack asked.

"Yes, but the MALP couldn't go any further than about fifty feet in front of the Stargate," Hammond replied, turning to a television that was to his left. "There appears to be a ring of stones surrounding it."

Almost immediately, Jack and Sam looked over at Daniel, who straightened a little. "Um, it could be a sign that the ring is taboo, forbidden to any of the natives there. Or maybe it's seen as a portal for the gods… a religious symbol. I won't know for certain what those stones are for until I see them."

By then the footage from the MALP was showing on the television and SG-1 watched the camera go around 360 degrees, stopping after to show that the machine was in a forest and outside the trees in the distance was a large dune with reddish sand.

"SG-1, your mission is to make contact with any natives, see if they've had any trouble with the Gou'ald and also if they're willing to enter into a treaty with Earth," Hammond said once the footage had ended. "You'll report to me in twenty-four hours, in case any villages are placed far from the Stargate. You depart in a half-hour, dismissed."

A half hour after the briefing, Jack, Teal'c, Sam and Daniel were standing at the bottom of the ramp to the Stargate. Five of the chevrons had been locked and the team was waiting for the last two. Once the wormhole had opened, Jack and Teal'c walked on either side of the front of the FRED, Sam and Daniel behind them. They walked up the ramp and stepped through the event horizon, instantly transported. Coming out on the other side, they came out into a small clearing that was filled with sunshine and they walked down the ramp from the Stargate as it soon turned off.

"Sylvan glen, nice," Jack said. "Alright, we gotta get out of this forest; find a high spot if possible to see where the nearest village or city is." He glanced around the clearing, trying to peer through the darker shadows of the forest to see which way to go.

"This way," Daniel said suddenly, stepping ahead of the colonel. While Jack had been speaking, Daniel had looked at the ring of large rocks that surrounded the Stargate. He noticed that they all looked similar but one pointing to the 'gate's right was painted with a single red line and another directly across from that rock on the other side of the circle was painted with a blue line. He'd pointed in the direction of the blue rock when the others looked at him.

"So there's life at least, or there was recently," Jack said as the team walked in the direction Daniel had indicated. "Paint on those stones looks pretty fresh."

"Looks like this is a sort of directional for travelers to head the right way," Daniel said as they stopped to step over the stones and he took the chance to look at the blue line closer. "Whatever's in the opposite direction-"

"Is forbidden," Sam cut in quickly. "There might be a temple or other building or even-"

"A burial ground," Daniel finished for her. "So then this red would signify evil and the need to stay away from whatever it is."

"Are you guys finished with your mind meld?" Jack asked, looking at them with no expression on his face. After six years, the colonel was used to the intellectual connection between the scientists under his command. Still, it sometimes amazed him how well the two worked together. "If you are then let's please move on." And with that he headed down the cleared path in the direction the blue rock pointed, the rest of the team filing behind him.

Last in line, Daniel kept his finger on the trigger of his P-90, but he also looked around them to see if there were any signs of life. The forest was clear of human influence besides the path though; there was only animal life. He saw small, deer like creatures and heard the sound of birds singing all around. His eyes were sweeping from the forest to Sam in front of him as they got closer to the dune ahead when he noticed something sparkling a few feet to the right of the dirt path. "Jack, wait," he called, already stopping and stepping into the foliage to where the sparkle was.

"What is it?" Sam asked as Jack and Teal'c remained where they were. She stood at the edge of the path, watching as Daniel kneeled in front of a large tree. She had a sudden eerie feeling as the birds stopped chirping; everything had gone silent; and she had to repress a shudder.

Not answering, Daniel grabbed the end of the object and gently pulled on it, surprised when it easily moved from the dirt covering half of it. He held it up in his hand, a little shocked at what it was.

The object was a blue stone but it looked more like a sapphire. It was six to seven inches long, about two inches in width and similar in shape to an egg. While the color was a rich, dark blue, Daniel could see that the core of the gemstone was changing hue, shifting visibly. Something seemed to surround him then, a slight pressure around his body that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. But it quickly passed and he stood up to return to his team.

"You okay?" Sam asked once Daniel had reached her. The sounds of wildlife had started up again so she felt less anxious, but she could sense that Daniel was slightly troubled. "What did you find?"

Without a word, Daniel held out the sapphire stone to her, wondering if she'd feel the same thing he had after looking into its core.

Taking it, Sam was a little startled to feel the sapphire was warm though Daniel hadn't been holding it that long; and she was holding the side that had been face up in his palm. Staring into the deep blue, she noticed there was something strange with the center and she brought it up closer to her eyes to see what it was. Almost instantly, she felt as if the air around her was growing heavier and she felt her skin break into bumps, hairs prickling as if she were surrounded by electricity. Before she could really take in the atmospheric change though, the center of the gemstone flashed brightly and it glowed for a moment. "It's… it's beautiful," she said after a few minutes, finally shaking herself as the stone looked normal handing it back to Daniel.

A little surprised to see the same thing that had happened to him happen to Sam, Daniel merely nodded and looked down at the sapphire. He was startled when he noticed that the core of it was glowing a soft blue, and looking up at Sam, he saw it was the same color of her eyes and he sucked in a breath, thinking suddenly they really were a beautiful hue.

"Hey, what's the hold up?" Jack called back to the two impatiently. "This isn't an ice cream social."

"Sorry sir," Sam said as she and Daniel caught up with the colonel and Teal'c. "Daniel found a stone."

"Nice, but we're here for reasons other than a geological expedition," Jack replied. "Let's keep moving." And with that he continued down the path, Teal'c following a moment later after glancing at the two scientists.

The team exited the forest in only a few minutes, coming out to the base of a tall dune. They stood there for a moment, looking up before the other three looked over at Jack; though Teal'c merely shifted his eyes toward the colonel. Without a word, Jack stepped forward and started to climb, Teal'c close behind him.

"Sir, shouldn't we try to go around?" Sam asked as Daniel started to walk after the others.

Pausing where he was Jack turned and said, "We need the height Carter. It's only sand so if you slip it won't hurt."

Sam rolled her eyes and looked at Daniel who was waiting at the base just ahead of her. She smiled when he shrugged slightly and she hurried forward. "Climbing up this tall of a dune of slippery sand is not my idea of fun," she said after she had put the strap of her P-90 over her shoulder and they began to ascend.

"Yeah, well, I think we're lucky it's not any higher," Daniel said "I've climbed a few dunes higher than this before, and it just gets harder as you go higher than this."

Nodding, since she was trying to keep her footing in the slipping sand, Sam raised her foot and put it down, not noticing that there was a loose patch under it. As soon as she tried to step up again, the sand gave way and she gave a short cry of surprise, expecting to tumble down the side. But before that happened, she felt a hand grab hers, and another hand grab her arm, holding her up. "Thanks," she said gratefully as Daniel helped her regain her balance.

"You okay?" Daniel asked, looking concerned and inwardly trying to ignore the sudden shock from their hands clasping each other.

"I'm fine," Sam said quickly, pushing aside the tingling sensation in her hand that Daniel was still holding. She slipped her hand from his grasp and continued up, this time more cautious about where she stepped.

Daniel looked down at his hand that had held Sam's for a moment. Shaking himself, he continued climbing; unaware that the stone he'd placed in his pocket was slightly shaking, setting off a low hum that silenced the animas in the forest behind him.

By the time Daniel had reached the top of the dune the others were there already, Jack and Sam looking around with binoculars. "Anything?" Daniel asked, standing next to the colonel and getting his binoculars out, looking to the southwest of the dune.

"Looks like there are people here," Jack said. "A city and a pretty good sized one too."

"It looks like an ancient city in Egypt," Sam commented. "Gou'ald may be here."

"I see what's taboo, or marked as it at the Stargate," Daniel said suddenly. He'd looked at the city and then remembered the red striped rock and turned in the direction it'd been in, to the north of the dune.

Turning, Sam raised her binoculars back to her eyes and saw what Daniel was looking at. "A palace," she said in surprise.

"It does not look like one of Gou'ald design," Teal'c said, looking at the palace as well. "Colonel O'Neill," he said then as he looked back to the south. "It seems that we will see if there are Gou'ald on this world."

The others turned back to where Teal'c was looking as he spoke. There was a large group of people riding on what seemed to be horses approaching them.

Looking through his binoculars, Daniel saw that the group consisted of just men, but there were no weapons that he could discern. As they neared, he was able to determine their features. There was a mixture of olive and paler complexions, dark and honey colored hair. He was able to tell quickly that they were a mix of Grecian, Judean and Egyptian characteristics; the fact that they were blended surprising him.

"Okay, you're up Daniel, time to go make nice with the natives," Jack said, breaking into the linguist's thoughts. And with that he led his team down the gentle slope of the other side of the dune to meet the nearing group of men.