This is an AU story for obvious reasons. This branches off from the original series at the episode "There But for the Grace, (first season, episode 19)" and in my story Daniel never goes through the reality-swapping mirror. The story starts at the end of the episode "Politics (first season, episode 20)." At the moment when Senator Kinsey decides to shut down the program. We begin the story just as Kinsey leaves.

Stargate and all of its characters belong to MGM. Nothing belongs to me, except for my soul...at the moment.

Prologue

"I'm sorry, General, but your best is not good enough. I do not approve of nor support this endeavor, and I have heard nothing here today that would change my mind. I intend to shut the Stargate down."

Kinsey decisively stood up, and Samuels smirked at Colonel O'Neill he began to gather up the loose papers. Sg-1 was frozen in shock, the implications of what had just happened awaking suddenly in their brains.

Daniel rose desperately to his feet. "You are making a mistake, Senator!" he called after the man. The Senator didn't even have the decency to show that he'd heard Daniel. As he disappeared from view, Daniel sunk back into his chair He looked helplessly at the rest of SG-1, but they, even Jack, were at a loss for words.

The pause lasted for several moments when, to their surprise, it was Teal'c who broke the silence. "General Hammond, I would like to request permission to return through the Stargate before it is permanently sealed. If this world does not intend to continue its struggle against the Goa'uld, then here I do not belong."

At this statement, Daniel and Sam's faces fell even further. However, Jack's took on a determined expression. "I think I'm going with him," he said. At that moment, Jack and Teal'c's eyes met and communication flowed between the two men that no one else in the room understood.

The General shook his head, "I can't allow that, Colonel. I'm sorry, but you know that. The President has made it perfectly clear if we were unable to convince the Senator we would cease operations effective immediately."

Sam and Daniel continued to argue, but Jack and Teal'c missed the rest of the conversation. Their minds were made up. Hammond probably should have realized something was up when Jack stopped arguing, but his own mind was too filled with shock to understand at that moment.

OOOOOO

"Should we not take the other members of SG-1 with us as well?"

Jack shook his head. "Carter, well, she's too important to our country. They need her here in case the Goa'uld come. Burying the gate may not be enough."

"And what of Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c voice's, though undetectable to one who didn't know the man well, wavered slightly at the thought of the coming separation.

"Let's face it, Teal'c. Daniel's like a brother to me, and we both know he'll never forgive us for leaving him behind. However, what we're planning on doing is so far beyond the realm of what he's capable of. His heart would be there, but though he would learn he just might not learn quick enough. Besides, if the program ever picks up again, the SGC will need Daniel here."

Teal'c didn't argue. He didn't need to. He understood Jack's point of view and happened to agree with it. And they both knew, though they would never voice it, that having Daniel along would slow them down and possibly get them killed. His morality aside, he simply wasn't a warrior. He was an archeologist. Sam on the other hand, though a warrior, was the brightest and the best Earth had to offer. Jack wasn't willing to let her give up her life when she could still accomplish so much. She too, would most likely not forgive them, but they hoped in time she would come to understand. Teal'c, however, did have one final question.

"And what of you, O'Neill? Are you not needed here as well?"

Jack shook his head. "Not really. I've always been expendable. The world will do just fine without me. Now that we know about the Goa'uld, how can I just sit here while they enslave millions?"

Teal'c shook his head. "I do not believe your country would agree that you are of so little value, O'Neill. You have proven yourself to be an impressive warrior upon many occasions."

Jack grinned and said, "Thanks, T. But regardless of my value, I'm still going with you."

Teal'c nodded and silently they clasped each other's forearms. Their bond strengthened by their upcoming mission, the both silently began to pack. Jack began cramming as many weapons as he could fit into a couple of duffle bags. He packed a pair of BDU's in every color, not knowing what terrain they might encounter. Teal'c also took many weapons. He was able to fill four duffle bags, knowing he could easily handle the weight. They also carried a supply box between them full of ammunition.

While they were packing, Jack took a laptop and plugged it into the main frame. He began to download the list of Stargates and calculations from the Abydos cartouche.

"O'Neill."

He looked up as Teal'c quietly spoke his name.

"How are we to determine the conditions of the planets that we are intending to visit?"

"You mean without a MALP?"

"Indeed."

Jack shrugged and thinking of Bratac, said, "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

They finished packing in silence, and the laptop made a small noise as it completed the download. Jack packed it up in his pack and with a nod to Teal'c said, "Let's go."


Sam and Daniel were sitting silently in Sam's lab. It was nearly 0300, but neither could sleep. Daniel was fiddling with an artifact he had found on their last mission and Carter was staring at the schematics of a new device she was working on, but neither one of them was really concentrating.

"Maybe we could try to talk to him again?" Daniel asked suddenly, his voice breaking the silence and causing Sam to jump.

Sam recovered and shook her head, knowing exactly who Daniel was talking about without having to mention the rat-faced senator's name. "I don't think there was any chance in the first place, Daniel. It's over. There's nothing we can do. I don't know what we could have said that would have made a difference."

"You know," Daniel said, "did you notice how quiet Jack was? I thought he'd argue, rant, rave or do any other number of things. But it seemed like he just gave up."

"Yeah, he and Teal'c just sat there..." before Sam could finish her sentence, the intercom system kicked on and "Unauthorized Gate Activation" began to repeat loudly.

"What the...?" Daniel asked as he and Sam jumped to their feet.

"You don't think that the Colonel and Teal'c..." Sam said, her eyes wide with disbelief as her voice trailed off.

"No, they wouldn't! Not without..." Daniel said carrying the thought, but at that moment their eyes met and they knew. Without another word they took off down the hall, running as fast as they could.


Jack and Teal'c stood in front of the event horizon. Jack looked back one final time.

"You may not see this planet again, O'Neill," Teal'c said, voicing what they were both thinking. "It is not too late to turn back."

Jack looked at Teal'c and smiled. He could hear the SF's working on the blast doors and knew that they needed to leave.

Taking a deep breath, he said, "It was too late the first moment I walked through the gate."

Teal'c nodded, and without another backward glance they disappeared into the wormhole. An instant later, the Stargate disengaged, and the SGC personnel ran into the room, Sam and Daniel at their front. A note had been left on the ramp that led up to the now silent circle. General Hammond reached it first. He read it silently, and then handed it to Sam and Daniel.

"Dear General Hammond, Captain Carter, Daniel, and the other fine members of the SGC:

I know you will probably never forgive us, but Teal'c and I did what we had to do. If we can no longer fight the Goa'uld to protect Earth while we are on Earth, then we will find somewhere else to fulfill our mission. No matter what that Senator says, we don't think the Goa'uld will stop simply if we bury our gate, and we don't think that we can or should leave such a destructive plague to destroy the rest of the universe while the 'good senator' and the rest of our government twiddle their thumbs.

We hope you can forgive us, and hopefully the future will show our choice in a positive light. We just want you to know that we will do all we can to keep Earth and everyone else in the galaxy free and safe.

Don't try to follow us, we are going to switch planets a few times so that we don't leave a trail. Don't worry about National Security either. If we are captured, we'll never tell them anything.

It was an honor to serve with you all. We probably won't see each other again in this life, so keep Earth safe from your end while we're gone.

Good luck,

Colonel Jack O'Neill and Teal'c"

Daniel and Sam finished reading. Their reactions to the letter were very different. Sam looked like she once again was in shock. Daniel stood for a moment, and then with a cry of pained rage punched the nearest wall. General Hammond thought he heard a bone snap. The General, however, was also in shock. Their country had lost two fine individuals today, and Hammond knew that if Jack ever did return, all that would be waiting for him would be a court martial. He understood Jack's reasoning, but he grieved internally for his friend. He and Jack and grown in mutual respect and understanding since their first unpleasant meeting nearly a year before. He counted on Jack's tactical mind and knowledge of the Goa'uld to help him run this base. Without him around, for a moment, General Hammond was at a loss. It seemed he was losing everything he had come to count on. First the Stargate and now this. He noticed vaguely that Daniel Jackson seemed to have lost all control as he continued to slam his bloody fists against the wall. Captain Carter seemed to be recovering and she moved to stop her friend from damaging himself any further.

She gripped his shoulders and firmly pulled him away from the wall. Daniel turned to her, his face filled with fury, and he screamed, "Why? He promised we'd find her together! Why did he leave me behind?"

Sam simply held him as he began to sob. Though he may have been a very intelligent man, Daniel Jackson was, in many ways, very emotionally insecure, almost a child. Jack had been his pillar of strength, his older brother, and now that he was gone, Daniel had nothing left.

Sam pulled him closer to her as she realized that SG-1 was officially finished. The Stargate would be shut down in the morning and the two missing members of their team would be gone for good, never to return. She held her composure for now, but inside, she was slowly dying.