see pt1 for information...

"Ourobouros" pt. 2

by M.

"You're staying, Dad?" Surprised excitement filled Zoe's eyes once it became clear Jack was coming home with them.

"For a little while. Your Mom and I have some stuff we need to talk about." Jack hedged, noticing Danielle's stubborn refusal to meet his eyes. "You go on to bed, okay? I'll be up in a minute. Read you that book you love."

Almost bouncing in her excitement, she hugged both parents tightly and raced up the stairs of the house, heading right for her bedroom.

"That's the first time she hasn't fought going to bed since you left." Danielle noted quietly, closing the front door and arming the security system.

Jack stood in the hall, watching her move about the main room, turning on a light, checking the computer, feeding the fish. "Danielle."

"Don't, Jack." She stopped, resting her hands on the tank. "I'm not going to pretend the last year didn't happen."

"Danny." Moving closer, he reached out to hesitantly touch her shoulders. She went stiff but didn't protest the action. Emboldened, he stepped closer, sliding his hands down her arms. "If we're lucky, it won't have. Along with a few of it's buddies I could stand to forget."

"Jack...This isn't funny."

"No. No, it's not." He agreed, feeling her relax back against him. "We both made a lot of mistakes, Danielle and we're both paying for them."

"Jack..."

"I miss you." He murmured, lowering his face to inhale the scent of her hair. "Haven't felt right since I moved out."

She sighed, closing her eyes, tears threatening in her eyes. "Jack..."

"Shh.." he whispered, turning her in his embrace, resting a fingertip beneath her chin, he guided it up, lowering his lips to hers. Her body trembled faintly with the effort to resist but Jack was insistent. Knowing her body as well as he knew his own, he deepened the kiss, his hands moving over her, until she gave in and pressed close, eliciting soft noises of pleasure from her .

When they parted, he cupped her face in his hands. "I'm sorry."

As he rested his forehead against hers, thumbs brushing her cheeks, she quietly murmured, "Me too." She kissed him again, a feather soft brush of lips on lips, and then pulled away, starting for the door.

Jack hesitated, watching her, until Danielle turned back, looking at him from the doorway. When she silently held out one hand, he moved to take it, lacing his fingers with hers and allowing himself to be led up the stairs to their bedroom.

~~~~~~~~

The next morning, when Zoe walked into the kitchen to find her Mom making breakfast wearing the shirt her Dad had been wearing last night, she tried very hard to hide her smug grin. The knowing look her mother gave her when she set the French Toast down before her daughter said she'd been quite unsuccessful so she gave up all attempts at hiding it just in time for her Dad to walk into the room.

"Not one word." He ordered, pointing a finger at her.

Zoe smiled benignly and reached for her milk.

"Eat up." Danielle instructed, passing a cup of coffee to Jack and receiving a kiss in thanks. "Or you'll be late for school."

The familiar argument from her daughter didn't come. Instead, she quickly ate and scrambled off the chair, putting the dishes in the dishwasher without any mention of it from either parent. "Mom? Where's my homework?"

"Front hall on the table." Danielle responded, torn between aggravation and bewilderment at the ordinarily irrepressible child's model behaviour. "I'll get it for you."

"S'ok! I got it." Zoe looked up at the clock and looked horrified. "I'm gonna miss the bus!" Hugging both parents she raced down from the kitchen at breakneck speed only to reappear in the doorway a minute later. "See you later, Dad?"

The earnest look in her eyes had both adults swallowing hard.

"Sure, kiddo." Jack promised. "I'll pick you up from school, ok?"

She beamed at him. "Ok!"

When the door slammed behind her, Danielle sagged back against the counter. "Who was that pod person?"

Jack chuckled a little. "I take it she hasn't..."

"Been that easy to get out the door in the mornings in months." She shook her head. "There have been mornings I've practically had to drag her out of here." She reached for Jack's coffee, taking a sip of it. "I almost feel guilty about what we're doing."

He reached out, pulling her into his arms. "Well, if this works, she'll be coming home to a completely different reality. One with no Aschen and..."

"Parents who never made the worst mistake of their life by splitting up?" Danielle tucked her head beneath his chin, resting against him. "Oh god I hope so."

~~~~~~~

Jack was sitting at the kitchen table when Danielle led Janet into the room. The doctor didn't miss the light brush of Danielle's hand along his shoulders as she moved to sit down.

"Heya Janet." The former Colonel greeted casually, taking a sip from his coffee cup.

"Sir."

"Jack." He corrected with a faint grin. "I'm retired, remember? We can officially lose the sir now."

"Okay. Jack." She smiled a little then looked at Danielle who was pushing a folded piece of paper across the table.

"Jack and I spent the morning coming up with what to say and this what we decided on."

O'Neill feigned a pout. "She won't let me put in who wins the Super Bowl in 2004."

"Absolutely not." Danielle rolled her eyes.

"Aw come on. What about the World Series?" Clearly amused by her aggravated look, he tried again. "Grey Cup maybe? Come on, Danny, we'd be rich."

She laughed at him then reached back to undo the clasp of the locket she wore. "I thought about including more information than that but I think in this case, simpler the better." Opening the locket, she handed that to Janet as well.

The doctor smiled when she saw the pictures inside. One she herself had taken of the couple with their newly born daughter and the other she recognized as an engagement photo. "And this?"

"Added proof." Danielle explained. "Both Jack and I will recognize the locket on sight. It belonged to my mother. I never wore it in the SGC, I was afraid I'd lose it on a mission but when my past self sees it....Sees the pictures inside."

"She'll know it's from the future." Jack explained.

"Precisely." She nodded. "At that point in time, almost no one knew how I felt about Jack but..." A faint smile played about her lips. "I was aware of it so...I'll know."

Resting one of his hands on hers, her ex met his old friend's gaze. "I think we should all write a note of our own, just in case I don't make it to the Gate, you all can keep trying but...make sure that locket gets through." His gaze moved to Danielle's face. "Whatever else happens."

~~~~~~~~

Sam was waiting in her lab, a model of the sun displayed on the Aschen console before her, when Danielle and Janet walked in. She looked back to greet them with a tired smile.

"Forgive me for saying," Danielle began as diplomatically as possible. "But you look terrible."

"Rough night." Sam responded with a sigh. "Joe...we spent most of it talking. It wasn't exactly fun and games."

"Did he agree to do it?"

She nodded. "He went to the White House this morning. Where's Jack?"

"On his way. Zoe forgot her lunch when she went to school, he was dropping it off." Danielle walked up to the model, circling it with interest.

"Jack was..." Sam shot a curious look at Janet who nodded confirmation.

Not missing the look, Danielle rolled her eyes. "Quit it you two."

"What?" The women chorused innocently.

"My marriage is not for public discussion."

Her choice of wording got another grin and she threw up her hands. "Oh forget it."

"Hot in here ladies?" Jack asked, wandering into the room.

"You have no idea." Danielle muttered as she joined him by the door.

Hiding her amusement, Sam gestured at the model. "This is a real time representation of the actual sun as observed by Aschen satellites all over the solar system."

"How do we use this to predict a flare?" Janet asked with interest, watching the ever changing surface of the sun.

"I've been studying the Aschen knowledge of solar dynamics for the Jupiter ignition project and there are significant changes just beneath the surface of the sun preceding a flare that are detectable by the satellite net." She highlighted a section of the sun, nodding at it. "Look there. If my calculations are right, there should be a flare in about five seconds."

They all watched with interest until, as predicted, a flare appeared in that very place then all nodded in satisfaction.

"That's it then." Danielle exhaled. "We can do it."

"We can. Now, all we need is to wait until the computer can predict another flare." She looked over at the woman standing next to her. "Do you have your travel papers for Chulak, Janet?"

"Mmhm..I'm all set."

"Good." Sam handed her a note. "Give that to Teal'c. It's the coordinates he'll need."

Janet slipped the paper into her pocket as Jack's attention was drawn to the doorway. "Joe's here."

The first thing Joe saw when he entered the room was Jack and Danielle standing next to the door. His expression was less than amused at the sight of O'Neill and Jack seemed no less happy to see him. "Ambassador."

"I knew you'd have something to do with this." The other man noted in annoyance.

"Naturally." Danielle interjected, her warning tone surprising him. "We couldn't exactly pull this off without him now could we?"

Jack reached out, sliding an arm around her waist and drawing her close. The gesture was not lost on Joe who seemed to relax ever so slightly. "Did you get it?"

The ambassador nodded. "Yes."

Sam smiled at him. "Thank you."

He returned the smile then looked back to the man before him. "What are you going to do with it?"

"Send a message." Jack responded benignly.

"To who?"

"Whom actually." He corrected. "Let's have it."

"It's not here." Joe glanced at Sam briefly before continuing. "I'll hand it over if you give me your word that Samantha will play no part in this."

Danielle and Sam looked equally shocked but it was Sam that took a step forward even as Jack answered, "I can't do that."

"The G.D.O. is in a briefcase at the custom's office at the Stargate Terminal. They'll only hand it over to you if I authorize it. I won't do that until you give me your word."

"We need her to pull this off."

"You're going to have to do this without Sam. No arguments."

"Joe!" Sam stepped forward, her eyes angry. "You can't..."

"This is not negotiable Sam! You don't want to tell me what you're planning, fine. But if this involves G.D.O.s then it involves the Stargate and that terminal is the last heavily defended place on the planet. I am not going to let you risk my wife's life to pull this off."

The implication in the ambassador's voice was loud and clear and Danielle spoke this time. "Watch it, Joe. We've been friends a long time but you're treading on very thin ice with that statement. I'm doing this because I understand the stakes. There's no way in hell Jack could stop me if he tried and he knows me well enough not to. I think you'll find the same with Sam and, quite frankly, you should know better yourself – "

"Okay." Jack cut off her angry response, surprising them all.

"Sir!" Sam protested, lapsing back. "You won't have back up!"

"We won't need it." Jack assured calmly.

"Uhh..." Danielle pointed in the direction of the monitor. "Sam...the sun's beeping."

"A flare prediction." Sam turned and hurried back to the computer. "Fifty seven minutes from now." She looked back at them, concerned. "Is that enough time?"

Jack looked down at his wife's face and then back at his old friend's. "It'll have to do now won't it?"

~~~~~~~

"Janet." Danielle's tentative voice stopped the doctor from entering the terminal and she looked back to see the archaeologist approaching. "Mind if I speak to you for a minute?'

"Of course." Seeing the apprehensive look on her old friend's face, Janet reached out with a concerned hand. "What is it?"

"If this doesn't work..." Danielle quickly held up a hand to forestall the protest already springing to the other woman's lips. "If this doesn't work, and Jack and I are killed...I know it's a lot to ask of you but...Zoe loves you and Cassie and..."

Janet smiled, eyes shining with tears, and hugged the younger woman. "I would be honored to raise her." She stepped back and pointed a stern finger at her friend. "But, that's not going to be an issue because this is going to work and you and Jack are going to be fine. Got it?"

Fighting her own tears, Danielle nodded firmly. "Got it." She agreed with a laugh.

"Oh great," Janet joked, catching sight of their reflections. "Now we're both teary and our make up is ruined. The security is going to know something's up for sure. Better get cleaned up before we reach the Gate."

"No kidding. How embarrassing would it be to fail to save the world because our make up is smudged? Zoe would never let me hear the end of it."

"Oh I know what you mean. I can hear Cassie now." Janet chuckled, holding the door open for her friend. "Speaking of, just wait. You think Zoe's irrepressible now? Wait for puberty. I never thought I'd make it through Cassie's...the boys alone..."

"Don't even *think* of mentioning that to Jack!" Danielle warned as they walked inside. "He's already mentioned keeping one of the Zats for just such a problem..."

~~~~~~~~

Walking through the terminal, Danielle's gaze wandered the terminal with seeming disinterest. Anyone who happened to take notice of her would have seen nothing more than an attractive, well-dressed woman casually scanning the crowds of people as she waited to either leave or to greet a new arrival. None of them would have ever guessed that in actuality she was watching for signs of the Aschen's knowledge of their plans not to mention the face of her own ex-husband. When she saw Jack, she'd know if Joe had kept to his word and given them the G.D.O and she wouldn't stop worrying until she knew.

"Danielle." Jack's softly pitched voice reached her through the bustle of the crowd and she looked over her shoulder to find him standing behind a pillar.

Casually, she drifted in that direction, following him into a lounge. "Did he..."

Jack held up a small box. "Yeah."

"Good." She sighed in relief, watching him open the box to check the G.D.O, ensuring it was the one they needed. "No going back now."

"Second thoughts?" He asked, looking up.

"Just nerves." Danielle reassured with a wave of her hand. "We haven't done anything like this in a while. I'm out of practice."

"Bah, like falling off a log."

She laughed. "Only you would say that about this."

"S'why you love me." Jack returned flippantly.

"No, that's only one of many reasons." She said softly, smiling at him. Laughing a little, she shook her head. "It's typical of us, isn't it? Takes the potential end of the world to straighten us out."

Reaching out, he pulled her into his arms for one last kiss. "Yeah, well, why do anything the easy way? More fun this way."

"Says you." She countered amused.

"Be careful." He cautioned, brushing a thumb along her jawline.

"Jack...if this works...what happens to us in this doesn't matter. It'll all be reset anyway."

"And if it doesn't...I don't want to see you get hurt, Danielle."

Hearing the announcement for Chulak, she reached up to touch his face, fingertips tracing his face. "Then I guess I'd better not, hmm?" She kissed him again, "For luck," then left to assume her position.

~~~~~~~

Janet was just going down the escalator toward the embarkation area when Danielle reached the railing in time to wave goodbye. Her old friend smiled and waved in return then walked up the ramp to bring Teal'c the information.

Out of the corner of her eye, Danielle saw Jack move to the railing, watching the Stargate. She flinched when she saw Mollem approach him and silently muttered an oath. This was the last thing they needed. She bit her lip in apprehension, watching as they conversed, hoping whatever Jack was telling him was working.

Careful to keep her face averted from Mollem's line of sight, Danielle began moving toward the escalator herself. It was a risk to move now, if Mollem noticed that she was here it would certainly raise his suspicions as to why Jack O'Neill and his ex-wife were both in the Stargate terminal at the same time and seemingly unaware of that fact. Him noticing and wondering about it was the last thing they needed but nevertheless, she had to move. She had to be ready when Teal'c came through the Gate. They'd come too far to let one little snag slow them up now.

No sooner than she'd reached the bottom of the escalator than the Gate dialled through, opening the wormhole to admit the incoming travellers from Chulak. Halting before the security system, Danielle watched as Teal'c and a young Jaffa she didn't recognize stepped through the wormhole, staff weapons in hand.

As expected, the terminal agent manning the DHD stepped up, holding out a hand to stop them. "I'm sorry sir, but weapons are not allowed."

Taking her cue, Danielle stepped up through the security scanners, the alarms immediately sounding. She gave the attendant an apologetic look and laughed, lifting her case."I'm sorry, this happens every time. Archaeological equipment. You'd think after all the trips I've made through this thing they would have it fixed but..." She shrugged, keeping one eye on Teal'c as he moved down the Stargate steps, pretending to have trouble with the briefcase's lock so as to give Teal'c the time he needed.

"We carry these for ceremonial purposes only." The Jaffa was saying as he advanced toward the dialer.

The tall man shook his head. "I'm sorry, sir, but you'll have to let me have it."

Danielle couldn't suppress a morbid chuckle at his choice of words. If he only knew. Popping the case, she gave the attendant watching her a bright smile. "Got it!"

He smiled back at her as, behind his back, Teal'c said, "Very well," and fired the staff weapon.

Shocked, the attendant turned to confront the Jaffa but he never got the chance as Danielle pulled a Zat from the briefcase and shot him. She turned to look at Teal'c who nodded and headed for the DHD, dialling the coordinates he'd been given while the alarms sounding a terrorist attack began to blare. The sound of another Zat firing got Danielle's attention and she looked up to see Mollem tumble to the ground as Jack went into action. Lifting the piton gun from his bag, he fired it, sending a line across the embarkation area, directly over the Gate. That done, he tossed it aside and grabbed for the large bag he'd brought with him.

The automated defence system began firing at Teal'c and he looked over his shoulder. "Danielle Jackson, you must take cover!!!!"

She nodded and dove behind the security scanners, using her position to fire at the automated weapons mounted on the wall. Teal'c paused to take out several with his staff weapon, the pulses shattering the innocuous looking devices. The young Jaffa warrior that had come with Teal'c was doing the same but, as he was less protected than his compatriot or Danielle, he quickly succumbed to the tiny needle-like charges and tumbled down the ramp.

Danielle kept firing at the weapons while trying to track Jack's progress. As yet unnoticed by the automated defences, he strapped the G.D.O on his wrist then hooked himself up to the piton line, jumping from the upper level, he held on as he raced toward the active Stargate.

Teal'c continued to fire at the weapons, some of which were now firing at Jack as well, but he'd taken too many hits and was beginning to falter. The Zat wasn't much help but Danielle kept firing, watching helplessly as Teal'c fell to his knees then slumped to the ground. Dead.

Not having time to mourn, she turned her attention to Jack. Watching him lose his grip on the line and tumble to the floor. She tensed, watching the weapons concentrate their fire on him, and tried to take some them out to cover him but there were too many. Jack, the note and locket clutched in one hand, managed to make it halfway up the stairs before falling, unable to continue.

"NO!!!!!!!!!" Breaking cover, she leapt up onto the ramp, trying to reach him even as sharp pains told her she was now the weapons' target of choice.

"Danielle..." Jack managed faintly, pushing the locket and note at her.

Sobbing, she took them but knew it was too late for her to do anything with them. Even with the shorter distance to travel, she'd already taken too many hits from the system and her strength was leaving her. She tried to throw the note and locket at the Gate but they slipped from her numbing fingers and fell, landing on the top step.

Danielle tried to launch herself forward to reach them but it was no use. She tumbled to the steps next to Jack, her dying body rolling to rest against his.

Behind her, she dimly heard the sound of running feet and a voice yelling Sam's name but she was beyond caring anymore. With the last of her strength, she turned her head to meet her husband's eyes.

"I'm...sorry." He managed weakly.

She smiled, her life slipping away. "I'm not."

"Love...."

Jack died before being able to finish his sentence but Danielle got the message. With her last breath, she finished it for him. "You..."

~~~~~~~~~

2000...

"Don't you have your own office?" Jack groused, walking into his office to find Danielle curled up in one of the chairs, a book in her lap and a mug in her hand.

"Mmhm..." She responded absently, turning a page. "I like this chair." Peering over her glasses at him, she grinned. "Company's not bad either."

"Uh huh."

"Let me guess. Time to type up a mission report?"

"How can you tell?"

"You have the 'I have to touch a computer and I hate the damn things' brow wrinkle going on." Danielle grinned again. "It's the same one you always get."

"I'm that predictable, huh?" Jack asked, a tolerantly amused look in his eyes.

"Mm...Yup."

The off-world activation alarm sounded and both of them were back on their feet before they'd even thought about it.

"Do we have any teams off world?"

Jack shook his head. "Nope. SG2 was out but they came back early this morning."

"Uh oh." Abandoning her coffee and her reading, Danielle followed Jack out of his office and they headed for the control room at a run. Unscheduled off-world activations were never exactly good things. They met up with Sam and Teal'c on the way and arrived just in time to see Frasier and General Hammond give each other a perplexed look.

"Company?" Jack asked as his team fell into place behind him.

"You, actually." The General responded somewhat dumbfounded.

"Excuse me?" Danielle's brows rose. "What?"

"We're receiving SG1's IDC code." Davis explained, turning to look at her.

"Hello..." Jack exhaled in surprise.

"But how can that be?" Janet voiced the question on everyone's mind.

"I don't know, Doctor, but we're going to find out." Hammond nodded. "Defense teams stand by, open the iris!"

The iris cycled open but no one came through. No living person. A moment later, however, a piece of paper and a locket fell out onto the ramp.

"Huh." Jack looked at Danielle. "Feel like takin' a looksee?"

"Sure why not?" She responded, leading the way down the stairs.

Jack reached the objects before she, or the others, did and picked them up. The locket caught his attention and he held it up toward the light. "Danielle, this looks like yours."

"What?"

Walking back down the ramp, he handed it to her then unfolded the note, reading it.

"You're right." She responded, examining it carefully. "It is mine."

"Care to explain, Doctor Jackson?" The General asked, watching her.

"The locket was my grandmother's." Danielle turned it over. "It's inscribed with her initials." She pointed at the elegant DJ inscribed into the silver. "She gave it to me when my parents named me after her." She turned to Jack. "What did the note say?"

"You tell me." Sitting on the edge of the ramp, he held it out and waited for her reaction.

"Under no circumstances go to P4C 970 - Colonel Jack O'Neill." She looked up at him in surprise. "This is your handwriting."

"It is my handwriting." He responded. "And that's my signature."

"Though you have written no such note?"

"No." Jack shook his head.

Seeing the stains on the paper, Janet held out a hand, "Danielle? May I see that?"

Her attention refocused on the locket, Danielle passed the note over to Janet.

After a moment's examination, Frasier looked at General Hammond. "That looks like blood, sir."

"Have it analyzed."

"Yes sir." She nodded quickly, rushing from the room with the paper.

"If I remember correctly, General, wasn't 970 on our mission list?"

"It was." Hammond affirmed. "It's not anymore. If we're reading this correctly, something happened on that mission bad enough that you would risk your lives, possibly sacrificed your lives, to prevent. I'm not in any hurry to find out just what that was." He turned to look up at the control room, raising his voice so Davis could hear him. "I want P4C 970 removed from the dialling computer immediately. Dismissed."

"I wonder why you sent it..." Sam wondered as Hammond left the room.

"I wonder *when*." Danielle murmured, her attention still focused on the locket.

"Yeah," Jack agreed, watching the awed expression on Danielle's face as she opened the locket to look at the pictures inside."You gotta wonder."

"Danielle?" Seeing the look on her friend's face, Sam took a step forward only to have Danielle back up a step, immediately closing the locket. "What's inside the locket?"

"F...Family photos." Danielle responded, stumbling over the words as she passed the locket back to Jack and then turned, lifting her hair.

He stood and stepped down onto ground level, draping the locket around her neck and fastening the clasp for her. "Done."

She turned to smile at him. "Thank you." Stepping away, she pointed in the direction of the door. "I think I'm gonna go haunt the infirmary, see what Janet can tell us about the note."

"Sounds like a plan." Jack agreed, falling into step with her. "Think I'll come with."

"You don't have to." She hedged as they passed a couple of airmen.

"Eh, I'm avoiding that mission report, remember?" Stopping at the elevator, Jack stepped back to let her go first. "Besides...I'm a little curious about something."

"And what would that be?" She asked with a curious look.

He reached out, cradling the locket in his palm, knuckles brushing against her uniform. "Whatever's in here that's got you so rattled."

She closed her hand over the locket, trapping his hand. "Nothing really. Like I said, just family photos."

"Danielle..." Jack looked patiently at her. "If that's what it was...you wouldn't be trying to keep people from seeing it." Stepping closer, he cornered her and pulled her hand free.

"I sent this locket, Jack." She said softly. "That's the only way it would have gotten back here. I don't wear it to work because I'm afraid I'll lose it on a mission. The locket's the one thing I have of my grandmother's...It means everything to me..."

His eyes on hers, Jack opened the locket. Looking down, he found himself staring at two pictures. "Oh my."

"Jack..."

"That's us." He murmured, eyes focused on the picture of himself with an infant in his arms, a smiling Danielle leaning over his shoulder. "Us and..."

"What looks like our child." She agreed, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Cute kid."

"Beautiful."

Jack closed the locket, letting the chain settle against her neck again. "Better hang on to that." He quirked a smile at her. "Looks like you might have died to protect it."

"Die for a locket?" Danielle shook her head. "No. I love it but I wouldn't die for it." She was silent for a long time then, just as the elevator doors slid open, she looked back at him. "But I'd definitely die to protect the family in it." She stepped out, leaving Jack leaning against the back wall. "Definitely."

The doors slid shut on his smile.

Finis