Teal' c winked and opened his mouth, almost ready to speak. Then he pressed his lips togheter and slowly lowered his head. One month, already... Every time he opened his eyes, he expected to see him. He always had the impression Daniel still meditated with him. Well, tried. Daniel was far too talkative to manage to remain more than a quarter of an hour eyelids closed and in silence. But at least he made the Jaffa speak.

Teal' c went to the sink to splash his face with a little water. He faced himself in the mirror and for one moment, it was as if Daniel was in front of him, cleaning his glasses and asking for news of Ry' ac and his young wife. The picture disappeared. Teal' c finished drying his face and put the towel aside. Again, the mirror livened up.

Flashes of Daniel laughing, studying old texts...His confident look turning to Teal' c while waiting for the meaning of an unknown word. Daniel devastated by Shar'e's death... Daniel trying be forgiving... Daniel trying to communicate with heaps of people so different from him... Daniel quarrelling with O'Neill... Daniel fuming because he couldn't help... Daniel teaching him to drive...

The mirror reflected again the grave face of the Jaffa. He swallowed, made a mental cross on the past and went out of the room.

- Unscheduled activation of the Gate, unscheduled activation of the Gate…

Teal' c lengthened his steps, arms crossed in his back, according to his habit.

- Teal' c! Wait for me.

Carter, breathless, caught up with him.

- Do you think it's again one of these strange activations? With the former codes of SG1, the ones we changed because they were known by the enemy.

- It could, said Teal'c, smiling because the young woman seemed to have regained some colors since O'Neill made her repair all the naqhadah generators he could put his hand on.

- Do you think it could be Urgo or Harlan, for example? added Carter. "I know, it's stupid, but..."

- Ah! Here you are! exclaimed O'Neill from the staircase's top.

He had an extremely nervous look. Sweat shone on his upper lip. He was walking in circles and sergeant Harriman looked very disturbed. Somebody had dropped his file on the ground and everybody watched the Gate glittering behind the window.

- Wha's going on, O'Neill? asked Teal' c, raising his eyebrow.

- The code is correct, this time.

Carter opened wide eyes and looked at the screens. On all the computers displayed the recognition of the code: SG 1 from P9W453.

- That's not possible, blew the young woman. "Nobody… all the teams..."

- Somebody has not come back, said slowly O'Neill.

Carter swallowed hard.

- Daniel died, sir. I saw it.

- Indeed. I saw it too, added Teal' c.

O Neill breathed in, then banged his fists.

- You saw him falling on a goa' uld battlefield. Maybe they put him in a sarcophagus...

- In this case, Daniel may not be Daniel any more, said Teal' c. "The Jaffa who laid the ambush belonged to Baal."

- The MALP 's getting a picture, sir, said the sergeant.

A brown face with curly hair and very dark eyes appeared, cranked with worry. It was a man about forty years old.

- It's not Daniel, murmured Carter, horribly disappointed.

- Move the camera, ordered the general. This chap is holding himself strangely, like if he's carrying someth…

There was a triple shout of surprise.

- God, it's Daniel… whispered the young woman.

Teal' c tilted his head.

- He requires medical care.

O'Neill grabbed the micro.

- Daniel! Daniel, do you hear me?

- I am Xiaolin, said the unknown man in front of the camera. "Inhabitants of the Tauri, listen to me! I am the brother of Freya of Tok' ra. Please, help me! Help us..."

O'Neill's jaw wrinkled, imperceptibly, before he decided.

- Open the iris, he ordered. "Xiaolin, you may come."

Sam and Teal' c were already running towards the departure lounge. There was a familiar grating then two men drove on the footbridge.

- Medical team in departure lounge! Shouted Sergeant Harriman in the loudspeaker, whereas the Command Room applauded, euphoric.

O'Neill jumped up more than he climbed on the footbridge. Xiaolin was already getting up, brushing off dust from his robes. Carter knelt down near the body, next to him.

- It's okay, Daniel, it's okay… she sobbed, nervewracked.

The general pushed Xiaolin aside without worrying about his protests and dropped next to the young man. He lifted his head, tapped his cheeks.

- Daniel... Danny, d'you hear me? You're home...

Teal' c bent with a big smile on his face. Daniel coughed. He brought a hand to his head and moaned.

- Move away, ordered doctor Brightman, clearing herself a passage up to the young man.

- It's not looking good, doc, said O'Neill with concern.

Daniel stammered. He half-opened his eyes. His confused look passed on the banister, on his hand, on the general's face.

- NO! He screamed. No, please, stop! Not that, not again...

He hiccupped, curled up under the astounded eyes of his team-mates. Doctor Brightman called the nurses with a stretcher and they put Daniel on it. O'Neill was still in shock. Carter followed the stretcher but stopped like if she had been pricked by a wasp, just before leaving the departure lounge. Teal' and the general went back to her after they directed Xiaolin to a group of soldiers.

- It can't be, murmured the young woman.

- Baal couldn't pass on torture, said gloomily O'Neill. "That bastard..."

- It's not that! Carter cut in. "What he said, while I followed the stretcher...

Teal' c raised an eyebrow.

- He believes you died, sir.

The young woman looked extremely concerned.

- To be exact, he believes colonel O'Neill died.