Sam cursed and slammed her hand against the metal workbench in her lab. She'd been at this computer for hours, running data and trying to figure the likeliest gate address for Daniel's kidnappers.
The post-mission briefing had been tough. Of course, Sam hadn't shown any of her emotion, staying professional while General Hammond asked question after question. But it was difficult not to show how badly Daniel's disappearance shook her. And, if she was reading Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill correctly, it had shaken them as well.
"Carter." The colonel's voice startled her, and Sam straightened. Something hot and wet slid down her face, and she quickly wiped away the tears. When had she started crying?
"Sir." Relatively certain she only looked like she'd been crying, not like she was actively crying, she turned.
Jack and Teal'c stood in the doorway, though it was Jack who spoke. "Let's get outta here. Go get some dinner."
"I really can't, Sir." Sam motioned to the computer. "I'm trying to. . . ."
"Ah!" Jack held up a finger. He pointed down the hallway, in the general direction of the elevator leading out of the base. "Dinner. O'Malley's. Now."
For a moment, Sam glared. How could he be so blasé with all of this? Then, common sense took over. Of course Daniel's disappearance hurt Jack as well, but Jack was trained to think about his people. He was a commander, and he would do what it took to see his people in top condition. That day, she'd walked a fair distance through a desert, learned that her newly-descended friend had disappeared, and had spent enough time at this computer that her neck hurt. And she had only eaten an MRE hours ago. Now that she thought about it, her hands were shaking, and she did have a headache.
Nodding, Sam sighed. "Give me a couple minutes, Sir. I'll be there."
"Good." Jack slapped Teal'c on the shoulder. "T?"
Teal'c eyed his friend. "I will join you shortly, O'Neill."
The two men obviously shared some sort of nonverbal communication because Jack nodded. "Ten minutes. If she takes any longer than that. . . ." He left the rest of that statement unsaid.
For the next several moments, Sam stared at Teal'c. The Jaffa stepped into the room, closing the lab door behind him. To anyone else, he looked intimidating. To Sam, he was a welcome friend. "Major Carter, are you unwell?"
"I'm fine, Teal'c." She smiled. "I was just wrapped up in working and forgot to eat."
He raised an eyebrow, almost asking how she could forget something as vital as eating. Still, when he spoke, it wasn't on the topic of food. "You are concerned for Daniel Jackson."
"Yeah." Sam dropped back onto her stool. "We just got him back and now he's missing again."
"I admit that I, too, am feeling somewhat distraught at Daniel Jackson's disappearance."
Sam almost rolled her eyes. Somewhat distraught? "It's just. . . ." She sighed, trying to put her complicated emotions into words without completely losing it. "When he ascended, I lost the closest thing to a brother I've had. I mean, I have a brother, but he and I aren't close. Daniel was the one I could go to, the one I knew was good for a hug when I was stressed out."
"O'Neill once called the two of you 'the Wonder Twins.'"
"Yeah." Sam smiled in embarrassment at that one. "And, when he ascended, I sort of thought that he was gone for good." She shrugged, her emotions sobering again. "We never had a memorial for him, and I understand why. But it was hard to move on and let him go. Then, I find out that you and Colonel O'Neill have seen him, and that stung. Now, he's back. And missing. And I'm having a hard time. . . ." She drew in a ragged breath and closed her eyes to get a handle on her emotions.
Teal'c didn't answer this time. A large hand touched her shoulder, and he pulled her into another hug. For such a large man, Teal'c could be infinitely gentle when the need arose. For a moment, Sam allowed herself to accept the comfort he offered. When she started drifting, however, she pulled away. Giving him another embarrassed grin, she checked her watch. "We really should go. We're supposed to meet Colonel O'Neill in four minutes, and I still need to change."
Teal'c returned her smile with a reserved one of his own. "You will find Daniel Jackson, Major Carter. I am certain of that."
The quiet confidence in Teal'c's voice bolstered Sam's emotions, and she shut down her computer. As she quickly changed into civilian clothing and joined Jack and Teal'c at the elevator, she sighed. She just wished she was as confident in her emotions as these two guys.
~oOo~
Throughout the evening meal, Teal'c watched his friends closely. He knew that Major Carter struggled to accept Daniel Jackson's disappearance. In truth, so did he. But Teal'c was a patient man. He knew the value of taking advantage of weaknesses that were revealed only when one waited. But he, too, could not stop the sliver of panic in his mind. His friend had jeopardized his existence as an ascended being to stop Anubis.
Major Carter was exhausted. O'Neill had come to Teal'c with his observations a little over an hour ago, convincing the Jaffa that all of them needed to leave the base for the evening meal. Major Carter had been a bit harder to convince, but her short conversation with Teal'c showed why she could not simply press on if this turned out badly.
Pushing that thought away, Teal'c turned his attention to O'Neill. Major Carter was drooping into her meal, and Teal'c knew that they would soon depart from O'Malley's. O'Neill, however, watched Major Carter closely. The man had suffered much in his lifetime, from the death of his son to the many trials that SG-1 encountered. Losing Daniel Jackson had cut each of them deeply, but O'Neill had buried much of his grief. It showed now in the dark shadows hiding in his eyes and the tension in his body.
Just as Teal'c had suspected, O'Neill called an end to the evening when Major Carter began pushing her food around on her plate rather than eating it. She had managed to consume half of her meal, and O'Neill asked for a box so she could take the rest. The ride back to the SGC was made in silence, and Teal'c refused to break it. Finally, with Major Carter heading to her on-base quarters for several hours of rest, O'Neill turned toward the men's locker room.
"O'Neill." Teal'c's sharp question startled the colonel.
"Geez, Teal'c!" O'Neill placed a hand over his heart. "Warn a guy next time!"
"I did not mean to startle you, O'Neill." Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "I merely wished to ask how you are coping with Daniel Jackson's disappearance."
"How do you think I'm coping, Teal'c?" O'Neill asked angrily. The man drew in a deep breath and let it out when Teal'c merely stared at him. "Sorry. I'm not coping."
Sensing that O'Neill needed a chance to vent, as Daniel Jackson called it, Teal'c remained silent.
"We just got him back," O'Neill admitted quietly. "He died but, somehow, he came back. He still doesn't have all his memories, and now he's missing. You tell me how that's a good thing."
"Daniel Jackson will be fine, O'Neill." Teal'c hated the angry glance that O'Neill sent his way but ignored it. "Who he is has not changed. He will survive."
"Thanks, T," O'Neill said facetiously. "This was really enlightening." He walked down the hallway and around a corner.
Teal'c raised an eyebrow at O'Neill's abrupt departure. The reaction told the Jaffa a lot more about O'Neill's state of mind than anything. Turning toward his quarters, he stifled a deep sigh. He was also concerned about Daniel Jackson. When they had left the winter palace, Teal'c had picked up on their tail. However, he had refrained from saying anything because they left their tracker at the city gate. Perhaps he should have.
~oOo~
Daniel woke irritable and with a slight headache. He rolled his eyes for a moment, trying to stop the stinging sensation that would get annoying as the day wore on. Figuring that he wouldn't get any more sleep, he pushed back the blankets and sat up. The sun hadn't yet risen, but the sky showed the tell-tale pink glow of dawn. Stifling a yawn, Daniel pushed to his feet and padded barefoot onto the balcony.
He'd had The Dream again. Normally, he didn't put too much stock into dreams. But this one detailed his greatest nightmare. Even now, the images were so clear in his mind that he almost felt as if he'd relived it.
Sha're stood over him, clad in the overdone gown of a Goa'uld, her headpiece portraying her as Apophis's queen. The orange glow of her ribbon device clouded his vision, but he still clearly saw how her eyes glowed. Amaunet had once again asserted control over Sha're.
And then she was falling. Daniel also fell to the side as his wife's body crashed to the ground. The sickening odor of burning flesh filled the tent as Teal'c lowered his staff weapon. The grief that welled up as Sha're whispered her final words overwhelmed him, and Daniel ignored the other three members of his team as they appeared in the door. Instead, he gently touched his wife's face and sadly said goodbye.
Tears stung his eyes as Daniel braced his elbows on the railing and looked over the Gorane Sea. He'd joined SG-1 to find and free Sha're. Instead, he'd watched her die at the hands of a man he called friend. While he said he forgave Teal'c immediately, it took some time before that forgiveness to take effect. Daniel thought he'd handled the emotions of that day, but they now roared into the present with a ferocity that shook him.
Sha're's death was one of the first things he remembered after his return from Vis Uban. He had known she was dead after Teal'c gave him a sad look, but the circumstances of her death—Teal'c's involvement, the Goa'uld she'd carried, and how that creature tried to kill him—didn't return until just before he came to Evonnia. His team had been hovering anyway, and they knew immediately what he'd remembered when he'd asked to speak to Teal'c. It had taken him a couple of days to recover from the blow, but he'd coped admirably. Coming to Evonnia helped a lot because he was able to think while he worked. And he'd realized that Teal'c had had no other recourse.
"Dr. Jackson?" Donat's voice interrupted his thoughts. "The Malikah asks if you will be joining her for the morning meal."
Daniel blinked when he realized that several hours had passed while he'd been wrapped in his thoughts. He turned his head so that Donat couldn't see the expression on his face. "Not this morning, Donat. I'm not feeling well."
"Are you ill?"
"No." Daniel debated how much to tell the man. "I didn't sleep well last night and have a bit of a headache."
"I will tell the Malikah." Donat hesitated. "I should warn you, Dr. Jackson, that she intended to travel to the market this afternoon."
Daniel blinked. Was she planning to take him? He nodded. "Okay. Thanks."
Donat left him alone, and Daniel turned back to the view before him. He was tired, more tired than he'd been in a long time. The weight of his memories surprised him, and he momentarily considered going back to bed. Instead, he stayed on the balcony and listened as Jovannah's servants delivered his morning meal and straightened his room. When they were gone, he went inside and ate a few bites. None of the food sat well on his stomach, so he gave up the pretense and stretched out on his bed. With his eyes closed, he counted the minutes until he mercifully fell asleep.
~oOo~
Jack stood in front of the Stargate as it began dialing. Normally, he asked inane questions, made sure Carter was okay, and bugged Daniel or Teal'c, whoever was closest. Today, he checked and re-checked his weapons. The Tok'ra had come through for them. An operative had sent word about an important prisoner being kept at one of Anubis's bases. While the remote chance existed that it was a random Goa'uld, SG-1 believed it to be Daniel. The focus on Carter's face reflected his own, and he led his team through the gate with one intention in mind: bring Daniel Jackson home.
On the other side of the gate, Jack signaled to SG-10 to fan out and secure the gate. There were no Jaffa around, and that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. A Goa'uld base with no Jaffa? It just didn't make sense. Teal'c obviously sensed the same caution because he frowned and then raised an eyebrow.
A Goa'uld ship rose in the distance, and Jack set out for it. He'd brought two teams with him: SG-3 and SG-10. Colonel Reynolds fell into line, covering their six as they moved along the path. The feeling that this mission was too easy stopped niggling in Jack's mind and started shouting at him. He kept his eyes peeled for any sign of an ambush. None was forthcoming, however, so he kept walking.
If anyone had a motive for capturing Daniel, it was Anubis. Jack shook his head as he thought over the last several months. Daniel had tried to stop Anubis from destroying Abydos and had been kicked back to human form for it. But Anubis had pressed on. The destruction of his planet-killing ship over Kelowna had slowed him down a bit, but it hadn't stopped him.
The sound of a staff weapon discharging snapped Jack out of his thoughts and sent him diving for the cover of the tree line. But he couldn't escape. The shots came from both sides of the path and crisscrossed the pathway. "Fall back!" Jack yelled.
Reynolds began to retreat, firing into the trees as SG-1 also fell back to their position. The sound of P90 fire echoed through the air, temporarily drowning out everything save Jack's narrowed focus. He would survive. Daniel needed him to survive.
Carter shouted, a strangled cry that followed her as she crumbled to the ground. Teal'c whirled at the same time that Jack did, and Jack's heart flip-flopped. Carter lay stretched out on the ground, trying to move as her vest smoked. While lined with Kevlar, their TAC vests did little to stop staff weapons. Carter had been doing experiments for years but had yet to find anything effective. Now, she choked and winced, clearly working to keep from crying out.
"Teal'c! Cover me!" Jack dropped to Carter's side, grabbing her shoulder and gently rolling her toward him. She'd caught the blast in her ribs, and she now whimpered as Jack moved her. "Carter, stay still."
"Get back. . .to the gate. . .Sir!" she whispered.
"Not a chance, Carter!" Jack's emotions over Daniel and then Carter's suggestion made his voice a bit rougher than normal. "Stay with me! We're gonna get you home."
She blinked, slow movements of her eyelids telling Jack just how close to unconsciousness she was. "Sir. . . ."
"Hang on, Carter!"
"Sorry. . .Sir."
Jack cursed as her eyes closed.
~oOo~
Jovannah watched Daniel closely as they strolled the marketplace. He felt her eyes follow every step he took and tried to keep his own frustrations from his face. He'd slept soundly for several hours and had awakened feeling like he needed more sleep. But, for now, he walked through the afternoon heat as he browsed stall to stall.
Evonnia's marketplace reminded him of something he'd find in Morocco. The vendors sat under hastily-constructed shades and grinned widely every time he approached. He made certain to keep his expression blank and only fingered a few things here and there.
Jovannah sidled up to his side. "You have not chosen anything."
"Oh, is that what we're doing?" He met her eyes with an even stare of his own.
She sighed sharply. "Daniel, you told me the other day that you are. . .uneasy about what I have provided. I thought you would relish the opportunity to purchase your own things."
Daniel held her gaze. So, she had been listening to at least part of his tirade. "What I'd like is to have my personal belongings returned to me."
"That is not possible." Jovannah tugged him away from a vendor selling spices. "Come. There is some excellent footwear over here that may fit you."
For several moments, Daniel allowed her to distract him. He tried on two pairs of shoes, both which fit perfectly. Jovannah decidedly informed the merchant that Daniel would wear one pair for the rest of the day and have the second one sent up to the palace. She flitted on to a stall filled with fabrics, and Daniel decided he had had enough of shopping.
Honestly, he'd had enough of this planet. His circumstances left him cranky, and the dreams from the last two nights hadn't helped. Now, he scratched his jaw as he looked around. The beard itched, but it was also a slight bit of rebellion against Jovannah.
Now, however, no one watched him. He stepped back slightly, locating Donat, Damek, and the other guardsmen before slipping behind the shoe stall. As soon as a street opened up, he ducked down it and zigzagged through town. He knew the general direction of the city gate and figured that, if he could make it outside, he'd have a fairly good chance of getting to the Stargate. Granted, he didn't have a radio or GDO or anything, so getting through the gate to Earth was out of the question. But he could head to the Tok'ra or the Alpha site or any number of other places that would contact Earth for him.
A shout rose behind him, and Daniel took off at a dead run. He'd moved through the streets quickly, staying in the shadows and trying not to draw much attention to himself. But he hadn't moved quickly enough. One of Damek's men had located him and gave chase. Daniel forced himself to breathe as his feet pounded on the cobblestone road. These shoes weren't made for running, and he ignored the numerous tiny stones that bruised his feet. If he could just make the gate, he'd be free.
He wasn't expecting the arm that shot out and clotheslined him. Daniel flew backwards, his forward momentum working against him. His back slammed into the cobblestones, and his breath left him in a rush. He stared up at Damek as the guardsman grinned.
"Thought you could escape?" Damek sneered.
"Of course." Daniel slowly sat up and stood. So far, it was only Damek. He normally didn't stand a chance against a man that large, but perhaps he could take the guard by surprise. He swung quickly, connecting with Damek's jaw in a knuckle-popping punch. While the guardsman shook off the blow, Daniel darted away and down an alley.
Unfortunately, it was a dead end. Daniel could hear Jack muttering about cliches in his mind as Damek laughed from behind him. He turned around, knowing there was no escape today.
He was unprepared for the quick punch to his gut, followed by an upper cut to his jaw that left him seeing stars as Damek proceeded to pound him into unconsciousness.
~TBC
