Daniel's surroundings soon turned to white, and the Others, now in their Lantaean forms, stood around him in a circle. Lilith stepped forward, her skin dark and her hair black and cropped, and she said,
"Farewell, Daniel Jackson."
Daniel gazed around at the assembled Ancients, and he said, "I gather I once knew you all."
Lilith replied, "You did indeed, and we remember you well."
Morgan stepped forward and said, smiling slightly, "You must return to continue your journey."
Daniel closed his eyes briefly and said, "Wait a second… there's something but I can't exactly remember it. Something big…"
The Others all now feigning innocence exchanged confused looks, and Lilith said, smiling, "It is nothing, Daniel Jackson… take my hands."
He slowly took her hands, saying, "I hope Oma's going to be ok."
He closed his eyes as a white light glowed around him, reflecting off the faces of the Others as he soon disappeared through their non-existent floor, and Lilith, her skin now a soft golden colour, her hair dark, looked around at her brethren with a knowing smile before they each converted into individual masses of white light, spiralling ever upwards into eternity.
--------------------
Daniel opened his eyes and found himself in very familiar surroundings. It dawned on him eventually that it was Jack's office and he was about to stride out when he glanced down and promptly blushed.
He was naked as the day he was born, and there wasn't anything he could use that Jack wouldn't burn afterwards, to cover himself up. Despite this, he could hear a conversation, what appeared to be a briefing through the open door, and he heard Sam's voice. He smiled as he closed his eyes, listening to the familiar sounds of her voice, reacquainting himself with it and feeling as though he had come home.
He then heard Teal'c say, "O'Neill believes that Daniel Jackson was somehow responsible."
Mentally kicking himself for speaking, Daniel called, grimacing, "Nope, it wasn't me."
Grimacing further as he imagined the various expressions of shock, he then heard Jack say, "Anybody else hear that?"
Daniel called, "I'm in here!"
"That's Daniel."
Sensing Jack's approach, Daniel concealed his manhood as best he could as he called, embarrassed, "Don't! Don't come in!"
Too late. He saw Jack rear in shock on seeing more than he had ever needed to see of his dead friend.
"Whoa! Hey there."
Jack reappeared with what appeared to be the briefing room flag which had been ripped from a pole, and an embarrassed beyond measure Daniel took it gratefully, wrapping it around his lower half. As a stunned Jack stood to one side, Daniel shuffled from the office, holding the flag tight around him for all that he was worth to the shocked expressions of Teal'c, Bra'tac and Sam, the latter turning away on realising that he was naked under the flag.
Bra'tac eventually smiled, always glad to see the Archaeologist and suspecting that he had had something to do with Anubis' sudden and unexpected demise. After Jack had finished awkwardly fiddling with the now empty flagpole, Daniel said, trying not to meet anyone's eyes, especially Sam's,
"It's, uh… it's a long story."
Jack hesitantly patted him on the shoulder, remarking with raised eyebrows, "I think we all get that."
Teal'c said, smiling, "It is good to see you again, DanielJackson."
Daniel nodded, and Sam, the weeks catching up with her, finally looked at him. She stood up and as he, still embarrassed, tried to move away, she said quietly,
"Keep holding the flag."
Confused, he looked at her before holding onto the flag tighter, and she pulled him into a tight hug, tears brimming in her eyes as she said in a shaky whisper, "It's good to have you back again, Daniel."
She gently kissed the nape of his neck as he closed his eyes, holding onto her with one arm as he replied, "It's good to be back… I've missed you…"
Jack, glancing at Teal'c and a still grinning Bra'tac, clapped his hands and said, "Ok folks, let's move… we've got to get naked descension boy down to the Infirmary."
Teal'c ran out to fetch some clothes for the Archaeologist as crowds of intrigued SGC personnel began to gather in the doorways of the briefing room, and he returned soon after with combat fatigues, handing them to a grateful Archaeologist who Jack helped back into his office.
A few minutes later, as Jack ordered a bemused Hazmat team to dispose of the flag which had been replaced, Daniel emerged from the office looking like his former self again, Teal'c having had the foresight to fetch his glasses too, and Jack remarked with a grin,
"That's more like it!"
His emotional walls falling down, he pulled the now surprised Archaeologist into a tight hug, saying with a grin, "Yeah, Space Monkey!"
Daniel, biting his lip to stop himself from crying, hugged Jack back, saying as his voice broke with emotion, "Jack."
Next, it was Teal'c's turn, and Daniel checked afterwards whether any of his ribs had been broken. With Jack and Sam's arms around his waist and shoulders, Daniel emerged into the corridor through the bustling crowds with Teal'c and Bra'tac bringing up the rear. Word had got out fast and hundreds of personnel had lined the way to the Infirmary, patting the Archaeologist on the back or greeting him in other ways as he blushed at the attention, his best friends grinning.
They paused outside the Infirmary before going in, and unseen to all, Jacob appeared in a creamy jumper and brown trousers as he looked at Sam and Daniel, and he said, unable to stop grinning,
"Even though it's going to be a while yet, you have my blessing, you little idiots."