Te Amare

Disclaimer: Do I have to say it every chapter? Yes, I suppose I must; no, they don't belong and I don't make any money off it. It's just for my and all my lovely readers' amusement.

A/N: Here's the next chapter. It's a bit shorter than what I usually put out, but this seemed like a good stopping point. And don't worry, for those that are waiting for some action and the SGC personnel to be rescued, that shouldn't be more than two chapters out. I'm not sure how the action will come out, I've never written an action scene before, but I promise you guys will like who will be rescue! Please, review - I'd like to know if anyone is still following this story. -- yes, please let me know if anyone's reading this repost!

Chapter 14: Back Yard Conversation

"Hi," said Daniel as he came out to the back porch. "You might want to be alone but I thought you might have some questions you might be ready to have answered right about now." He said as he walked up to stand next to Mark.

Mark turned his head sideways as Daniel reached the rail. "Is that your job?" He asked partly to delay the answers and partly because he was really curious.

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked as he leaned his elbows on the rail.

"Telling the story of what you do to the people that don't know about it; going after the people that don't react too well and talk them around and stuff like that." Mark answered as he turned to look at the yard.

Daniel grinned and answered, "Partly. It's not all I do, but yes that is part of my duties. I also get to do research and translate some of the coolest artifacts ever and of course, I kick butt on a regular basis."

"You sound almost proud of that," Mark commented as he turned his head to look at Daniel, somewhat surprised to hear the mild mannered archeologist talk like that.

"Yes, I guess I am. It took me a long time to get where I am right now mentally and physically, but yes, I am proud of what we do and how we do it." He paused for a minute as he looked to the sky and with a smirk worthy of Jack himself, he said, "even of the ass kicking."

Mark nodded his head and turned back to stare at the grass. After a few minutes of silence, Daniel broke the silence. "So,"

"So," Mark repeated and after a few more seconds of silence, he continued, "I don't even know where to start. I just found out my dad is still alive after thinking for two years that he was dead. And if that wasn't enough, I also found out that there are aliens out there, that my sister travels to other planets on a regular basis and that there's been more than one war where Earth's future has been at risk. Ah, and let's not forget my favorite part: my dad has had an alien thing living inside him for the last ten years! Which technically, I guess, makes him an alien too." Mark paused, as he finally run out of breath.

"Yeah," Daniel said into the pause. "I can see where all that would mess you up a bit."

Mark turned to look at Daniel incredulous, but Daniel was still looking at the grass.

"Yeah, you could say I'm a bit messed up. And you know what? Dad coming back to life is the one thing I'm having the most trouble with. I mean coming back to life? How crazy is that? That's just . . . impossible."

"That's actually not as weird or as impossible as you'd think," Daniel said almost under his breath, but Mark heard him.

Mark turned his head and stared at Daniel until Daniel turned and stared back. "What do you mean?" Mark asked.

"Well," Daniel began and then trailed off, wondering how much he could say.

"Come on, Daniel. You can't say something like that and leave it there. And don't give me that crap about classified; I think we're over that, don't you?"

Daniel took a deep breath and considered it for a few seconds but then thought 'what the hell?' Jack had told him to use his discretion after all. So he said, "Yeah, you're right. And I just meant that if you'd died as many times as I have then hearing that someone's come back to life doesn't sound weird or impossible at all."

Mark stared at him open mouthed for a minute while Daniel stared calmly back. When it became clear that Daniel was not joking, Mark closed his mouth and after a couple of false starts, asked, "How many times have you died?"

"Well," Daniel said as he pushed his glasses up his nose, "I'm not entirely sure anymore."

"You're not entirely sure!" Mark interrupted.

"Well, no. I mean there was the first time back when we first went to Abydos and there are the two times I've ascended and the times with the Nox and there are the times I've been really close to it and the times when I've technically died and the times . . ."

"Ok, ok," Mark interrupted. "Forget I ever asked." And then another thought popped into his head. "Has Sam ever died?"

Daniel looked at him and asked, "You want me to answer that?"

Mark thought about it for a few seconds, and then answered, "No, you better not." He was silent for a few minutes and then he said, "You've known her a long time, huh?"

"Yes, since the program started. About eleven years now."

"And Jack about the same?" Mark asked.

"Well, I actually met Jack about a year before the program started. We were part of the team that went through the 'gate the first time. I got to know him quite well during that mission."

"You're all very close, aren't you?"

"Yes, those guys are my family." Daniel answered simply.

"And they feel the same way about you." It wasn't a question; Mark had seen how they all treated each other. How they were able to communicate with just their eyes. "You all seem to know each other so well."

"Yeah, well that comes from spending eighteen hours out of twenty four and six out of seven days together and of depending on the others for your life on a regular basis." Daniel said in explanation, hearing something like envy in Mark's tone.

"I guess so," Mark said slowly. "But you still know my sister better than I do."

Daniel just shrugged, there wasn't anything he could say – it was true after all. "Well, it's never too late to start." He suggested.

"You think she'd give me a chance after that little scene back there?" He asked waving his hand in the direction of the house.

The time alone had done its job. Mark was now calm and regretting how he'd reacted. 'Good,' thought Daniel, 'this'd make it easier on everyone, especially Sam.'

"We all know that you just had a nasty shock and were just reacting to very unsettling news. No one's blaming you for it," Daniel said sincerely.

"Not even Jack?" Mark asked, skeptically.

"Not even Jack." And at Mark's doubtful look, he insisted. "Really, he doesn't blame you. Oh, there's no doubt in my mind that you'd have regretted it if you'd continued talking like that. You can go in and apologize and . . ."

"But that's just it," Mark interrupted. "I'm not sure that I want to apologize."

Daniel looked surprise at the admission. "Mark . . ."

"No, Daniel. I know you think I should and maybe I shouldn't have said what I said but I'm just not ready to apologize – at least not yet. I'm . . ." Mark hesitated, not at all thrilled to have to admit it. "I feel so betrayed and . . . and hurt. I mean my sister and dad have lied to me for the last ten years, not only about what they did but about what they are. Because I can see it; working for the SGC is not just what they do – it's become part of who they are so that they are no longer the people I knew."

"And is that so bad? Because I happen to think that the persons they've become are great."

"Yeah, I know. They are great people. And part of what hurt so much about dad dying was that I had gotten along better with him in the last eight years than since before mom died."

"Then you should be extremely happy that he's back."

"I am. But I can't help feeling hurt, betrayed and completely left out. Like I've never known them," He added, quietly.

"You know them, Mark," Daniel told him. "Ok, so you might not have known everything about them and maybe serving with the SGC has changed them, but they're still your father and sister. They love you and want what's best for you."

"And that was to lie to me for the last ten years?" Mark asked.

"Yes." Daniel said firmly. "Whether you want to believe it or not, that was best for you. Mark you weren't ready. Hell, I don't think anyone is ever ready to learn about the SGC. And maybe it'd be better if no one ever had to learn about it. My life would sure be easy if I had never learned about it." But then he had to pause for a minute and think that through. "Of course then I would have missed seeing some incredible things, meetings my best friends and the love of my life."

Mark looked at him amused, "So, are you saying knowing about the SGC is a bad thing? Or a good one?"

"I'm saying it can be an incredible thing but it certainly is not an easy one," Daniel explained. "And it is not one that we can go around telling to just anyone. Because you're right, it changes your life and it demands a great deal of everyone that's involved with it. And, Mark, if you don't have to be involved with it, if you don't have to know about it – then it is better that you not know about it. So, yes they lied to you. And if you want to stretch that, then maybe they even betrayed you a little. But they didn't do it with the intent to hurt you; it really was for the best."

Mark was silent for a long moment while he thought about what Daniel had just said. And once again it was Daniel that broke the silence. "I can't help but notice that most of what's bugging you is centered on what Sam and Jacob did or didn't say. The news about there being aliens out there, didn't really seem to bother you at all."

"It's not that it doesn't bother me; it's just that that's the easiest thing to understand."

"Really?" asked a really surprised Daniel, who had been expecting the opposite reaction.

"Yes. I mean I've always thought that believing we were the only sentient living beings in the whole universe was the height of arrogance."

"Wow," Daniel said. "That is not the reaction we usually get when we disclose the facts behind the 'Gate."

"Yeah, well. What can I say? I guess maybe I'm a bit more open-minded than most."

"I guess so." Daniel concurred. After a few more moments of silence, Daniel went on.

"Mark, I know you have a lot of issues to work through. And I can understand that, really I can. But," and he hesitated a bit, not really sure that he should say what he was about to say, but then he once again thought, 'what the hell' as he pushed his glasses back up his nose. "The thing is your dad brought some news with him. It's too long a story to get into and you really don't have the clearance, but SG1 is going on a new mission in about two weeks. A very dangerous mission."

"Isn't that your usual type of missions?" Mark interrupted dryly, wondering where this was going.

"Yeah, it is. And this time won't be any different, except for the fact that Jack is coming along."

"Jack? But he's a two star general and has been behind a desk for the last two years. Why would they send him out into the field after he's been out of the action for so long?"

"Well," Daniel said with a sly grin. "I don't think that Jack can ever really be out of the action, but as to why he's being sent – well, that's the part that's classified. But, I've been around the military long enough to know that there is a very good chance that Sam will be ordered to stay behind."

"What?" Mark interrupted once again, sounding incredulous. "Why would they order an active colonel to stay behind and order a general to go out? That makes no sense!"

"No, in a regular unit, it wouldn't, but the SGC is not a regular unit. And Jack is not a regular general. There are powerful reasons why Jack needs to go on this mission. And, no," Daniel said, holding up a hand as Mark started to ask why again. "I can't go into them. Just know that they are real and important and Sam will have no choice but to obey her orders. And that will mess her up – bad. She's going to need her big brother."

"She really loves him, doesn't she?" Mark asked into the silence that followed.

"Yes and he loves her," Daniel nodded. "She's as protective of him as he is of her."

"And that's a hell of a lot." Mark commented, thinking of Jack's reactions to his earlier outburst.

"Yeah, though to be fair," Daniel added, "he's almost as protective of everyone he considers to be under his command – and since he's been head of HWS, that includes the whole darn planet."

"The whole planet?" Mark asked. "Wow, he's a powerful man, isn't he?"

"Yeah." Daniel answered and then with a grin he added, "and you'd think I would remember that more often. But the man persists on acting like an over-grown child and it's very easy to forget just how powerful he's become."

"Do the others also forget?" Mark asked curiously; glad to be able to focus on something else for a while and at the same time eager to learn more about her sister's life.

"No," Daniel said with a small smile. "They never do. I guess it's different for them. Teal'c has always seen Jack as a warrior, as the man that could free the Jaffa; for him Jack has always been a powerful man and his promotions have only made fact what he's known all along. And Sam, well, as much as Sam is a scientist, Sam is and has always been a soldier first. When she met him, he was her CO and he's still her superior. . ."

"But they are a couple now and I really don't see Sam being with someone who didn't treat her as an equal." Mark broke in.

"Oh, he does treat her as an equal," Daniel reassured him. "It's just that Sam is always conscious of his rank and position – hell, she's more conscious of it than he is most of the times. Maybe because of her upbringing or her training, but she has a much better grasp of just how important he is than I do. Jonas has always been a bit in awe of Jack, so that hasn't changed. And Cameron, well, I guess Cameron is similar to Sam, except that all he sees is the two stars."

"So, how come you're different?"

"I guess because I'm not military, but mostly because when I met Jack he was . . ." He paused for a minute, and then said, "well, let's just say that he was in a different place. He had just gone through some rough times and didn't have his head on straight. I got to know him before he became the Jack he is now. Don't get me wrong, he was always a great soldier and had the potential to be a great human being but he wasn't," and he shook his head before he said aloud what he'd never said before, "the hero that he is now. So, I guess it's easier for me to see the man than it is to see the general. Easier than it is for them anyway."

"You're the one that keeps him grounded, aren't you?" Mark asked with a small grin.

"I guess so," Daniel said with an answering grin. "Sam does a good job of it too, but sometimes, she needs to be grounded too." Daniel added with a laugh.

"Yeah," Mark agreed with a laugh. "I can totally see that. She used to get so lost in her studies that she lost touch with what was going on around her."

"She still does that. Jack is pretty good at bringing her back, but he's not here all the time and frankly, since they've gotten together they get lost in a world all of their own as many if not more times than he's brought her back. It really can get quite irritating – if not right down nauseating."

"They're good together, aren't they?" Mark asked after he finished laughing at Daniel's face and at the idea of his sister and ex-CO acting like a couple of love-sick teenagers.

"Yes, they are; they bring out the best in each other. He brings the child out in her and she brings the adult out in him," Daniel answered with a chuckle. "They compliment each other perfectly."

"Yeah, I can see that," Mark agreed dryly before he too cracked up. After a few minutes of silence, he said, "She's going to be a mess if she's forced to stay behind, isn't she?" Mark knew that there wasn't anything his sister hated more than not being able to be in the middle of things, especially when the people she loved where going to be in danger.

"Yeah, she's going to need someone she can lean on. And none of us will be here; we're all needed on this mission. You'll be the only that she'll be able to really talk to about what's going on." Daniel answered, trying to make Mark realize how much Sam would need someone there for her in the following weeks.

"Dad's going too?" Mark asked, surprised. But really, he was more surprised about being surprised; you'd think that with all the revelations he'd heard that day, nothing would surprise him anymore.

"Yes, I don't think there will be any way he'd sit this one out," Daniel said, shaking his head.

Mark opened his mouth to argue that his dad was a retired two star general and hadn't seen action in a lot of years, but he stopped when he realized that he had probably seen more action in the last ten years than he had in all the years he was active. Beside, if just coming out of a near death experience wasn't enough for him to stay behind, he didn't supposed being retired was going to be much of an impediment.

"Mark," Daniel said in a serious tone. "Your sister and father love you very much and you love them. Take it from someone who lost his parents way too early, don't waste whatever time you have with them because you never know if you'll ever get more. Work through your issues, either by talking to them or by yourself – but work through them. And then go back inside and spend time with your sister and father and enjoy that time. Let them know you love them and let Sam know you're there for her. But," Daniel added with a sheepish smile, "please do it subtly. She wouldn't like it if she knew I talked to you about Jack going and her staying."

"Sure, no problem," Mark answered looking at Daniel in the eyes. Daniel held the stare for a while and then he nodded once and turned to go back inside, leaving Mark once again alone with his thoughts.

Mark stayed outside for another fifteen minutes thinking about everything that Daniel had said and remembering the good times he'd spent with his sister and father. All of a sudden, he got a gleam in his eyes and his jaw tightened up; it was a look that any member of SG1 would have recognized instantly. It was the look that a Carter gets when he/she has decided something; the look that said 'I'm doing this and God help anyone that gets in my way.'

He pushed back from the rail and turned to go back inside, determined to do what was right and more at peace than he remembered being in a long time.