Going on a trip again, down south to see the family, this time. Sorry! But I will actually have access to computers along the way, so I may be able to work on this, but then again I don't know, so if not before then I'll update again as soon as I get back in a week or so. So please be patient! After this trip, the rest of my summer is free, thank goodness, so I'll get a lot done, hopefully finish before school starts...But anyway, enough of my rambling. Here's chapter 27, so please enjoy it and review so I know what you think before I leave tommorrow afternoon! Thanks! Have a great week!
Chapter 27
Danny woke up to the familiar sounds and smells of the infirmary. Perfect…stuck here again, he grumbled inwardly. But ah well, at least it was better than a Goa'uld holding cell.
Blinking groggily, he turned his head to see Jack O'Neill in a chair beside his bead, feet propped up on the edge of the bed and chair titled back, asleep. He was going to hurt himself doing that one day. Behind O'Neill, Jackson's older self wondered sickbay, not quite sure what to do with himself. When he glanced over and saw Danny awake, he started back in his direction.
Danny turned to look at the colonel again, and smiled faintly.
"Jack?" he called.
"Wha-?" Sure enough, O'Neill woke and jerked in surprise, the chair falling backwards. Fortunately, though, Daniel was now close enough to catch the chair and push it upright again before the colonel cracked his head open.
"Whoa! Watch it, Jack!" Daniel scolded. "Really, the first time around, you did hit your head and Janet made you stay in the infirmary over night for observation."
"I did? She did?"
"Yes, and while it was interesting to have some friendly company in here for once, I thought I'd save you the trouble."
"Sweet, thanks," Jack said.
"You're welcome," Daniel replied, and then looked at his younger self and smiled. "Sorry."
Danny chuckled. "No big deal."
Jack sat up. "So, how you feelin' Danny-boy?"
Danny sighed. "Okay, I guess…still pretty sore though."
"That's understandable, considering…" Daniel shuddered. "I'm sorry. I really screwed a few things up getting myself thrown back here. That, uh…the whole dying again thing, and like that for crying out loud…that didn't happen the first time…"
"So, you still remember it the way it happened to you?" Danny asked.
Daniel nodded. "Yeah, though it's kind of strange, because ever since I uh, started to exist again, uhm…there's something else up here…" he said, motioning toward his head. "I'm still fully retaining the memories of how all this happened the first time. Without the dying and the other me, but all of a sudden it's like I'm starting to be able to remember it the way it happened…is happening this time…"
"Well, you're here, so that makes sense."
"Well, of course I remember it from the point of view I have now, but I mean…from yours…"
Danny's eyebrows went up. "Are you telling me you think you really are me, that neither of us is an alternate created when you came back in time. Like, I'm really going to be you one day and accidentally find whatever it was you did and get sent back here, and…"
Daniel shrugged tiredly. "I don't know. Maybe."
Danny groaned. "Oh, that's comforting."
The older Jackson grimaced. "Yeah, I know it doesn't sound so good. This wasn't much more fun on my end than it was on yours."
"No kidding…"
Jack meanwhile, had simple been sitting there, watching the two go back and forth. Finally he stood up and held out his hands. "Okay! Enough, before my head explodes. Really, what is this all about?"
Daniel smiled. "You didn't get all that, Jack?"
"Well, yeah, I think I got the gist of it, but…oh never mind. Can we change the subject now?"
"Yeah, I think we we're done," Danny answered. "Weren't we?"
Daniel shrugged again. "I think so."
O'Neill nodded. "Thank you. Okay then, question number one--Daniel, what are you still doing in here? There's nothing wrong with you."
Daniel blinked. "Well, I uh…" He couldn't tell them the truth. He'd figured that no one would think it strange for him to hang around sickbay with Jack until Danny woke up, and had hoped that no one would ask. The real reason he hadn't been able to leave was because of Janet Fraiser. He hadn't seen her in almost a year-and-a-half, since she'd been killed, and even if she couldn't talk to her much because she was on duty and busy at the moment, just being in the infirmary near her, being able to see her…
Daniel swallowed back the feelings that swelled in his throat when he thought about, and finally just shrugged, going for the innocent answer. "I don't know."
Jack rolled his eyes. "That's fine; you never know."
"Jaaaack!" Danny yelped in annoyance.
"Okay, okay! Never mind. Sorry, I forget I'm dealing with two at a time here. It's funny, I go to rescue one of you, come back with none of you and two hours later end up with two of you. Does that sound weird to anybody besides me? First two carters, now I'm gonna have to get used to two Daniels…"
Daniel crossed his arms over his chest. "Hopefully not to used to it, though. I need to get back to my own time-"
But before he could continue the Unscheduled Off-world Activation signal went off, bringing all three to full alert. Jack groaned in frustration and reluctantly started to bolt for the door, but Daniel stopped him.
"It's okay, Jack; I'll check it out. You can stay here if you want."
Slowly O'Neill sat back down, unsure. "Okay…"
Daniel. "Don't worry, I'll report back ASAP."
Now Jack smiled. "You'd better."
"What's going on?" Daniel asked, coming up behind General Hammond in the control room just as the iris on the stargate slid open.
Hammond looked quickly toward him, expertly covering the surprise he hadn't yet quite gotten over when it came to having another, older Daniel Jackson on base.
"We're not sure," the general told him. "But it's SG-1's signal."
"What?" Daniel asked in surprise. "But who else would--oh."
Before Hammond could react Jackson had bolted for the stairs, and was already halfway down before Hammond saw four black BDU-clad people step through the gate carrying some sort of device. The two in back, partially obstructed by whatever they were carrying, he didn't recognize, but the two in front he immediately realized were Samantha Carter and Teal'c. But that was impossible, because the major and the jaffa were already here. Unless…
"What the-" Hammond said, and quickly followed Jackson down toward the 'gate room.
When Daniel ran into the 'gate room, all he saw were three people; he didn't see the fourth, who was hidden by the device, and didn't know they were there at all. All he saw were Sam, Teal'c, and Cameron stepping off the ramp, looking exactly as they had the last time he'd seen them, as the fact that the had the Goa'uld device with them, and drew the first logical conclusion.
"Guys! Boy am I glad to see you. Thank goodness you figured out how it works. How'd you find out where I went…?" He trailed off when he realized that all three of them were staring at him like they'd seen a ghost. "What?"
"D-Daniel? Is that-is that you?" Carter stammered as General Hammond came in after Jackson and stopped, deciding to watch the scene playing out in hopes of understanding the circumstances of it.
"Of course it's me, Sam, why?"
"B-but, but you're-"
"Dead!" Cameron said from beside her. "And what's General Hammond doing here? Where's General O'Neill? I would really love to know what going on here."
Daniel frowned. "Yeah, so would I. What are you guys talking about? I'm not dead, Cam. I'm right here. You just saw for yourself that thing transports people safely. It didn't kill me."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "Transports? Are you saying we were moved from where we were?"
"Teal'c, of course you moved from where you were. This isn't 2005, it's 199 for cryin' out loud! Now would you please tell me what's going on?"
Sam gulped. "Daniel, you…you died in '99," she said quietly. "What's happening? If this is '99, what's going on? You don't look like I remember."
Daniel's eyebrows went up. "Oh! I'm not from this time. I'm from '05 too, but…apparently I'm from a different '05…"
"Yeah, I'd say so," Mitchell nodded. "Okay, note to self--don't take this thing through the stargate or you get thrown not only back in time but to the past of alternate universes and get to meet dead people. Okay…"
"Daniel…what's today's date?" Sam asked hesitantly. He told her, and her eyes closed. "That's it. That's when our Daniel died…"
Daniel pulled in a breath. "Actually, I know what you're talking about," he said slowly. "If I'm right, that did happen today--to the other me, anyway, and I didn't exist there for a while…"
Carter nodded. "Right. There was another you, but he ceased to exist when…"
Daniel nodded. "I know what happened. I think it may be that the only difference between our universes is that in yours I stayed dead, didn't get taken to a sarcophagus. More of an alternate future than an alternate future?"
"I guess so…" Sam agreed, stepping closer to him, her head spinning from everything her mind had been forced to take in the past few minutes. It wasn't exactly their Daniel, but almost his past seemed to be exactly the same as their up to the point where the one they had known had died. He was what Daniel would be if he were still alive, and she missed him.
Daniel saw the emotions flickering over this other Sam's face, saw the tears gathering in her eyes, and before he knew what he was doing he had pulled her into his arms and she was clinging to him.
"It's okay Sam," he said quietly, and she nodded against his shoulder, just hugging him. Daniel held on until she let go, because he knew how she felt. It was the same thing he'd felt when he'd seen Sha're again, just a couple of days before. After a moment or so she pulled back and looked at him.
"I'm so sorry it turned out that way in your reality."
"We've all missed you," she gulped, and found a smile. "Even Jack still misses you a lot."
Daniel laughed. "Wow."
Behind Sam, Cameron clapped his hands, and Daniel looked up. "Okay, so you know Sam and Teal'c, I'm pretty sure general Hammond does too, and you obviously know me from where you come from even though I don't know you, and of course, you probably know this one too-" he stopped when he turned to find no one behind him, and frowned, holding up a finger apologetically. "Uh, just a second…" And while Daniel watched quizzically and Sam stepped away from him, Mitchell leaned down to speak to the fourth member of the team, who was still invisible to the rest of them.
"Jackson, what are doing down there?" he whispered, addressing Sha're, who had sunk to the floor on the far side of the device, hiding, her arms wrapped around her folded knees she had pulled up to her chin.
"Cameron, I cannot face him," she whispered back. I-I killed him! I can't-"
"Hold it. For one thing, if I understand what happened right, you didn't kill him. Not to mention that this isn't even the same Daniel Jackson."
"But it still happened here! Even if he survived, it still happened. He remembers what I did-"
"Stop it, okay. It wasn't your fault. You did everything you could to stop it. We haven't known each other too terribly long, but I know that much about you. I know you did, and you know he feels the same way. It's okay. Just come out from behind there." Then he smiled at her. "Beside, I don't think he even knew we had a fourth person until I said something. You'd better come out before everybody here starts to think I'm crazy."
Sha're smiled weakly at that, and finally nodded. Gulping, she took the hand he offered and let him help her up.
"Okay!" Cameron said, and Daniel saw him stand up, holding someone's hand from behind the device. "Here we go. Like I said, you should know our fourth member too-" And Daniel's heart stopped when the woman who had been hiding stepped out from behind her shield. "-Sha're Jackson."
Sha're's breath caught in her throat, and her grip on Cameron's hand tightened when she saw him, and Daniel stood frozen, staring. It had been strange enough to see her in this time, as he remembered her, but this was different. From what he knew of where this other SG-1 had come from, and how close their reality was to his…this Sha're was what his Sha're would be if she had lived--and the guilt of her death hit him full force again, almost literally knocking him backwards.
"Sha're?" he said, finally finding words. "How? I don't understand…"
Sam put a hand on his arm. "A couple of months after you died, we found her again on another planet, and we were able to bring her back to earth and contact the Tok'ra for help removing the symbiote."
Daniel nodded, his now tear-filled eyes never leaving Sha're. "I know where you're talking about. It, uh…that day turned out differently in my future…"
"Oh…" Sam trailed, obviously picking up on his meaning, and Daniel was glad that the SG-1 of this time wasn't in the room. And he knew he could trust General Hammond not to make any assumptions, or say anything to them.
Cameron let go of Sha're hand, and she tried to reach for it again, he gave her a little shove in Daniel's direction. Swallowing hard, she stepped up to him.
"Dan'iel, I-" she began softly, but he brought a hand up to stop her from saying what he knew she would.
"Don't. I told you that nothing Amaunet did was your fault, didn't I?"
Sha're pulled in a breath and nodded, blinking back tears. "I know…" And she hugged him, and he hugged her back, both holding on tightly. "I love you, Dan'iel. I have missed you so much."
General Hammond stepped around the two, and spoke quietly to the rest of Sha're's SG-1.
"Why don't the three of you come with me to the conference room while I call our SG-1? I think we all have quite a lot to talk about." Then he motioned to Daniel and Sha're. "They'll come in a few minutes."
"Yes sir," Mitchell answered, waving Carter and Teal'c to follow Hammond as well. A moment later everyone else had left, and the door to the 'gate room had slid shut, leaving them alone.
When they were gone, Sha're broke into tears. Daniel held her, offering what comfort he could even though he knew he was different from the Daniel she remembered.
"I've missed you too," Daniel said finally, stroking her hair. "I love you too…"
Sniffing, she pulled back and looked at him. "What do you mean?"
His head lowered. "Where they rescued you…in my reality you died there…I'm sorry; I couldn't-I couldn't stop it, I-" His voice broke and he looked away, willing himself not to cry.
Sha're wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Dan'iel, if you tell me not to blame myself, then why should you blame yourself?"
He smiled briefly. "Good point."
She smiled back. "I am sure that whatever happened, you did everything you could."
Did I? the thought rose again. But he struggled to push it away, knowing she was right in that he should take his own advice to her. Daniel hugged her tightly again. "Thank you," he said quietly.
"No…thank you," Sha're said. "But…I guess it's all right…at least, while we are both here, stranded in this place, this time….At least we have each other now."
His smile returned at that. "But you've got the better end of the deal. There are two of me here."
And with Daniel standing next to her-even though she had had to return to P5R-322 and had felt horrible all day-she found the strength to laugh at that. Maybe…maybe the mission had turned out for good already. Maybe this un-planned trip to this place, seeing him, had been the answer to prayers she'd been waiting for, however brief it might turn out to be.
"Come on," Daniel said, turning toward the door and steering her with him. "We should get to the conference room. General Hammond is right; we have a lot to figure out."
And he knew that would be even more so for Sha're, himself and his younger self, but at the moment. He only happy to be near her again, without the threat of a parasite taking control of her body from her. It had been so long…whatever would happen while her SG-1 was here hadn't really even begun, but already he didn't want it to end.