This one took a bit longer...sorry, had church yesterday, and a friend came over...but anyway, here ya go. I hope you all enjoy this new chapter, and please review and tell me what you think! Thanks!

Chapter 32

"Wait a minute," Carter said, and her tone stopped the joyous exclamations. "We're not sure yet if this is where we were."

"You mean we might be somewhere else now?" Mitchell said, frowning.

"But this is Carter's lab!" Jack said in annoyance.

"I know, sir," Sam said. "Just a minute."

Carter was already turning around in circles. "Now where is that clock…?"

"Over there," Sam provided, pointing to the desired device on the wall nearby. "Why? Did you move it?"

"I must have sometime between now and our time…or we really are somewhere else…"

The rest of the group paled at the thought, so Carter quickly searched her mind, and found the memory she was looking for.

"Oh wait! I do remember moving it. It's okay, false alarm…"

There was a collective sigh, and Danny moved closer to the clock. "Sam...this reads the same as it did when we, uh…left…"

"It does?" she asked, coming up behind him. "Huh. Another theory solved."

"What?" Daniel asked, as the others gathered around as well.

"What does that mean?" Sha're asked.

Carter smiled widely. "It means we're back where we started. It returned us to the moment we left."

"You mean, to everyone else on base, it's as if we never did leave?" Daniel clarified.

"Yep."

"Sweet!" O'Neill grinned.

"So that's it?" Mitchell asked. "Do you know how to get us home now?"

Sam nodded. "I think so. They must have been able to program the device to always bring its users back to the starting point, even if they couldn't control where it took them very well. So…we should be able to get everyone back easily."

"Yes!" O'Neill said again. "Way to go Carters!"

And with that new round of cheers and hugs began, continuing until, quite by accident, both Sam and Danny found themselves hugging…themselves.

Immediately the four Jacksons and Carters hopped back in surprise, looking away from everyone else in embarrassment as the other looked at them.

Carter was the first to speak, clearing her throat first. "Okay that was-"

"-Weird." Sam finished.

Danny made a face. "I just-"

"-Hugged myself," Daniel said.

They looked at each other and shuddered.

Jack started laughing.

Then Mitchell joined in, and Sha're. The other four just stood for a moment, glaring at them, but finally they started to laugh too. Despite the tension and pressing circumstances, all of them lost themselves in the comic moment, glad that progress had been made, those out of place glad that they were one step closer to home, and those not out of place glad that their world was one step closer to normalcy.

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"So, you think we've solved our problem, major?" Hammond asked, from the head of the briefing room table.

Their little jaunt to the beginning of time had been reported, and then they had been given a couple of hours to eat and rest before gathering for the de-briefing.

"In general, yes sir," Sam said. "We know how make the devices take them all home--the one we have here and the other one. The problem will be getting Daniel back to the one he came through. As far as I can see that's the only way to get him home."

"Wonderful," Jack sighed.

"Colonel?" the general questioned.

"That means we have to get through Amaunet's jaffa, sir."

Danny winced, and Hammond nodded. "I know, Jack, but if it's the only way then you might not have a choice."

"General, I don't want anyone to be put in danger just to send me home…" Daniel began.

"You can't stay here forever, Daniel. It just doesn't work that way. You've already been here for almost a week. You could be in danger of Entropic Cascade Failure," Sam pointed out.

"Why would he be in danger of it?" Mitchell asked. "None of you experienced it when you got thrown back to 1969."

"That was different," Carter sighed. "Not only were the 'us' in that time much different--a lot younger--but we weren't in close proximity to ourselves, and we were only there for two or three days. He's been here longer than that." Her younger counterpart nodded, agreeing.

"So…we don't have a choice?" Jack asked.

Sam shook her head. "Not really sir. We don't know how much longer he can safely stay here."

"What about them?" Hammond asked, nodding toward the alternate future SG-1. "Do we need to send them back right away, or…?"

"Not right away, sir. It took Dr. Carter over 48 to begin to feel the effects of ECF, so I think it's safe to assume they have that long as well."

"Forty-eight hours would be…sometime tomorrow afternoon, right?" Cameron asked.

"Right," carter confirmed. Then at the latest we should probably go back sometime tomorrow morning, to be safe."

Hammond nodded. "That sounds fine to me. There's no reason to rush if there's no immediate danger to you four. You have until 1030 hours tomorrow, then. And once we're sure they're home safely, Colonel O'Neill, you and your team will have to return to P5R-322."

O'Neill nodded. "Yes sir. I'll get working on an entrance plan ASAP."

"Just don't forfeit sleep, Jack," the general said firmly. "From what I've heard from all of you, it most likely won't be easy getting through there again."

The Teal'c of Danny's SG-1 nodded. "That is correct, General Hammond. You will need your sleep O'Neill."

"Yeahsureyoubetcha," Jack waved absently. Both Teal'cs raised an eyebrow.

"Jack, are you sure this is okay. I don't want anybody to get hurt because of me. Maybe if I went in by myself I could slip back there and get home before they could do anything…"

O'Neill raised a finger. "Ah! Don't, Daniel. We're not letting you go in there alone. We're going, and we're going to make sure you get back where you need to be. Discussion closed."

Daniel fell silent and smiled. Maybe things where he was from had changed over time, but Jack O'Neill would always be Jack O'Neill. And he would always be protective of any Daniel Jackson.

The older Jackson started to turn to Jack again and make some such smart remark, but that, whoever, was when the world suddenly got scrambled. Or, at least, that was what it felt like as pain he'd only felt once before rippled through his body, warning him that what both Samantha Carters were saying was true.

"Dan'iel!" Sha're yelped when he cried out, his body warping, the space just around it hazy. After only a couple of seconds, though, it stopped, and Daniel slumped back in his seat, gulping for air. Sha're took his hand in hers, concern written all over her face.

"What on earth was that?" General Hammond demanded.

"ECF," Danny gulped.

Sam nodded. "That was it, sir. Thank goodness it wasn't bad, though…"

"Do we need to leave now?" Jack asked, sitting up straighter, his face worried.

"No Jack," Daniel gulped. "You don't even have a plan yet."

"But if you're in danger…."

"I'm fine, Jack. I'll survive until tomorrow."

O'Neill looked to the Carters, who nodded. Sam had put a hand on his shoulder. "He's not in immediate danger of dying, sir. That's only if he stays here much longer…but one more day won't kill him, though it won't be entirely pleasant…" She made a face. "Sorry, Daniel."

He sat up. "No, it's okay, Sam. I'll be fine, really." He looked around at the faces of his friends, and of Sha're, who didn't seem completely convinced. "Really," he said again. He really did feel fine. The pain from the ECF had been intense when it had happened, but there didn't seem to be any side effects. He was fine now.

General Hammond's lips pressed into a fine line for a moment, and then he sighed. "Very well. If you're sure you'll be all right until tomorrow morning, Dr. Jackson, then I don't suppose we should change our plans, but…" The general trailed off and skewered the archaeologists with a look.

"I'll let you know if the tremors become too severe," Daniel nodded in agreement with the silent order.

"Good. You're all dismissed, then."

Sha're took hold of Daniel's arm and wrapped her own around it as they made their way from the conference room.

"Dan'iel, are you sure you're all right? That looked painful," she frowned.

"I'm not saying it wasn't," he sighed. "But you heard Sam. I'll be fine until tomorrow. Don't worry about it, okay?"

He saw the uncertainty in her eyes, and wished he knew how to convince her, but then his attention was snagged by the sight of his younger self passing them and continuing quickly down the corridor, wearing an expression Daniel knew all too well. Sighing, he politely took his arm back and looked at Sha're apologetically.

"Uhm, you go on with the others. I'm going to go…" he nodded in Danny's direction and she nodded, understanding. He smiled thankfully. "Thanks. I'll find the rest of you later," he said, and then broke of to follow his counterpart.

Jack, meanwhile, had been behind them with the rest of the younger SG-1, and caught Sam's arm when she started to go after Danny. The colonel nodded toward the older Jackson, who was already following him.

"Hold up, major. Maybe we should let them work it."

Sam saw what he was nodding at, and nodded. Her heart wanted to talk to her friend right then, but another part of her knew O'Neill was right. "Yes sir," she sighed.

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Daniel caught up with himself a moment later in a small, deserted side corridor.

"What do you want?" Danny asked in annoyance as his older self drew up beside him and matched his stride-perfectly.

Daniel put his hands up. "Hey, don't get mad at me. I'm you, remember?"

Danny slowed and finally stopped, turning to his counterpart. "I'm sorry. This is just…hard, you know?" he said quietly, motioning back toward the way they had come. The older Jackson knew the motion was meant to be indicating Sha're, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, I know…sorry about that. You know there's not one of us at all where she's from, so I would feel guilty if I didn't let her, well…" he shrugged. That was half of the truth, anyway. He did feel guilty about not being able to tell his younger self the other half of it…but he couldn't risk changing the timeline any more.

Danny gave him a weak, wry smile. "Yeah, I guess that's true…I would too, but I guess, since she's from your time, at least, that she would feel closer to you."

Daniel shrugged again, and Danny sighed. "You're not going to tell me what happened, are you?"

Daniel blinked at the sudden change of subject. Of course, he knew what Danny was talking about, but played innocent, struggling to keep the emotion off his face and still hating the deceit. "What?"

"To Sha're. You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"You know I can't-"

"Why not? If I had the chance you have right now, I'd tell me."

Daniel looked him in the eyes. "I'm not you anymore, and you know that. You know I'm different."

"But why?" Danny gulped. "I don't…I don't understand. Why can't you tell me?"

"You know why. You've heard Sam say it more than once-"

"That's not what I mean, and you know it!"

That brought Daniel up short. He swallowed back a retort. Yes, he knew it, but he wasn't budging. If he gave any other answer to the question of why, he might give something away.

"Don't push it, please," he said quietly.

Danny looked at him intently for another moment or so, before finally backing off. His eyes closed and he visibly slumped. "I'm sorry," he apologized again. "Apparently this snapping thing is happening a lot lately…"

Now it was Daniel's turn to give a wry smile. "Been there, done that. I know you're just worried about her. You want her back. They all know it, and they're here for you. Just don't forget that."

Finally Danny put a small smile on his face. "I feel really strange telling myself this, but…thanks."

Daniel pulled a sarcastic face. "You're right, that is weird. Why don't we settle with 'we're both good', and move on."

"I'm game," Danny said, both starting back the way they'd come.

"Good," Daniel said, putting as much enthusiasm as he could into his voice, and thankfully not all of it was forced. "One more thing though…"

"What?" Danny asked as they turned back into the main corridor.

"Well, just try not to get frustrated with Jack if he doesn't always believe you about everything…especially those ideas that seem a little out there…" Daniel trailed, thinking back to when Jack hadn't believed him about the message Sha're had sent him through the hand device.

"Yeah, figured that one out when he didn't believe me about the Quantum Mirror at first…"

"Well yeah, but still…" It had still been frustrating for Jack not to believe him again, especially as important as the information was, and then he'd even been skeptical about the Ori thing for the first couple of days. "Just keep being patient with him. He'll always come around eventually. And remember that he's still your friend even if he doesn't agree with you about everything."

Daniel winced involuntarily, thinking back to when Jack had gone undercover to expose a rogue NID element and hadn't been able to tell them, and then the disastrous mission to Uronda. Both had nearly destroyed their friendship, and if it hadn't been as strong as it was, it might not have survived. Then, of course, there was Kelowna. Maybe the anger wasn't directed at him specifically, but he'd always known that Jack had been furious that Daniel had sacrificed himself for a planet of people who hadn't even cared…had even tried to incriminate him. My government will admit Daniel is guilty OVER MY DEAD BODY, he'd said. He'd told Daniel that later, after he'd descended. At the time, he'd though it was funny, though of course he realized it was proof of how much the older man really cared.

Danny's smile widen, perhaps thinking humorous thoughts. "Thanks. I'll remember that," he said, shaking Daniel from his own thoughts.

"You're welcome."