All right, a nice long chapter for the first time in a few weeks. It's the wekend, and I'm in a very productive writing mood. Yay! Foronce, LOL. So anyway, I really like this chapter and really want to know what you think. And while as long as I get reviews I don't mind if they're one-liners, I'd love if someone would give me some constructive feedback--ya know, things I did well or didn't, as long as you're nice. :) Any kind of such feedback will help me to be a better writer, and that's what I'm striving for. So have a good day, and enjoy and review this new chapter! Thanks!

Chapter 34

Why, Daniel wondered, could he have this feeling, this feeling almost of peace, when no matter how hard he tried or how many times Sha're had told him that none of what had happened to her was his fault, or how many times this future Sha're told him the same thing, he could never feel anything but guilt about his wife's death?

Somehow he knew Janet forgave him, didn't even think there was anything to forgive, even though she didn't know what was going to happen, and he knew Sha're had felt the same way. When it came to Sha're…there were so many way he could have done it differently, could have saved her. He'd long ago stopped running those scenarios in his head-what could have been-because he had learned it did no good but to make him feel worse, but the feeling was still there. What had happened to Janet, though…it had happened so quickly. He knew there was nothing he could have done. Maybe that was why.

A small smile still touching his face, Daniel obediently submitted when the doctor stood again, giving his arm one final pat before beginning her examination of him. As both of them had known, nothing made itself known in her tests. Nothing appeared physically wrong with him, there were no visible physical side effects of the ECF tremor, and there was nothing she could do about it...or the ones to come.

Daniel grimaced involuntarily at the thought. Maybe the tremors didn't leave any real effects behind except shortened time that he could remain in this time safely, but they sure hurt like heck when they were happening. He hadn't noticed much back on P5R-322, because he was dying anyway and too busy helping his other self try to convince Jack to get the heck outta dodge, but that didn't mean he didn't mind them. On the contrary, he'd rather not repeat the experience, but Daniel would take the momentary lapses of pain if it meant a few more hours near Sha're and Janet before returning to his future without them.

But did it have to be without Sha're…? As quickly as the thought entered his mind he pushed it away as foolish. No matter how one looked at it, there was no way for them to be together. They needed each other, but it wasn't possible. Their respective realities needed them where they were, and it would be selfish to think of changing that just for their own personal desires, but…

Daniel shook his head, and slid off the edge of the bed back to the floor; Janet was finished and had given him leave to go.

Fraiser sighed as he came out from the walk space in between beds. "Are you sure you'll be all right?"

Jackson gave her another smile. "Don't worry about me, Janet. I'll be-"

But Daniel's words cut off in a sharp intake of air, and his hands shot out to catch the end of the bed before he toppled over.

"Daniel-?" Janet asked worriedly, taking a step closer to him. She stopped short and stared in horror as his body flickered for several seconds, Entropic cascade failure taking brief hold of him again. She'd seen it happen to him before, and to Doctor Carter when their previous alternate reality visitors had been here several week before, but somehow this was more frightening. At least this time the tremor wasn't threatening to wipe him from existence in the immediate future.

The tremor stopped and Daniel slumped slightly, leaning against the bed with his hands. Her hand went to his shoulder. "Daniel?" she asked again.

The archaeologist looked up at her, blinking away the fading pain. "-fine," he breathed in reply, answering her and finishing his previous sentence at the same time.

The doctor nodded slowly and backed away from him again, letting her hand drop from his arm. She swallowed and looked at him as he straightened. "I-" wish there was something I could do. But Daniel stopped her with another of his small smiles before she could continue.

"It's okay," he assured her. "It's just until tomorrow. I really will be fine, Janet." When she finally seemed to accept the word, Daniel nodded and moved past her toward the door. Halfway there he turned to look toward her again, and saw Fraiser watching him go. He raised a hand in farewell, and saw her raise one in return before turning again and pushing out into the corridor.

Daniel felt fresh tears stinging his eyes and blinked them back relentlessly. He shouldn't be doing this--feeling like this, like he wanted to stay. He needed to get back to his own time, his friends there, the old and the new. He was needed in the fight against the Ori, and he'd miss the new faces at the SGC if he never went back: Cameron Mitchell, Carolyn Lam, General Landry…and he had to admit that a part of him desperately needed to know if Vala MalDoran was indeed alive and well somewhere out there, and would be relieved if she was. But with so many people here that were either no longer alive or no longer around much in his time…Janet, Sha're, General Hammond, Jack….another part of him still wondered how he could leave.

Daniel found the rest of the SG-1 teams lounging in one of the VIP suites--one of the big ones with the tables and desks, armchairs and couches, like they had been forced to stay in in times like when Urgo had been in their heads, or they'd had those alien arm bands on….Daniel smiled to him self; the SG-1 of this time still had those events ahead of them.

The large group hadn't known what else to do, and was spread around the room, talking and laughing, trying to forget that the next day they would be separated, never to se each other again--or at least, not in the capacity they saw each other now.

All looked up when the door indicated to Daniel by a passing airman as Jackson looked for his friends opened, and Daniel entered.

"There ya are! Even the other you beat you here," Jack said from where he sat sprawled on a couch, indicating Danny in a nearby armchair. "What took you so long?"

Danny shifted uncomfortably, and Daniel closed the door behind him and moved into the room, crossing his arms over his chest. "Uh…nothing, Jack. Never mind."

O'Neill looked at him for another few seconds, but then shrugged and went back to tossing the baseball he had in his hands in the air and catching it again. Daniel smiled nonchalantly and sat down next to Sha're, who was at the nearest table.

"Where's Sam?" he asked, looking around and not seeing either Samantha Carter.

"The Carters are off in their lab geeking themselves out," Mitchell supplied from where he sat draped over the arms of another of the arm chairs.

"What about Teal'c?"

"I believe they are eating," Sha're smiled.

"The commissary's still open at this time of the afternoon?" Danny questioned.

"For them it is!" Jack smirked.

"Okay…what are we doing?" Daniel asked.

"I have no idea. I found them like this when I got here," Danny informed him.

Jack sat up. "Well, really, Daniel--what's an odd group like this supposed to do?"

Daniel blinked and smiled. "Good point. I have no idea."

Mitchell swung his legs down to the floor. "Hey, we could play a game of basketball, or something."

"Cameron, you stink at basketball," Daniel stated matter-of-factly.

Mitchell winced. "Oh…you guys did that too?"

"Oh yeah. I was on your team. Teal'c and Vala thoroughly kicked our buts."

Sha're laughed. "Ours too."

"Vala?" Danny asked.

Daniel smiled conspiratorially at Mitchell and Sha're. "Wait a few years. You'll find out."

Jack stood up. "You know, the way you said that I don't know if we want too."

Daniel only shrugged, for some reason now unable to wipe the smile from his face; the conflicting emotions of minutes before in the infirmary forgotten in the comedy of the moment.

When the archaeologist didn't say anything else, Jack clapped his hands. "Okay, then. I'm up for the game of hoops. I'm getting bored."

"Thank you," Mitchell said as he stood as well, obviously glad someone here was listening to him.

As the others stood up, Jack went into momentary colonel mode. "All right--Jacksons, grab the Carters, and Mitchell and I'll get the Teal'cs. We meet back in gym in…" He trailed off and glanced at his watch. "Fifteen minutes."

"Wait a minute," Daniel interrupted as the five of them headed for the door. "We have nine people-that's uneven teams."

Mitchell shrugged. "So the team with five gets two girls."

"Hey-!" Sha're protested.

"Or we could ask Walter or Siler to play," Jack suggested quickly, before the playful sibling rivalry between the two older SG-1 members could escalate any further.

"Yeah," Danny nodded

"That sounds like a good idea," Daniel agreed at the same time, both earning a thankful smile from Sha're.

Mitchell shrugged. "Okay. Whatever." He smiled. "I was just kidding."

"I know," she said in forgiveness.

"Good," Cameron nodded, and then opened the door for the rest of them.

"That was fun! But now I'm famished," Jack O' Neill complained as the group made their way through the dinner crowd in the commissary.

"You're just a sore loser, colonel," Mitchell taunted.

Danny smiled to himself from his place a bit farther down the line, next to Sha're and his older self. Yeah, that probably covered it.

"Hey, my team didn't lose every time. I fact, we of this time won most of our games, thank you very much," Jack retorted.

"But we beat you in the last game," Carter piped up, grinning. "Didn't want to end on a bad note, sir?"

"Hey, you can't say anything, Carter. When you, yourself, and the Jacksons played the rest of us you got thrashed."

The first game had been that way, with Carter, Sam, Danny, Daniel, and Sha're playing jack, Cameron, the Teal'cs, and Walter. Siler had been too busy fixing something with hug wrench of his. After that first disastrous game, however, it had been decided no more two of each on one team, and the teams had split by time period.

"That's only because I'm not very good at it, sir," Sam said.

Daniel wrapped an arm around Sha're's shoulders for a moment. "Oh yeah, if Sam and I could play as good as Sha're here, we would have kicked your butts."

"I second that," Danny agreed. "But I don't think we were that bad…were we?" he asked, looking to his older self.

Daniel let go of Sha're and shrugged. "We're okay, I guess. At least we're not as bad as Mitchell."

This brought a squawk of protest from the future colonel, but Cameron quickly swallowed it and shrugged back. "Yeah, well, we of the future still have Sha're and Teal'c. Winning one game's better that not winning any at all."

"Hey, where'd Walter disappear to?" Jack asked suddenly.

"I think he said he wasn't hungry and was going back to the control room," Danny answered.

"Ah. Well, I know I'm hungry."

"Yes, Jack, you've told us that already."

"Hey, it's roast beef!" Mitchell exclaimed, when they finally got to the food and could see what it was. "I keep asking for this back in our time, but we haven't had it yet." He looked to Carter in confusion. "Why do they have it here?"

Carter shrugged as she took her tray. "I'm not sure. I think it has something to do with the budget cuts. We lost a little of the diversity in the menu after that."

"They didn't take away the blue jell-o did they?" Jack asked with what sounded like genuine concern, as he picked himself up a bowl of the mentioned treat.

Carter smiled. "No sir."

Danny smiled when his Teal'c nodded in satisfaction. "That is good."

"Indeed," the older Teal'c agreed, smiling slightly.

A few moments later they had all taken their seats, after pushing two tables together so they wouldn't have to separate and annoying the commissary workers.

Still distracted in their conversation, it took them several minutes until they realized that they had been talking and not eating the food in front of them. It might have taken them longer if they hadn't been as hungry as they were from their hard play. It was hard to do anything but talk to each other, spend time together-especially for those that were for the first time with friends they hadn't seen in years. It was strange how quickly the odd group had bonded.

As everyone finally started to eat, Danny looked down at his tray. When he saw the knife that sat on one edge of it that was intended to cut the meat, a sudden uneasiness took hold of him--almost becoming irrational fear. Lunch hadn't included anything that had required the use of such utensils, so he hadn't seen anything more menacing than a salad fork since…

No. He couldn't go there, Danny thought, immediately shutting down on the thoughts of the previous day. Forget about it. Pick the stupid thing up and eat.

He needed to eat. The basketball games had ground to an abrupt halt more than once--twice when the ECF had hit his older self again, and once when he himself had collapsed, doubled over in pain because he had apparently succeeded in doing just what Janet had told him not to do. He wasn't completely healed and he'd over-exerted himself, lost in the fun he and his friends were having despite the horrors of the past several days and the precarious situation they were still in.

That had been when they'd had to stop, and had taken a break to freshen up before meeting again to eat. No one had minded though, thank goodness. They'd played long enough.

Still, suddenly Danny had lost his appetite. That was when he realized Jack was looking at him.

"What?"

"You okay Danny?"

"Yeah," he said quickly, though maybe too quickly because his friend was still looking at him with concern. "I'm fine Jack."

"Well, you did take that little spill…"

"Jack-"

At the tone of Jackson's voice, O'Neill raised his hands in surrender, even though one held a fork laden with roast beef. "Okay, chill out, Danny-boy."

Danny rolled his eyes. "You're the one who wants to know if I'm okay…" he trailed off and shook his head. "Never mind."

Jack shrugged and went back to his food. Danny glanced down at his own and picked up his roll, nibbling on the soft bread to keep the others from thinking he wasn't eating. He really didn't feel like it now, and he stared down at his plate so as not to make eye contact with them, but carefully avoided letting his gaze wonder to the edge of his tray.

Finally, though, it was obvious they were noticing his withdrawal, and Danny had to look up. That was when he caught sight of Sha're, just across the table from him. She was picking up her knife to cut her meat, and the sight made something twist in his stomach.

Held by the jaffa, unable to move--Amaunet standing over him, smirking, drawing back to stab him again. The pain in his torso where she had already done it once was unbearable.

Danny blinked and looked away, sucking in a breath, but the image stayed with him.

"Dan'iel?" Sha're asked, concern in her voice.

He couldn't ignore her. He had to look at her again, but when he did all he saw was Amaunet's face and the knife in her hand. His face paled.

"Danny?" Sam said from beside him. Sam, beside him. They were both trapped, an alien world, a Goa'uld facility.

"Dan'iel, are you all right?" Sha're questioned again, now getting worried. The look of horror on his face was making her uneasy, and now the rest of the table was looking toward the young scientist as well.

But Danny didn't hear Sha're's voice anymore. All he could see was Amaunet, ready to strike at him, hurt him. The Goa'uld wanted to kill him. Her hand reached out to him and he jerked back, the jaffa gone, and fell out of his chair. Chair? Since when had Goa'uld hold cells had chairs?

Sha're pulled her hand back, quickly set her utensils down and stood when Daniel pulled away and toppled to the floor. "Dan'iel! What is wrong?" she cried in alarm, coming around the table toward him as the other stood too, worry written on their faces. The rest of those in the commissary were beginning to look up, noticing the scene.

Danny pushed back along the floor as Amaunet followed him, the knife still in her hand, still intent on killing him. She said something to him as she drew closer.

"No! Get away from me! Don't hurt me!" he shouted, scrambling to his feet.

Sha're stopped in her tracks, stung at his words. Now she knew what was happening.

Jack seemed to come to the same conclusion. "Danny, she's got going to hurt you; it's Sha're Danny. Calm down."

Danny gulped as the scene around him wavered. He heard Jack's voice saying he wasn't going to be hurt, to calm down. Jack wasn't supposed to be here…maybe he wasn't really here at all...

"J-Jack?" he stammered, as his friend's image slowly came to him, standing beside him.

"Yeah, Danny-boy. It's me. It's okay. It was just a flashback," O'Neill reassured him, and he felt a hand on his arm.

The contact breaking the spell, Danny found himself in the commissary again. All of his friend, present and future, were standing and looking at him with concern. Everyone else in the room was simply looking at him in confusion. When they saw it was over the crowd slowly started to turn back to their food, forgetting the odd group standing around the two tables at the side of the large room.

Danny's eyes widened. "Oh…oh no. I-I'm sorry," he fumbled, tears stinging his eyes when he realized what a scene he'd just made. "Sha're, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he gulped, when he saw the hurt tears in her eyes. Sha're knew he hadn't been able to help it, but she couldn't stop the pang in her chest at Danny's words and actions, nor keep the tears at bay that rose in her eyes.

Jack started to put an arm around his friend's shoulders and guide him back to his seat, but Danny pulled away.

"No. I should…I should go…" he said, still blinking back tears. If he was going to have a further emotional breakdown, he wasn't going to do it here.

So before anyone had a chance to stop him, Danny bolted from the commissary.