Daniel followed Jack back into the infirmary.
"Dr. Jackson, I know this can be extremely emotional. Did you want to postpone for a few hours?" Dr. Watters asked.
"No.that won't be necessary."
"You then have two options, Doctor. We can continue as we have been doing thus far, that is without the alien device or you can choose to use it for this session."
"I'll use the memory device," Daniel said, his voice almost wooden. Daniel sat on one of the beds and waited for Janet to finish cleaning off the device.
"Did you want this to be done one on one or would you rather have everyone stay?" Dr. Watters asked.
"I don't care," Daniel answered. Nobody in the room moved from their spot.
"Okay, Daniel. You know the drill," Janet said as she approached him with the device. Daniel nodded and lay down on his back. The moment the device attached itself to his skin, Dr. Watters didn't even have a chance to ask her question before the screen appeared, his memories already playing out.
*** The moment Daniel heard the metal door slam shut, he tried to muster all of his energy. "Sam?"
Nothing.
"Sam, talk to me!" Daniel coughed violently. It was a constant strain on him to use his voice.
The guards had come in and whipped her for the third time without an explanation.without a word. Daniel couldn't tell if Sam was breathing or not. Her entire body hung limply from her chains and with the tiny amount of light that seeped in, Daniel could see blood through her torn uniform. Why hadn't they done anything to him? Why were they just targeting Sam?
They had been there for two days and still they had received nothing to eat or drink. Daniel gritted his teeth when he felt a painful burning sensation in his armpits. His arms were on fire now that they were supporting his entire weight. He could feel the blood glide down from his wrists where the skin was torn and decaying. Daniel moved his feet slowly, trying to get them under him so that he could stand and take some of the weight off of his arms. He carefully examined his feet. They were filthy, bloody and numb. Without his boots, the rats had taken the liberty to bite at his skin. Sometimes the sensation was comforting, the sharp pain reminding him that he was still alive.
Daniel tried to stand. He cried out in pain when his feet failed him. He suddenly felt disjointed, like a marionette with its strings tangled, his arms jerking at odd angles, his legs buckling out of control. ***
Dr. Watters closed her eyes, the nausea too much. She didn't want to see this. She cleared her throat in an attempt to keep the nausea at bay. She looked up at the screen when a new scene began to play out.
*** Voices.
Daniel heard voices approaching. He no longer had the energy to lift his head. His body hung weakly from his chains. Sam seemed to be doing the same thing. They hadn't spoken in many hours, Sam's wounds obviously keeping her unconscious, allowing her body to conserve whatever energy was left.
// Bring me the items found on them when they were first brought here. I would like to interrogate the prisoners alone. //
The slam of the door broke into his thoughts and he listened as a large Jaffa entered. Daniel opened his eyes briefly. The darkness made it impossible to see his intruder clearly. In the light that filtered through, the Jaffa's face was all contours and shadows. Exhaustion soon overpowered Daniel's body and his eyes closed on their own accord.
Daniel heard the sound of a helmet retracting.
"DanielJackson.Major Carter?"
The man's voice caused Daniel's heart to skip a beat and he nearly choked from shock.
Teal'c!
Relief crashed through Daniel, leaving him trembling.
"DanielJackson, can you hear me?" Teal'c's voice sounded closer now, so close he could reach out and touch his friend if only his body would allow. Daniel tried to answer but he couldn't form the words. His mouth felt stuffed full of cotton.
Daniel could sense a ray of light hit him square in the face.
A flashlight.
Daniel could feel fingers touching him.kind fingers.fingers that belonged to a friend. They assessed him, searching for injury. Even when they passed over his arms, Daniel couldn't find the energy to cry out. Soon, he could no longer feel their comforting presence and he knew that Teal'c had probably gone on to assess Sam's situation as well.
"O'Neill, they are both unconscious and gravely injured." Daniel heard the familiar crackling of the SGC radio.
"Shit!" Jack paused. "How bad, Teal'c?" Jack's voice filtered through the radio. He had counted on them both being conscious and mobile to pull off the rescue.
"They have both been beaten. Major Carter has sustained numerous injuries to her back and -" Teal'c paused when he heard footsteps just outside the cell. He turned off the radio. A guard returned carrying various objects, among them was a P90, a handgun and two GDOs. Just as he was about to take the items, Teal'c suddenly heard a loud alarm go off. The guard in front of him tightened his grip on his staff weapon, his eyes darting back and forth anxiously. Soon another guard appeared in the doorway of the cell. He stared at Teal'c maliciously.
//There were no orders to retrieve the Tau'ri prisoners! He is an infiltrator within our ranks!// the guard yelled, lifting his staff weapon. Teal'c reached for his zat gun first and fired at the two Jaffa before him. The moment they lost consciousness, Teal'c bent down and grabbed a GDO and a large set of keys from one of the guards. Teal'c took out his radio and turned it on again.
"O'Neill, I have been found out."
"Damnit!" Jack's voice yelled back.
"I cannot carry both of them, O'Neill." Teal'c paused, the emotion of the situation too much to process at once.
"I know, Teal'c."
"There is not much time, O'Neill! You must make a decision."
There was only silence on the other end.
"O'Neill!" Teal'c urged, knowing that dozens of guards would be there any second.
"Give me a second here!" Jack yelled back.
Seconds went by and still Daniel could not find the power to speak. He soon heard footsteps in the hallway.
"O'Neill, they are approaching. Make your decision!"
"Carter." A slight pause. "Grab Carter and get the hell out of there," Jack ordered. ***
The silence in the room was deafening as everybody tried to take in everything they had just witnessed. Teal'c was unnaturally rigid. The screen flickered off yet did not disappear. Daniel remained motionless on the infirmary bed, his eyes still closed in concentration.
"Daniel?" Janet asked.
The screen came to life once again, this time, the images were choppy, flashing violently.
*** //This will be the last time he's going to kick me!// the guard sneered.
The guard unlocked Daniel's shackles and kicked him as he fell boneless to the ground.
//Grab him!// the guard ordered.
Daniel was dragged to another cell where he was forced to lie down on a wooden contraption.
Daniel could hardly struggle when he felt his arms and legs restrained. In the privacy of his own mind, Daniel thanked G-d that Sam was out.free of this hellhole.
An ugly face reared its head and he was soon staring into the glaring eyes of an angry Jaffa. //So, your friends left you here to die, Tau'ri?// The Jaffa smiled broadly. //You're going to wish you were dead once we're through with you!//
The man held up a metal hammer, the same as the ones used in the factory to forge metal. //Hold down his chest!//
Daniel felt his insides funnelling down like sand through an hour glass. His breathing began to quicken, the panic slowly rising into his throat.
The guard raised the hammer and then turned to Daniel with an evil smirk. //I would close my eyes if I were you.// A horrible thickness clogged Daniel's throat, his nostrils, each panicked breath sending a spurt of pain into his lungs. The seconds seemed to turn into minutes as the hand that held the heavy tool swung down forcefully.
There was a flash of crimson behind his eyes then pain, mushrooming, up his leg, in dull pounding waves.
Daniel's leg felt as though it had been ripped off from his body.
He screamed, unable to hold back the roaring agony inside him.
Pain.
All he knew was pain.
He yelled until his throat was hoarse from overuse.
Soon his entire body rippled with great thundering waves.
Daniel struggled to look down his body only to be assailed by a sight that sent his stomach roiling. His right leg looked as if it were snapped in half, a broken bone jutted out of his skin.
//Put him back in his cell,// the main guard ordered, dropping the hammer to the ground.
In that moment Daniel understood.he knew death was on its way.***
"Jesus Christ.what's happening to him?" Dr. Watters stood.
Daniel was seizing violently, his entire body arching off the bed.
"Okay, I want everyone out of here. Now!" Janet yelled.
Sam waited outside the infirmary while she tried to piece together everything she could. From what she had understood from the others, Teal'c and Jack had managed to make it back to their campsite that night. There, they had found a couple of SGC radios. Apparently, the Goa'uld were not interested in such 'primitive technology'. Since the stargate was still much too far, Teal'c had taken matters into his own hands. Determined to save his friends, Teal'c had managed to capture and kill a guard on the way. In doing so, he had taken the man's uniform along with a special device that would allow him to pass through the Goa'uld forcefield. Posing as a guard, Teal'c had successfully convinced the other Jaffa that he needed to take the Tau'ri back to one of the guards in the factory.
The whole thing had been very risky.
Daniel.
She couldn't even imagine what it had felt like to know that your friends were leaving you behind. She thanked G-d that she hadn't been conscious for the entire exchange between Teal'c and Jack. However, what she couldn't be thankful for was the guilt she still felt. Although she understood that there was no way she could have changed the outcome; her unconsciousness that night preventing her from doing anything remotely helpful, she still felt guilty, like it was somehow her doing that Jack had chosen her over Daniel.
And the way they had injured his leg.
She had never seen anything so horrendous in her life.
She had been waiting fifteen minutes and still there was no sign of Dr. Fraiser or Daniel for that matter. Sam straightened up when she sensed company and quickly wiped away any evidence of tears.
"Carter, how you doing?"
"I don't know, sir. I mean.that was." Sam shook her head in a renewal of disbelief.
"Yeah.I know." Jack's face seemed to have lost some of its colour as well.
The two remained silent after that.
Jack sighed. Teal'c had told him that Daniel had been unconscious at the time of Sam's rescue. He had had no idea that Daniel had witnessed the entire conversation between himself and Teal'c. This made things even more complex.
"He's fine." Janet finally appeared before them. "You can both come in and see him now." Jack and Sam wasted no time in following Janet into the infirmary. Daniel was sitting at the edge of the bed, putting on his shoes.
Janet held up the alien disk and examined it. "It seems the energy being emitted from the memory device intensifies whenever the host gets agitated. The cumulative effects probably stimulate the brain's neurons to fire, resulting in a seizure," Janet explained. "Like the Colonel, Daniel should be fine with a little sleep." She turned to her patient. "Which means you'll be well enough to come over for dinner tonight, right?"
"Right," Daniel smiled.
"Come on, I'll drive you two to the hotel." Jack patted Daniel's shoulder. Daniel nodded. "Sir, where's Teal'c?" Sam asked.
"Give him time, Carter. I think today was hard enough for everybody, don't you think?"
Sam knew Teal'c. She knew that he was probably feeling guilty, especially after seeing the entire event from Daniel's point of view. Sam waited for Daniel to grab his glasses and then followed Jack out of the infirmary.
Daniel stuck his hands in his coat pocket as he and Sam waited for Janet to open the door. "Damn, it's cold," Daniel muttered.
The door suddenly swung open, allowing the aroma of a warm home cooked meal to permeate the air.
"Come in, "Janet urged. Daniel and Sam stepped inside. Sam handed Janet a bottle of wine. "Thanks." Janet smiled. "Coats go in the closet."
Daniel grabbed Sam's jacket and hung it up along with his own.
"Cassandra's in the living room with the Colonel and Teal'c. Why don't you guys go and say hello while I warm up the soup?"
Daniel followed Sam into the living room where Cassandra sat on the couch facing the fireplace. She stood up the moment she saw her two new guests.
"Hi Cass!" Sam smiled brightly as she wrapped her arms around the younger woman. Cassandra was tall now. Sam figured she must have grown a couple of inches since she had last seen her. She also looked more demure, her face maturing into that of a beautiful young woman. "I've missed you!"
Cassandra then went on to greet Daniel. The hug was quick and almost forced. Their relationship had always been special. Daniel had always been there for her whenever she had needed him. However, in the last year, things had started to change. Daniel had become more withdrawn and too serious at times.
"Hi, Cass," he said.
"Hi." She smiled back politely.
Daniel and Sam sat down on the sofa. "So, how's school, Cass?" Sam asked.
"I hate it." Her response was short and to the point.
"Okay." Sam smiled. "Mind telling me why?"
"The teachers really suck. I mean, they assign us way too much homework. I hardly even have time to see my friends anymore," she complained.
"You mean Dominic," Janet's voice called out from the kitchen.
"Good ears, "Jack stated.
Cassandra rolled her eyes.
"So, Janet says you've been dabbling in photography." Daniel tried to change the subject.
"Yeah, but someone won't buy me the camera I want!" Cassandra stated a little too loud, obviously hoping her mother would hear her.
Janet's head popped out of the kitchen. "Well if someone got a job."
Cassandra rolled her eyes again.
"Careful, Cass. They say you could go blind like that," Jack joked.
"Dinner's ready!" Janet called.
As they each took a seat at the table, Jack asked, "So, you both packed up?"
"Pretty much, sir. My flight leaves at seven thirty a.m. and Daniel's leaves at eight."
Janet began to collect all the soup bowls. "I'll help." Sam got up from her seat and made her way into the kitchen with her friend. "How's the finger?" Sam inquired.
"It's fine." Janet began to fill each bowl with soup. She suddenly put down the bowl she held and looked at her friend. "Sam, after seeing what happened to you, I'm starting to wonder if maybe you should still talk to someone."
"Janet, I'm fine." Sam played with the bowl she held. "I'll probably never forget it but I know I can live with it."
Janet nodded. But the question that remained unanswered was whether Daniel, Jack and Teal'c could live with their own experiences. Both she and Janet knew that what had transpired in that cell was between the three of them yet it hurt to think about it nonetheless.
Both women returned passing the soup bowls around to everyone at the table. As everyone ate, discussion was light, talking about the latest world news and whether the Colorado Avalanche would have a chance at the playoffs.
"Cass, why don't you show them the pictures?" Janet asked.
When Cassandra ran upstairs to retrieve the album, all company moved to the living room where Jack began to start a fire.
Cassandra handed the album to Sam and began to make her way back upstairs.
"Where are you going?" Janet asked.
"Upstairs," she answered nonchalantly.
"Why?" Janet's voice was tinged with anger. "We have guests."
"I'm just going to call back one of my friends." And with that, Cassandra disappeared up the stairs.
"Sorry," Janet apologized. "I guess we aren't as exciting to her as we used to be."
"Teenagers will be teenagers," Sam laughed as she looked down and opened the picture album. A smile immediately appeared on her face. Janet squeezed in next to her. She pointed at a picture.
"Remember that? That was after the snow fight we had. Cassandra was so young then." Her fingers brushed over her daughter's face.
Sam turned the page and laughed aloud again. Daniel and Teal'c's curiosity summoned them over. "I totally forgot about this picture. This was when we helped you move in to your new apartment after Nem's planet," Sam said to Daniel. All four of them were covered in paint except for the Colonel who had been the instigator. Soon even Jack left what he was doing and joined them on the couch.
As the night moved along, they each revelled in the five years worth of memories.of friendship.of love. Sam caught herself wiping away moisture from her eye once or twice throughout the night.
"You know, Christmas is coming up in a few weeks. Why don't you all come over to my place," Jack suggested.
"I'd like that, sir," Sam remarked.
"Daniel?" Jack asked.
"I don't think I'll be able to make it," he responded curtly.
Sam closed her eyes, knowing his comment would hurt Jack immensely.
"Have a date with your rocks, do ya?" Jack asked sarcastically, his tone reproachful.
"Colonel-" Janet began but was interrupted.
"Does everything have to be sarcastic with you?" Daniel challenged.
"No." Jack's voice raised a notch. "But it seems you bring it out of me."
Daniel got up and walked a few feet away. "Jack, can't you just leave this alone?"
"That seems to be your answer to everything lately, doesn't it?" Jack got up as well.
"Okay.that's enough!" Janet got to her feet. "OUT!" Her finger pointed to the front door. When both men didn't move, she continued. "I want the both of you out of here until you cool off."
"We're fine, Janet," Daniel said.
"I think you have a lot more to discuss than you think!" Janet stood frozen in her spot, her finger still pointed at the front entrance. "Out!"
Jack was the first to move towards the front door. Daniel followed in silence. Jack handed Daniel his jacket before he grabbed his own and left the house. The moment the door slammed shut, Sam stared up at her friend from her seated position. "Wow, you're good."
"Indeed," Teal'c added.
Janet brushed her hair back with an evil smirk and sat back down. "I know."
"Boy.I think the whole 'mom' thing went straight to her head." Jack tried to lighten the mood.
It didn't work.
Both men walked down the driveway in silence.
Jack stopped.
"Daniel, we need to talk."
"I agree. I just don't know what to say." Daniel didn't want to lie to him, but he didn't want to stir anything up either.
"Fine. Why don't you start by telling me the real reason why you won't come down for Christmas?"
"Because I can't do this."
"Do what?"
"I can't be here like this."
"You're gonna have to be a little more specific, Daniel," Jack remarked.
"Because things will never be the same. We can't keep pretending, Jack."
"I'm not pretending, Daniel. You're the one that's hiding from something."
"I'm not hiding from anything, Jack," Daniel added.
"Oh I beg to differ," Jack's voice contained a hint of irritation.
Daniel held out his hand as if to ward off Jack's solicitousness and began to walk away, his steps uncommonly stiff.
"See, you're doing it right now!" Jack pointed out. "You're hiding.running away."
Daniel stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Well if I'm running away, it's because of you!" Daniel's tone raised a notch.
"Why?" Jack walked up to him until they were only a foot apart. "I want to hear it from your mouth!"
"I'm happy, Jack. I like what I'm doing now. I don't want to come back." His statement was blunt but, there seemed to be no substance, no truth, no conviction in it.
"Bullshit! I saw the way you were in your office the other day."
"You saw nothing, Jack." Daniel regarded him with that sad, faintly bewildered expression he always seemed to wear whenever they disagreed about something.
"Well I'm not buying it!"
"I'm not asking you to. I'm asking you to accept it," Daniel spoke softly, but each word hit Jack like a hammer against an iron anvil.
"I didn't make it this far by just accepting things, Daniel. I want my answer!" He was bitterly persistent.
"Fine! You want to know why I can't stand being here? Because it reminds me too much of my life before all this!" He waved his arms around vigorously. "It reminds me of everything I lost!" Daniel felt his anger humming and crackling like electricity seeking a ground.
"Daniel, there are worse things in life than losing a leg!"
"That wasn't what I was referring to, Jack!" Daniel's blue eyes blazed with sullen defiance.
Silence.
Both men respired heavily, their breaths visible amidst the cold air.
"Look Daniel, I can't help you if I don't understand what it is you're talking about or how it involves me."
Daniel turned so that his back now faced Jack.
"I was left for dead, Jack." Daniel's voice was almost completely toneless, resentment shimmering inside him.
Jack felt the air squeeze from his lungs, as if a large boulder were sitting on his chest, pressing down on him, yet he feigned only mild surprise. Jack knew this was bound to come up. No matter how much he wished to avoid this topic, he knew he couldn't.
"Do you honestly think I wanted to leave you there?" Jack said with a tone of icy annoyance, eyeing Daniel speculatively, trying to catch a glimpse into his heart that lay beneath his tough brittle shell.
Daniel shook his head in answer.
"Are you suggesting I should have left Carter there? Is that what you're saying?!?" Jack couldn't resist asking him in the intensity of the moment.
"I never said that!" Daniel's voice dismissed his friend with something like contempt. But somewhere deep inside, he knew that he was being irrational. Daniel knew he would have been even angrier if the situation had reversed itself and Sam had been left behind.
"I had to make a decision, Daniel. Hardest decision of my life, believe me, but someone had to do it! It comes with the territory!" Jack was spluttering he was so angry but he knew his rage was misguided; Daniel was not to blame.he was. He could feel all the guilt, all the frustration, flowing down his veins like a landslide and he was too weak to stop it.
"Jack-" Daniel began.
"You want to blame me, Daniel? Fine! Why don't you have a swing at me?!? Maybe that would make you feel better! Come on!"
Daniel ignored him.
Jack closed his eyes and presented Daniel with his cheek. "Come on! Let's go!"
Before he knew what had hit him, Jack was on his back in the snow, his cheek stinging unmercifully. Jack's gaze travelled upward where Daniel stood above him, cradling his hand.
"OW!" Jack rubbed his face and sat up. "I can't believe you hit me!"
"Actually, that didn't make me feel any better," Daniel said trying to rub away the pain from his knuckles.
A beat of silence passed between both men.
"You know, you should really put some ice on that." Jack pointed to Daniel's hand.
"You too," Daniel said, pointing to Jack's cheek.
Daniel took a seat next to Jack and collected a ball of snow to rub on his knuckles. "You did it 'cause you care for her, don't you?"
Jack shook his head in answer. "Look, Daniel. Carter and I are in the Air Force. Even if I did care for her, I couldn't do anything about that." Jack cleared his throat, trying to relieve some of the tension. "That's not why I had to choose Carter," Jack explained calmly. "Carter's way too valuable to this program. Something goes wrong with the stargate and we're finished without her." Jack kicked at the snow with his boot.
Daniel nodded in agreement.
Jack felt his chest clench. "What would you have done had you been in my position? Who would you have picked, Carter or me?"
"I can't answer that, Jack."
"Well I had to, Daniel! I'm sorry Teal'c couldn't get the both of you out. I'm sorry you had to go through all that shit because you got left behind." Jack turned to face Daniel. "We never stopped trying, Daniel. Even when we were back, we never stopped trying." They were words of gentle reproach, but the look in his eyes told Daniel that he cared more than he had ever expected.
Daniel nodded wordlessly. His eyes were glistening with emotion. "I guess it's just hard." Daniel took a deep breath to hold back the onslaught of tears. "Sometimes I feel so lost, Jack. Like I don't even know who I am anymore." Jack looked at his friend and was reminded of a snowflake that would melt if he touched it.
"We all feel like that, Daniel. You have to get passed it. Otherwise, it'll eat you up." Jack patted Daniel on the back. "Come on, why don't we go back inside before my buns decide they like their current frozen yet firm state?"
Daniel stood and helped Jack up.
"So, are we good?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, we're good!" Daniel smiled.
"Good."
The night had come to an end when all the dishes were cleaned and neatly placed back in their respective cabinets. It was eleven o'clock when Janet and Cassandra bid their guests farewell. Jack and Teal'c drove their two teammates to their hotel. Jack parked the car next to the hotel entrance and got out. Teal'c followed.
"So, I guess it's goodbye." Jack smiled.
"Who knows.maybe we'll be here for Christmas," Daniel said.
"That's right! And you better buy me a damn big present to make up for that big honkin' shiner I'm gonna have!"
Sam and Teal'c stared at them, an expression of confusion etched across their faces.
"Long story," both men responded in unison.
"Wasn't going to ask." Sam turned to Jack. "Bye, sir. It was really nice seeing you again."
"Likewise, Carter." He pulled her into an embrace.
"Bye, Teal'c." Sam approached him and hugged him as well.
"Daniel." Jack held out his hand.
"Jack." Daniel accepted. They both shook hands until finally, Jack pulled the smaller man into a hug. "Take care of yourself out there," Daniel added.
"Always do!" Jack responded. Once released, Daniel sought out Teal'c.
"Bye, Teal'c."
Teal'c bowed his head and shook Daniel's hand.
When all 'goodbyes' were in order, Jack and Teal'c got into the car and drove away.
Jack stared at the event horizon. It had been three months since he had seen his former teammates and yet, not a week had gone by when they had not spoken over the phone. A lot had been discussed and cleared up over that time giving Jack a feeling of peaceful resolution. When he'd get back from this mission, Jack would suggest going somewhere for the weekend, as a team.
"Colonel, are you ready?" General Hammond stood beside Jack in the gateroom.
Jack turned to greet his CO. "Yes, sir. It shouldn't take more than three hours to close up the deal, sir. Home in time for the game."
"And the Karishans have agreed to everything?"
"Yes, sir."
Both men were distracted by the 'kawoosh' of the stargate coming to life.
"Good luck, Colonel."
"Thank you, sir." Jack watched as his commanding officer left the gateroom. "Green, McGuire.you ready?"
"Yes, sir," both responded.
"Good. Let's move out!" Jack followed Teal'c up the ramp and stepped through the shimmering wormhole.
The planet on the other side was warm and sunny. The clearing where the stargate stood was surrounded by hundreds of trees. Jack began to scout around.
As the seconds passed, the wormhole remained activated.
"Where are they?" Jack complained.
"I am unsure, O'Neill."
Both men stared at the wormhole and waited. There was still no sign of the other two men.
Jack turned to Teal'c. "I swear, if I'm late for that game-" Jack stopped when he heard a voice interrupt him.
"I don't know, Daniel. I don't think they'll have much of a chance against the New York Rangers."
Sam and Daniel stepped out of the stargate dressed in SGC field uniforms.
"Well try telling that to Jack."
"Holy shit." Jack whispered to himself, a wide smile appearing on his face. He shook his head with disbelief.
Jack and Teal'c approached their two friends.
"You're back?" Jack asked.
"We're back." Daniel smiled.
"What about the whole.?" Jack gestured at Daniel's leg.
Daniel bent down and pulled up the material of his pants.
"Whoa!" Jack exclaimed and stepped back. Teal'c also seemed relatively surprised. "What the hell is that?"
"Actually, sir, it's the Asgard's version of a prosthetic limb only far more advanced than anything on Earth," Sam explained. The leg was made of various metal parts, dozens of wires wrapped themselves around the limb behind a protective casing.
"Watch." Daniel rotated the section of the mechanical limb that resembled an ankle.
"The device is actually connected to Daniel's central nervous system. It responds like a real leg," Sam explained. She could hardly contain her excitement.
"Then why the hell did they wait so long to give it to him?" Jack asked.
"I got a call from General Hammond last week. It turns out he had contacted Thor with a request for help about five or six months ago. Since the Asgard have no need for prosthetic limbs, they actually invented this." Daniel motioned to the mechanical leg. "When I told you I was at a dig last week, I was really trying this thing out, learning how it works." Daniel rotated the ankle again, apparently still fascinated by its design.
"Hey, you gotta love Thor!" Jack stated.
"Indeed," Teal'c smiled.
"I'm still not on the team yet. They're only letting me join SG-1 offworld under the condition that the planet is a secure one. Janet's going to monitor me for the next few months to see how everything goes with this." Daniel looked down at his new leg. "If everything goes well, then." Daniel glanced up hopefully.
"And how about you, Major? Are you onboard?" Jack asked.
"Yes, sir." Sam smiled broadly.
"It's great to have you both back," Jack said softly, the words sincere. He reached out to hug both of his friends.
"It's good to be back, sir," Sam said. "I really missed it."
"So, where's that village?" Daniel finally asked, his blue eyes overly bright.
"Just a few clicks East from here," Jack announced. "Let's move out, kids!" He patted Daniel on the shoulder.
All four members of SG-1 fell into step, a comfortable pace that they each knew well. It came from years of friendship, years of understanding and years of love. "Hardly a limp," Jack pointed out to Daniel as they walked.
"Yeah. I'm really starting to get the hang of it. Janet says the limp should go away in a week or two." Jack nodded. "Listen, Jack. I know there are still lots of.issues. that need to be discussed." Daniel had a hard time getting the words out. "I mean, I know we've been speaking over the phone but-"
"Tonight.my place. We'll talk, we'll drink. How does that sound?"
"Sounds good." Daniel felt relieved. And for the first time in a year, he actually believed that things would work out. This was his family. The bad memories would always be there, that lingering sting of a blister that simply won't go away. Anger came and went, changing places, changing hands, but family would always remain family.
THE END
"Dr. Jackson, I know this can be extremely emotional. Did you want to postpone for a few hours?" Dr. Watters asked.
"No.that won't be necessary."
"You then have two options, Doctor. We can continue as we have been doing thus far, that is without the alien device or you can choose to use it for this session."
"I'll use the memory device," Daniel said, his voice almost wooden. Daniel sat on one of the beds and waited for Janet to finish cleaning off the device.
"Did you want this to be done one on one or would you rather have everyone stay?" Dr. Watters asked.
"I don't care," Daniel answered. Nobody in the room moved from their spot.
"Okay, Daniel. You know the drill," Janet said as she approached him with the device. Daniel nodded and lay down on his back. The moment the device attached itself to his skin, Dr. Watters didn't even have a chance to ask her question before the screen appeared, his memories already playing out.
*** The moment Daniel heard the metal door slam shut, he tried to muster all of his energy. "Sam?"
Nothing.
"Sam, talk to me!" Daniel coughed violently. It was a constant strain on him to use his voice.
The guards had come in and whipped her for the third time without an explanation.without a word. Daniel couldn't tell if Sam was breathing or not. Her entire body hung limply from her chains and with the tiny amount of light that seeped in, Daniel could see blood through her torn uniform. Why hadn't they done anything to him? Why were they just targeting Sam?
They had been there for two days and still they had received nothing to eat or drink. Daniel gritted his teeth when he felt a painful burning sensation in his armpits. His arms were on fire now that they were supporting his entire weight. He could feel the blood glide down from his wrists where the skin was torn and decaying. Daniel moved his feet slowly, trying to get them under him so that he could stand and take some of the weight off of his arms. He carefully examined his feet. They were filthy, bloody and numb. Without his boots, the rats had taken the liberty to bite at his skin. Sometimes the sensation was comforting, the sharp pain reminding him that he was still alive.
Daniel tried to stand. He cried out in pain when his feet failed him. He suddenly felt disjointed, like a marionette with its strings tangled, his arms jerking at odd angles, his legs buckling out of control. ***
Dr. Watters closed her eyes, the nausea too much. She didn't want to see this. She cleared her throat in an attempt to keep the nausea at bay. She looked up at the screen when a new scene began to play out.
*** Voices.
Daniel heard voices approaching. He no longer had the energy to lift his head. His body hung weakly from his chains. Sam seemed to be doing the same thing. They hadn't spoken in many hours, Sam's wounds obviously keeping her unconscious, allowing her body to conserve whatever energy was left.
// Bring me the items found on them when they were first brought here. I would like to interrogate the prisoners alone. //
The slam of the door broke into his thoughts and he listened as a large Jaffa entered. Daniel opened his eyes briefly. The darkness made it impossible to see his intruder clearly. In the light that filtered through, the Jaffa's face was all contours and shadows. Exhaustion soon overpowered Daniel's body and his eyes closed on their own accord.
Daniel heard the sound of a helmet retracting.
"DanielJackson.Major Carter?"
The man's voice caused Daniel's heart to skip a beat and he nearly choked from shock.
Teal'c!
Relief crashed through Daniel, leaving him trembling.
"DanielJackson, can you hear me?" Teal'c's voice sounded closer now, so close he could reach out and touch his friend if only his body would allow. Daniel tried to answer but he couldn't form the words. His mouth felt stuffed full of cotton.
Daniel could sense a ray of light hit him square in the face.
A flashlight.
Daniel could feel fingers touching him.kind fingers.fingers that belonged to a friend. They assessed him, searching for injury. Even when they passed over his arms, Daniel couldn't find the energy to cry out. Soon, he could no longer feel their comforting presence and he knew that Teal'c had probably gone on to assess Sam's situation as well.
"O'Neill, they are both unconscious and gravely injured." Daniel heard the familiar crackling of the SGC radio.
"Shit!" Jack paused. "How bad, Teal'c?" Jack's voice filtered through the radio. He had counted on them both being conscious and mobile to pull off the rescue.
"They have both been beaten. Major Carter has sustained numerous injuries to her back and -" Teal'c paused when he heard footsteps just outside the cell. He turned off the radio. A guard returned carrying various objects, among them was a P90, a handgun and two GDOs. Just as he was about to take the items, Teal'c suddenly heard a loud alarm go off. The guard in front of him tightened his grip on his staff weapon, his eyes darting back and forth anxiously. Soon another guard appeared in the doorway of the cell. He stared at Teal'c maliciously.
//There were no orders to retrieve the Tau'ri prisoners! He is an infiltrator within our ranks!// the guard yelled, lifting his staff weapon. Teal'c reached for his zat gun first and fired at the two Jaffa before him. The moment they lost consciousness, Teal'c bent down and grabbed a GDO and a large set of keys from one of the guards. Teal'c took out his radio and turned it on again.
"O'Neill, I have been found out."
"Damnit!" Jack's voice yelled back.
"I cannot carry both of them, O'Neill." Teal'c paused, the emotion of the situation too much to process at once.
"I know, Teal'c."
"There is not much time, O'Neill! You must make a decision."
There was only silence on the other end.
"O'Neill!" Teal'c urged, knowing that dozens of guards would be there any second.
"Give me a second here!" Jack yelled back.
Seconds went by and still Daniel could not find the power to speak. He soon heard footsteps in the hallway.
"O'Neill, they are approaching. Make your decision!"
"Carter." A slight pause. "Grab Carter and get the hell out of there," Jack ordered. ***
The silence in the room was deafening as everybody tried to take in everything they had just witnessed. Teal'c was unnaturally rigid. The screen flickered off yet did not disappear. Daniel remained motionless on the infirmary bed, his eyes still closed in concentration.
"Daniel?" Janet asked.
The screen came to life once again, this time, the images were choppy, flashing violently.
*** //This will be the last time he's going to kick me!// the guard sneered.
The guard unlocked Daniel's shackles and kicked him as he fell boneless to the ground.
//Grab him!// the guard ordered.
Daniel was dragged to another cell where he was forced to lie down on a wooden contraption.
Daniel could hardly struggle when he felt his arms and legs restrained. In the privacy of his own mind, Daniel thanked G-d that Sam was out.free of this hellhole.
An ugly face reared its head and he was soon staring into the glaring eyes of an angry Jaffa. //So, your friends left you here to die, Tau'ri?// The Jaffa smiled broadly. //You're going to wish you were dead once we're through with you!//
The man held up a metal hammer, the same as the ones used in the factory to forge metal. //Hold down his chest!//
Daniel felt his insides funnelling down like sand through an hour glass. His breathing began to quicken, the panic slowly rising into his throat.
The guard raised the hammer and then turned to Daniel with an evil smirk. //I would close my eyes if I were you.// A horrible thickness clogged Daniel's throat, his nostrils, each panicked breath sending a spurt of pain into his lungs. The seconds seemed to turn into minutes as the hand that held the heavy tool swung down forcefully.
There was a flash of crimson behind his eyes then pain, mushrooming, up his leg, in dull pounding waves.
Daniel's leg felt as though it had been ripped off from his body.
He screamed, unable to hold back the roaring agony inside him.
Pain.
All he knew was pain.
He yelled until his throat was hoarse from overuse.
Soon his entire body rippled with great thundering waves.
Daniel struggled to look down his body only to be assailed by a sight that sent his stomach roiling. His right leg looked as if it were snapped in half, a broken bone jutted out of his skin.
//Put him back in his cell,// the main guard ordered, dropping the hammer to the ground.
In that moment Daniel understood.he knew death was on its way.***
"Jesus Christ.what's happening to him?" Dr. Watters stood.
Daniel was seizing violently, his entire body arching off the bed.
"Okay, I want everyone out of here. Now!" Janet yelled.
Sam waited outside the infirmary while she tried to piece together everything she could. From what she had understood from the others, Teal'c and Jack had managed to make it back to their campsite that night. There, they had found a couple of SGC radios. Apparently, the Goa'uld were not interested in such 'primitive technology'. Since the stargate was still much too far, Teal'c had taken matters into his own hands. Determined to save his friends, Teal'c had managed to capture and kill a guard on the way. In doing so, he had taken the man's uniform along with a special device that would allow him to pass through the Goa'uld forcefield. Posing as a guard, Teal'c had successfully convinced the other Jaffa that he needed to take the Tau'ri back to one of the guards in the factory.
The whole thing had been very risky.
Daniel.
She couldn't even imagine what it had felt like to know that your friends were leaving you behind. She thanked G-d that she hadn't been conscious for the entire exchange between Teal'c and Jack. However, what she couldn't be thankful for was the guilt she still felt. Although she understood that there was no way she could have changed the outcome; her unconsciousness that night preventing her from doing anything remotely helpful, she still felt guilty, like it was somehow her doing that Jack had chosen her over Daniel.
And the way they had injured his leg.
She had never seen anything so horrendous in her life.
She had been waiting fifteen minutes and still there was no sign of Dr. Fraiser or Daniel for that matter. Sam straightened up when she sensed company and quickly wiped away any evidence of tears.
"Carter, how you doing?"
"I don't know, sir. I mean.that was." Sam shook her head in a renewal of disbelief.
"Yeah.I know." Jack's face seemed to have lost some of its colour as well.
The two remained silent after that.
Jack sighed. Teal'c had told him that Daniel had been unconscious at the time of Sam's rescue. He had had no idea that Daniel had witnessed the entire conversation between himself and Teal'c. This made things even more complex.
"He's fine." Janet finally appeared before them. "You can both come in and see him now." Jack and Sam wasted no time in following Janet into the infirmary. Daniel was sitting at the edge of the bed, putting on his shoes.
Janet held up the alien disk and examined it. "It seems the energy being emitted from the memory device intensifies whenever the host gets agitated. The cumulative effects probably stimulate the brain's neurons to fire, resulting in a seizure," Janet explained. "Like the Colonel, Daniel should be fine with a little sleep." She turned to her patient. "Which means you'll be well enough to come over for dinner tonight, right?"
"Right," Daniel smiled.
"Come on, I'll drive you two to the hotel." Jack patted Daniel's shoulder. Daniel nodded. "Sir, where's Teal'c?" Sam asked.
"Give him time, Carter. I think today was hard enough for everybody, don't you think?"
Sam knew Teal'c. She knew that he was probably feeling guilty, especially after seeing the entire event from Daniel's point of view. Sam waited for Daniel to grab his glasses and then followed Jack out of the infirmary.
Daniel stuck his hands in his coat pocket as he and Sam waited for Janet to open the door. "Damn, it's cold," Daniel muttered.
The door suddenly swung open, allowing the aroma of a warm home cooked meal to permeate the air.
"Come in, "Janet urged. Daniel and Sam stepped inside. Sam handed Janet a bottle of wine. "Thanks." Janet smiled. "Coats go in the closet."
Daniel grabbed Sam's jacket and hung it up along with his own.
"Cassandra's in the living room with the Colonel and Teal'c. Why don't you guys go and say hello while I warm up the soup?"
Daniel followed Sam into the living room where Cassandra sat on the couch facing the fireplace. She stood up the moment she saw her two new guests.
"Hi Cass!" Sam smiled brightly as she wrapped her arms around the younger woman. Cassandra was tall now. Sam figured she must have grown a couple of inches since she had last seen her. She also looked more demure, her face maturing into that of a beautiful young woman. "I've missed you!"
Cassandra then went on to greet Daniel. The hug was quick and almost forced. Their relationship had always been special. Daniel had always been there for her whenever she had needed him. However, in the last year, things had started to change. Daniel had become more withdrawn and too serious at times.
"Hi, Cass," he said.
"Hi." She smiled back politely.
Daniel and Sam sat down on the sofa. "So, how's school, Cass?" Sam asked.
"I hate it." Her response was short and to the point.
"Okay." Sam smiled. "Mind telling me why?"
"The teachers really suck. I mean, they assign us way too much homework. I hardly even have time to see my friends anymore," she complained.
"You mean Dominic," Janet's voice called out from the kitchen.
"Good ears, "Jack stated.
Cassandra rolled her eyes.
"So, Janet says you've been dabbling in photography." Daniel tried to change the subject.
"Yeah, but someone won't buy me the camera I want!" Cassandra stated a little too loud, obviously hoping her mother would hear her.
Janet's head popped out of the kitchen. "Well if someone got a job."
Cassandra rolled her eyes again.
"Careful, Cass. They say you could go blind like that," Jack joked.
"Dinner's ready!" Janet called.
As they each took a seat at the table, Jack asked, "So, you both packed up?"
"Pretty much, sir. My flight leaves at seven thirty a.m. and Daniel's leaves at eight."
Janet began to collect all the soup bowls. "I'll help." Sam got up from her seat and made her way into the kitchen with her friend. "How's the finger?" Sam inquired.
"It's fine." Janet began to fill each bowl with soup. She suddenly put down the bowl she held and looked at her friend. "Sam, after seeing what happened to you, I'm starting to wonder if maybe you should still talk to someone."
"Janet, I'm fine." Sam played with the bowl she held. "I'll probably never forget it but I know I can live with it."
Janet nodded. But the question that remained unanswered was whether Daniel, Jack and Teal'c could live with their own experiences. Both she and Janet knew that what had transpired in that cell was between the three of them yet it hurt to think about it nonetheless.
Both women returned passing the soup bowls around to everyone at the table. As everyone ate, discussion was light, talking about the latest world news and whether the Colorado Avalanche would have a chance at the playoffs.
"Cass, why don't you show them the pictures?" Janet asked.
When Cassandra ran upstairs to retrieve the album, all company moved to the living room where Jack began to start a fire.
Cassandra handed the album to Sam and began to make her way back upstairs.
"Where are you going?" Janet asked.
"Upstairs," she answered nonchalantly.
"Why?" Janet's voice was tinged with anger. "We have guests."
"I'm just going to call back one of my friends." And with that, Cassandra disappeared up the stairs.
"Sorry," Janet apologized. "I guess we aren't as exciting to her as we used to be."
"Teenagers will be teenagers," Sam laughed as she looked down and opened the picture album. A smile immediately appeared on her face. Janet squeezed in next to her. She pointed at a picture.
"Remember that? That was after the snow fight we had. Cassandra was so young then." Her fingers brushed over her daughter's face.
Sam turned the page and laughed aloud again. Daniel and Teal'c's curiosity summoned them over. "I totally forgot about this picture. This was when we helped you move in to your new apartment after Nem's planet," Sam said to Daniel. All four of them were covered in paint except for the Colonel who had been the instigator. Soon even Jack left what he was doing and joined them on the couch.
As the night moved along, they each revelled in the five years worth of memories.of friendship.of love. Sam caught herself wiping away moisture from her eye once or twice throughout the night.
"You know, Christmas is coming up in a few weeks. Why don't you all come over to my place," Jack suggested.
"I'd like that, sir," Sam remarked.
"Daniel?" Jack asked.
"I don't think I'll be able to make it," he responded curtly.
Sam closed her eyes, knowing his comment would hurt Jack immensely.
"Have a date with your rocks, do ya?" Jack asked sarcastically, his tone reproachful.
"Colonel-" Janet began but was interrupted.
"Does everything have to be sarcastic with you?" Daniel challenged.
"No." Jack's voice raised a notch. "But it seems you bring it out of me."
Daniel got up and walked a few feet away. "Jack, can't you just leave this alone?"
"That seems to be your answer to everything lately, doesn't it?" Jack got up as well.
"Okay.that's enough!" Janet got to her feet. "OUT!" Her finger pointed to the front door. When both men didn't move, she continued. "I want the both of you out of here until you cool off."
"We're fine, Janet," Daniel said.
"I think you have a lot more to discuss than you think!" Janet stood frozen in her spot, her finger still pointed at the front entrance. "Out!"
Jack was the first to move towards the front door. Daniel followed in silence. Jack handed Daniel his jacket before he grabbed his own and left the house. The moment the door slammed shut, Sam stared up at her friend from her seated position. "Wow, you're good."
"Indeed," Teal'c added.
Janet brushed her hair back with an evil smirk and sat back down. "I know."
"Boy.I think the whole 'mom' thing went straight to her head." Jack tried to lighten the mood.
It didn't work.
Both men walked down the driveway in silence.
Jack stopped.
"Daniel, we need to talk."
"I agree. I just don't know what to say." Daniel didn't want to lie to him, but he didn't want to stir anything up either.
"Fine. Why don't you start by telling me the real reason why you won't come down for Christmas?"
"Because I can't do this."
"Do what?"
"I can't be here like this."
"You're gonna have to be a little more specific, Daniel," Jack remarked.
"Because things will never be the same. We can't keep pretending, Jack."
"I'm not pretending, Daniel. You're the one that's hiding from something."
"I'm not hiding from anything, Jack," Daniel added.
"Oh I beg to differ," Jack's voice contained a hint of irritation.
Daniel held out his hand as if to ward off Jack's solicitousness and began to walk away, his steps uncommonly stiff.
"See, you're doing it right now!" Jack pointed out. "You're hiding.running away."
Daniel stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Well if I'm running away, it's because of you!" Daniel's tone raised a notch.
"Why?" Jack walked up to him until they were only a foot apart. "I want to hear it from your mouth!"
"I'm happy, Jack. I like what I'm doing now. I don't want to come back." His statement was blunt but, there seemed to be no substance, no truth, no conviction in it.
"Bullshit! I saw the way you were in your office the other day."
"You saw nothing, Jack." Daniel regarded him with that sad, faintly bewildered expression he always seemed to wear whenever they disagreed about something.
"Well I'm not buying it!"
"I'm not asking you to. I'm asking you to accept it," Daniel spoke softly, but each word hit Jack like a hammer against an iron anvil.
"I didn't make it this far by just accepting things, Daniel. I want my answer!" He was bitterly persistent.
"Fine! You want to know why I can't stand being here? Because it reminds me too much of my life before all this!" He waved his arms around vigorously. "It reminds me of everything I lost!" Daniel felt his anger humming and crackling like electricity seeking a ground.
"Daniel, there are worse things in life than losing a leg!"
"That wasn't what I was referring to, Jack!" Daniel's blue eyes blazed with sullen defiance.
Silence.
Both men respired heavily, their breaths visible amidst the cold air.
"Look Daniel, I can't help you if I don't understand what it is you're talking about or how it involves me."
Daniel turned so that his back now faced Jack.
"I was left for dead, Jack." Daniel's voice was almost completely toneless, resentment shimmering inside him.
Jack felt the air squeeze from his lungs, as if a large boulder were sitting on his chest, pressing down on him, yet he feigned only mild surprise. Jack knew this was bound to come up. No matter how much he wished to avoid this topic, he knew he couldn't.
"Do you honestly think I wanted to leave you there?" Jack said with a tone of icy annoyance, eyeing Daniel speculatively, trying to catch a glimpse into his heart that lay beneath his tough brittle shell.
Daniel shook his head in answer.
"Are you suggesting I should have left Carter there? Is that what you're saying?!?" Jack couldn't resist asking him in the intensity of the moment.
"I never said that!" Daniel's voice dismissed his friend with something like contempt. But somewhere deep inside, he knew that he was being irrational. Daniel knew he would have been even angrier if the situation had reversed itself and Sam had been left behind.
"I had to make a decision, Daniel. Hardest decision of my life, believe me, but someone had to do it! It comes with the territory!" Jack was spluttering he was so angry but he knew his rage was misguided; Daniel was not to blame.he was. He could feel all the guilt, all the frustration, flowing down his veins like a landslide and he was too weak to stop it.
"Jack-" Daniel began.
"You want to blame me, Daniel? Fine! Why don't you have a swing at me?!? Maybe that would make you feel better! Come on!"
Daniel ignored him.
Jack closed his eyes and presented Daniel with his cheek. "Come on! Let's go!"
Before he knew what had hit him, Jack was on his back in the snow, his cheek stinging unmercifully. Jack's gaze travelled upward where Daniel stood above him, cradling his hand.
"OW!" Jack rubbed his face and sat up. "I can't believe you hit me!"
"Actually, that didn't make me feel any better," Daniel said trying to rub away the pain from his knuckles.
A beat of silence passed between both men.
"You know, you should really put some ice on that." Jack pointed to Daniel's hand.
"You too," Daniel said, pointing to Jack's cheek.
Daniel took a seat next to Jack and collected a ball of snow to rub on his knuckles. "You did it 'cause you care for her, don't you?"
Jack shook his head in answer. "Look, Daniel. Carter and I are in the Air Force. Even if I did care for her, I couldn't do anything about that." Jack cleared his throat, trying to relieve some of the tension. "That's not why I had to choose Carter," Jack explained calmly. "Carter's way too valuable to this program. Something goes wrong with the stargate and we're finished without her." Jack kicked at the snow with his boot.
Daniel nodded in agreement.
Jack felt his chest clench. "What would you have done had you been in my position? Who would you have picked, Carter or me?"
"I can't answer that, Jack."
"Well I had to, Daniel! I'm sorry Teal'c couldn't get the both of you out. I'm sorry you had to go through all that shit because you got left behind." Jack turned to face Daniel. "We never stopped trying, Daniel. Even when we were back, we never stopped trying." They were words of gentle reproach, but the look in his eyes told Daniel that he cared more than he had ever expected.
Daniel nodded wordlessly. His eyes were glistening with emotion. "I guess it's just hard." Daniel took a deep breath to hold back the onslaught of tears. "Sometimes I feel so lost, Jack. Like I don't even know who I am anymore." Jack looked at his friend and was reminded of a snowflake that would melt if he touched it.
"We all feel like that, Daniel. You have to get passed it. Otherwise, it'll eat you up." Jack patted Daniel on the back. "Come on, why don't we go back inside before my buns decide they like their current frozen yet firm state?"
Daniel stood and helped Jack up.
"So, are we good?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, we're good!" Daniel smiled.
"Good."
The night had come to an end when all the dishes were cleaned and neatly placed back in their respective cabinets. It was eleven o'clock when Janet and Cassandra bid their guests farewell. Jack and Teal'c drove their two teammates to their hotel. Jack parked the car next to the hotel entrance and got out. Teal'c followed.
"So, I guess it's goodbye." Jack smiled.
"Who knows.maybe we'll be here for Christmas," Daniel said.
"That's right! And you better buy me a damn big present to make up for that big honkin' shiner I'm gonna have!"
Sam and Teal'c stared at them, an expression of confusion etched across their faces.
"Long story," both men responded in unison.
"Wasn't going to ask." Sam turned to Jack. "Bye, sir. It was really nice seeing you again."
"Likewise, Carter." He pulled her into an embrace.
"Bye, Teal'c." Sam approached him and hugged him as well.
"Daniel." Jack held out his hand.
"Jack." Daniel accepted. They both shook hands until finally, Jack pulled the smaller man into a hug. "Take care of yourself out there," Daniel added.
"Always do!" Jack responded. Once released, Daniel sought out Teal'c.
"Bye, Teal'c."
Teal'c bowed his head and shook Daniel's hand.
When all 'goodbyes' were in order, Jack and Teal'c got into the car and drove away.
Jack stared at the event horizon. It had been three months since he had seen his former teammates and yet, not a week had gone by when they had not spoken over the phone. A lot had been discussed and cleared up over that time giving Jack a feeling of peaceful resolution. When he'd get back from this mission, Jack would suggest going somewhere for the weekend, as a team.
"Colonel, are you ready?" General Hammond stood beside Jack in the gateroom.
Jack turned to greet his CO. "Yes, sir. It shouldn't take more than three hours to close up the deal, sir. Home in time for the game."
"And the Karishans have agreed to everything?"
"Yes, sir."
Both men were distracted by the 'kawoosh' of the stargate coming to life.
"Good luck, Colonel."
"Thank you, sir." Jack watched as his commanding officer left the gateroom. "Green, McGuire.you ready?"
"Yes, sir," both responded.
"Good. Let's move out!" Jack followed Teal'c up the ramp and stepped through the shimmering wormhole.
The planet on the other side was warm and sunny. The clearing where the stargate stood was surrounded by hundreds of trees. Jack began to scout around.
As the seconds passed, the wormhole remained activated.
"Where are they?" Jack complained.
"I am unsure, O'Neill."
Both men stared at the wormhole and waited. There was still no sign of the other two men.
Jack turned to Teal'c. "I swear, if I'm late for that game-" Jack stopped when he heard a voice interrupt him.
"I don't know, Daniel. I don't think they'll have much of a chance against the New York Rangers."
Sam and Daniel stepped out of the stargate dressed in SGC field uniforms.
"Well try telling that to Jack."
"Holy shit." Jack whispered to himself, a wide smile appearing on his face. He shook his head with disbelief.
Jack and Teal'c approached their two friends.
"You're back?" Jack asked.
"We're back." Daniel smiled.
"What about the whole.?" Jack gestured at Daniel's leg.
Daniel bent down and pulled up the material of his pants.
"Whoa!" Jack exclaimed and stepped back. Teal'c also seemed relatively surprised. "What the hell is that?"
"Actually, sir, it's the Asgard's version of a prosthetic limb only far more advanced than anything on Earth," Sam explained. The leg was made of various metal parts, dozens of wires wrapped themselves around the limb behind a protective casing.
"Watch." Daniel rotated the section of the mechanical limb that resembled an ankle.
"The device is actually connected to Daniel's central nervous system. It responds like a real leg," Sam explained. She could hardly contain her excitement.
"Then why the hell did they wait so long to give it to him?" Jack asked.
"I got a call from General Hammond last week. It turns out he had contacted Thor with a request for help about five or six months ago. Since the Asgard have no need for prosthetic limbs, they actually invented this." Daniel motioned to the mechanical leg. "When I told you I was at a dig last week, I was really trying this thing out, learning how it works." Daniel rotated the ankle again, apparently still fascinated by its design.
"Hey, you gotta love Thor!" Jack stated.
"Indeed," Teal'c smiled.
"I'm still not on the team yet. They're only letting me join SG-1 offworld under the condition that the planet is a secure one. Janet's going to monitor me for the next few months to see how everything goes with this." Daniel looked down at his new leg. "If everything goes well, then." Daniel glanced up hopefully.
"And how about you, Major? Are you onboard?" Jack asked.
"Yes, sir." Sam smiled broadly.
"It's great to have you both back," Jack said softly, the words sincere. He reached out to hug both of his friends.
"It's good to be back, sir," Sam said. "I really missed it."
"So, where's that village?" Daniel finally asked, his blue eyes overly bright.
"Just a few clicks East from here," Jack announced. "Let's move out, kids!" He patted Daniel on the shoulder.
All four members of SG-1 fell into step, a comfortable pace that they each knew well. It came from years of friendship, years of understanding and years of love. "Hardly a limp," Jack pointed out to Daniel as they walked.
"Yeah. I'm really starting to get the hang of it. Janet says the limp should go away in a week or two." Jack nodded. "Listen, Jack. I know there are still lots of.issues. that need to be discussed." Daniel had a hard time getting the words out. "I mean, I know we've been speaking over the phone but-"
"Tonight.my place. We'll talk, we'll drink. How does that sound?"
"Sounds good." Daniel felt relieved. And for the first time in a year, he actually believed that things would work out. This was his family. The bad memories would always be there, that lingering sting of a blister that simply won't go away. Anger came and went, changing places, changing hands, but family would always remain family.
THE END