Author's Notes:- Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing and encouragement.

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed. Enjoy.

Daniel kept an eye on Ari as she played with Kasuf; she was loving all the attention lavished on her by her grandfather. They were sitting in Kasuf's tent waiting for Ranon to begin his explanation.

"Ranon, what's going on?" Daniel demanded getting straight to the point, "LaCroix told me that the old ones created a plan to get rid of the Gould from Earth and something went wrong. The girl's family were brought here."

Ranon shook his head, "The separation was not an accident. We did it deliberately to keep the children and our plan safe."

"Why?"

"One of our own betrayed us," Ranon explained, "He told the Goa'uld our plans and they discovered a way to manipulate it to their own purpose."

"That's what Ammonet did," Daniel said, "By holding off Ari's growth when Shifu was conceived she made him Ari's opposite."

"How'd you work that out?" Jack asked.

"Sha're told me," Daniel explained before smiling at the expressions on everyone's faces, "She's still sending me messages, I'm not sure how but while I was unconscious when my appendix burst and when I was knocked out by the zat she talked to me."

"You know something Danny?" Jack said shaking his head, "Knowing you is an education in itself."

Daniel shrugged, "Okay, Ammonet created Shifu as a weapon to be used against Ari but Oma has him so the danger is gone."

"You're assuming Apophis didn't know when Sha're was pregnant that Shifu could be more than just a Harcesis child," Sam said, "He may have done something."

"You were the Guardian of the female child," Teal'c said to Ranon, "Why is the Guardian of Daniel Jackson's line not also an old one?"

"Now there's a point," Jack said.

"Dan'iel's Guardian is Nicholas who himself is from the line of the Old one who originally guarded the boy," Ranon explained, "The boy had to be hidden to protect him from the betrayer."

"My own 'Master' was sired by an old one," LaCroix interjected making Nick turn to him.

"Really?" Nick asked.

LaCroix just nodded not saying anything else.

"Jacob gave us co-ordinates," Jack said, "Maybe we should check them out?"

"You should," Ranon said, "If the Goa'uld know more about the plan then you need to know what."

Daniel nodded, "Jack he's right."

"Sure," Jack shrugged.

"After you have all rested," Kasuf ordered.

"Of course Good Father," Daniel nodded.

x

Daniel stood watching Ari as she toddled around what had been his and Sha're's home. The little girl was enjoying exploring picking things up and touching whatever she could.

"You are a good father," Kasuf told him coming up behind him, "She is very happy and content."

"Do you ever lose the fear?" Daniel asked still watching his daughter.

Kasuf laughed placing his hand on Daniel's shoulder, "Never Dan'iel. You always worry about your children."

Daniel frowned slightly before turning to his father-in-law, "Is Skaara back yet?"

"He will arrive soon," Kasuf told him, "He will want to see his niece."

"Where's everyone else?" Daniel asked.

"They are eating," Kasuf answered leaning down and catching his granddaughter in his arms, "My beautiful flower."

"You used to call Sha're that," Daniel noted, "She said she always felt safe when you did."

Kasuf smiled, "My own daughter was like Ari at this age. So curious, so full of wonder."

"Kasuf, I need to know what's happened," Daniel told him, "But I have to take Ari with me. She's special in a way I can't describe, in a way I don't understand and I need to find out for her, for me."

"I know you can protect her," Kasuf said, "Ranon told me long ago of what you are able to do."

"What?"

Kasuf laughed, "Why do you think I agreed to give my daughter to you Dan'iel. I knew I had to appease our God but my Sha're was far too precious to me. I did not want her to be our Gift."

Daniel looked at him confused, "What did Ranon tell you?"

"He told me that together you would be able to free us from the oppression we were under," Kasuf told him, "I always knew my wife was talented and I knew the same talent had been passed to my daughter. When Ranon told me that you were destined for her I did not believe him, until I saw you two together after the death of Ra."

Daniel swallowed hard as he thought of that moment with his wife; his daughter squirmed out of her grandfather's arms and bounced into his. Kasuf watched Daniel's eyes light up as he hugged Ari.

"I can't help wonder what I'm going to do when she reaches the age where she'll need her mother," Daniel said.

"Your friends Samantha and Janet will be there for her," Kasuf reminded him

"Ah…" Daniel dropped his eyes.

"Dan'iel," Kasuf said, "It is time for you to stop hiding. I know you want what is best for Ari but you must also look after yourself."

"How did you do it?" Daniel asked feeling tears sting his eyes, "When your wife died, how did you keep going?"

Kasuf smiled, "I looked to my children to remind me I was alive," taking Daniel's face in his hands Kasuf looked into his eyes, "You are my son, true through your marriage to my daughter but still my son. And as your father I am telling you to come out of hiding. You have a gift Dan'iel and you are needed out beyond the Chappa-aii. It is time to go back to your friends."

"I'm scared Kasuf," Daniel confessed.

"And I am always here for you," Kasuf hugged him before taking Ari from him, "Now come. You both need to eat."

Nick sat his eyes closed his face turned to the warmth of the sun.

"Long time between sun tans?" Jack asked, dropping to the soft sand to sit beside him.

The vampire laughed, "I haven't seen the sun in almost eight hundred years. There are some advantages to what I became but this has to be the basic reason I want to be human again."

"You do know if you had become human then you wouldn't have been Daniel's guardian," Jack said, "And you would have missed out on all of this."

"LaCroix never tried to persuade me to stop doing good," Nick said, "Well not as such but he hated my quest to become human again. It's quite a shock to discover he had actual good intentions."

"He doesn't like the sun like you," Jack noted.

"He muttered something about being disgusted by how bright it was," Nick laughed.

"You guys are really pale," Jack shrugged.

"By now normally," Nick held out his hand and turned it over in the warmth of the sun, "I would be a pile of ash but here…"

Jack smiled before turning serious, "When we go to the co-ordinates I know you're meant to be Daniel's guardian but you have to protect Ari. I'll keep Daniel safe but you have to take over as Ari's guardian."

Nick nodded, "I know. Once this is over Daniel hopefully will realise he belongs with you all."

"I think between us we can persuade him," Jack grinned, he looked up when Sam called them over, "Let's go."

x

Daniel was sitting waiting for them in the tent thinking.

"First of all," Jack started after everyone had sat down only to be interrupted.

"I need someone to knock me unconscious," Daniel announced standing up.

"There is an offer not likely to be heard again," Jack murmured before turning to Daniel, "Why?"

"I need to speak to Sha're," Daniel explained stopping them before anyone could arguer, "I think I can sort of control it."

"Daniel, as tempting as whacking you on the head is," Jack said moving to face his friend; "We kinda need you in control of all your faculties."

"Sha're has been sending me messages," Daniel told them, "I can't explain it but I think she still has something to tell me."

"Why don't we use a sedative," Sam suggested, "You said you talked to her when you got your appendix out."

"I actually collapsed that day," Daniel confessed, "It wasn't the sedative that knocked me out."

Sam and Jack both rolled their eyes at him.

"I thought I had the flu," he protested before turning to Teal'c, "Could you…"

Daniel trailed off as he slumped to the ground; everyone stared at LaCroix who gave a slow smile.

"He would have tensed if we talked anymore," LaCroix told them.

Jack and Nick moved Daniel onto a mat on the corner before they started making plans.

Sha're sat with Shifu in her lap as Daniel walked towards her.

"You have learned my husband," she smiled at him.

"You have to tell me," he pleaded with her, "What did Apophis do?"

Her dark eyes filled with sorrow, "He took a part of my son."

"Shifu's safe with Oma," Daniel told her, "I know that. She took him somewhere safe."

"Yes," Sha're told him placing Shifu down and walking over to him, "And no."

"Sha're," he sighed annoyed, "Please tell me. Stop giving me cryptic messages."

She smiled at him reaching out to touch his cheek, "I can only tell you what I can. We cannot do this again Dan'iel, this is the last time."

Daniel closed his eyes and leaned forward to touch his forehead to hers, "Is Ari in danger?"

"You both are," she whispered, "But you cannot hide from it love."

Sha're moved and gently kissed him, "I love you Dan'iel, I wish I could spend more time with you."

"So do I," he sighed wrapping his arms around her holding her tightly against him, "I will make sure Ari always knows you."

"Look over there," Sha're whispered in his ear.

Daniel turned to where Shifu sat on the chair and sat in the cot.

x

"Someone get me some painkillers," Daniel muttered as he woke up.

"Finally," Jack said handing him some pills and a cup of water, "We thought LaCroix had knocked you into next week."

Daniel knocked them back, "Where's Ari?"

"With Kasuf," Jack told him, "Everyone else is getting some sleep. I contacted Hammond and we're heading to the co-ordinates tomorrow morning. They sent a probe and it seems safe enough."

"Good," Daniel pulled himself up to sit, "Well Apophis has something to do with this, but I'm not sure what."

"So that was pointless," Jack frowned.

"Not really," Daniel gave a wistful smile, "I got to see her for a few moments again."

"So," Jack sat beside him, "What's next?"

"I thought we were going…"

"I meant once we've done all this," Jack said, "Sorted it out, won the day and went home to let Fraiser fix us back together again. What then?"

Daniel swallowed, "Jack…"

"Are you going to stop pretending you don't exist?" Jack asked, "Go back to being Dr Daniel Jackson?"

"Can we wait till after Janet fixes us back together again to have this discussion?" Daniel asked hopefully.

"We will be having it though," Jack told him, "Get some more rest, we leave at first light."

x

Before going back to sleep Daniel needed to check on his daughter. He found her sleeping in a crib near her grandfather. Quietly he crouched beside her, Ari's eyes opened to stare at her father and she reached out to grab his hand.

"Mama?" she asked.

Daniel smiled and gently kissed her forehead, "Yes, I talked to your Mama. Go back to sleep sweetie."

She reached up demanding to be held. Daniel picked her up and carried her back to his mat; placing her beside him he gently covered her with the blanket.

"Go to sleep Ari," he whispered.

She gave a small sigh as she closed her eyes cuddling against her father's arm as Daniel watched her falling asleep himself soon after.

"Trees," Jack announced, "Why oh why are there always trees?"

"Decoration," Sam suggested as she walked down from the Gate to stand beside him.

Jack gave her a long suffering look before turning to see Teal'c, Nick and Daniel holding Ari walk out of the Gate. LaCroix had decided to stay behind on Abydos to speak with Ranon.

"It's a forest," Nick said, "What could be here?"

"Probably an army ready to kill us all," Jack replied, "Let's get out of the open."

They followed Jack through the dense foliage and found an open space near a river to set up camp. While Sam and Teal'c pitched their tents Jack and Nick gathered some firewood while Daniel set Ari down to change her.

Sam looked over from fixing the tents and stopped to watch Daniel as he fixed his daughter. This was a side of Daniel she'd never really seen before. Both Teal'c and Jack were brilliant with kids while Daniel had always held back but with Ari he played with her, smiled at her and openly adored her.

x

When he finished Daniel placed everything back into her bag before he picked up the ball and started to float it again.

"She really loves when you do that," Jack noted as he came over beside them, glancing at the bag where the used diaper had been stored, "What you going to do with that?"

Daniel smiled lifting Ari and handing her to Jack, "The same thing I did on Abydos."

Pulling out his zat Daniel fired it at the bag three times.

"Now there is the way to clean up," Jack said bouncing the little girl who started to squirm to get down, "Should I let her run around?"

"Give me a second," Daniel said, "I prefer to be there to catch her if she goes where she shouldn't."

"Can't you just…"

"I don't like to," Daniel said, "I can't explain but I prefer to actually pick her up properly."

Fixing Ari's bag and placing it down in his tent Daniel came back and took his daughter from Jack before setting her down so she could toddle around. Daniel smiled as she came to Teal'c and just looked up dropping to sit as she overbalanced looking up so high. Teal'c leaned down and smiled at her. Ari turned and crawled to Daniel climbing into his lap and snuggling down to go to sleep.

x

Jack and Sam had gone to look around while the others ate. Nick and Teal'c were sitting talking while Daniel sat with Ari.

"Daniel," Jack called as they came jogging back.

"What's up?" Daniel asked as he tried to feed Ari who was too interested in everything around her.

"You need to see something," Jack said, "Nick, stay with Ari."

Nick nodded taking over on dinner duty as Daniel grabbed his zat and joined Sam and Jack.

"What did you find?" Daniel asked as they pushed their way through the undergrowth.

"This," Sam said as they entered a field.

Daniel turned away taking deep breaths; the months away from the SGC meant he'd forgotten what it was like to see mass graves.

"You okay?" Jack asked.

Daniel nodded, "Fine. Do you know who they are?"

"I think these are the inhabitants of the planet," Sam said, "Daniel, I think the reason the Goa'uld wouldn't come here were the people."

"And now they're gone," Daniel swallowed turning to Jack, "There's a Gould here."