FarscapeStargate SG1 Crossover

by invisiblescaper

John has to help SG1 recover a 'napped member to the noticeable dislike of Jack. I know it should be in Xovers, but I couldn't find it. I'll just have to deal with it.

1. Here's the first one

FARSCAPE-STARGATE SG1 Crossover

Author: invisiblescaper ((Known to her loyal goat minions as well as others as Her Majesty Queen Tragos of the Goats, all powerful queen who could have you executed at her slightest whim. Yes, the whole thing.))

Email: sunshine917_32@yahoo.com

Title: . . . It's coming to me . . . hold on . . . I'll churn one out eventually. You know what? No, I'm not.

Spoilers:

A) Farscape: The story is just about where we are now (the episode "Fractures" has just aired.) I'm not, however, having Scorpy working on the wormhole tech all by his lonesome away from space. He's still after John because I don't think I'm going to have John's chip out yet, but the whole "EM" scenario happened as well as the "IP:P1&2" cry scenario. But "DMD" and "SOD" never happened. And it's J/A shippy. I wish it could be D/C shippy, but I'm afraid there's no way to salvage that relationship. That makes me sad. Kinda is, anyway, a little bit. More on Chi's part.

B) SG1: Same thing. Well, not the names of the epi's (Duh.) "2001" just aired, but this fic really has nothing to do with what's going on right now. I don't know where to place it. Sometime after "Urgo" because there's a reference in here about that. I don't know how good it is because I need to see "Need" for some technical questions, but seein' as how I can't find it anywhere, I'll just have to suck it up and take a guess. Don't yell at me if I'm wrong. There are also big huge honkin' spoilers for "FIAD" sob.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, none of them are mine, I'm just playing with them for a while. I'll return them in almost new condition. The Daniel will be pretty beat up, but isn't he always anyway? Trust me, I'm not making any money off of this and it'd be no use of you to sue lessin' you want a whole mess o' My Little Ponies.

Any text that's in double parenthesis is not part of the story. And forgive me for the first scene. It sucks goose butt. It'll get better; I can . . . almost promise you. *grins*

**STARGATE SG1**

"Hey, Daniel," Jack said as he walked into Daniel's office.

"What is it, Jack?" Daniel sounded annoyed and he didn't look up from one of the many artifacts SG12 brought back.

"You wanna quit looking at that dusty old rock left behind by dead people and go do something?"

Daniel momentarily glanced up from the translation. "Not particularly."

"Come on, I'm going stir-crazy, here. Teal'c's meditating and Carter's trying to figure out who's banging on our iris. You're the only one who's not doing anything worthwhile."

Daniel looked up at Jack. "Go see if Fraiser's doing anything."

"Hey, hey. All this hostility. Where's it coming from, Danny?" After getting a look from Daniel, Jack continued. "Okay, we can do something you wanna do." Jack pulled a statue off of the shelf. "Tell me all about this one. I'm incredibly interested in your boring stories about dead guys making stuff."

"Fraiser's too busy?"

"Yeah."

The klaxons sounded before Daniel had a chance to say anything else.

"You want to accompany me to the control room?"

Daniel sighed. "Okay, Jack, we'll go. But this is it. I really have a lot to do, so when we're done . . . " He let the rest trail off.

"Yeah, of course. You got it. I'll let you read that rock by yourself."

"Okay . . . but about that statue . . . " Daniel jabbered all the way to the control room.

**************

"Unauthorized incoming traveler," the technician stated.

General Hammond gave his usual order. "Close the iris."

As soon as the iris closed, banging echoed through the gateroom from someone or something hitting the iris. The hits repeatedly came, making this the longest one of these incidents in the past few days.

Hammond looked up to see Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson enter the control room.

" . . . and that's just the way I feel about the whole situation. They were a smart people. Did you think it was right?"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't listening."

"Did I lose you?"

"Yeah."

"What part?"

"Somewhere around, 'About that statue from PX2739-8400,' or something."

"You mean when I said, 'About that statue SG6 brought back from P4X-975?' At the beginning?"

"Yeah, that sounds right."

"Gah, Jack!" Daniel threw his hands up.

"Who's rapping at our chamber door, General?" Jack asked, ignoring Daniel.

"We still have no clue. Major Carter and a team of people are trying to determine that right now."

"Why don't we just open the iris for a minute and see?" Daniel suggested facetiously. Jack gave him an incredulous look. "Ooookay, never mind."

"Sir," Jack started when the wormhole cut off, "I don't see the point of just staying around the base. Sure, we've got these . . . attacks, if you want to call them that, going on, but I think our time would be better served out there, you know, fighting the Goa'uld."

General Hammond folded his arms. "Colonel, I don't see how I could let you and the rest of SG1 waltz out of here. Major Carter is doing very important work--"

"That anyone else could do. We just got off vacation to come back to find the gate off limits. I'm not a big fan of going out there and getting my butt kicked, but it's better than staying here."

"Really, Colonel? Any professional reason you want to go?"

"General, the longer we wait, the more chance the next world we go to would have been destroyed. Maybe that planet had exactly what we needed to fight the snakeheads. But we didn't get there in time and BOOM! It's all gone."

"Jack . . . " Daniel's brow was furrowed.

"Daniel?"

"Do you think your argument's weak enough?"

"Feel free to jump in any time."

"I think I agree with the General on this one, Jack. Besides, I still have a lot of work to do and--"

"Think about it, Danny. Who knows what the next world holds?" Jack used his hands to properly describe his examples. "Artifacts as far as the eye can see. Temples of great, lost civilizations. What if there was some race that was still alive facing total annihilation that you could stop, Danny? And we stayed here because you were scared of someone was throwing something at our iris. For shame."

Daniel paused. "General Hammond . . . "

"Doctor Jackson?"

"Jack does have a point . . . "

Jack let Daniel fade off. With Daniel on his side, they'd be off world before dinnertime.

**FARSCAPE**

Moya pulled in close to the planet. Pilot decided everyone should take a break from the stress they had gone through lately. He sent the crew for some shore leave. Aeryn went alone in her prowler, D'Argo and John took D'Argo's ship, and Jool, Rygel, and Chiana all hopped aboard a transport and took it down to the planet. When they all landed, they met in the town center where a celebration ensued.

"Must be some kind of national holiday," John observed.

The natives were very kind, which was a welcome change. They brought John and co. to a temple on one side of the town square across from another one. They entered the building where they were immediately ushered into a large room in which there was a man on a golden throne. The metal mask that covered one side of his face made him look frightening. Of course, Stark had a mask over half of his face, too . . .

The king raised his hands, palms facing outward, and welcomed them. He signaled to the aliens that they could leave now.

The natives took them across the town center to the other temple. It had the same layout as the previous one. When they went into this one's main room, there was a large metal ring in the back wall. Near it, but not in front of it, there was a long food covered table. The natives sat the guests down at this end.

It was a party with all of the party elements. There was music, dancing, singing, and much laughing. D'Argo and John joked with each other and laughed their heads off. Obviously it was the mood of the place getting into them. They never laughed like this on Moya. Even Aeryn seemed to smile a little.

The room got deathly quiet suddenly as the ring started to make noise. Part of it moved around and little triangles shot out, started to glow, and pulled back in. It seemed to John like a big combination lock.

"D'Argo?" John asked.

"I have never seen anything like it, Crichton," he answered.

From the looks of the crowd, they hadn't either. When it had gone around seven times, the moving stopped and a huge, white, wave-thing shot out from the center of the ring. Then a blue, watery wall appeared in the ring. Four figures stepped out. They examined a machine in front of the ring, then pushed some buttons on a little squatty device and a spout of white bubbled shot out from the ring. They pushed some other buttons on a little black rectangle and sent the machine back through.

'Those look like Earth fatigues!' John thought, noticing their attire. Then he noticed their weapons. All of them, with the exception of the big one in the back with a gold tattoo on his forehead, had guns. Projectile weapons. 'Hadn't seen too many of those around here.' The big guy carried a large staff that didn't look like it could be a weapon, even though he was holding it like it was.

The one in front, obviously the leader, removed his hat showing a head of grey hair. The one beside him, probably second in command, took off their hat and showed themselves to be a woman. A blonde woman.

'Hadn't seen too many of those around here, either,' he thought.

"Holy Hannah," the woman said, looking at all the festivities. "This wasn't here before."

"Daniel?" the leader said. John gasped at the familiar Earth name.

Daniel stepped forward. "Uhh, hello, we are peaceful explorers. The Tau'ri."

John's hopes died. 'The Tau'ri. That certainly wasn't Earth.' John noticed the one with the staff step towards Daniel.

"DanielJackson, perhaps these people do not know you as the Tau'ri."

"I was just thinking the same thing, Teal'c," he responded. He looked around him. "Nothing looks Goa'uld at all. There aren't any ruins, either," he announced sadly.

"Looks like no rocks this time, Danny."

"Artifacts, Jack," Daniel said almost absentmindedly.

The woman spoke up. What she said made John's heart skip a beat.

"There's not anything that suggests Goa'uld presence." Not that. Daniel said that earlier. This part is what got his attention: "Usually, there's Jaffa and humans running all over the place on a Goa'uld planet. There are only two people here that look human," she said, gesturing at John and Aeryn.

John stood up quickly, dropping his food down onto the table, his mouth agape.

"Now, Carter, it's not polite to point," the leader said.

**STARGATE SG1**

"We're peaceful explores from Earth," Daniel corrected himself. He aimed it at the one who stood up assuming that he led there.

The man started toward them slowly, then got quicker as he neared. He went straight to Jack sensing that he was in charge.

"You're human?" he asked hopefully. 'Hopefully of WHAT?' Jack thought.

" . . . Yeah . . . " Jack answered.

"From Earth?"

"Yup."

The man turned around to a big guy with tentacles coming off of his face. He said, "D'Argo, they're human! Can you believe it?" The one he called D'Argo said something in some language. Daniel wasn't able to translate it and told them so.

"That's completely alien. Nothing in it sounds even remotely human."

The man turned around to talk to Jack again.

"And this thing can get you there? To Earth?"

"Sure can. We call it the Stargate. Who, and what, are you?"

"Commander John Crichton. Human, from Earth, same as you."

"Well, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter, Teal'c, and I'm Dr. Daniel Jackson," Daniel spoke up.

"Teal'c?"

"Teal'c is a Jaffa. He's not human."

"Ah. It's been so long since I've met anyone that has ever even heard of Earth, much less a human. I'm so excited about this."

"Isn't she human?" Daniel asked, talking about the woman at the table next to D'Argo.

"No, that's Erin. A Sabacean. Same on the outside, different on the inside. Anyway, I've been looking for a way home for so long," he looked at Erin still seated at the table, "if only for a visit."

"Jack?" Daniel asked.

"Daniel?" Jack retorted, his tone a little more reprimanding.

"What would it hurt? We have the guards in the Gate Room."

"We don't even know if this guy is really human. There's no telling what he could do to those men."

"I'm human, I swear," Crichton said.

"Tell something about Earth," Carter suggested.

"I can't remember much about it. Nothing political. I remember high school. I remember my dogs. I remember the Three Stooges: Larry, Moe, and Curly."

"Yeah, well, who doesn't?" Jack asked.

"You know, there's someone I want you to meet," Crichton said. He led the way across the town center to a lavishly decorated building. He continued to talk as they walked. "I met this guy when I came here. He welcomed us openly. It was a great change to how we're usually treated."

"So you don't rule here?" Daniel asked.

"Rule? Me? No. Me and my crew got here about ½ an arn--uh, hour before you did."

They entered a large room. In the room, there was a man sitting in a throne. Daniel's heart leapt up to his throat. He swallowed and blinked as Jaffa moved behind them and blocked the door. Jack visibly darkened. The man in the throne's eyes glowed happily. He turned to Crichton.

"Well done. I have only just met you and you have already proven yourself."

Jack couldn't help but notice the look of confusion on Crichton's face, but he chose to ignore it. After all, he brought them in here with him.

"Apophis," Daniel said silently.

"The former husband to the former host of my beloved Ammonet."

"I think you left out a former," Jack spoke up, slowly positioning himself between Apophis and Daniel.

Apophis snarled. "Indeed I did. And it is you," he faced Daniel, "that is to blame for her death."

**FARSCAPE**

John didn't understand what was going on, just that it was bad. The king, Apophis Daniel had called him, seemed like such a kind man. First impressions aren't always the best impressions.

This Apophis guy just accused Daniel of killing someone. He wasn't sure who, the host of his beloved, whatever that means. Still, he couldn't see this gentle Daniel killing someone. Of course, his first impression of Apophis was wrong.

Teal'c stepped forward. "It was --"

Daniel cut him off with a voiceless, "No, Teal'c."

"But DanielJackson--"

Another silent, "No," stopped him.

Apophis' voice broke the silence. "Where is the child?!" he shouted at Daniel.

"I-I don't--"

"Jaffa!"

Two of the large men in the metal, snake-looking armor stepped forward, grabbed Daniel, and brought him up to Apophis.

"Hey!" O'Neill protested, but was silenced by Apophis raising his hand and activating some sort of golden finger glove thing on his hand. The shock wave knocked O'Neill back.

"Jack!" Daniel yelled, his voice full of worry. John knew this man couldn't have killed anyone. Here he was, facing some terrible enemy, and he was worried about another man.

The Jaffa pushed Daniel roughly to his knees. "Kneel before your god!" one of them proclaimed. John watched as Apophis raised his hand with the glove thing on it above Daniel's face. A stream of yellow light came out of it and onto Daniel's forehead.

**STARGATE SG1**

"Ah, gad," Jack groaned as he sat up. He held his head. "I am really starting to hate those thi--" He stopped short when he saw Apophis using the ribbon device on Daniel. Daniel's face was etched with pain.

"Daniel, no!" He finished getting up when he noticed he and his team (and that John guy) were surrounded by Jaffa. Jack struggled against one and was pushed back on the ground.

Teal'c took the opportunity to swing his staff weapon around so he could have enough room to fire it. When that was done, he did indeed fire it. He got one shot out before he was shot with a zat gun.

While the Jaffa were worried about Teal'c, Sam and Jack removed their sidearms and opened fire on the Jaffa. They shot Sam with a zat.

Jack was able to see Apophis through the Jaffa. He looked at Daniel and said, "You will tell me where the child is!" through a cruel smile. Daniel let out a choked gasp and fell lifelessly to the floor.

"DANIEL!!" Jack screamed before he was rendered unconscious by a zat blast.

**FARSCAPE**

John reached for Winona as the battle around him continued. Then it stopped suddenly with the three members of the team lying around him. Dead. He looked up to see Apophis say something to Daniel before he fell to the ground. This was all John's fault. His one chance of going home, blown. Not to mention the four lives to add to his reputation.

He expected the blow from the weird looking gun the Jaffa were carrying. It never came.

"Jaffa, kree!" Apophis commanded. The Jaffa picked up the lifeless body of Daniel Jackson and follow Apophis out of the temple to the Stargate. He ran after them.

When he caught up with Apophis, he ran slightly ahead of him, backing up while facing him. "What's going on?" he demanded. Apophis ignored the question and a Jaffa pushed him out of the way. Another Jaffa pushed some buttons on a squatty device in front of the Stargate. John snuck over.

'Well, if they can't bring me home since they're dead, maybe I if I memorize the symbols that he's pushing, I'll know how to get home,' John thought. When the Jaffa walked away, he examined the machine. Seven symbols were lit up. John studied them, got out his notepad, and wrote them down. The last of the Jaffa had just gone through the Gate and the glowing symbols dimmed as it closed.

"We heard shooting, are you okay?" D'Argo's voice startled John. He turned away from the machine to face D'Argo.

"Uh, I'm okay. But the others . . . they're not."

"The other humans?"

"Yeah. The king--god, whatever he claims to be, had three killed and killed one personally, the one you saw him take through the Stargate."

"Stargate . . . that's this ring?"

Chi walked up to meet them. "I don't understand," she said. "That guy had seemed almost warm. He had a coolness about him but . . . well, I had a bad feeling about him. I heard weapons firing again like that time on Moya with the Scarran."

"You did?" John asked. "Why didn't you tell us, Pip?"

"No one ever believes my premonitions until they have already happened, so I figured there was no reason to tell you about it."

Rygel decided to see what all of the commotion was about. "What the yotz is going on over here?" His question was ignored.

"I have to go after him. At least to get his body back. It's my fault he died, or at least was brought to the brink of death. I have to--" John looked at Aeryn. She was looking back at him. He could see the little bit of pain she wasn't able to hide in her eyes. "I have to come back."

"Crichton, if you don't come back," Rygel's tone was solemn, but it brightened, "I claim all of your belongings for myself!" Rygel and John chuckled.

"How did you know I was going to say that you couldn't have them?"

Rygel turned solemn, this time for real. "I just know." He brightened up again, just a little. "I'm keeping it this time."

'This time?' John thought, but chose to ignore it. "Gimme some time, Buckwheat. This'll take a while."

"I'll give you . . . an arn."

"Aww, come on, Sparkey, at least a weekan."

"A weekan! I am Rygel XVI, dominar over the Hynerian empire! I refuse to wait that long!" Rygel chuckled and gave a sly wink. John knew what he was doing. It was obvious he was trying to lighten the mood. John played along, but inside, he was ridden with guilt.

Aeryn looked over towards the temple. Three figures walked out, two walking dizzily and in pain. John had not seen them.

"John," she called out. "I thought you said they were dead."

He turned around. "I thought they were dead." He ran over to them. "You okay?"

"Oh, sure, waking up feeling like you've just been hit by a truck is so refreshing," O'Neill groaned.

"I really hate those things," Carter said.

"The zat'n'ktel is indeed a most unpleasureable weapon."

"You can say that again, Teal'c," O'Neill said.

"I would prefer not to, O'Neill."

"It's an expression, Teal'c," Carter informed. "It means that he agrees with you."

"Then why does he not simply say, 'I concur, Teal'c'?"

"Remember who you're talking about."

"Indeed."

O'Neill wasn't paying attention. He stared toward the Stargate. 'Thinking about Daniel,' John guessed guiltily. O'Neill's eyes were dark, darker than they were when they first got here. His head suddenly snapped up, eyes brightening just a little.

"Teal'c, do you know where they could have gone? You were Apophis' first prime once."

"I do not, O'Neill," he answered.

O'Neill darkened again and looked back at the Gate. His eyes fell on the squatty machine.

"The DHD," he said thoughtfully. He turned to Carter. "Carter, is there any way--"

"No, Colonel," she said quickly. "There's no redial and no way to tell the last address unless you saw it while the Gate was active."

John realized that's what he must have been looking at before. "That squatty thing is the DHD?" John asked. "And the address is the seven symbols that were lit up?"

Carter looked at him. "Did you see them?" she asked breathlessly.

John was just barely able to say, "Ye--" before O'Neill grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the DHD.

"Show me," he said.

**STARGATE SG1**

Jack pulled Crichton over to the DHD. He said he remembered the address.

"Show me," Jack demanded.

"These here," he said, gesturing at seven symbols.

"Carter, Teal'c, let's go," Jack called. Then he turned to Crichton. "You stay here."

"No. I can't not help. It's my fault he was . . . hurt. I should go with you to bring back his body.

Jack darkened. "He may be dead now," he said in a dangerous tone, "but we're bringing him back alive."

"I don't und--"

"We're bringing him back alive," Jack repeated firmly. He turned to his team. "Let's go. He's not coming," he said, gesturing toward Crichton.

"Sir," Carter said, "we can't just go through the Gate. We don't know what's over there. I suggest we go back home and send a MALP through."

"Daniel doesn't have a lot of time, Major," Jack said in a low voice. "We may only have one chance at activating the Gate. Apophis is not going to let up on Daniel. He wants to know where the child is and he's going to continue killing Daniel until he finds out. We have to get there now."

"You may say that once again, Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c said.

"You should keep the 'I concur,' Big Fella," Crichton said to Teal'c. Teal'c cocked his head and raised an eyebrow. John addressed the entire team, "Can someone please explain to me what you're talking about? How can this guy keep killing Daniel?"

"Apophis puts him in a sarcophagus," Carter explained. "It's a machine the Goa'ulds use to expand their life. It can raise people from the dead."

"And we don't want Daniel getting hooked on one again," Jack interjected. "The withdrawal nearly killed him last time."

"So we need to get to him fast," Crichton calculated.

"No, we need to get to him fast. You need to stay here. You don't know how things work with the Goa'uld. You may botch it up, like you did in the first place."

Jack saw D'Argo walk up behind Crichton. He said something in his native tongue.

"Thanks, Big Guy," Crichton said to him. "But did you have to be so rough about it? Haven't you ever heard of 'tact?'"

D'Argo said something else quietly. Jack looked at them.

"Translation?" he asked.

"Oh, D'Argo said that if you didn't let me help, the guilt inside would fester and . . . destroy me."

"It would kill you?" Jack asked doubtfully.

"No, but I've done a lot of things I'm . . . not proud of, and he seems to think that it would be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. I'd just never be the same ol' John again. He says."

"I do not understand," Teal'c said. "How might a straw break a camel's back?"

"Another one of those weird Earth sayings," Jack said.

"Ah, then he also uses the Earth sayings as you do, O'Neill."

"It looks that way."

Teal'c scowled.

"You'll get used to it, buddy," Jack told him.

"I do not believe so," Teal'c said to himself.

Jack paused and pursed his lips. To Crichton, he said, "Fine. You can come with us." A look of relief crossed Crichton's face. "But these guys are tough, intelligent, and extremely hard to kill. I'll tell you about the snakeheads when we get there. Carter," he nodded his head toward the DHD, "dial us in."

**************

Apophis had his Jaffa put Daniel in the sarcophagus. Once it had revived him, he was thrown roughly into a cell. The cell was dark and dank. There was nothing in the cell except some mold growing on some of the stone wall. It was very humid. The warm water clung to his skin.

He sat on the floor, angry at himself for allowing Apophis to capture him. He saw Jack fall just before he-- well, before. Jack screamed his name and he'd been unable to help. Daniel mentally kicked himself for what happened on the planet. There was no way Apophis didn't kill his teammates, his friends.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw there was something in there except mold. Chains. Chains were on the far wall away from the door.

Once his eyes had adjusted as well as they were going to, as if on cue, Apophis opened the small window on the cell door. Painful light entered his eyes.

Apophis spoke in his strange, dual voice. "If you tell me where the Harsesis is, I will spare you." It was obvious to Daniel that he was lying. Goa'uld don't keep their word and they're always willing to take revenge. Apophis believed Daniel to be the one who killed Sh--Ammonet. Daniel believed he was as guilty of her death as if he had used the staff weapon himself.

'Oh, Sha're, I'm so sorry.' Daniel shut his eyes tightly so not to let the tears fall. He opened them again and looked fiercely at Apophis.

"The Harsesis is safe," he said firmly, "and he's going to stay that way. I won't talk. I'd die first."

Apophis smiled cruelly. "You already have, Tau'ri, and will continue to do so until I get the information I want. I will oversee that every death will be more painful than the last."

A Jaffa got Apophis' attention and whispered something to him. Apophis' smile widened and his eyes glowed.

"It seems your fellow Tau'ri and the Sabacean have fallen into our trap."

Daniel was relieved they were alive, but at the same time, his blood turned cold. If Apophis didn't kill them on the planet, he would surly kill them here. 'Why do they always have to chase after me?' he asked himself. 'I'm not worth it. I'm not worth them. Wait. Sabacean?'

"Jaffa, kree." Apophis' command pulled him out of his thoughts. The Jaffa came in the cell and chained Daniel up. They were too short to allow him to sit down. It didn't matter much, anyway. When the Jaffa started to beat him ruthlessly, he lost consciousness soon enough.

**FARSCAPE**

Carter started pushing buttons on the DHD like the Jaffa had done before. By the time she put her hand on the red bubble in the middle, Teal'c had readied his staff low beside him and was in a running position, ready to run through as soon as the blue water appeared. Likewise, O'Neill had his P90 ready beside him. Following their example, John removed Winona from her holster.

"What's that?" O'Neill asked.

"It's my pulse pistol. She's very handy."

O'Neill was about to say something, but the white bubbles came out and silenced him.

"Wormhole engaged," Carter announced unnecessarily.

'Wormhole?' John thought briefly.

As soon as the bubbles cleared, Teal'c ran through first followed closely by O'Neill. If this wasn't such a dire situation, John would have examined the Gate. There was no time for that now, so he just burst through after them. Carter followed.

**************

John ran out of the wormhole.

"Ah--gah--frell," John croaked out. He didn't expect it to feel like that. He was freezing. He thought it would be something like StarBurst. Boy, was he wrong. Carter came through and the wormhole disengaged.

As his brain came back to him, he registered what was around him. Sand. Lots and lots of sand. O'Neill and Teal'c were looking around in confusion. There were no Jaffa. There were, however, tracks in the sand. Before he could point them out to his colleges, Teal'c was already inspecting them.

"O'Neill," he spoke with disgust in his voice, "it appears that . . . something was dropped here," he pointed at a messy place in the sand, "and dragged in this direction. He lifted his hand in the direction that the tracks left in. There was no reason to say what the "something" was.

"Those bastards," O'Neill said, just barely loud enough to hear.

"I don't buy it," Carter said.

"Buy what?"

"This," she said, indicating everything. "Apophis is being careless. Or he's being incredibly smart. This is too easy. He didn't kill us on P3X-549. There weren't any serpent guards waiting for us. There wasn't even so much as a coverstone on the Gate. He left tracks for us to follow. In our concern for Daniel, we didn't pay attention. Something's up."

"I am inclined to agree with Major Carter," Teal'c agreed. "It would seem that Apophis has set a trap for us. He underestimates the intelligence of the Tau'ri."

"What else do we have to go on?" O'Neill asked. "We have no other choice.

"There's always a choice," John said, silently remembering the choices he made in the early PK/Venek war. "You don't always know what it is, but it's there."

"Maybe if we looked around some more," Carter suggested.

"Look around us!" O'Neill yelled. "There's too much more to look! Daniel isn't going to hold out that long, especially with what that snake is doing to him!"

"Snake?" John asked quizzically.

"O'Neill refers to the Goa'uld as 'snakes.' They are not snakes, but he believes them to look similar," Teal'c informed.

"They look like people to me," John said.

"They're parasitical by nature," Carter explained. "They enter the body either through the mouth or through the back of the neck. Then they wrap around the cerebellum and take over the body."

"Is that what Apophis meant when he said, 'The former husband to the former host of my beloved Ammonet'? And the weird voice he had?"

"That's it," Carter said.

"Colonel O'Neill may repeat what he said," Teal'c said, bringing everybody's mind back to the mission at hand. "If we are to save DanielJackson, we must leave now."

"Let's go," O'Neill said, following the tracks. They followed behind him.

**STARGATE SG1**

General Hammond looked at the clock again. Where was SG1? They were due back over two hours ago. If Dr. Jackson found some ruins, there's no telling how long they'd be gone.

Hammond smiled. The young archaeologist was very enthusiastic. He could almost hear Colonel O'Neill insisting they have to get back as the doctor ran back and forth from one artifact to the next. Even if he was able to pull Daniel away from that, as soon as something caught his eye, he'd be off again.

Still, O'Neill knew to get back or at least send a signal back. He'd never let them be this long overdue.

**************

Jack led the way, following the tracks. Sam didn't think the colonel was making the best decisions. His worry was evident in the lines that creased his forehead.

She looked at Teal'c. Nothing could be read in his features, except loyalty to O'Neill. Teal'c would follow him to Hell and back. Of course, they'd probably be chasing after Daniel.

'Isn't that what we're doing now?' she asked herself. They were rescuing Daniel from Apophis. That wasn't so different.

She assessed the young man they brought with them. 'No,' she thought, 'he may look young, but being out here has aged him beyond his years. Like Daniel.'

Daniel. What was that poor man going through? He's facing his worst enemy and being reminded of Sha're constantly. Yes, they were certainly trying to rescue Daniel from Hell. If anyone, he sure didn't deserve it.

**************

Daniel woke, his head swimming dangerously and his body racked with pain. He was still chained to the wall. He gave himself the best examination he could through the chains. Nothing seemed to be broken. He had a lot of cuts and a lot more bruises, but all of his wounds seemed superficial.

Apophis once again opened the window on the door. "Will you talk now?"

"I . . . am . . . not . . . going . . . to . . . tell . . . you . . . ANYTHING!" Daniel yelled. His voice was surprisingly strong, even to him. It gave no indication of the weakness and pain he was feeling.

"As you wish," Apophis said, and opened the door. He had in his hand a large knife. Daniel turned his head to the wall and closed his eyes tightly. He knew what was coming. He couldn't contain his screams as he felt the kni--

**************

After what seemed like hours of walking silently, they reached a spot where sand was disturbed in a circle around where the tracks stopped.

"Rings," Carter surmised.

"Rings?" Crichton, of course.

"Transporter rings. They're like little mini Stargates that can transport over short distances, usually up to a ship."

"That's right. From the looks of the tracks, it's where we'll find Daniel," Jack said. "So let's go."

As the four entered the circle, Jack said, "Four to beam up," just before the bright light consumed them and shot up to the sky.

**************

Daniel woke to the face of Apophis. What a wonderful thing to wake up to after you've died. A few times.

He didn't exactly feel pain due to the healing effects of the sarcophagus, however he did remember it. He had the memory of pain, which was almost just as bad.

"You have revived. Your screams told of the pain I was bestowing on you until your body succumbed to it. Are you ready to talk yet?"

"Of course not. Never. Nothing, and I mean nothing, you could do can make me tell you. Sha're did not want you to know, and so you won't." He spat at Apophis.

"You will regret that you will not talk, Tau'ri," he said with malice. "Jaffa," he called.

The Jaffa once again beat him, not enough for him to lose consciousness, but he was pretty dern close. Cloth was tied around his eyes so he couldn't see where he was going. He felt the Jaffa carry him down many corridors. There were a lot of corners.

He was brought into a room, finally, and was chained up again to the wall. This was not the same room. It wasn't as humid as his cell was, and he could see that it was lighter even through the cloth.

There was a sensation of being scanned. When the feeling got near his head, he saw a bright light. He was being scanned. But why? There was no pain involved.

The scanning stopped. Daniel was relieved, until he felt the pain he hadn't missed in the scanning. Now he lost consciousness, or maybe he died again. He wasn't sure and he didn't really care at the moment.

**************

On the other side, the Jaffa were waiting. Many, many Jaffa were waiting. There was no way the humans could defeat them. There were too many.

"Still think he's being careless, Major?"

The surrounding Jaffa apprehended them and brought them into a room on the ship. Jack, Sam, and Teal'c were restrained against the wall. They left Crichton free. Jack should have known that he was going to pull something like this. He's the one that brought Daniel to Apophis in the first place.

Speak of the devil. Apophis entered the room then and looked SG1 over.

"D'oh!"

Crichton was behind Apophis, near the door. Apophis said, "Kree," and two Jaffa half carried and half dragged a nearly unconscious, and obviously beaten, Daniel Jackson in. Then Apophis ordered all of the Jaffa to leave.

"What have you done to him?!" Jack demanded. His anger was powerful in his voice.

"I have tried to extract information from him," Apophis replied. "He has been most uncooperative."

"I am going to rip ou--"

"I do not believe you can do anything, Tau'ri. This Sabacean has brought you to me again. They are truly a loyal race."

So Crichton was Sabacean. Not human. Just like the other one on the planet, Erin, or something like that.

"The Sabaceans do not trust unknown aliens. They think that too much exposure to one makes a soldier 'irreversibly contaminated.' This Sabacean did what he thought best. He brought you to me. He is certainly not one of the Tau'ri."

Apophis whirled around to leave and came face to face with Crichton's pulse pistol.

"Wrongo, buddy. Meet Winona," he said before hitting Apophis with her and knocking him to the floor. He gave him a swift kick in the ribs and then ran over and undid the restraints that bound the three SG1 members.

"Sweet."

"Not her conventional use, but it works just as well."

**FARSCAPE**

O'Neill rushed over to where Daniel lay.

"Hey, Danny," he said softly. "Are you with me? Come on, Danny." John didn't realize until this microt how close these two men were. They were more like brothers than coworkers. Guilt tore inside of him again, but it was less than it had been. He helped them find him, after all.

Carter was giving him a brief examination. She had to hurry. The Jaffa could come back any minute. O'Neill held Daniel's hand and stroked his brown hair, whispering comforting words to him. Teal'c stood by Apophis. Every time he moved slightly, Teal'c hit him with the end of the staff weapon and the moving ceased.

"Sir, I don't see any major damage. All of his wounds look superficial. He's bruised up pretty badly, but there aren't any broken bones or punctured organs. I think. It's hard to tell without Fraiser and her equipment."

"We'll get him back real soon. Teal'c," he called. When he called for Teal'c, he raised his voice. Daniel furrowed his brow and moaned slightly. O'Neill's attention was drawn back to Daniel.

"Jack?" a weak voice called out.

"I'm right here, Danny. Right here. I'm not going anywhere." The hatred that had filled his eyes before was gone. Worry and compassion replaced it, not to mention tears.

"Okay, Jack."

"You're gonna need to carry him, Teal'c," O'Neill said.

"Of course, Colonel O'Neill."

As they moved past the prone body on the floor, the hatred returned to O'Neill's eyes.

"I want nothing more than to kill him right now," he seethed.

"It would serve no purpose, O'Neill," Teal'c reminded him. "The Jaffa would place him in the sarcophagus and he would be alive again."

"I know, and that's the only reason I'm not doing it. I don't want him any madder than he already is. But, gad, I want to kill him."

O'Neill's tone must have worried the young man.

"Jack?!" his weak voice called urgently.

He cursed silently. "I'm here. Don't worry about it."

"I couldn't . . . help you . . . Died . . . Wanted to, but . . . Apophis . . . "

"No, no, Danny. I'm fine. I'm right here. Forget about it."

"I . . . didn't tell him any . . . thing."

"I'm proud of you, Danny. Rest now."

"Okay, Jack."

"What about the Jaffa?" John asked. "Won't they be waiting for Apophis to come out?"

"That's why God made grenades, Commander," Carter said. She pulled a grenade from her fatigues, opened the door, tossed it out in the hallway, and shut the door tightly. There was an explosion. Daniel groaned, his arm reaching for O'Neill. O'Neill stepped up quickly to hold it.

"I'm gonna get you out of here, Danny," O'Neill told him.

"Okay," was the faint reply.

O'Neill squeezed the arm gently and put it back on top of Daniel. Then he removed his P90 and readied it. John and Carter did the same.

They slowly crept out into the hallway. It was littered with either dead or unconscious Jaffa. They snuck down the hallway some more until they got to the ring room. No one was around. The explosion should have got someone running. They're luck was incredible and they had to get out before it ran out.

They got safely off of Apophis' ship and down to the planet. They ran for the Stargate. When they got there, Carter dialed something on the DHD, and as soon as it was all clear, they ran through.

**************

"Any word on John, Pilot?" Chiana asked through the comms. Again.

"No! Nothing! I will inform you as soon as I am told anything!" Pilot was getting tired of Chiana constantly asking about him. She was in Command, looking at the planet.

"There's no reason to get moody," she grumbled.

D'Argo had stayed on the planet with Aeryn waiting for John to come back. They sent Chiana, Joolushko, and Rygel back up to Moya. And now Chiana was in Command bugging Pilot every few microts it seemed. Jool and Rygel were eating, as usual.

Suddenly, Pilot appeared on the clamshell in Command.

"There's a ship approaching!"

"Who is it, Pilot?" Chiana asked.

"It's a Peacekeeper Command Carrier."

"Who's?" Chiana asked slowly.

"I don't kn--" He stopped short, his translucent face showing surprise. "It's Scorpius."

Chiana's heart jumped to her throat. "Frell!" She called D'Argo on the comms.

"D'Argo, get back up here. Fast."

"John is not back yet," said the voice from the comms.

"And let's hope that he doesn't come back for a while. Scorpius just arrived. Get up here now."

**STARGATE SG1**

Apophis made his way to another set of rings than the ones the Tau'ri used. That would only bring him to the surface of the planet. He needed to get under it.

When he got to the underground stone structure via said rings, he went to the cell he was holding Daniel in. He opened the little window and peered inside. Daniel sat with his head resting on his knees and his arms wrapped around his legs trembling violently.

Apophis smiled. Everything was just as it should be. The duplicate was in place. The Tau'ri would soon be destroyed and he would have the Harsesis child. This has indeed been a good week.

'Except that,' he thought glumly, looking down at his robes. The corner was soiled with Daniel's blood from one of the last few times he killed him. 'My Jaffa will kill him now.' ((Apophis' dry cleaner must charge one heck of a fee for blood. How can the Goa'uld consider themselves advanced if they don't even have any hydrogen peroxide? That stuff's real magic.))

**************

General Hammond was just about to assign SG2 to rescue SG1 when the Offworld Activation alarms sounded. He ran to the control room.

"Incoming traveler," the technician said. "It's SG1, Sir."

"Open the iris."

Colonel O'Neill came through the gate first. He looked behind him waiting impatiently for something. Carter came through, and then Teal'c, carrying Doctor Jackson. Then a fifth man followed.

Jack stood near Dr. Jackson while Teal'c placed him gently on the ramp. He leaned forward to be near him as Jackson's hand reached out. He grasped it.

"We need a medic!" he shouted. Dr. Fraiser ran to the injured scientist and had her men put him on a stretcher. They took him straight to the infirmary. O'Neill followed closely behind, and so did this stranger they brought with them.

"Hey," he grabbed Jack's sleeve. "I thought I was going back to the other planet. Erin's there and I--"

"We needed to get back here now. Daniel needed help."

"I understand that, Colonel, but if the Peacekeepers or something worse like Scorpy comes to the planet, my crew will not leave without me."

"I'm sorry, Commander," Jack replied, his voice cold, "but we needed to get home. You can go through the Gate and back to P . . . "

"P3X-549," Crichton finished for him.

"Right. Thanks."

"Home?" Crichton asked. "Y-you mean, this is Earth?"

"Of course it's Earth. Where else would we go?"

"I don't know, I guess it just didn't register in my head. I'm on Earth." Crichton had a huge smile on his face. "Where are we?"

"Colorado." Crichton's smile annoyed Jack. Here he was with an injured Daniel in the infirmary, and this guy was happy.

Jack walked to the infirmary. Crichton followed him, looking at everything. Commenting on everything. It was just barely loud enough to hear, but Jack heard it.

"Look at this . . . I know this metal . . . They don't use this in the Uncharted Territories . . . English writing . . . Ooo, what's that? . . . "

Jack reached the infirmary. Daniel was already in his usual bed. Doc Fraiser was checking him out. The General met them there.

"Colonel?"

"General, this is Commander John Crichton. He's human."

"There are a lot of humans out there, O'Neill."

"But this one is from Earth."

"That's generally where we come from."

Yes, but he knew he was from Earth. I'm not sure how he wound up out there in the . . . Where did you say you were?"

"The Uncharted Territories," Crichton answered.

"The Uncharted Territories," Jack repeated to Hammond.

"Are you telling me that somehow this man was sent out there?"

"Wormhole," Crichton answered. "I was testing out my own theory to find a way for faster travel, when somehow a wormhole was created and sucked me out there."

The General looked slightly surprised. "So you're John Crichton."

"That's what I've been saying," Jack said.

"Jack Crichton's boy."

It was Crichton's turn to look surprised.

"Do you know him?" he asked.

"Not personally, but I've heard about you. You were thought to be dead."

"Well, I'm not. Here I am, alive and . . . . well."

"But Daniel's not," Jack commented dryly.

"That's right," the General said. "What happened to him?"

"He was abducted. By Apophis." Jack spat the name like it was toxic. "The snakehead wanted to know about the Harsesis. I hope we got to him before he was put in the sarcophagus too much."

"Apophis." The General didn't have to ask about that statement. He knew about Daniel's previous addiction, and he also knew why Jack would be worried about it happening again. It was too obvious what Apophis was doing to Daniel.

Fraiser walked out of the infirmary. "He's bruised up pretty bad, but other than that, he's physically fine. He just needs some time, rest, and maybe a Band-aid or two." She looked directly at Jack. "A friend wouldn't be so bad either. He's calling for you."

Hammond nodded. "I'll meet you in the briefing room. You know the time. And bring him with you," he said, gesturing toward Crichton.

Jack went into the infirmary. He sat in the chair next to the bed.

"Well, this is all too familiar," he said softly. Daniel's eyes flew open at the sound of his voice.

"Jack," he said, his voice stronger than before. "Are we home?"

"You bet, Danny. Don't worry, I'll be right here. I'll have to go to a briefing pretty soon, though."

Daniel gave a slight smile. "I guess I should be glad I'm in here. I hate those things."

Jack smiled as the blue eyes fluttered closed again and waited for the briefing to start.

**FARSCAPE**

General Hammond walked away after he reminded O'Neill of the briefing. O'Neill had gone in to sit with Daniel. John saw him talking to the sick man softly through the glass on the door. Suddenly, John realized that he didn't know where to go. He turned left and right, and chose right. Luckily, Carter found him wandering about.

"Lost?" she asked.

"N-- . . . yeah," John answered. Carter smiled.

"Come on. You can stay with me until the briefing starts."

They started walking down the hall. John began a conversation.

"So, what can you tell me? What's not classified?"

"It's all classified," she said with a smile.

"Even to me? I don't live here, you know."

"What do you want to know?"

"Where did the Stargate come from? Who built it? Who uses it?"

"The Stargate comes from a race called the Ancients."

"The Ancients?!"

"You know them?"

"Somehow I doubt they're the same people. The Ancients I know wouldn't build this. I don't think they're quite smart enough. Don't get me wrong, they, or the one I met, was very smart, but I don't think they could make this. They've never even been to Earth to put one up."

"The Goa'uld put it on Earth. They took humans from ancient cultures and spread them all over the galaxy. Daniel loves--" She stopped short, her face dropping some. "Daniel," she said softly.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. The doctor said that all he needed was some time and some rest."

"Yeah . . . "

"I can tell he's a tough guy. He'll pull through."

"He always has before. He has this incredible ability to live through anything. You have no idea how much he's been through. He's one of the strongest people I know."

"Then why are you worried?"

Carter laughed a little. "You're right. I shouldn't be."

"So, then, tell me more about what goes on here."

**************

Chiana waited for D'Argo and Aeryn as they came aboard Moya.

"What do you mean 'Scorpius just arrived'?" D'Argo asked.

"Pilot said that his Command Carrier has approached."

"What if John comes back while he's down there?" Aeryn asked.

"We can only hope he doesn't. He can't."

"D'Argo, I can hide us behind the moon so the Command Carrier won't detect us," Pilot's voice said over the comms.

"Do it."

"Scorpius is still looking for John. If he--"

"He won't."

Pilot's voice spoke again. "Ka D'Argo, there is a small transport ship heading down to the planet."

"Scorpius. And we have no weapons."

"Frell," Chiana said silently. "You-you don't think he knows about the Stargate, do you? Because he-he could go anywhere with that."

"I don't think so," Aeryn answered. "What he's looking for is wormhole information from John so he can travel the universe faster. If he already knew of the Stargate, he would not be chasing John around the Uncharted Territories."

"I'm surprised that the humans have a method of travel that is so advanced," D'Argo said. "My impression from John is that they could never create something like that."

"Maybe John is just dumber than most humans."

"Probably."

**************

John looked around the briefing table. O'Neill was grim faced, but there was also a look of relief. No doubt because they brought Daniel back. In fact, everyone looked a little relieved. Not too much, because Daniel was still in the infirmary, but at least they could take care of him. He was safe here.

"What happened?" General Hammond asked.

Colonel O'Neill answered. "Well Sir, we went through the Gate and came out at some kind of celebration or something. There was no sign of Goa'uld presence anywhere. Crichton here brought us to 'meet' Apophis, who captured Daniel asking about the Harsesis. We followed him and got Daniel back."

"If there were Goa'uld there, why was there no Goa'uld technology or anything like that?"

"Perhaps they had not yet conquered that world," Teal'c spoke up. "Apophis might use kindness at first to gain the trust of the people. Once he had that, he would show his true cruelty."

"General Hammond," John asked, "is there any way to tell my dad that I'm alive? I'd really like him to know." 'Alive, but not exactly in perfect health. As long as I have this chip in my brain, I'll never be fine.'

"I can put the word out. I don't know if it will ever get to him, but it's the best I can do."

Dr. Fraiser walked in.

"How's Dr. Jackson?" Hammond asked.

"Like I said before, he'll be fine with a little rest. I'm ready to discharge him. He needs to stay with somebody tonight. I'd rather him not be alone."

"Understood. Colonel?"

"I'd be happy to."

John raised his hand slightly. "Umm, where am I gonna stay?"

**STARGATE SG1**

General Hammond told Crichton he was staying in one of the VIP rooms on base and dismissed them. Jack walked straight back to the infirmary.

When Jack went into the infirmary to get Daniel, he was greatly relieved to find him alert. Daniel was happy to get out of the infirmary. He spent way too much time in there anyway.

Jack looked at Daniel now in the passenger seat of Jack's car. Daniel stared out of the window at the stars.

"You okay?" Jack asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, of course, Jack. Thanks."

"I wasn't just going to leave you with him."

"I know, but still, thanks."

"Anytime, Spacemonkey."

The rest of the trip was driven in silence. Jack looked over at Daniel continuously, and Daniel just stared into the sky. They finally pulled up to Jack's house.

Jack walked into the kitchen.

"Can I get you something, Danny?"

"No, thanks, Jack. I'm fine. I think I just want to go to sleep."

"Of course." Jack came back out of the kitchen. "You can have the bed, Daniel, I'll sleep on the couch."

"Oh, no. It's your house. I'd be much more comfortable in here, anyway."

"All right, if you're sure . . . " Jack got some bedclothes and put them on the couch. "There you go then," he said when he was finished. "Call me if you need anything." Jack went to his own bedroom. Sleeping sounded great. It had been a very long day and he was exhausted.

Jack crawled into bed. He was asleep before he even hit the pillow.

**************

Soft whispering from the living room roused Jack.

"Gad, what time is it?" He glanced at the clock. "Oh, it's too early. What is Danny up to now?"

As he neared his door, some of the words became audible, but he couldn't understand them. Daniel was speaking Goa'uld in his sleep.

" . . . Assembling . . . bomb will . . . easy . . . lord . . . Tau'ri . . . destroyed."

'Sheesh, what is Danny dreaming about now?' Jack thought to himself. He crept softly into the living room, expecting to see Daniel sleeping. Instead, he found him talking to a tennis ball sized orb communicator.

"Daniel? Who are you talking to?" Jack asked, surprising the other man. He saw Apophis' ugly mug in the orb. "What are you doing?"

"Sha'lokma'kor!" Apophis shouted through the orb,

"Kel'sha," Daniel said and turned off the communicator. He grinned at Jack smugly and said, "Lek tol, Tau'ri." He lunged at Jack, hoping to tackle him. Instead, Jack stepped backward and Daniel landed face down on the floor. Jack turned Daniel around and held him down.

"What has gotten into you, Daniel?!" Jack shouted. "What were you doing talking to Apophis?!"

"I am not Daniel," the man on the floor said with a sneer. "I may have his physical looks, but I am in service to the god Apophis."

Jacks blood was ice. " . . . You're not . . . Daniel . . . ?" 'Oh, gad, Daniel's still with that snakehead . . . Gadammit! Great way to rescue someone, Jack!'

"My lord Apophis still has the real Daniel Jackson. You cannot defeat him! He is a god and he will destroy you!"

"Like you did?"

"Daniel's" face paled. He struggled to get out of Jack's grasp, but was unable to. "I have failed my god," he said fearfully. "Please! Kill me now! I cannot face him!"

"Ya think? Look, I'm not gonna kill you, but you don't need to worry about facing him." Jack bound the Daniel look-alike. "You have got to get some better moves. That wasn't hard at all. I figured Apophis' men would be better fighters. This is pathetic." He called General Hammond.

"General, we have a situation . . . "

**************

Daniel awoke and knew instantly where he was even before opening his eyes. He could smell the blood, his blood, that was shed from earlier. He also felt the chains that were around his wrists. He knew that the Jaffa couldn't have killed him before because his wrists were raw from the chains and the sarcophagus would have fixed that.

No, they had not killed him, but they did come close. Too close. Maybe they did kill him, then raised him, and beat him again. Daniel figured the only reason Apophis had them doing this was to weaken him so he couldn't fight back. They didn't have to do it anymore. He was exhausted from this cycle. Even the healing powers of the sarcophagus couldn't fix that.

He tried to give himself another examination like he did before, but when he moved, the pain hit him like a shock wave. He cried out. The Jaffa had not shown mercy this time. His wounds weren't only superficial. He was sure something was broken, but he couldn't tell what. The new pain was clouding his mind.

'Maybe my leg? Or my arm? Maybe it's both. I don't care, I just want it to stop!'

Apophis heard his cry and his face appeared in the small window.

"You are awake, Tau'ri," his dual voice echoed through the cell way, way too loudly. He came in. "I feared you for dead. It pleases me greatly that you are still alive."

'Sure, so you can still hurt me this round.' "What . . . " His voice was too weak, he was too weak to make a complete sentence.

"Silence!" Apophis demanded. Daniel winced. The volume of his voice did nothing for his head. Apophis walked around the cell thoughtfully, his eyes watching Daniel.

"When I killed your fellow Tau'ri, they were strong and unyielding, but they did eventually succumb."

Apophis smiled at the look of pure horror that crossed his prisoner's face. "The host of my queen was also very strong. One night, Ammonet had a restless sleep. She roused in the early morning attempting to escape from my chamber. I found that she was no longer in control. During the night, the host gained control of her own body. She called out for you to help her, but you were unable to and soon, Ammonet had control again." He smiled at Daniel's reaction to this.

Daniel closed his eyes tightly, but still tears fell. "L-liar," he said weakly.

"No, Tau'ri, it is fact. I will leave you with this thought. You could not save your beloved, as you could not save your fellow Tau'ri. Like Ammonet, they are dead." When he mentioned Ammonet's name, his voice was full of anguish, and with it came a lot of anger. He looked like he was so far away for a moment, but he soon cleared his mind. "No matter. It will be your first thought when you rise again. I hope that you tell me where the Harsesis is soon. Jaffa!"

The Jaffa came in as Apophis stepped out. The beating continued even after he blacked out.

**FARSCAPE**

Scorpius walked out of the transport ship followed by Lieutenant Braca. The natives showed them the same curtesy they showed Moya's crew. Scorpius would not have it, however. He didn't want to sit at a table while a celebration ensued. Scorpius snarled at them when they touched him.

"Braca, look at that," he said, noticing a large circle in the wall. "What do you think that is?"

"I don't know, sir. It might be here for decoration."

"Hmm . . . " Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone he recognized. They were on him before he could fly away. "Dominar, how wonderful to see you again," Scorpius said. "If you are here, then it means the others are not far away. Where is Crichton?"

Rygel looked at the lizard face with fear in his eyes. "He-he's gone. Crichton is not here."

"My senses tell me he's telling the truth. Dominar, contact your ship. Tell them that I have you and will trade you for Crichton."

"They couldn't get him to you even if they wanted to. They'd much rather have him than me."

"Why couldn't they get him?"

"We don't know where he is."

"Curious. Contact your ship anyway. Let them know that you're in my custody and if they see Crichton to send him this way."

"I'll tell them, but even if they see him before we do, they won't care. Nobody likes me on board that ship."

Rygel called Pilot on the comms. "Pilot, I've run into a bit of trouble down here."

"Rygel?" came Pilot's voice over the comms. "What are you doing down there? I thought you were up here with Joolushko."

"That frellnik? Never. She's annoying."

"Which is why I thought the two of you would get along famously. What is your problem, Rygel?"

Scorpius grabbed the comms and spoke into it. "Me, Pilot. I am his problem. I have Rygel in my custody and will keep him until you bring Crichton to me." Scorpius ended the transmission before he had a chance to respond.

Pilot addressed the crew left on board. "Scorpius is on the planet and he has Rygel."

"What is Rygel doing on the planet?" D'Argo asked angrily.

"I'm not sure. I don't know how he got down there exactly. I thought he was with Joolushko."

D'Argo called Jool on the comms. "Jool, where is Rygel?"

"He went back down to the planet," she said. "He had a craving for something they had down there. So he left."

"Why didn't you let us know?!"

"I-I didn't think it was important," Jool said, her voice trembling.

"Frell! Scorpius is asking for John in place of Rygel."

"We simply won't give him John," Aeryn said assuredly.

"And we let Scorpius keep Rygel?"

"I never said that."

"If John comes back, they'd be the first to know," Chiana spoke up.

"But then Scorpius will know that the Stargate is used for travel. No, if we're going to get Rygel out, we have to get down there and retrieve him before John gets back."

"Are you having any premonitions about what we're going to do?" D'Argo asked Chiana.

"Are you asking me because you believe in them now, or because you don't know what else to do?"

"A little bit of both. Tell us what's going to happen."

"I can't conjure them up, you know. They just . . . happen."

"Fine. Aeryn, you and I must come up with a plan."

They thought for a while. Well, D'Argo and Aeryn thought. Chiana looked like she was trying to make one of her premonitions appear. She was concentrating on something.

A light bulb flashed above Aeryn's head. "I've got it."

**************

John awoke in the VIP room with a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something was up. Something on Moya. Fat 'lotta good he could do here. Tomorrow he could go back through the Stargate and help them. No! That wasn't good enough! He felt so helpless here. He couldn't do anything!

"John, what are you doing?"

"Go away, Harvey."

"Come on, John. You should know by now that won't get rid of me."

"Fine. What do you want?"

"You know it's Scorpius."

"I know what's Scorpius?"

"Scorpius is causing trouble on Moya. You should go back. He's only there to find you. Go to him, give yourself up. It's the only way to save Aeryn."

"I'm going back tomorrow, but I'm not giving up. I'm going to fight him and defeat him."

"You can never defeat him, John. He will--"

The door to the VIP room opened suddenly revealing a very angry, very dark Colonel O'Neill.

"You knew, didn't you?" he seethed.

"Knew what?"

"You knew that wasn't Daniel! You're the one who brought him to Apophis in the first place! Of course you wouldn't help us find the real Daniel! You are Sabacean and you're loyal to Apophis, just like he said."

"What do you mean 'That wasn't Daniel'? Are you blaming me for this?"

"Who else would I blame? Stop playing dumb! You played along so we'd take this other guy and Daniel would be left with that snakehead."

"Whoa! Calm down! I don't know where you're going with this, but I don't think I like it."

"We're going back again to save Daniel and you're staying here like I wanted you to do in the first place."

"I didn't do anything wrong! Actually, I saved your butts while you were attached to that wall!" John cleared his throat. "It doesn't matter. I have to go back to Moya. I think Scorpius is there."

"No. When I said you were staying here, I meant you were staying here. I don't care about this Scorpio guy. I'm interested in getting Daniel back and I'm not about to let Apophis have one of his men back."

"I don't work for Apophis! Aeryn is in a lot of trouble with Scorpius there. Hell, they all are. Please let me go back."

John's worry was evident in his voice. O'Neill sighed.

"I'm sorry, Commander. You have to understand--"

"I do understand. Your friend is out there, somewhere, and it would be logical to think I had something to do with it."

O'Neill nodded. "Okay, you can go back to your ship. We'll find Daniel on our own. You are right, though. You were a big help last time."

"I think I should go with you."

"What? What about Scorpio that's on your ship, attacking your crew?"

"I have a feeling that he's not that big of a threat to them. Not as big as Apophis is to Daniel."

"I don't think--"

"Please, Colonel."

Jack dropped his arms in defeat. "Fine, whatever. We'll probably need all the help we can get. I'll tell you what. If we get Daniel out successfully and we don't all die in the process, I'll help you fight off Scorpio."

"Thanks. And it's Scorpius, not Scorpio."

"I hope you know that I don't really care what his name is. We have to kill him, right? Been a big problem for you? Then that's what we'll try to do. I don't know how good we'll be at it. We try to kill Apophis every time we see him."

"Same with Scorpy. We've thought he was dead about four or five times."

"Yeah, well, sorry for disturbing you. You can go back to sleep or talk to yourself, whatever it was you were doing when I got here." O'Neill left.

"What do you think you're doing, John?" Harvey asked.

"I'm saving Daniel."

"My job here is to protect you until you are delivered to Scorpius. How can I do that against an enemy I hardly know?"

"It would be a damn shame if Scorpy never got the wormhole tech in my head, wouldn't it? Goodnight, Harvey. Bad dreams."

**STARGATE SG1**

Daniel woke, still being carried. It was the first time he didn't wake up in that cell. He knew he woke up a little bit sooner when he heard the door squeak and the familiar smell hit his nose.

How long had he been here? A day? A week? Daniel lost count of all the times they put him in the sarcophagus. Not that it mattered anymore. Sha're was dead. Sam, Teal'c, . . . Jack.

The full force of it hit him. Jack, his best friend, was dead because of him.

'Why, Jack?' he asked. 'Why do you always have to save me? You could have left me behind. I'm not that important.'

Now he was determined not to tell Apophis anything. He was the cause of all Daniel's pain. Physical and emotional.

The door to the cell opened again. Daniel struggled to open his eyes and look at who he was sure to be Apophis. He was too weak, so he just pulled back when he felt the hands touch his wrists.

"You go away," he said weakly. "I'm not talking no matter how much you hurt me."

He heard the sweetest sound he had heard in a while. The other man cursed silently. It sounded just like . . .

"J-Jack?"

"Yeah, Danny. I'm here."

"Apophis said he killed you."

"And you believed him? No, I'm alive, but I'm almost not. You're too much trouble to fool with anymore, Danny. You're always getting caught. If you had been more careful in the first place, I wouldn't have almost died."

Daniel couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You could have just left me here. You didn't have to come get me."

"And risk you telling him all about the SGC? I don't think so. I'm going to take care of it so you won't encumber us anymore."

Daniel heard the staff weapon open. "Jack?" He cried louder than he had been talking before. Ja--!"

His cry was abruptly and absolutely silenced when the staff weapon fired and he felt the searing pain on his chest.

'No! I've got to . . . Jack! Why . . . '

**************

Finally, it was morning. Jack hadn't been able to sleep and every hour that passed was a painful reminder that Daniel was still out there. He had wanted to leave as soon as he found out that the man they "rescued" yesterday wasn't Daniel at all, but General Hammond refused. He said that SG1 needed rest, especially Colonel O'Neill. While Jack knew he was right, he still couldn't sleep.

He hadn't told the rest of his team last night because he knew they wouldn't be able to sleep and would have insisted that they go through then. He knew they needed rest as well as he did. Carter had been livid when she found out that he didn't tell him, but she understood his reasoning. Teal'c had shown no real emotion. But he's Teal'c.

While they were at the Gate, Crichton was the last one in the room. He stumbled along awkwardly in the gear they gave him. Daniel did that. Jack smiled briefly at the thought.

Jack looked impatiently at the tech in the Control Room as he finished the countdown.

"Chevron six encoded . . . Chevron seven locked. Wormhole engaged.

Jack went through the Gate first, followed by Teal'c and Carter, then Crichton.

The other side was the same as before. A whole 'lotta sand and nothing else. His previous footprints were still there.

"No one's left through the Gate since we came through," Carter said. 'Good.'

They followed the tracks and were sent up to the orbiting ship via the same rings they used last time. Strangely enough, there were only two Jaffa waiting for them who were quickly dispatched. The ship seemed deserted except for the occasional Jaffa patrolling the halls. There was little resistance.

"What's going on?" Jack asked.

"It appears as though Apophis and most of his Jaffa are elsewhere," Teal'c answered.

"Where?"

"I do not know, O'Neill."

"We need to find out. That's where we're going to find Daniel."

"Sir!" Carter called. "Another ring room."

"Let's go."

Jack led the way into the ring room and the rest of the team followed. The light consumed them as before, but sent them downward.

There were still nearly no Jaffa in this stone complex. Teal'c heard a line of them walking and alerted the team before they came into view.

They moved silently behind a corner so they could watch them pass without being seen. When the last one had gone by, they came out of where they were hiding and followed them.

They were led to an area crawling with Jaffa. They kept out of sight. Some Jaffa came out of a room carrying Daniel.

Jack visibly tensed at the sight, but at least he was alive again.

'That must be the room with the sarcophagus,' Carter thought. From where they were, they could tell Daniel was still battered and his arm was bent at an unnatural angle. That didn't make a lot of sense. He just came out of the sarcophagus. Unless, of course . . .

"They must . . . beat him when he gets out of the sarcophagus," Carter said angrily.

"Indeed. They would do this to weaken the prisoner." Teal'c's voice betrayed the calmness he was showing. It was full of hatred for Apophis. "They would likewise try mental and emotional damage that the sarcophagus cannot heal."

Jack's breathing was heavy and he was shaking with rage. The Jaffa carried the now moving Daniel to another room that was only a few doors down from the one with the sarcophagus in it. From where they were, they could see it was a cell. It was dark. There were chains on the wall that they put him in. The door shut with a loud clang.

Crichton started waving his hand above his head, like he was trying to swat a fly away. "Shut up, Harvey. Not now," he whispered. He continued to whisper like that until Jack had to stop him. Even then he shook his head curtly and kept the hand going.

The Jaffa left Daniel in there alone. There was a wait, then a Jaffa walked in with a staff weapon. There was another wait, this time longer, then an urgent, "Jack? Ja--!" cut short by the sound of the staff weapon firing.

Jack tried to run to him, but Teal'c held him back.

"Dammit, Teal'c, let me go!" he hissed.

"It would serve no purpose, O'Neill. You would surely be killed."

Jack knew he was right, but Daniel was in there calling for him. He wondered how many of those calls he had been unable to answer. He struggled some more, but Teal'c's grasp held tight.

The door opened. The smell of burnt flesh wafted out and hit their noses before they even saw Daniel. Jack knew he wasn't going to like what was coming. He was right.

The Jaffa carried Daniel's body out. His chest had a staff weapon wound through it. He had a look of frozen shock engraved in his pale features. Carter let out a silent groan and looked away from the sight of her friend.

"Oh, gad," Crichton said in disbelief.

**FARSCAPE**

When he spotted Daniel, Harvey finally decided to stop talking to him. The "John . . Turn back now, John . . John . . John . . John . . John . . " was really getting on his nerves.

And there he was. Daniel was being carried by a Jaffa, the one that must have killed him. He had a third degree burn on his chest. No, it wasn't just a burn. It was a hole. He had a hole through his chest that was cauterized. He was obviously dead. Carter looked away and moaned slightly. John couldn't believe what they were doing to this man. It was worse than he had thought. They didn't describe it like this.

"Oh, gad," he whispered.

O'Neill finally stopped trying to break Teal'c hold on him when the Jaffa took Daniel into the room he was in when they first arrived. John looked around, studying his options. They were situated behind Apophis who was overseeing all of this in front of him. The Jaffa were some of that "all of this" part. No Jaffa were between them and Apophis.

"I've got it," he said. O'Neill looked at John expectantly. "We can nab Apophis, right? There's no one between us and him, so it should be fairly easy as long as he's distracted by . . . what he's doing. We can trade him for Daniel."

"I was thinking along the same lines, Sir," Carter reassured when she saw O'Neill's look of doubt. O'Neill nodded.

"If you think it's a good plan, Major, we'll do it."

**************

D'Argo and Aeryn flew down stealthily in D'Argo's new ship. They got out and looked for Scorpius, but they couldn't find him anywhere.

"Does your ship have any kind of intercom, D'Argo?" Aeryn asked.

"I don't think so."

"Then we'll just have to use Rygel's comms. Scorpius?" she called into her comms.

"Miss Sun," he answered. "Where is Crichton?"

"Crichton . . . John is dead," she said, her voice breaking.

"Aeryn Sun, what do you take me for?"

"I know you can sense when people are lying."

"Not over a transmission."

Rygel grabbed the comms away from Scorpius, understanding what she was doing. "Aeryn, get me the frell out of here! It doesn't matter to him that the human is dead! He won't let me go anyway."

"Rygel, tell him," Aeryn said over the comms, "Tell him that John is dead."

Scorpius looked at Rygel expectantly. "Well, Dominar?"

Rygel looked directly at Scorpius. "It's the truth. The human, John Crichton, is dead."

A look of disappointment flitted across his face when he saw that the Hynerian wasn't lying. "How?"

"Scarrans," Aeryn answered.

"He was poisoned with radiation," D'Argo elaborated.

"Which wouldn't have happened if the Scarrans weren't there," Rygel finished.

"Scarrans," Scorpius growled. Rygel quivered with terror.

"Aeryn, help me," Rygel got out before Braca hit him with the butt of his pulse pistol. Aeryn heard the noise this made.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Lieutenant Braca hit your dominar with his pulse pistol," Scorpius answered.

"That was a bit extreme. Couldn't you just 'shush' him?"

"I am Scorpius, a Peacekeeper. We do not 'shush' here." Scorpius was quiet for a microt, thinking. "Give me the body of John Crichton."

"We didn't keep him!" D'Argo snarled. "And even if we did, we wouldn't hand his body over to you!"

"No, you wouldn't. All right. I will . . . leave. Rygel will be down here. Come get him if you want him." The comms were silent.

"I don't trust him," D'Argo said.

"Who does? Bring your Qualta Blade. Let's go find Rygel."

**STARGATE SG1**

Jack snuck closer to Apophis, still keeping out of sight. Apophis' Jaffa were busy with Daniel, so they weren't paying much attention to other things. Not that they would anyway. They sent a Daniel back to Earth who exploded it. They didn't need to worry about the Tau'ri any longer.

Teal'c followed Jack, watching with a careful eye. Jack was going to "nab" Apophis as Crichton so eloquently put it. They moved together with careful agility. When the Jaffa were looking at Daniel being brought out of the room with the sarcophagus, Jack and Teal'c jumped Apophis. The look on Apophis' face was priceless.

They had Jack's P90 up to his head before you could say, "Sweet." Carter stepped out from her hiding place and announced, "No one moves or the snake gets it!"

The Jaffa carrying Daniel dropped him and reached for their zats. Daniel hit the floor with a sickening thump. Carter winced.

"Fools," one of the Jaffa said. "You cannot kill a god. He will destroy you."

'Where have I heard that before?' Jack thought to himself.

"Apophis is not a god," Teal'c said. "He is mortal."

"The Sholva Teal'c would say something like that," another Jaffa spat.

"Silence!" Apophis shouted at his Jaffa. To his captors, he asked, "Are you here to rescue your Tau'ri, or are you here to kill me?"

The question caused murmurs among the Jaffa. Apophis once again called for silence. They complied.

Jack sighed. "A little of both."

"Even one as primitive as you must know that if you kill me, you will not make it out alive."

Daniel moaned slightly, drawing Jack's attention away from Apophis. Daniel tried to move, but the nearest Jaffa kicked him and he cried out. He stopped moving. Teal'c shot the Jaffa with his staff weapon.

"Do not do that again," he told the corpse.

"Give us Daniel and we'll let your false god go," Jack said.

The Jaffa raised their staff weapons at Carter and Crichton who were not behind Apophis. Crichton's body relaxed under him and he fell.

"What happened?!" Jack yelled.

"I-I don't know, Sir," Carter said, feeling his neck. "He seems to be . . . dead?"

"From having staff weapons pointed at him?" Jack shook his head. "We'll figure it out later. Now you," he said to the Jaffa, "do you guys ever learn?" Jack shot Apophis in the leg. Apophis' face contorted in pain as he yelled.

"A god would not feel pain," Teal'c said, deciding this was the perfect time to preach to them.

"Not now, Teal'c," Jack whispered to him. He turned back to the group in front of him. "Give . . . us . . . Daniel," he said dangerously.

The Jaffa looked at Apophis waiting for permission. He nodded curtly at them. The Jaffa backed away from the unconscious Daniel Jackson.

As Teal'c stepped away from Apophis to retrieve Daniel, Jack tightened his hold on Apophis to say, "Don't try anything or I will kill him." The Jaffa didn't try anything.

Teal'c picked up Daniel. The younger man moaned a little. He held Daniel protectively. Jack told his team to start going back the way they came with a nod of his head.

"Sir?" Carter asked. "What about John?"

"Fine, just a minute." Jack removed Apophis' ribbon device and shot him in the other leg. When he let go, the "god" crumpled to the ground like so much meat. Jack still had his gun trained on him as he backed up to Crichton.

Some of Apophis' Jaffa carried him to the sarcophagus. The other Jaffa held back, watching them.

Jack reached Crichton and he and Carter carried him while Teal'c carried Daniel. Too many dead, too many almost dead. But why did he die? There was no reason.

Jack was sure not to turn his back on the Jaffa even once. He kept his gun out at all times. Once he and Carter had Crichton secured, he ordered, "Go!" and they did.

**************

Daniel woke on the floor. He tried to open his eyes and still couldn't do it. They hadn't chained him up this time. He heard voices . . . Who's? Jack? Jack killed him. No, Jack wouldn't kill him.

He tried to get up. He felt a kick in his side and he cried out while the Jaffa fell down beside him. Another familiar voice. Teal'c? That was Teal'c. Daniel decided it would be best if he didn't try to move again.

He heard Carter's voice. Someone died . . . Who?

Jack said three words. The sweetest three words he had heard in a long time. Unless he was hallucinating. Again.

"Give . . . us . . . Daniel."

No, he said that. He really did say that. Daniel had to hope he said that.

Daniel felt hands pick him up. It was a gentler way than the Jaffa had been carrying him. But the hands still hit a sore spot and a moan escaped him.

The strong arms carried him somewhere . . . Where? Not back into the cell. Not that way. Somewhere else. He tried to open his eyes again. He got them just slightly open, but there was a lot of pain, so he shut them again quickly.

He heard Jack say, "Go!" And then the one carrying him 'Must be Teal'c' started to run.

**FARSCAPE**

John remembered the Jaffa raising staff weapons to him, and then all of the sudden, he was in his mind with Harvey.

"What are you doing now, Harv?" he asked the neural clone.

"I am saving you."

"From what?"

"Those Jaffa were about to shoot you! They wouldn't shoot a dead man."

"I have to get back out there. If they have me to carry and Daniel to carry, we'll never get out of here and Scorpy will never get the precious info in my head."

"Quite right. Very well then."

**************

There he was. Rygel. Right there. He was out cold.

"No wonder he didn't answer his comms," Aeryn said.

"Probably still out from when Braca hit him. Hynerians have no resistance."

"True."

D'Argo carried Rygel like what John would call a football back to his ship. They flew back to Moya. Chiana was on the comms.

"What, Chiana?"

The voice from the other side was faint and static-ey. "Scorpius . . . here . . . look . . . ng f . . . John . . . "

"Chiana?!"

"Did she just say that Scorpius was up there? Looking for John on Moya?" Aeryn asked.

"I think she did," D'Argo answered.

"We'd better get up there quickly."

"If Rygel wakes up, don't let him touch anything."

**STARGATE SG1**

Teal'c ran down the corridor ahead of the other two members of SG1. Daniel was trying to move.

"Be still, DanielJackson."

"T-Teal'c?"

"It is I."

"Jack?"

"He is behind us."

Jack was behind them all right, struggling with Crichton.

"I don't get it, Major! How could he just die?"

"I'm not--"

She stopped when Crichton started moving again. Jack dropped his end.

"Whoa!"

"Oww," Crichton said sluggishly, rubbing his head that hit against the floor. Carter stopped when Jack dropped Crichton and put her end down. It took a few tries, but Crichton was able to stand up on his own.

Teal'c looked behind him when he heard Jack yell. They had stopped several yards back. He turned and went toward them. Then he saw Crichton get up.

Jack started running again when he heard Apophis' Jaffa following him. Crichton ran along with him and Carter was beside him.

"I don't know how you did that, but when we get a chance to stop, you tell me."

"I can tell you now in one word: Harvey."

Jack was about to ask about this when he caught up to Teal'c. They continued running down the corridors as Teal'c spoke.

"He is asking for you," Teal'c said.

"Yeah, Danny, I'm here."

"D--" his weak voice started, but then he coughed. He tried again. "Did you kill me?"

Jack's face went white. "Did I kill you?"

"Y-you said I was a bother and--" He coughed again and was too weak from it to finish the sentence.

"No! No, never, Danny. It was Apophis. It was all Apophis."

"Sure?"

"I'm positive."

"Okay . . . " His voice trailed off as he slipped out of consciousness again.

"That monster," Jack said softly.

They finally got to the ring room which transported them back to Apophis' ship. There were still almost no Jaffa, so getting back to the planet was not a problem. Carter dialed home and they ran through.

**************

Jack came through last.

"Close the iris!" he yelled as soon as he was clear. There were about three thumps on it before the wormhole closed.

"I trust you got the real Dr. Jackson, this time," General Hammond said, meeting them in the Gate Room.

"Must be," Carter answered. "He's in far worse shape than the other one."

"Speaking of which," Jack said, "where is our little friend?"

"It seems he thought we were going to send him back to Apophis. When I went in to question him, he was dead." 'The sight of him dead was awful,' he thought silently to himself. 'He looked just like Daniel. I can only imagine, not that I'd want to, what they saw over there.' He cleared his head. "Dr. Fraiser's trying to find the cause now."

"Think she can take a break from it?" Crichton asked. "Daniel needs help. He needs a lot more than that other guy did."

"John Crichton is correct, General Hammond," Teal'c said, laying the young archaeologist down on the ramp. Daniel groaned and coughed slightly, drawing Jack to him. Everything disappeared to Jack. All of his concentration was on Daniel now.

"Hey, buddy," Jack whispered quietly. "Are you with me?"

"J-" Daniel coughed some more. "You?"

"I'm here, Danny, right here." Jack grasped Daniel's hand and began stroking his hair. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Dead?"

Jack wasn't exactly sure what the question was, but he answered, "No." No one was dead, now, anyway.

"Apophis . . . killed you."

"No, no. I'm fine. I'm alive." Daniel still wasn't opening his eyes. "Can you look at me?"

"No . . . hurts," his weak voice got out before his body was racked with coughing again.

"That's okay, take your time." Jack tried to stifle his tears, but still some fell. One hit Daniel.

Daniel's brow furrowed. "Wet . . . Cell?!" His voice, though weak, was urgent. The cell he was kept in must have been wet. He was afraid he was back in there.

Jack cursed himself silently. "No, Danny. You're not in the cell. I promise." Doctor Fraiser came into the Gate Room. Jack was still oblivious to her.

"Hey, I got here as soon as I cou--" she stopped short, her eyes spotting Daniel. "Oh my gad."

General Hammond silenced her with a raise of his hand.

"You didn't kill me?" The urgent sound in Daniel's weak voice told Jack he needed to know. Now.

Jack's face paled again at the same question. "No, no, Danny. Remember? I told you that was Apophis. I would never kill you."

"Why . . . ?"

"Because you're my friend. I couldn't do that to you."

"No . . . Why'dyu come back? Not important."

"Hey, you listen to me. That's a load of crap. You're always important enough to come back for, Daniel. You don't forget that."

"But--"

"No buts."

"But--"

"Ah ah." Jack wagged his finger at Daniel. Even though he couldn't see it, Jack got the distinct impression he knew what that finger was doing. A small, weak smile appeared on Daniel's face.

"Not the finger."

Jack chuckled and gave a crooked grin. "You bet it's the finger, Spacemonkey."

Daniel's smile faded. "Sleep?"

"Okay, you go to sleep." Jack dropped Daniel's hand and stopped stroking his hair, then stood up and whirled around. "Where is Doc Fra--" He spotted Fraiser waiting for Daniel. "Oh."

"Is he ready to go to the infirmary, Jack?" Janet asked, a smirk on her face.

"As long as there's a chair set up for me."

"Always is."

"Lead the way."

**************

Apophis' First Prime walked into Apophis' throne room and kneeled on one knee. Then he bowed his head before his god.

"I am sorry, my lord," he said in Goa'uld. "We were unable to recapture the Tau'ri."

Apophis chuckled and dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "It is no matter," he said to the Jaffa. "They will come to us in time. We will wait."

The First Prime bowed his head again, stood up, and walked away.

**FARSCAPE**

Aeryn felt Rygel stir.

"D'Argo, he's waking up."

"We're almost there. Keep him in sight."

"Aeryn?" Rygel asked. "Where the yotz am I?"

"You're on my ship," D'Argo answered, "and if you touch anything I will rip off your toady little arms."

Rygel snorted indignantly. "If you touch me, Luxan, I'll give you a face full of--"

"Will you two shut up?" Aeryn interrupted. "We have bigger problems now."

They docked and got out of the ship. Chiana was waiting for them as before, but it also looked like she was hiding. She saw D'Argo and ran to him.

"D'Argo, he's up here. Scorpius is looking for John up here. I thought you said you were going to tell him he was dead."

"We did. I don't understand why he's here."

"Where is he now?" Aeryn asked.

"I-I don't know. He was on tier three when I spotted him."

"Pilot," D'Argo called. He was answered by Scorpius.

"Ka D'Argo. Where is John Crichton?"

"We told you. He's dead."

"You saw Rygel was telling you the truth," Aeryn said.

"Did I? I wouldn't know. Hynerians have mastered lying as an art form." Rygel chuckled pompously, proud that such was the case. "Where is Pa'u Zhaan?"

"Zhaan is dead."

"Well, you're just losing everybody. Crichton, Zhaan, I haven't seen Stark around muttering frantically . . . " He faded off for a microt and then started again. There was a whimpering sound on the other end of the comms. "Look who I found. What is your name, girl?"

"J-Joolushko Tunai Fenta Hovalis," Jool said.

"Ah, Joolushko. Where is John Crichton?"

Jool, for no apparent reason except that Scorpius was in the room with her, started that banshee wail of hers.

"Stop it! You're melting my--" He was cut off.

"Must have melted his comms."

"No," Chiana said, a look of panic on her face, "his cooling device. He's going to kill her."

"Pilot," Aeryn called. This time it was actually answered by Pilot.

"Aeryn?"

"Where's Jool?"

"Joolushko is on the terrace."

"Let's go," Aeryn said to the rest of the crew.

"I am getting sick of this," D'Argo grumbled.

**************

O'Neill stayed in the infirmary with Daniel. A much too pale Daniel. A Daniel that had a broken arm and three broken ribs. Doctor Fraiser put an IV in. She said that his glucose was down, probably from not eating. John got the impression that he did that a lot. Not eat. But usually it was from working too hard.

General Hammond called for a briefing in one ar--hour. O'Neill wasn't going to leave Daniel's bedside, so the general decided it would be held in the infirmary.

John stayed with Carter like before the other briefing, comparing universes and such. Teal'c disappeared like he did when they got back the first time. Sam said he was doing "Kel No Reem" or something like that.

Carter and John arrived at the infirmary. Teal'c was already there, looking like he was guarding O'Neill and Daniel. O'Neill was watching Daniel sleep with his hand on him protectively. General Hammond walked in.

"How's he doing?"

O'Neill sighed. "He went to sleep in the Gate Room and hasn't been up since." Hammond nodded.

"What happened out there, Colonel?"

"Daniel wasn't on the ship at all. Carter found another ring room that sent us underneath the planet's surface to some kind of stone complex. Commander Crichton and Major Carter thought up a plan to get Daniel back: trading Apophis for him. Now Apophis is severely pissed at us, but what else is new?"

"Colonel O'Neill shot Apophis in the legs," Teal'c answered O'Neill's question.

"Thanks, Teal'c."

Teal'c bowed his head slightly as if to say, "You're welcome." He didn't understand that it was sarcasm.

"Crichton died or something once, but then came back. I'm still trying to figure that one out."

"That was Harvey," John said.

"Right. You said that earlier."

"Care to explain?" Hammond asked.

"Scorpius put a chip in my brain with, well, with him on it."

"Scorpius?"

"The bad guy, sir," Jack answered.

"Why would he put a chip in your head, John?" Carter asked.

"The Ancients-not your Ancients, my Ancients-put some wormhole information in my head. I can't reach it and neither could Scorpy's aurora chair. Memory sucking chair. Scorpy wants it. So that's what Harvey's there for. He digs around in my head and keeps me alive until I'm 'delivered' to Scorpius."

"Kinda like an evil Urgo," Carter said.

"Don't remind me," O'Neill commented.

Carter got back to the topic. "He didn't do a very good job of keeping you alive."

"He figured the Jaffa wouldn't shoot a dead man, so he killed me temporarily. I had to talk him into letting me come back."

Colonel O'Neill's eyes narrowed. "You have this thing in your head with that much control over you and you didn't tell me?! You could have compromised the entire mission!"

Daniel stirred at the sound of O'Neill's angry voice. Then he groaned. The anger dropped from O'Neill's face as he looked back at Daniel.

"Sorry, Daniel," he said comfortingly.

"Where . . . ?" Daniel asked weakly.

"We're in the infirmary. Home."

"We . . . You're hurt?"

Here he was, in pain, and worried about O'Neill. John admired this man's courage and strength. He didn't know if he could be as strong in his situation.

"No, Danny, I'm fine. You're hurt."

"I know."

"But you're gonna get better."

"I don't think so."

"Yes, you are," O'Neill said firmly.

Daniel tried to open his eyes again to look at O'Neill when he said this. Daniel succeeded, but shut them again quickly. "Bright . . . "

Carter was already dimming the lights.

"Carter's got it," O'Neill told him.

"Sam?" Daniel asked. He opened his eyes again. They stayed that way, but he still squinted. He saw Sam, but he also saw the worried brown eyes about to bore a hole in him.

"I'm here, Daniel."

"Not dead?"

"No. No one's dead."

"Apophis must have told him that we were all dead," O'Neill said disgustedly.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "It would have been an early attempt to weaken him."

"Didn't . . . do it." Daniel coughed painfully. "Ouch," he mouthed.

"Didn't do what, Daniel?" O'Neill asked.

"Wear me down. He got . . . nothing from me."

"You didn't have to tell me that. I already knew."

"Goo--" Daniel's word was interrupted by another coughing fit. A grimace showed up on his face, showing the pain it caused. His blue eyes had tears in them from that one.

"Why don't you go?" Hammond suggested. Carter and John left first. Teal'c held back, but then walked out of the infirmary. John turned around to see O'Neill helping Daniel sit up so he could drink some water. Daniel choked on it as more coughs racked his body.

John looked away, not able to watch anymore. O'Neill said he'd help fight Scorpius when they got Daniel back. But first he had to rip O'Neill away from Daniel. John shook his head.

**STARGATE SG1**

"Colonel O'Neill," General Hammond started, but stopped when he saw the look of annoyance Jack was giving him. "Jack," he corrected himself, "how many times was Dr. Jackson put into the sarcophagus?"

"I don't know, George. Danny, do you remember?"

"N . . . no . . . Too many . . . " His voice faded as he lost consciousness again.

Jack went cold. "Y-You don't think . . . " He looked down at Daniel. His eyes were mostly closed. Just a sliver of blue could be seen under his eyelids.

"I do, Jack." General Hammond's tone was somber. Janet came into the infirmary.

"I just don't understand," she said, obviously frustrated.

"Doctor?"

"He's getting weaker, not stronger. His cough is getting worse. It's obvious that it's a lot more painful than it was before. It doesn't make sense!"

"I think he might have been put into the sarcophagus too much," Hammond said without wanting to say outright that he thought Daniel was addicted again. He hoped she got the point. She did.

"Oh."

"It's only been an hour!" Jack yelled. "You can't kn--" Daniel stirred under his hand. He lowered his voice to a hiss. "You can't know anything right now."

"Colonel--"

"No!"

"Ja'k?" Daniel called out weakly. Janet was right. He was getting weaker as the minutes went by.

"Right here, Dannyboy."

"They're right. I--OH!" Daniel eyes glassed over and he started convulsing strongly under Jack's hand. "Hurts, Ja'k!" Jack tried to stabilize him with his arms, but it was to no avail.

"Get me 300 milligrams of Dilantin IV push STAT! We need to increase his fluids! Change to Ringers lactate, increase the rate to 100 cc's to start with and let's monitor his vitals! We don't want to overload him with fluids. And check his 'lytes every two hours!"

Before she could push the meds into his IV, his convulsions stopped as quickly as they had started. She put it in anyway.

"Just to make sure he doesn't do that again," she said with more strength than she felt. A patient, but more than that, a friend was lying there dying and there wasn't a blasted thing she could do about it.

"What can you do for him?" Jack asked, obviously misreading her. Jack watched Daniel fall asleep in his arms.

"I don't know, Colonel," Fraiser answered.

"There has to be something."

"I can . . . keep his pain down, but that's about it."

Crichton walked back into the infirmary.

"General, I have to ask you something."

"What is it, son?"

"Has Dad-- Does he know I'm alive?"

"I don't know, but right now--"

"I have to get back," Crichton interrupted. "I know how Scorpy thinks. I have him in my head. He's doing something and I have to stop him."

Jack looked at Daniel and then back at Crichton. "Okay, just give me a little time and--"

"No, Jack," Hammond said.

"With all due respect, General, I said I'd help him when we got Daniel back. We got Daniel back. I have to keep my word." He looked at Daniel again and spoke quietly. "There's nothing I can do here anyway."

"Colonel, SG1 needs a break." 'And I don't think you'll be making the best decisions with Daniel here like this.' "SG2 is on world. Actually," he said, looking at his watch, "they should be in the debriefing room right now. I can send them instead."

"General--"

"Colonel," Hammond silenced him. "SG2 is entirely capable. They can handle this."

Jack sighed, his shoulders dropping, admitting defeat.

"Very well. Their mission to P4X-263 is scrubbed. I'll tell them in debriefing," Hammond said to Crichton.

"Thanks, General. Just wait'll Scorpy gets a face full of humans."

"SG2 should already be in the debriefing room, like I said. Why don't you head on over there and I'll be there in a few minutes?" General Hammond suggested.

"Yes, Sir." Crichton left, but came back in before he had been gone even a minute.

"Could you, uh, refresh my memory of how to get there?"

General Hammond smiled. "Follow me, Commander."

**************

Ferretti tapped his fingers on the bi-coloured table. His team was impatient. Hell, he was impatient.

"Where is he? It's not like General Hammond to be late."

"I don't know, Captain," Ferretti answered. "I bet it has something to do with Daniel. He wasn't in the best shape when he came back."

General Hammond finally came into the room followed by a man.

'That's the guy Jack brought back from P3X-549,' Ferretti noted.

"Major Ferretti, this is Commander John Crichton. He'll be going with you."

"To P4X-263?"

"No, to P3X-549."

"That's the planet he came from, right?"

"No, Major, that's where they found him. He doesn't come from that planet. At any rate, he's got another mission for your team. Commander?"

Crichton explained all about Scorpius and Moya and Harvey and anything else he thought they needed to know. SG2 listened intently. Ferretti nodded when Crichton finished.

"Understood, General. So, we're supposed to take down this Scorpius guy and save the day."

"Correct, Major. You depart in one hour. You go with them now," he said to Crichton.

Ferretti and the rest of SG2 left to get ready. Crichton followed them. General Hammond heard Crichton ask, "So is everything around here based on an hour?" before the door shut.

**FARSCAPE**

John and SG2 emerged from the Gate. The crowd cheered at their return. They must have thought that SG2 was SG1. Obviously, all humans look alike to them.

John saw Aeryn's prowler still on the planet. She must have gone up to Moya in D'Argo's ship.

'She wouldn't leave her prowler unless . . . unless something like Scorpius gave them trouble.'

"Ah, frell," John sighed.

"Is he here?" Ferretti asked.

"Probab--" Out of the corner of his eye, John saw someone who came running when the crowd cheered. Someone who confirmed his suspicions.

"Shh," he motioned and snuck up on the man. SG2 followed silently. John stepped up behind him and clamped a hand on his shoulder.

"Braca, my man! Ready to see if the replay is as good as the original?"

Braca nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Is that him?" Ferretti asked.

"Nope, but it's his right hand man. Lieutenant Braca: Never leave home without him."

Braca stood for a microt unable to find his voice. Oh, there it is. "C-Crichton," he stammered, "th-the Hynerian said you were dead."

"Oh, no. That wasn't me. Well, it was, but it was the other me. Then D'Argo tried to kill me and I was in a coma for a little while before I died. That was this me." The major and the captain exchanged looks while John continued. "Harvey killed me while I was gone, but there's no way Rygel could have known that. Now, that's just since I met Kaarvok. Wanna count before that? There was the time I--"

"I get the point, Crichton!" Braca stopped him.

"Of course. So, where's Scorpy?"

"He's on Moya," Braca said with a smile.

"And why aren't you up there with him?"

"I was watching for you. And since I've found you . . . " Braca activated his comms. "Scorpius, Crichton is here."

"Dammit, Braca," John said, knocking the comms out of his hands. "I was hoping to surprise ol' Lizard Face." John knocked him out. He looked at the prone body on the ground. "I guess it wasn't as much fun the second time. Next, time, Braca, let me finish my story."

**************

Scorpius smiled his creepy, toothy smile at Braca's words over his comms. He looked down at the body of Joolushko on the ground. The girl wouldn't stop screaming and he had to take care of her before she melted his cooling device.

"You would have told me John was dead, too, wouldn't you, Interion? I wonder if I could have seen through your lie. Interions are certainly no match for the Hynerians in that department. No matter. John's here now."

**************

"How are we going to get to Moya?" Ferretti asked. "That black and red ship?"

"No, Aeryn would kill me if I touched her prowler." John looked up as one of Moya's transports was coming down. "Maybe we don't have to go up there. You four, hide among the crowd. I don't want Scorpy to know that I have backup and this chip in my head will keep me from killing him. Look for the pale guy in the black suit. That's him."

"Got it." SG2 disappeared into the crowd.

The transport landed, calling John's attention back to that. Scorpius exited it and looked directly at John, ignoring everything else down there, even Braca lying on the ground.

"John," he announced, causing the neural clone to go crazy.

"John . . John . . John . . John . . I told you he'd get you, John . . John . . Give yourself up, John . . John . . John . . "

"Shut up, Harvey, not now. I've got your real-life counterpart to kill."

**STARGATE SG1**

Daniel woke up to see that Jack had fallen asleep next to his bed. "Ja'k?" he called. "Ja'k, wake up. I gotta talk to you."

Jack almost didn't hear the soft voice talking to him. At first he dismissed it, and then he remembered where he was. He opened his eyes.

"Yeah, Danny?"

"I just want you . . . to know how . . . much I cherish our . . . friendship.

Thanks for . . . coming back for me. I'd much . . . rather die here for good . . . than there again."

"No, Daniel. You stop talking like that." Jack looked in horror as his friend's body tensed and then went limp, his eyes glossing over. Daniel's heart monitor flatlined.

"Oh GAD! Danny?! DANIEL?!?! Oh gad oh gad . . . JANET!!!" He called. She was already rushing in when she heard the steady beep of his heart monitor.

"He's coding!" She yelled to her nurses. "Get the defibrillator!"

A nurse wheeled the machine over to her. She turned it on and yelled, "Clear!" She used it, twice, before Daniel's heart started up again. The rhythmic beeping of his heart monitor did nothing to calm Jack's racing heart.

Sam had been on her way to the infirmary to offer Jack some coffee when she heard his voice scream for Janet. She dropped the two cups right there in the floor and ran into the infirmary to see a nurse wheeling away the defibrillator and Jack clutching Daniel's hand so tightly that his knuckles were white. Janet was standing at the foot of Daniel's bed, looking helpless. It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened.

"Colonel?"

Jack wiped his eyes with his hand and took a couple deep breaths before looking at her.

"You didn't happen to bring any coffee, did you?" he asked, his voice rough.

"Ye--" Sam looked down at her empty hands in confusion. Then a look of realization spread across her face as she figured out what must have happened. "Oh. I think it's spread all over the middle of the corridor out there, Sir."

A weak, tired smile appeared on his face. "You heard then." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah," she said quietly. She walked over to Jack and put her hand on his shoulder.

Dr. Fraiser left then, keeping her eyes on Daniel until she was out of sight.

"I can't believe there's nothing we can do."

"I know, Colonel."

Teal'c walked in at that moment. "I was awakened from Kelnoreem with a sense of foreboding. Is DanielJackson well?" His worry was evident in his voice.

"No, Teal'c, he's not well. And he's not getting any better."

Carter's brow was furrowed. "I don't understand, Sir. He's been here for--"

"Doc Fraiser and General Hammond seem to think that he's hooked on that damn machine again," Jack said plainly. Carter's face relaxed, understanding what that meant. Teal'c, if he was feeling any emotion at all--

'Of course he is,' Jack thought, 'This is his friend as well as ours.'

Okay then. Teal'c wasn't showing the emotion that he was feeling in his dark features except for a quivering of his jaw and pulsing in his temples. The three members of SG1 looked at the fourth member, the conscience, the glue of the team (not to mention their friend) and wondered about the future of him. Of all of them.

**FARSCAPE**

Aeryn ran onto the terrace first. She saw Jool lying on the floor, a DRD ramming into her to rouse her, and ran over to her.

"Good, she's just unconscious," she told the rest of them as they ran in after her.

"Good?" Rygel asked. He was ignored. 'As usual.'

"I thought you said he was going to kill her because she was melting his cooling device," D'Argo said to Chiana. "Your premonition was wrong."

"I didn't say it was a premonition. It was a guess."

"From now on, Chiana, don't tell us your guesses. As long as you can tell the future sometimes, we'll expect any guess you announce to be that."

"That's not very fair," she muttered quietly to herself.

"Pilot," Aeryn called, "where is Scorpius?"

"Scorpius received a call from Lieutenant Braca saying that John was on the planet. He has taken one of Moya's transports and gone down there."

"John's back?" Chiana asked.

"I don't know," Pilot answered. "That's what Lieutenant Braca said, but I don't know if we can trust him."

"He's down there," Chiana said, sounding positive.

"Guessing?" D'Argo asked.

Chiana snorted indignantly. "No, I'm not guessing, thank you. He's down there," she repeated.

"He's facing Scorpius? Alone?" Aeryn asked, her concern evident in her voice.

"We'd better get down there," D'Argo said.

"I'm staying here this time," Rygel announced, though no one was paying attention to him anyway. He continued to talk. "It seems the natives have already eaten all of the gruplets. It's a shame, too. It's been a while since anyone has cooked me any good gruplets. What has there been around here to eat? I'll tell you what: food cubes! I've gotten food cubes, food cubes, and more frelling food cubes! Why can't a Hynerian dominar get good gruplets anymore?!" He finished his rant triumphantly with a raise of his arm and his first finger pointed into the air. Then he came back to his head. No one was around. They had all left. "Humph. I guess I'll just have to go see what's in Crichton's quarters. Heh, heh, heh," he chuckled.

**************

Scorpius grinned at John. "I knew you weren't dead."

"It's a long story."

Braca moved a little on the ground. Scorpius finally noticed him. "Braca, get up. What are you doing down there?"

Braca stood and swayed a little before stabilizing. He pointed at John. "He hit me."

"Well he wouldn't let me finish my stor-- Wait. I don't need to explain anything to you, Scorpy. You're not my mother. Yeah, I hit him and yeah, I'd do it again.

"Tisk, tisk, John. Now, come here," Scorpius beckoned.

"No, I--" He wasn't planning on complying, but the neural chip decided he would. It moved his body for him. "Stop it, Harvey!" John protested, but the clone paid it no mind. 'Where is SG2? Can't they see I need help here?'

As if reading his mind, SG2 appeared out of the woodwork. "Stop it right there!" Major Ferretti yelled. Braca reached to his side for his pulse pistol, only to find that it was gone.

"Looking for this?" John asked, regaining control of his body when SG2 appeared. He displayed the pulse pistol for Braca.

Ferretti raised his M16 at Scorpius. "Let him go," he warned. Braca reached behind him and pulled out another gun and raised it at John. He shot, but his aim was off because his head was still spinning due to John knocking him out.

"Whoa!" Ferretti yelled in surprise. "What's with the little yellow bolts of light?"

Scorpius tilted his head at this comment. "How did you get more humans way out here, John?"

"That's not important," John answered, removing Winona from her holster. "What is important is that we have much bigger guns than you do."

Braca had his gun pointed at John and SG2. John and SG2 had their guns pointed at Braca and Scorpius. It was a stand off. Someone had to make a move soon. Someone did. The blast from a Qualta Blade hit the ground near Scorpius.

"Frell!" D'Argo yelled. "I missed!"

"D'Argo! Just in time! Thank gad you guys showed up. I thought I'd have to talk to him."

Scorpius looked up, his eyes widening. That was, what, 1, 5, 8 . . . Eight against two. He growled in defeat. "Braca, we should go."

Braca turned around in surprise to look at him. "Sir--"

"I said, we're leaving." He looked back at John. "I know when to turn away."

John smiled. "Scorpy, we're not just here to fight. We're here to kill you. It's not that easy."

"Oh, John, I think it is."

The neural clone once again gained control of John. It made him move between Scorpius and the weapons trained on him.

"Frell, John, get out of the way!" Aeryn yelled.

"I can't! It's not me!"

D'Argo snarled. "Stop it! I won't hesitate to shoot through him to get to you!"

"Thanks, D'Argo. That's really reassuring."

"You wouldn't shoot John," Scorpius told D'Argo assuredly.

"You bought my son as a slave!"

"Ah, quite right." No one noticed that while they were arguing, Scorpius had already made it back to his ship. "Then I'll let him go!"

John's legs buckled under him and he fell to the ground. Everyone was preoccupied with him. Scorpius used the diversion to get both him and Braca onto his ship. It lifted up and Scorpius' voice thundered through the town square.

"Next time, Crichton, next time . . . "

"Now all we need is Braca to meow," John said. D'Argo and Aeryn exchanged looks. Ferretti looked at John and started laughing, which only added to the confusion.

"Humans," Aeryn muttered. D'Argo shook his head.

John walked SG2 back to the Gate. "I'd like to come with you. Just to see how Daniel's doing."

Aeryn called to John. "We need to get back to Moya. Pilot says that Jool has woken up asking questions, and Moya's getting restless."

"Aeryn--" John started, but Ferretti stopped him.

"I don't know what she just said to you, but it sounded like you need to get back to your ship. I'll tell you what. I'll go home and check on Dr. Jackson for you. I'll come through again and tell you, but knowing Daniel, it won't be that great of news."

"I'd still like to know. I'll be here when you get back, Major."

The Gate activated and the three lowest ranking members of SG2 stepped through it. John shook Ferretti's hand before he left.

Chi stepped up behind him as he watched the wormhole close. "So, how was Earth?"

**STARGATE SG1**

Daniel had developed a light sweat on his brow while sleeping. Jack wiped it off, but it came back again quickly.

"Ah, damn," he whispered when he felt how hot the scientist had gotten. He hadn't woken up since he . . . since they had to use the defibrillator.

"He's started running fever," Jack told Fraiser when she came in to check on him. Janet nodded.

"I thought he would."

"So--" Jack was interrupted by the klaxons sounding.

"Sorry, Colonel. I have to go. You understand."

"Of course, Doc."

Janet left for the Gate Room. Jack looked at Daniel and saw his lips moving slightly. He leaned down to hear the words he was trying to say.

"I'm . . . sorry," Daniel said. It was barely even a whisper.

"No, don't be. You didn't do anything to be sorry for, Danny," Jack assured him.

"Yes, too," he argued. "I . . . allowed myself to . . . be caught. Slow . . . SG1 down. I'm . . . too cumbersome. If I . . . get better, I . . . want off the . . . team so I won't . . . get you killed."

"First of all, Danny, you didn't allow yourself to get caught. You were caught. Secondly, when you get better, you are going to keep going to other worlds. This is your dream, Daniel. You get to study history before it's history. I'm not letting you leave."

Daniel was quiet for a moment. Then he seemed to not sense Jack in the room anymore and a weak smile played on his face. "Sha're . . . Missed you . . . "

Jack realized he was no longer coherent. 'I hope.'

Daniel's eyes opened suddenly and he looked fiercely at Jack, lifting his head ever so slightly. "You take me to . . . Abydos. I . . . want to be with . . . Sha're."

Jack felt a lump develop in his throat, but he spoke past it. "Okay, Danny. I'll . . . take you to Sha're."

Daniel's face relaxed and his head went back down. "Thanks."

Major Ferretti came into the infirmary. "How's he doing?"

"Not good," Jack answered painfully. "He's not getting any better. Just worse."

"Withdrawal," Daniel said just loud enough for the Major to hear. Ferretti's face went slack.

"Oh."

"That was Fraiser's reaction, too," Jack said.

"I have to go back to P3X-549. John wanted to know how he was doing. I'll see you later, Jack."

"Sure."

Ferretti left the infirmary. Daniel had fallen back asleep. And Jack was sitting, waiting, and feeling utterly helpless.

**FARSCAPE**

John arrived on Moya and went to his quarters. There he found Rygel, humming happily, chortling to himself as he picked up various objects. John's objects.

John snuck up behind him. "Whatcha doing, Rygel?"

Rygel jumped and threw down the tape recorder he was holding. "Uhh, nothing, Crichton," he stammered.

"C'mon, Guido, I thought we agreed to wait a weekan." John picked up his tape recorder and stuck it in his pocket.

"If you'd remember, Crichton, I never agreed to such a proposition. I actually said that I refused to wait that long."

"Right . . . Well, I'm here now. Actually, I have to go back to the planet for a minute."

"Good."

"Unh unh, Buckwheat, you're coming with me."

John picked Rygel up off of his ThroneSled ignoring the cries of protest and walked out of his quarters in the direction of his module. He ran into Chi on the way.

"Hey, Chi. We're going back down to the planet for a little while."

"Okay, John. You have fun and . . keep an eye on Ryg."

"You don't have to tell me. Bye, Pip. You tell Aeryn where I went, okay?"

"You got it."

John carried Rygel to his module. "Let's go, Sparkey."

**STARGATE SG1**

Ferretti stepped through the Gate, not seeing Crichton around. Then he saw a little white ship coming down with the American flag on it. He went to meet it.

Crichton stepped out of the module with a little toad-like creature who was yelling at him. Ferretti couldn't understand what he was saying, but it didn't sound pleasant. It sounded like it was full of obscenities.

"Major," Crichton called, silencing the toad. "This is Rygel."

Rygel said something else.

"Right, that's 'Dominar Rygel XVI of the Hynerian Empire.'"

Ferretti smiled.

"So how's Daniel doing?" Crichton asked, and the smile fell from Ferretti's face. "Not good, then." Not a question.

"No. They think he's addicted to the sarcophagus again. He's not getting any better. Actually, he's gotten worse since he got back."

Crichton's shoulder's slumped. Rygel stopped talking. "So that mean's he's probably not gonna make it."

"I wouldn't say that. Daniel has this incredible ability to bounce back."

"So I heard."

"Where are you going to go from here?"

"I'd actually like to come with you back to the SGC. I want to see how Daniel's doing myself. The only reason I didn't before was because Aeryn was yelling at me telling me that I needed to get back up to Moya. But she's not here," Rygel started protesting, "and I'm not going to listen to Guido."

"You think you should?"

"Definitely. But I have to bring Buckwheat here. He's not someone I'd leave running around."

"Okay," Ferretti shrugged. He dialed something on the DHD. Crichton grabbed a screaming Hynerian and followed Ferretti to Earth.

**FARSCAPE**

"Where is Crichton?" D'Argo asked. Again.

"I don't know, D'Argo. I went down to the planet to look for him, but he wasn't there," Aeryn answered. Again.

"We should put a leash on that frelling human," D'Argo decided.

"Ah, D'Argo, I've been saying that for two and a half cycles."

Pilot appeared on the clamshell. "Moya senses a ship approaching."

"It's not Scorpius again, is it?" D'Argo asked.

"No, but it's someone who might be looking for him."

"What do you mean, Pilot?" Aeryn asked cautiously.

"It's a Scarran Dreadnought."

"Is this planet some sort of beacon for all of the bad aliens?" Aeryn asked.

"I think you've been hanging around with John too much," D'Argo said. Aeryn ignored him.

"Pilot, we can't stay here. I know that John isn't back yet, but we can't stay here. They'll detect us and destroy us."

"Agreed, Aeryn. Prepare for immediate StarBurst."

"But John is--"

"Nowhere to be found. He'll just have to stay wherever he is," Aeryn finished D'Argo's sentence. Not with the words he was planning to use, but she's not prophetic like Chiana is now.

The ship lurched and then went into StarBurst before the Scarrans could see them.

**************

John went through the Stargate holding a livid Rygel. The trip through the Gate silenced him. Rygel clung to him on the other side, sputtering.

"Crichton . . . are we dead?"

"Naw, it just feels that way at first. Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"I'd rather not."

"Suit yourself, Fluffy," Crichton said. General Hammond walked into the Gate Room.

"Commander Crichton. I thought you had left."

"I did, but I wanted to come back to see how Daniel was. Personally."

"You know the way to the infirmary by now, I'm sure." General Hammond didn't seem to notice Rygel who was still clinging to John until he said something.

"What are we doing here? What is this infirmary place? I'd much rather be back on Moya. I don't care about this Dandel anyway."

"Shut up, Rygel," John warned.

"Commander?"

"Oh, sorry, General. This is Rygel."

"That's Dominar Rygel XVI, ruler of the Hynerian empire with over 600 billion loyal subjects," Rygel corrected him.

"Rygel," John repeated.

"And he's safe?"

"Rygel couldn't hurt you even if he wanted to."

"Not true, Crichton," Rygel said. "You should remember how I took care of that Charrid."

"Charrid?" John asked quizzically.

Rygel turned solemn. "Oh, right, you wouldn't know, would you?" he sighed.

John looked confused, but shrugged it off.

General Hammond looked at the Hynerian. "Can he understand what I'm saying?" he asked.

"Of course I can, you frelling toeska!"

"Yeah," John answered.

"And he can understand what you're saying."

"Right."

"And you can understand what he's saying."

"Yup."

"But I can't understand what he's saying."

"He and I have translator microbes. They translate what's being spoken to the recipient into their language. What he's saying comes to me as English. What I'm saying comes to him as Hynerian."

"It's a good thing we don't have those here," Major Ferretti spoke up. "Daniel wouldn't be able to show off his collection of 23 languages."

"Speaking of which, I'm going to see how Daniel is and then I'm going home. Come on, Sparkey," he told Rygel as if he had any say in the matter at all.

On the way to the infirmary, Rygel started talking again. "So this is your world? It looks plain to me. Boring. Grey, grey, and more grey cover the wall, the ceiling, the floor, everything. Don't tell me your whole planet's like this."

John answered any question Rygel had absentmindedly. Here he was, home again, and his dad didn't even know that he was alive. That was the one thing he was hoping for above anything else: his dad to know that he was still alive and out there, somewhere. Well, here now, but out there usually.

John turned into the infirmary and promptly shushed Rygel when he saw that both Daniel and O'Neill were asleep. Fraiser was holding Daniel's chart open, like she had been reading it before being sidetracked by watching the two at the bed. She closed the chart and turned quickly when she heard John quiet Rygel. She smoothed out her lab coat and motioned for him to follow her into her office where they could talk without bothering O'Neill or Daniel.

"Hello, Commander. Who's this little guy?" Fraiser asked, trying her best to be cordial.

"Rygel."

"Crichton," Rygel began, "if you don't start introducing me with my title--"

"I call him Buckwheat." Rygel let out a frustrated grunt and Fraiser smiled. John started talking again, about Daniel. "I hear he's not doing so well."

"That's an understatement," Fraiser said, her face showing her disappointment that she couldn't do anything about it.

"And you think he's . . . "

"Suffering from withdrawal."

"I know about that."

Fraiser looked interested suddenly. "Could you do anything about it? I mean, do you have anything that can help with withdrawal out there?"

"Oh, no, I just had to take time. I was exposed to the Gauntlet of a Tavloid--"

"Tavlek," Rygel corrected.

"Right, the Gauntlet of a Tavlek, a little weapon that latched onto my arm and pumped drugs into me. I wasn't exposed for very long because it emptied while I was wearing it, so the effects were nowhere near what he's going through."

"Oh." Fraiser's face fell again. She looked past John to see General Hammond come into the infirmary. She opened the door to her office so Hammond would know where she was. He came into the room and looked at John.

"I think I have some news you might like to hear, Commander Crichton," he said.

"What's that, General?"

"Your father heard the word that you're still alive."

"He's here?" John asked breathlessly.

"No, not here. He wants to be, although he doesn't exactly know where 'here' is."

"Can you get him here?"

"This is a secure facility, Commander," General Hammond said. John nodded and the General continued. "However, this complex is in a mountain and we do have 27 floors above us. If we keep him in the upper levels, there should be no problem."

"Thanks, General" John said, his eyes bright. How long do you think it will take?"

"I'm not sure. You and your companion can stay here until--"

Rygel interrupted. "Stay here? Stay here?! You expect a Hynerian dominar to stay in a place like-like this?"

"Yes, so shut up, Rygel," John told him.

"Humph. They'd better not just have food cubes."

"I'm sure they've never even heard of food cubes. I'm sorry, General," John apologized, "Sparky's not used to courtesy."

"I'm a dominar, Crichton. Of course I'm used to courtesy. People showered me with courtesy before my frelling cousin took my throne from me and threw me in to prison. It's you on Moya who don't show it."

"You're not used to being courteous, Rygel."

"Understood, son," General Hammond said. "You can stay in the same VIP room as last time. Would Rygel like another room?"

"Yes."

"No," John answered. "Rygel's not the type you want running--er, waddling around your base."

General Hammond smiled, but the sound of a heart monitor flatlining quickly wiped that smile from his face.

A voice rose from the other room, very urgent. "JANET!!!"