JACK? BY TERI

Part III - The Dig

"Hey Pete, what a surprise!" Mac said happy to see his old friend up and about.

"Hello, Mac. I thought I would come by and see how you are doing. I have heard you have been taking good care of things here at the foundation for me." Pete stated. He was grateful the MacGyver had come back to help, but he did feel guilty for pulling him away from whatever it was that he had been involved him. Why had he been so secretive? He'd probably never know. Mac was always a puzzle.

"Trying to Pete. Not doing as good as you would, but... I think things are going OK." He answered.

Pete started laughing. "Mac, I may have been sick, but I am not dead yet. I still hear things. The foundation had done better the last six months under you than it has since its creation." He could practically hear MacGyver blush. That man never could take a compliment. So he continued, "Of course that doesn't mean you have to do everything single-handed. I hear that Nick Foster invited you for a week to his dig in Egypt and you turned him down?"

"Pete, I just didn't feel I had the time." MacGyver said sadly. He would like to have gone. Nick had made some fascinating discoveries about the Egyptian deity Neferteri. Although he had always been far more interested in North American archeology, recent events and a certain Spacemonkey had taught him an appreciation for Egyptian culture.

"Mac, I appreciate everything you have done here. More than I can begin to say, but you haven't taken anytime to yourself. Now I...er you have a fine staff here. Let them do what the were trained for and go." He could feel Mac looking at him. "And I promise I will be fine. I'll keep going to therapy like a good boy. OK?"

"Thanks Pete, I guess you are right. I'll give Nick a call."

* * * * *

TO:

DJPyramids@lostinspace.com

FROM:

FosterNB@DeBrabant.org

RE:

FINALLY

D.J.,

Exciting News! I finally found the lost temple of Neferteri. I can hardly believe it. You always said I would.

I will start excavation of the main temple on Monday. Would you be willing to join the expedition for a little while? I would love to have you see it and it wouldn't be the same without you.

I have also invited MacGyver as well. Please come.

Nick

* * * * *

TO:

FosterNB@DeBrabant.org

FROM:

DJPyramids@lostinspace.com

RE:

Congratulations

Dear Nick,

Wild horses wouldn't keep me away. Besides, you have talked about your friend Mac for so many years; I would finally like to meet him. Tell me where and when you want me.

Daniel Jackson

* * * * *

As MacGyver's jeep pulled up to the dig sight he saw Nick Foster coming out of his tent. He was a tall, pale man with blonde wavy hair. Nick saw him and called out as he approached him, "welcome MacGyver, I am so glad you changed your mind. Why don't I start by giving you the grand tour."

They shook hands and Mac replied, "that sounds wonderful Nick. Thanks."

"Not a problem," he stated. They began walking towards another man who was also fairly tall with dark hair.

"Adam," Nick began. "DJ will be back in a few hours. Will you tell him that I will catch-up to him as soon as possible and show him the inscriptions from the far exterior wall and..." He stopped glancing over at Mac. "Sorry, Mac this is my chief linguist on the project and an old friend of mine Dr. Adam Pierson. Adam, this is my friend MacGyver." They shook hands. "Come on Mac, I've got a lot to show you." He said excitedly leading Mac away towards the temple.

Adam chuckled to himself. Since Nick had found the cure for his 'sun allergy' he had been a bundle of energy or maybe it was his new addiction to Twinkies (but that was another story for another time).

* * * * *

Daniel walked up behind Adam. He was about to ask where Nick had gotten to when Adam intoned without turning around, "hey DJ, did you find everything you needed in town?"

Somehow Adam always knew when he was around; it was kind of annoying. Good thing he liked Adam. He was sure he'd figure out the trick one day. "Yeah, I did. Where's Nick?"

"Nick is giving his friend MacGyver the grand tour of the place?"

"Really, I am looking forward to meeting him. Nick always made him sound so..." Daniel paused thinking.

"So...Wonderful? Perfect? Brilliant? Ingenious? Moronic? Monstrous? Ugly? Find any you like yet?" Adam said with a straight face.

"Well, I was thinking resourceful, but thanks for the help," Daniel chuckled.

"We aim to please," came the crisp British voice, but there was a small smile on his face.

"Since when?" Daniel and Adam both looked up to see Nick standing there.

"Wouldn't you like to know? I have work to do. So, please excuse me." Adam said as he started to walk off.

"Again, I ask since when?" Nick asked again smiling. Adam kept walking and then turned around and stuck his tongue out at Nick and then continued to walk away.

Daniel felt great. It was the first good laugh he had had since Jack left. Maybe this dig was just what he needed.

"DJ?" Daniel looked up. "I thought I lost you for a moment there. So what do you think so far?" Nick asked.

"Nick, I think you have done a wonderful job here so far. Thank you for inviting me." He meant it too. He didn't usually receive such invitations anymore. The academic community had ostracized him and Nick knew it and didn't care. "So, where is your friend MacGyver?"

* * * * *

MacGyver had been in the main hall of the temple. Nick showed him a wall with writing on it that neither Nick nor Adam had been able to read. Nick had told him they intended to ask his friend DJ if he could read it. According to Nick, DJ could read anything. He was sure that this DJ wouldn't be able to read this language after all he's no Daniel Jackson. Besides, there was only a handful of people on Earth who could read this and he was one of them (not that anyone knew he could read it). The Goa'uld had written this. He told Nick that he would like a crack at trying to decipher this wall. Nick reluctantly agreed. As soon as Nick left Mac began working on the translation. He had to do it carefully because he would never be able to explain how he knew this language.

* * * * *

"Hey Mac. Having a bite to eat?" Nick said setting his tray down and sitting down next to him.

"Yep," he replied as he took another mouth full of fruit loops. 'If you consider fruit loops food. Which I haven't for a long time!'

"Talkative as always I see!" he chucked. "So have you had any luck with the narrative yet?"

"A little," he replied 'Unfortunately all bad from the way it is beginning to sound. Weren't there ever any nice snakes?' "Well, I am anxious to get back to it. So I am going to go, OK?"

"Sure Mac," with that MacGyver stood, cleared his place and began walking out of the area.

"Hey, Nick who is that?" Daniel asked pointing to the retreating form of MacGyver. His walk seemed familiar. Why?

Nick jumped. "DJ, don't sneak up on a person like that. That was MacGyver. He was going back to explore the ruins some more."

"Oh, I keep missing him. Is he hiding from me? Do you know how many near misses we have had in the last few days? I am determined to meet him before I leave." Daniel stated.

Nick just laughed.

* * * * *

The next morning, Daniel and Nick were sitting together reviewing a translation, when Adam came over and said, "D.J., there is a call for you in the radio shed."

"Thanks Adam," he said as he walked away to answer his call. He walked swiftly because the only people who would be calling him were from Cheyenne Mountain.

As MacGyver walked he saw a man leaving the area. He blinked a few times. 'That looks like Danny. Impossible, he doesn't get invited to digs anymore. Not that I should feel bad for him, he gets to explore some out-of-this-world sites - literally' he thought to himself chuckling. He walked over to talk with Nick.

"Mac, you missed him again!" Nick said. He was beginning to find it funny that they just couldn't catch up.

"Missed who?"

"DJ, he has been wanting to meet you, but he just left to take a phone call," Nick answered.

"Oh, well we'll catch-up I am sure. I just came up to get some books from my tent and get right back to work." Mac told him. He wasn't really paying attention to anything Nick said. He was too worried about he was learning from the translation.

"Glad you're having fun Mac."

With that Mac turned to leave, as he left Daniel reentered the area and sat down next to Nick. Nick looked at him and broke out laughing. "You two missed each other again"

Daniel gave him a questioning look, but he couldn't stop laughing long enough to answer, so Adam answered for him by pointing towards the retreating form of MacGyver. "You missed him again DJ," he said. "Did you forget your breath mints?"

Daniel just groaned.

* * * * *

"Thanks Nick. You have made a wonderful find here. I am sorry I have to leave so early." Daniel said, but unfortunately General Hammond had ordered him back to base. The Tok'ra needed SG-1.

"Thanks for your help DJ. If you get a change to come back, you are always welcome." Nick said shaking his hand.

"Thanks Nick! I am sorry I didn't get a chance to try my hand at that one inscription. E-mail it to me and I will see what I can do," with that the jeep Daniel was in pulled away.

As Nick turned to leave he bumped into MacGyver who asked, "who was leaving in the jeep. I thought there was no transportation available until the end of the week?"

"Actually, that was DJ. He received a call from his employer and had to high-tail it out of here. They sent the jeep for him." Nick explained.

Mac was getting tired of this and he gave Nick a look that was worthy of Jack O'Neil and asked, "Just who is this DJ person anyway?"

Nick was surprised. He was sure Mac would have known. "Sorry Mac, I thought you knew that was DJ ... my friend Dr. Daniel Jackson."

Mac just gaped at him. He couldn't believe it. He had narrowly missed bumping into Daniel all week. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved that he had not discovered his secret or disappointed that he didn't get to see him.

"I see you must have heard of him." Nick stated apparently misreading the look of shock on Mac's face to mean he was thinking of Daniel's supposed 'wild' theories. "He had some far-out theories, but he is one of the smartest men I have ever met."

"I am sure he is," Mac said starting to recover. "I was just surprised to find out that he was here." And he silently added 'may the rest of the SG-1 be safe during what ever catastrophe has called Danny back so unexpectedly.'

* * * * *

Mac sat back in his tent. He had finally finished the translation. He almost wished he hadn't. Now he had to figure out a way to notify the SGC without revealing himself. He knew deep down he would if he had to, but he didn't look forward to it. There was no doubt Neferteri was a Goa'uld and worse she had been strong enough to defeat a combined force including Aphophis, Osiris, and Seth by herself. Now what?

"Nick! Nick! Hey Adam!" A young lady with long red hair and stunning green eyes yelled.

As she caught up to them she said, "Guys you will never believe it, in the far temple we found it! We found it! The sarcophagus was in the lower chamber. Come on we have to go see it now."

Mac had heard the shouting and got up to go see what was the matter. He saw Andrea James. She was one of Nick's student assistants and was a Doctoral candidate in archeology at the University of Toronto. He didn't really know her, but oddly she and her husband always wore red shirts. He started to wonder why and then it hit him what she had said. They had found the sarcophagus. He had just run out of choices.

He noticed Nick, Adam, and Andrea beginning back towards the temple and he quickly ran to catch-up.

By the time he caught up with them they were entering the lower burial chamber and were all staring at the newly discovered sarcophagus. There was already one young man in the room. He recognized the man as another of Nick's students, Andrea's husband, Paul James.

Luckily, Mac knew Nick and Adam would want to study the sarcophagus before trying to open it. So all though there was a clear and present danger it was not an immediate threat as long as the sarcophagus remained sealed. At least that is what he thought until he saw the confused look in the young man's eyes. 'Oh Sh...'

Andrea had also noticed her husband's odd behavior and started to walk over to him, but Mac stopped her. "I don't think you really want to do that right now, Hon," he said quickly. He started to reach for his zat and then realized that he didn't carry one. Sometimes Jack has the right idea he thought to himself before muttering 'Maybe guns are our friends?'

Nick and Adam didn't have time to react to the odd statement before they saw Paul turn around, but this time instead of his clear blue eyes they saw foreign, glowing eyes. "Bow down before me Tauri and perhaps I will spare your life," came the echoing voice that Mac recognized as a Goa'uld.

Mac quickly assessed the situation. He saw that Adam had pulled a sword from somewhere and Nick was now armed with a police revolver. They looked as though they knew how to defend themselves so he turned his focus on Andrea and the Goa'uld who he felt must be Neferteri.

"I said bow before me slaves. I am your goddess," came the echoed voice.

"Over my dead body you dissembling beetle-headed codpiece." Adam said evenly, his voice low and deadly.

"I got rid of one master, I don't need a new one. Thank you very much." Nick said almost as calmly sounding distinctly like a threat.

"Been there, done that, not repeating it, besides I know what you are and how to kill you," came Mac's (or is it now Jack's) standard sarcastic response.

"Paul, what? I don't understand ..." Andrea began.

Cutting her off, the voice came again. "Then die for your insolence." He turned towards Jack, held up his hand, and fired the ribbon device. Jack refused to scream despite the agonizing pain. A shot rang out and the ribbon device stopped. Jack looked over and saw that Nick had shot him and he had hit just the right spot.

Before anyone could stop her Andrea ran over to her husband. She held Paul in her arms. She knew he was dying and leaned close to him. He looked up at her, his eyes clear blue once again. "Andie...I love you. I..." She felt his pulse stop and she began to sob. She reached down to give him a final kiss.

Jack regained his senses and went to move her away from him. He was worried about letting any of them close to the body, because he didn't need another Goa'uld possession. He quickly hustled them out of the chamber, silencing Nick and Adam's questions (for now).

* * * * *

Hope it is going OK!

Teri (Garnet_TM@yahoo.com) 5/05/02