"Daniel?"

He'd known that she would be the first one to come and try to soothe things over. "Sam," he responded, not looking up from the stacks of books he was neatly piling in a box labeled South America.

"God - how long have you been at this?" Her voice sounded choked.

Glancing around his office, Daniel noted the shelves, bare of books in favor of many stacked boxes. Artifacts had been neatly categorized and labeled, notes piled with a disturbingly uncharacteristic attention to specific detail. "On and off for over a week," he responded.

Sam made a small noise in the back of her throat. The reason this seemed so out of the blue to his teammates had a lot to do with the fact that he had, in truth, been packing for about a month now, and no one had noticed.

"Why are you leaving the SGC?" Sam asked suddenly. "You don't have to leave, you could just transfer out of SG-1."

"Clean break," Daniel answered, shortly and absently. He picked up a book on Native American sign language, and put it to the side, vaguely wondering how it got in that pile.

The briefing had been only a few hours ago, yet Daniel had moved with the speed of fury. As he'd cooled off, he realized that he didn't regret what he'd told the other members of his team. He regretted how, but not what.

"I - I know you've been feeling shut out," Sam said. "I feel like part of it's my fault. I know I've never told you this, but after the Zatarc incident - the colonel and I - we thought we had feelings for each other. It's been putting a strain on the team, and we never should've -"

"I know, Sam," Daniel cut in quietly. "I've known for awhile."

"What?" she gasped, horrified.

"It's okay," he said, turning to her. "I figured it out for myself. I saw the way you two were acting - it wasn't something anyone else would have noticed. I heard a few rumors and there were people talking. I made a few guesses."

"Oh, God, Daniel, I'm so sorry," Sam said, and Daniel could see tears in her eyes. "I know we talk about everything, but I just couldn't -"

"Shh, it's really okay, Sam," said Daniel, moving forward. She grasped him in a hug and he held her for a moment, comforting. "You don't need to apologize," he said, looking at her.

She wiped at her eyes a bit, and the two of them took a step back, a new awkwardness between them. "I - are you - can I come by and see you sometimes?" she asked.

Daniel shook his head. "I'm leaving," he said gently. "I've been offered a position on a dig near Jerusalem."

"But - but what about - all your things, I mean, you're not moving out of the country. Are you?" Sam's face went a little pale at the thought.

"No," he said. "I'm giving up my apartment, putting my stuff in storage. General Hammond is going to make sure that it's placed in a secure location, where the NID can't get their hands on it. I know a few people who'll check on it every so often for me." It went without saying that none of these people were any of his teammates. Sam winced a little.

"Oh, all right then," she murmured, not quite sure what to say, certain that nothing was 'all right'. "I'll - I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Sure," Daniel replied, smiling at her a little. Sam smiled back, gently closing the door. The expression wiped off Daniel's face almost before the door shut, and he turned back to his boxes, his care of his books mechanical and automatic.

When the box could hold no more, he closed the flaps, taped it up, and wrote his name and the contact information for his apartment, and the dig site as well, just in case.

He was lifting the box when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," he grunted, slowly lowering the container to the floor, beside the rest.

Teal'c entered, and stopped just on the threshold. "Daniel Jackson," he greeted.

"Teal'c," said Daniel, surveying the office. He glanced at the clock - 2242. Roughly half of his extensive library was packed, and he needed to head home to do the same to his apartment.

"I would entreat you to change your mind about leaving the SGC," Teal'c said abruptly.

Daniel turned to him, shaking his head. "No," he said simply. "It's become clear that it's past time for me to move on. I'm not doing the team any good, and for a long time now I haven't had a real reason to stay here."

"Is not the fight against the Goa'uld reason enough?" the Jaffa asked.

Daniel shook his head. "Not the way that we're fighting now. I can't - I won't have any part in the SGC. The way things are going - we aren't making any allies, or morally gaining any technology to use against the Goa'uld. We're just - chipping away at their forces in the galaxy." The archaeologist shrugged. "I have no place in warfare, Teal'c."

"On the contrary, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c stated. "I find myself most reassured knowing that you fight by my side."

Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose. "Thank you, Teal'c. But much as I hate to say it, that doesn't negate any of the fundamental reasons for my leaving."

"Then there is nothing I can say which would alter your decision?"

Daniel shook his head.

Teal'c bowed. "Then I can do no other than to thank you for fighting at my side, and being as a brother to me."

Daniel nodded, pushing the tears away. "Thank you, Teal'c."

The Jaffa nodded. He turned and walked to the door, but stopped before leaving. "Daniel Jackson, might I be permitted to - 'stop by' your home at some time?"

Daniel smiled a little, but shook his head. "I'm going to be leaving the country," he answered.

"Where will you go?" The Jaffa was not pleased.

"I'm going to an archaeological dig near Jerusalem. It's the capital city of Israel, a country located in the Middle East. The city itself is a holy pilgrimage for many people of the Jewish, Islam and Christian faiths."

"Daniel Jackson, is not this area filled with unrest?" asked Teal'c warily, clearly unhappy with the idea of Daniel travelling into danger where he could not follow.

"The country of Israel itself is victim to many terror attacks by people from the neighboring country of Palestine, and the sentiment is returned," Daniel answered wryly. "The city itself has been known to be a site of violence, simply because zealots - people who are dedicated to their faith to the point of fanaticism - see it as an easy target. But I'm not going to be in Jerusalem itself. The dig site is almost a two-hour drive from the city, on the shores of the Dead Sea. I'm going to be pretty far removed from any violence that might take place."

"I see." Teal'c was clearly not reassured by this information, yet he said nothing more on the subject. "I wish you a pleasant evening, Daniel Jackson."

"Good night, Teal'c," the scientist murmured. He waited several minutes before gathering his coat, keys and the box of his personal belongings. He decided to go to the locker room, and clean out his area. That way, he might be able to avoid Hurricane Jack, whose coming had been forewarned by both Sam and Teal'c's arrivals in his office.

A mere half-hour later, he signed out, and loaded his things into his car. Driving home from the Mountain, his thoughts were centered on the dig he was going to, rather than the painful thought of all he was leaving behind.

He arrived at his apartment, locking the door behind him, and placed the box on a stack of others in by the couch. He'd gone through his home meticulously, and his own personal artifacts were carefully packed, as were his books. Ever since he'd been accepted as a volunteer at the Ein Gedi dig, he'd been packing away non-essential items. Now that the decision was finalized, he could begin packing away his clothes, and the other items necessary for everyday living.

Soul-weary at the though of once more picking up and moving, he made himself a cup of coffee and changed into a comfortable pair of sweats and t-shirt. Curling up on the couch, he let his mind wander over the past few years. They had experienced amazing triumphs, starting with opening the 'gate. They had saved the world, and the idea of that was still enormous enough, thrilling enough, to make him smile. They'd had incredible victories, against impossible odds.

But their failures had also been spectacular. Sha'uri's kidnapping, and more recent events stood out clearly. His wife's death. The tension in the team. The mounting violence, and the emotional toll of 'successful' endeavors - the NID stint, Euronda, Edora, the replicators - on, and on, and on.

Daniel closed his eyes, and felt wetness on his face. He ignored it, staring sightlessly at his empty fireplace.

Something pounded at the door, and Daniel jumped in shock, nearly spilling his now-cold coffee. Putting the mug on the floor, he padded over to the door, swiping ineffectually at his cheeks.

He sighed, peering through the peephole. A very annoyed Jack had tracked him to his doorstep, it would seem. He found himself ineffectually wishing that Jack had done so months ago, when he'd first felt he had to pull away - when it might have made a difference.

"Jack," Daniel sighed, pulling the door open.

The other man's eyes narrowed at this sight of his tear-tracked face, but he stalked past, grumbling, "I tried the key, but I must've switched it with something and I couldn't get in -" he trailed off at the sight of the barren room, and the many stacks of boxes.

"There was a series of burglaries round the building three months ago," Daniel replied. "I had the locks changed."

"You're dead serious about this, aren't you?" Jack brusquely demanded, striding around the empty room.

Daniel shut the door. "Very serious."

"Sam told me you were leaving the county. Teal'c said you were going to the Middle East."

"Ein Gedi," Daniel confirmed. "It's on the shores of the Dead Sea. There's an excavation of a Roman-Byzantine village -" he cut off as Jack waved a hand dismissively.

Daniel sighed. Even though Jack had come to his house to try to talk him out of it, nothing had really changed. And that was exactly why he was leaving. "Go home, Jack," he said wearily.

"Not until you agree to come back to the SGC, to SG-1," Jack said firmly.

"Then you might want to secure the contract to this place before someone else does." The response was flat. "I'm leaving in twelve days, and all my things will go into storage the day after."

"Why?" Jack demanded. "You can't tell me that this In Jetty place holds a candle to the Stargate."

"Ein Gedi," Daniel corrected. "And that's not the point."

"Then what is?" Jack was clearly exasperated. "You live to go through that 'gate!"

"No," Daniel said. "I used to - because that was the only way to find Sha'uri. But she's dead now, Jack. There's no archaeology in the SGC, and more fighting than digging. And the team - it's off, Jack, everything's gone wrong, and there's nothing I can do any more to try to fix it. I thought we had a friendship - but apparently, I made a mistake."

Jack reared back. "You don't - you can't still be upset about the NID thing?" His voice was incredulous.

"No, Jack, it was never about the NID thing. It was about you. About why suddenly you couldn't tease without insulting. Why you couldn't listen, didn't hear what I was trying to tell you. Why when I tried to reach out, find out what was wrong, you shoved me away. " Jack opened his mouth, but Daniel kept going. "It was never about the NID thing, Jack, but I think that was the beginning. And after a certain point, neither one of us did anything to try to stop it."

Daniel moved to the couch and sat, feeling like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

"But we still need you, Daniel," Jack said. "Whatever's wrong, we can fix it!" The words closely mirrored what he had said during the incident with the Light, when Daniel had been out on the balcony, ready to jump. But this time, the words weren't a lifeline strong enough to drag him back to SG-1.

"No, I don't think we can," Daniel sighed. "People have been telling me for a long time that a civilian has no place on a first-contact unit. I just haven't believed them until now."

"Daniel," said Jack. " 'The single most important endeavor in human history' - that's what you called the SGC. How can you just walk away from it?"

"I can, because I must," Daniel said firmly. He refused to look at Jack, unwilling to let him see the tears rising in his eyes.

"Daniel . . . "

And that was the end of the conversation. As irresistible force met immovable object, the immovable object gave way. Jack left. Daniel found tears pouring down his face before the door slammed shut. The Jack he'd been friends with would never have given up on him so easily - would have forced his way to the very gates of hell to drag him back. Instead, Jack had played the good C.O., coming to try to patch up his team with a bit of duct tape and chewing gum. Daniel could not help but feel, deep in his heart, that Jack's refusal to fight for him just masked a relief that he was finally gone.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

And here it is. Much angst in the future!