Jack turned to Sam and Teal'c.
"What now, sir?" Carter asked. They were all huddled by the chopper, needing time to regroup after their hectic arrival, and Daniel's disturbing 'debriefing' of the situation.
Jack shrugged. "We deal with the NID first."
"What about Daniel Jackson?" asked Teal'c. "I perceive that we have much to repair in our relationship with him."
"Don't I know it, T," Jack sighed. "But the only thing we can do now is try to help. And not crowd him. Just - let him get used to the fact that we're here, and we're not going anywhere."
"We're not going to abandon him again," Sam replied determinedly. Carter had come to grips with the situation when Daniel's resignation had been announced a month ago in the briefing room. She was, Jack mused, much smarter than him. He'd been unable to believe, and had pushed. Daniel had knocked him on his ass when he'd pushed back.
"I believe Daniel Jackson is coming," said Teal'c, his eyes on the tent.
Daniel was headed their way. The month in the desert had been good for him. He was tanned and strong, his hair lightened by the sun. Jack had seen the scar, though, and knew that Daniel wasn't quite healed from their last mission - in more ways than one.
"We tied him in one of the tents on the fringe of the excavation," Daniel said as he approached. "Ready?"
Jack and Sam checked their clips, and Daniel led them past the palm grove toward the oasis. Once they reached the tent, he motioned for SG-1 to precede him.
Daniel stayed outside, listening quietly as the inquiries, logic, and sheer menace of the members of SG-1 elicited nothing but a stony silence from the prisoner.
Daniel pushed the curtain of canvas aside several minutes later, to find the NID agent staring impassively around Teal'c's intimidating stature. Daniel didn't try to hide the fact that his arm was in a sling, no matter how much a show of strength would benefit him. Instead, he used the element of naked threat to his advantage.
Jack motioned Teal'c and Sam to the side of the tent, and they leant back, watching as Daniel slowly approached the prisoner.
In a shockingly sudden move, Daniel pulled out a gun, aimed it at the man's right knee, and pulled the trigger.
The NID operative flinched.
The hammer clacked down on an empty chamber.
"One warning," Daniel said quietly, into the tomblike silence. "Now, you will tell me what I need to know."
The sound of a bullet entering the chamber of the gun was loud in the silence.
The NID operative swallowed hard. "I - I don't know much."
"Talk." There was no give in that voice. Jack watched in astonishment as the operative began. There was something inexorable, undeniable, about Daniel's entire bearing. It was the utter lack of any type of emotion, he decided. Daniel devoid of his passion was an empty husk. Frightening, and unpredictable. He didn't like it. And from the looks on Sam's and Teal'c's faces, neither did they.
"Approximately six weeks ago, the NID came into the possession of an unusual artifact from off-world. It's a small cylinder, about six inches high and three in diameter. It's covered with writings, and we suspect that it may be some type of self-contained power source. However, the language is like nothing we've ever seen."
"Which is why you need Daniel," Jack interjected.
"If this item is what we believe it to be, it could make the naquahda generator Major Carter has developed look like a firecracker. There is an unknown potential for this artifact, which makes it vital for us to secure Dr. Jackson's expertise."
"How, exactly, did this artifact 'come into your possession'?" Daniel asked pointedly.
The man was silent. Daniel released the safety on the gun and aimed for the operative's left shoulder. "I believe it came through the SGC," the man said quickly. "I don't know anything more, I swear!"
Daniel turned and left, and Jack followed, leaving Sam and Teal'c to continue questioning the spy - but as the man would only talk to Daniel, he didn't have much hope for success.
Daniel was barely visible behind a tree, and as Jack approached, he could hear retching noises. Daniel spat, and kicked some dirt over the mess before turning toward the pavilion, with its water barrels.
"Danny? You okay?"
Daniel stiffened at the nickname, and then relaxed a little. "Yea. I'm fine." Which in Daniel-speak meant, 'I'm tired, sick, hurting, and feel like someone just had the good grace to tramp all over my last vestiges of self-worth, but as long as there's no obvious arterial bleeding, I'm okay'.
"Really."
Daniel glanced at Jack, who was walking beside him toward the food tent. He ducked his head, staring at the ground, and said, "I hate having to - to -"
"Interrogate?" Jack's voice was uncommonly gentle.
Daniel looked away. "I hate what I've become able to do," he whispered, and hurried toward the pavilion.
Jack stopped still, surprised at the wealth of unhappiness in those few words. Daniel hated himself - hated who he'd become. And much of who he'd become had been because of Jack. Suddenly feeling ill, Jack silently followed Daniel as he got a cup of water, and sat down at the deserted professor's table.
"It's unlikely that the prisoner knows much more than what he's already told us," Jack said quietly into the silence.
"It's doubtful that his accomplice knows anything either," Daniel sighed, seemingly accepting Jack's presence.
"What do you think about this - artifact?"
"Really?" Daniel asked. "I think it's a red herring. What the man said suggests that there is at least one undercover NID agent in the SGC, maybe more."
"Not again," Jack groaned, burying his face in his forearms. His nose was pressed to the tabletop.
"But even if this thing is some sort of power source, not being able to read the instruction manual has never stopped the NID before. They usually just fiddle around with the hope that they don't blow Earth out of orbit."
"Peachy," Jack growled.
Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Daniel?" Jack asked.
The archaeologist looked up. "Jack?"
"I want to apologize," Jack said bluntly, ignoring the speed with which Daniel's face whitened. "I'm sorry." Jack's face was contrite, his eyes dark with sadness. "After you left, I started to realize a few things. How much work you did on the Stargate Program, how much work you were always doing to just keep the place running. I didn't realize -"
Daniel pushed away from the table and stood, breathing hard. He turned and started walking, away from the dig, out toward the scrub that consumed the space between the site and the road to Masada.
"Dammit, Daniel," Jack murmured. He shoved to his feet and started after the archaeologist. Daniel broke into a run, and Jack had to sprint to keep up. Daniel certainly hadn't lost any of his speed in the last month.
Jack chased Daniel across the scrub, and took his chance when the archaeologist stumbled over a rock, tackling him. They went down hard, panting harshly in the dust. Daniel tried to shove himself upright to find Jack lying half on top of him.
"No," Jack grunted. "You're going to hear me out. Daniel, please!"
Daniel stopped struggling, sucking in a breath as the pain from his bruised shoulder hit him when his adrenaline washed away.
Jack sat back, keeping a careful eye on the impulsive linguist. Daniel pushed himself into a sitting position, curling in on himself. "I started thinking back," Jack said quietly. "A few things I'd ignored at the time popped back up, and I realized what I'd been doing to you - to us. To the team.
"I saw what happened during the NID stint," Jack continued quietly. Daniel's face was impassive. "I knew right where your weak spot was, and I went for it, no holds barred. I knew you'd understand why, when I got the chance to explain. But when I saw your face - I couldn't believe that it could hurt you so much. And I hated it," Jack admitted freely. "I hated that it was so easy to take you apart.
"I knew that there was something off after that, but I didn't know what it was. Then the zatarc thing - that was hard. I realized something in that room. Yea, I cared for Carter, but it was no different than the way I cared for Teal'c. It was different from the way I cared for you." Jack flinched, the words coming out with difficulty.
"I'm not good at this talk-touchy-feely-stuff, but - how could I make the tough calls when I cared so much? I - I saw how much I hurt you. And I kept thinking, why does he feel so much? How can he? SG-1 is family. We've always been close - it was a weakness."
Daniel stared at him, and buried his face in his knees.
"So -" Jack swallowed. Daniel had his good arm wrapped around his legs, his injured one pulled into his chest. He was incredibly still, but he was listening. "I started to push you away. I - I didn't see how caring, as much as I did, couldn't be used against me. And I couldn't stand to see you get hurt, over and over. It scared the hell out of me."
"You shut me down, Jack," Daniel's voice was muffled by his knees. He raised his head and Jack was horrified to see tears sliding down his face. "You shut me down, and you shut me out. I did care - maybe too much. I loved you all - and suddenly you were using that as a weapon against me. I didn't know what to do - I just wanted to fix it. But every time I tried, something got in the way. And then you pulled away, and somehow, Sam and Teal'c pulled with you. It was just me, trying to fix it, and then you wouldn't even listen - "
Daniel choked on a sob, burying his face again, whole body shaking. "I killed him," Daniel whispered. "I - I tried to make you listen, but you shut me down! I had to kill him!"
"The priest," Jack murmured in comprehension.
"I've never liked killing," Daniel said, gulping into his knees as he tried to regain control. The wall that held back his emotions was splintering, and he didn't know how much more he could take. "But - it was there, in his eyes. He had no choice - and neither did I! I couldn't do anything else, because you took my choices away, Jack!"
Daniel suddenly felt arms go round him, crushing him as Jack grabbed him and hugged him hard. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Danny, I didn't mean - I'm sorry, so sorry . . ." Jack was rambling, his voice choked with tears of his own.
For the first time in months, Daniel felt someone hold him, and the wall split open. He sobbed hard, pushing a fist against his mouth, he and Jack clinging to one another as they tried to ride out the sorrow.
When Daniel's tears finally stopped, his head was pounding and he wiped his face before looking up. Jack was gazing down at him with a look of such profound sorrow on his tear-tracked face that Daniel winced.
"Daniel, are we - do you think we can get past this?" Jack asked quietly.
"I don't know," Daniel replied, his voice small and sad. "Things will never be like they were. All we can do is go forward."
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I'm baaaaack!! (bounces around) YAYAY!! I'm also hungry. Please feed me! (lembas7 drools for reviews)