Jack was shocked into wakefulness by motion next to him. A murmur reached his ears, the words flowing and foreign. He sat up, to find Daniel next to him, struggling in his sleep, muttering in a familiar language.
"Daniel," Jack whispered, shaking him gently. The archaeologist did not stir. Teal'c appeared behind him.
"Jeez!" Jack jumped sideways, taken off guard by the Jaffa's sudden entrance. He glanced from Teal'c to Daniel. "What's he saying?" he asked anxiously.
Teal'c's face was like stone. "He is speaking in Abydonian," he answered. "He speaks to his wife, apologizing, begging her forgiveness. He tells her of his love for her."
Jack shook his head. "Stop. That's private stuff. Daniel!"
"Daniel Jackson," came Teal'c's voice, much louder.
Daniel shot upright, panting. "What?" he asked. He heard Sam's confused, "What's going on?" and looked to Jack for an explanation.
"You were having a nightmare," Jack explained gently.
Daniel closed his eyes briefly. "Yes," he responded. "I know."The archaeologist looked at Teal'c. A stranger would have seen the impervious mask without being able to read the pain in his eyes. "It's all right, Teal'c," Daniel said softly. "You did do the right thing."
"I have caused you much pain, Daniel Jackson," the Jaffa responded.
Daniel sighed. When he spoke, his voice was defeated. "No," he said. "You did the only thing you could have done. I wouldn't have had the strength to do it, but you gave Sha'ure release from her slavery. I thank you for that." The Jaffa sat back, clearly shocked. However, Daniel wasn't finished. "But knowing that it was the right thing doesn't make it hurt any less," he murmured. "I want you to know that I don't blame you."
The Jaffa sat back. "I understand," he said quietly.
Jack looked between the two of them, realizing that they had come to some sort of understanding. Probably had something to do with their conversation earlier, and he decided to pester Daniel about it later.
The smell of coffee permeated the interior of the chopper. Jack looked up, to see Sam returning, hair rumpled, with several mugs in her hands. "Ah."
"Mmm," Daniel sighed, and he cupped the mug Sam gave him with both hands. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the smell with a little smile on his face, his teammates exchanging grins at the action. Daniel's coffee addiction was comfortingly predictable.
Daniel opened his eyes, to find his former teammates beaming at him. He gave them a small frown, blue eyes wide. "You guys okay?"
"We will be," said Jack mysteriously, sipping his own mug. He sputtered. "For cryin' out loud! Jeez, Carter, did you put any water in with your ground coffee beans this morning?" The stuff was like sludge, thick and overpoweringly strong. "How can you drink this stuff?" he asked Daniel, who was sipping happily at the liquid.
Carter took a mouthful, and froze. Teal'c, observing the reactions of the others, placed the mug on the floor of the chopper and gave it a challenging stare.
Daniel smiled. "Ziv and Smitty are the only real morning people at the dig. Everyone else - "
"Let me guess," Jack drawled. "The coffee and archaeology genes are linked."
Daniel grinned. "It's only a theory. But Ziv can't stand the thought of morning zombies messing with the dig and making mistakes. Mac, once he's fully conscious, agrees, so they have Smitty up the caffeine intake of the students by strengthening the coffee."
"It's an acquired taste," Jack informed him.
Daniel shrugged."Sam, are you going to swallow that?" He started shoving at the sleeping bag, disentangling himself from the material.
Carter looked slightly panicked at the thought, but girded her courage and swallowed. Loud coughing followed the brave decision. Jack pounded her on the back. "Thank you, sir," she managed hoarsely.
Teal'c gave the coffee a considering glance.
"Ah, come off it, Teal'c," said Jack. "Junior will probably keep you from feeling the effects."
"That is an assumption I believe unwise to test, O'Neill," Teal'c responded.
"Wuss," Jack sneered under his breath.
Daniel finally got the sleeping bag undone, and slithered around the others toward the chopper's open door.
"What's up?"
"The sun, Jack," Daniel responded, dropping to the ground. "Breakfast?"
"Ah." With that, the others followed Daniel to the pavilion, and the chow line. When they reached the table, much to Daniel's surprise, there was no division between military and academia that there had been previously. Mac was discussing something with Jack in the corner, while Galya and Sam were absorbed in a conversation. Ziv was animatedly arguing with Teal'c.
Daniel smiled a little over his food, glad to see all his friends mingling. The thought pulled him up short, and he gave it due consideration. He thought of Jack, Sam and Teal'c as friends, rather than colleagues, again. He smiled wryly to himself. In truth, he had never been able to stop thinking of them like that, forcing himself to make the distinction previously.
"Penny?" asked Sam, looking at him sideways over her eggs.
Daniel shrugged.
"Ah, come on," Jack encouraged, stirring his oatmeal vigorously. He had never really recovered his taste for Fruit Loops after the looping incident.
"Just wondering what's next," Daniel said, avoiding their eyes.
None of his teammates mistook his meaning.
"Well, we're leaving in two days," Jack said. "Hammond won't accept any delays in bringing back the NID after that. And you're coming with us," he continued confidently.
Daniel looked at him carefully.
"That - that is, if you want to," Jack stuttered a bit, security wavering.
Daniel didn't say anything. The remainder of the archaeologists were looking surreptitiously at the group, eating their food quietly.
"We need your testimony against the NID if we're going to get a court martial," Sam interjected quietly.
"The project is too classified to ever see the light of day," Daniel retorted just as quietly. He honestly didn't believe a trial would ever take place. Daniel was restlessly turning a fork over and over in his hands as he refused to meet their eyes. The archaeologists began to stand, leaving the table with their half-empty trays.
"That doesn't mean these rat bastards won't get their just desserts," Jack hissed.
"Indeed, Daniel Jackson," said Teal'c. "In my culture, I would be well within my rights to dismember them."
Daniel didn't even crack a smile at the reference. "Daniel. We want you to come back with us," Jack pleaded.
The archaeologist just looked at him. "I don't know," he said after a moment. Did they understand that, where once he wouldn't have hesitated to make that leap of faith, with the hope that they could regain their equilibrium, he now lacked the trust to do so? He was afraid to jump, afraid that even after they had each come to him and expressed their sorrow at the crumbling of their friendship, they would still let him fall. In his life, no family had ever been permanent. He'd let himself forget that with Jack, Sam, and Teal'c. Leaving them had felt like watching that coverstone fall all over again. He knew he might survive it once more, but how many times could he pick himself up from that loss?
"You can always come back after you give your testimony," Jack replied, tracing a pattern on the table as he carefully avoided catching Daniel's eyes.
Daniel felt his heart sink. They just wanted him to return to the States to testify - not back at the SGC or with SG-1. It had been so foolish to hope, he told himself grimly. But now, at least, he had some idea of what would be waiting for him. Would he take this chance? To spend time with them, to see if they could regain their friendship? This time he knew that it would end before it began, and he wouldn't be caught off guard. Was it worth the risk of being cast aside once more?
Emotions welled up inside him, too long suppressed to be pushed back now. Yes, his heart cried, grasping at the opportunity. His lips tightened. He missed them too much to let this chance go by, even though he knew how it would end. Especially because he knew how it must end.
Daniel looked up from the tray in front of him, dropping the fork onto the plastic. He nodded dully, and said, "I'll go with you."
Because he wasn't looking for it, he didn't see the relief and happiness in the eyes of his teammates before he stood. Grasping his tray, he stood gingerly, still slightly favoring his left arm.
Sam stood with him, leaving Jack poking at the oatmeal and encouraging Teal'c to eat. Daniel listened with one ear as Sam began musing on the probability of the device described to them by the NID agent actually existing.
He was intercepted on the way to the Essene excavation site by Galya, who gave him a look that reminded Daniel uncomfortably of Janet. "Where's the sling?" she demanded.
Daniel responded, "I don't need it."
"Oh really?"
Daniel bit down a pained cry as Galya gently pushed at the skin below his collarbone. The bruising was just beginning to fully show, purple-black and ugly as it healed.
Galya's sharp eyes caught Daniel biting his lip. "I see," she responded icily.
Daniel glanced away.
"If you're not going to wear the sling, you're not digging," she said. Daniel glared at her, and she ignored him. "Exercise that arm," she said. "Gently. Tomorrow, I'll let you back on."
Daniel nodded, surprising himself with his acquesence. He wanted some time to sort things out, and he could feel his own unease at the future beating at him. He walked to the tent, gathering up his gun and staff, and unobtrusively made his way to the beach. Over a dune out of sight of the dig, he shrugged out of his shirt, trying to get a look for himself at the damage to his arm.
The stunning tapestry of livid marks was like an abhorrent painting across the upper left section of his body. Frowning, Daniel slowly rotated his shoulderblade, feeling the intense ache as he worked the joint. Lifting his arm out to the side, he moved the limb in a slow, sweeping circle. He hissed at the pain, and transferred the staff into his left hand. This was probably one of the stupider things he was going to do in his life, he reflected grimly.
Exhaling swiftly, Daniel began the most basic pattern dance. He stopped three moves into the sequence, finding tears of pain on his cheeks. He had never realized just how much motion was involved.
Slowing down, he began again. The staff moved in a slow, mesmerizing arc across the front of his body, and was transferred to his right hand. Daniel sped up, the staff a mere blur in the air, raising a wind against his skin as it whistled past.
The staff transferred back to his left hand, and Daniel slowed down again, this part of the dance the languid flight of a butterfly, the steady movement of water. Forward, back, up -
The staff fell to the ground as Daniel attempted to pass it back to his right hand across his shoulders.
Breathing hard, he massaged the protesting joint. Sweat beaded along his forehead, streaming down his torso. Daniel squinted at the hot sun, which was pounding down, reflecting off the sand and water. It was very hot - much like Abydos. Daniel smiled in fond memory despite his discomfort. He missed Skaara and Kasuf, the people of his adopted home.
Taking a deep breath, he picked up his shirt, pulling it on but not bothering to button the garment. Securing the gun at the small of his back, he used the staff as a stave to help him make his way across the sand. Entering the camp, he found that it was midmorning.
Lingering at the water barrels near the pavilion, Daniel wiped the sweat from his face as he drank. Surveying the activity of the dig, he realized that Teal'c was standing guard on the NID agent, while Jack and Sam were maintaining the perimeter. They obviously expected another attack by the NID. Daniel realized that they were probably correct in assuming that when their agents failed to report in, the NID would inspect the area more closely. Time for travel would have to be allowed, but he frowned when he realized that even leaving the day after tomorrow would be cutting it close.
Daniel took another drink, and saw Teal'c catch his eye. The Jaffa gave him a significant look, and Daniel walked over to the tent. "What is it, Teal'c?"
"The prisoner has been asking for you all morning," the Jaffa responded. Daniel frowned.
"Why would he do that?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer, Daniel ducked under the tent flap. Teal'c followed noiselessly.
"Dr. Jackson."
Daniel stared at the man.
The operative's pale face was red and his body soaked in sweat. His short, dark hair was spiked with perspiration. He had been tied for nearly three days, let loose only to take care of personal needs and to walk around for half an hour each day. He was constantly in the company of SG-1, and never out of sight of a wary, armed member of the dig.
The operative took a deep breathing, seemingly gathering what remained of his dignity. "I am authorized to offer you an opportunity at Area 51."
Daniel kept his face impassive. "We've already had this conversation."
"And I'm willing to overlook your previous response, now that you've had time to consider the offer."
"Just who are you?" Daniel asked. "How does the authority inherent in this decision rest with you?"
"I am Colonel Marcus Kenoya," the man replied. "My superior is directly in charge of a project which requires your expertise."
"And what would that be?" Daniel already knew the answer to this question.
"The artifact which I mentioned to you earlier. It is believed to be a source of clean, limitless energy. Given the data collected so far, my superior believes that many of the components of the device are materials commonly found on Earth. However, there is writing on the outside canister of the device which our linguists are unable to decipher. They believe that the script contains instructions on how to correctly open the device."
"You just told me that these linguists are unable to translate the language," Daniel pointed out. "For all they know, that writing is a chronicle of the device's significance in its native culture, or the bragging rights of the Goa'uld who created it."
The NID operative was silent only for a moment. "We still require your expertise in this matter, Dr. Jackson. As it is clear that you no longer have a place at the SGC, we would like to offer you a permanent position with Area 51."
Daniel didn't pause before responding. "No." His disgust for the NID wasn't the only factor he was taking into consideration - the way the operative had said permanent' made him uneasy.
"Is this your final decision?"
Daniel looked sideways at the operative, his stare harsh. "What do you think?" Without waiting for any other response, he left the tent, Teal'c behind him.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Daniel murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose as he looked back at the tent.
"As do I," Teal'c told him.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ok, wow. I think I gave everyone a scare - let me fix it. I fully intend to keep writing. FULLY. And I AM NOT cutting this story off - just taking a necessary hiatus while I do several things I must for college that I've become wonderful at procrastinating about. Also, after this hiatus posting is likely to be "sporadic and unreliable". Which is why I'm hesitant to continue immediately - I'd much rather be regular and reliable. S'more fun for all involved, and I think it nets me more reviews, too (shifty look). Just to reassure you all on the now much-cursed/mocked so-called "productions deadline date" which only = less regular, and probably very delayed posting. Whew. Feel better?