Waking up on a stone floor was always a bad sign, Sam Carter surmised. However, when it wasn't the first time that day you'd done it, It must be worse. With her head pounding and a sickening pain in her side, she forced herself to sit up, searching for memories of exactly how she got here.

Wasn't she meant to be dead?

"Sam?" Holy Hannah!

"Daniel? Oh god you're alive!" Pulling her friend into a desperate hug, she tried to stop the tears streaming down her face, whispering, "You're alive." She felt him smile almost,

"Yeah." Reluctantly she pulled back,

"Teal'c?"

"I am here Major Carter." With one of the largest smiles imaginable she repeated the gesture, her friends were alive. If not exactly well yet. "But how…?" she asked, glancing around, they were still in the cell, same place as where the Colonel had killed them.

Oh my god the Colonel…

"We don't know Sam," Daniel looked slightly worried in the dim light, "I woke up a few minutes ago, and Teal'c about a minute before you did. We don't know what happened." As though he was reading her thoughts, "Did you see what happened to Jack? Did she let him go?"

Sam shook her head, unable to give her friends the answers she so wanted to give them, "I don't know Daniel, I hope so. At least he isn't still here. Which has to be a good thing given the circumstances."

"Your friend has returned home."

The phrase came instantly. For crying out loud!

Daniel could have hit the alien he really could.

Okay, so he couldn't his arm hurt too much and hitting her would involve standing up which his head didn't feel up to right now. But he wanted to hit her. Really punish her for what she'd done to them, to Jack. The pacifist side of his nature reprimanded him, but he wasn't listening.

"What?" Sam sounded about as confused as he was. It was nice to get company.

"He has returned home. He has now passed his trial, so you are free to leave."

Wow, wasn't expecting that.

"If he passed his trial why didn't you…bring us back then? Instead of making him think we were dead?" Tactful Daniel, real tactful.

"Colonel O'Neill's task was not merely to kill you Daniel Jackson." He remembered now, something about a choice…

"His task was to return home with the memory of his actions, and to decide to live for you, rather than to doom himself because of you." Was it his imagination or were those colourless eyes slightly…coloured now? No definite hue, but an indistinct brightening. "Approximately a ninth of your seconds ago, the Colonel made that decision."

"He did?" Sam sounded as surprised as himself. Pleasantly though.

"Yes." The alien was staring…at him. Please don't. "I have temporarily halted the passing of your time here. You will return to your planet a second after his decision."

Wow, neat trick. He made a note to ask Sam if that was even possible. And why they were moving if time wasn't.

"You will leave now." The alien stated, raising a hand, Daniel was suddenly curious,

"Wait, please, wait a minute." She paused, focusing upon him again. Teal'c and Sam were watching him with concern. Sam was wary, "Daniel?"

"Just a minute Sam," Teal'c was regarding him with those intense brown eyes, but the eyes of this alien were a hundred times more concentrated. It was like watching the radiance of a star close-distance. He had to work hard not to look away. "Who are you?"

He was aware of Teal'c moving slightly in front of him protectively, Sam tensing up, she'd been dangerous before. But he didn't think she was now. Not to him at any rate.

Her eyes were assessing him, and then to his shock, and that of his team-mates, she smiled.

"Very well."

Teal'c returned the alien's gaze steadily, as he felt the room swim about him. Blinking rapidly, he realised they were now outside, near the gate in fact. The strange woman's grey dress sparkled white in the sunlight, as she knelt before them on the grass. The fact that she did not demand they rise surprised him, though he remained silent. There was still a slight smile on her face, though it was neither warm, nor particularly happy.

"By our challenge, you have been judged worthy to live, and though this does not entitle you to hear my words, or even look upon this crude physical shell, I shall permit it anyway." The alien looked slightly upwards, and as though talking to the air, "I am young, indulge me in this." Major Carter looked at him quizzically, 'Do you understand this?' he shook his head slightly. It confused him also. Daniel Jackson looked intrigued, if a little puzzled. There were occasions Teal'c wished Daniel Jackson possessed more caution. It might result in fewer injuries to the archaeologist. "Who are you then? I mean, your species?"

This was one of those times. "Are you-"

"We are not those you would call the ascended Daniel Jackson." The woman paused, her gaze meeting that of Teal's companion again, "But they are kindred to us."

What a strange concept. "Kindred?"

"Yes Daniel Jackson. They are as children to us." Her expression softened slightly, her eyes more tender in the sunlight. Maybe this alien was more human than he had suspected. "As you were." Major Carter's eyes widened, Teal'c shared her shock. Daniel Jackson had been known to these beings?

"If those you call ascended have moved beyond matter in this universe, we have moved beyond dimensions. The concepts of time and reality have no bearing on us. It is rare we choose to interact with existence at all."

"So why did you today?" She was calm in her answer.

"This planet is ours. A civilisation once lived here yes. But they died out many years ago. We come here when we wish to observe the stage that you call life. Each separate cell is a story to us, and though it is nothing we do not know, we consider each anyway. We know all and cannot learn as you understand it, but it is a way of passing the universe. Your interruption was unpleasant for us."

"You were bored and wanted to study plants?" Daniel Jackson's tone was remarkably similar to O'Neill's. He hoped it would not incur a similar reaction. The alien merely stared impassively at him. "No."

Evidently this being's apparent tolerance for Daniel Jackson did not mean a willingness to endure sarcasm. "But why did you need to test us?" This from Major Carter, "If you knew Daniel, why did you have to test him at all?"

The alien stared at her, perhaps contemplating whether to answer at all. "All must be tested, it is our way, and thence the way of all things." Perhaps she was not like the Tau'ri after all. Her manner was colder now, "Though we are kin to the ones called ascended. We are not them. We evolved long before they did, and travelled a different way. Our wayward children must find their own path." The gate was now dialling, the chevrons locking for earth. "Go now, and do not return here. I shall ensure you pass through the device you call iris." Teal'c looked uncertainly at her as he rose to his feet, seeing his team-mates unsteadily do the same. "Go now." Without hesitation, Teal'c took the arm of Daniel Jackson and pulled him towards the stargate. Major Carter went through first, giving him a nervous smile. He prayed she returned to earth safely. Just before he and Daniel Jackson followed, the archaeologist resisted, turning slightly to face the alien still standing there. "You never told us your name."

She smiled again slightly, "You may yet learn it lost one."

"Will we see you again?"

She did not answer, merely staring back at them. Teal'c pulled Daniel Jackson through the stargate, thankful at last, to be leaving this strange world.

"And then we ended up in a heap in the gateroom." Carter finished, taking over from the Jaffa. She must have phased us out slightly like that technology the Tollan used-"

"I hope I don't still hear talking in here." The team all gave a guilty jump to the pain of some, seeing the displeased Doctor Fraiser in the doorway. "Colonel, your twenty minutes were up a quarter of an hour ago. Your team needs rest." She held up a hand to forestall them, "No arguments." Jack felt slightly annoyed as he was half shoved out the room, "I'll be back tomorrow, with cake!" He left with the happy sight of his team's smiles and could hear Fraiser lecturing them halfway down the hall.

His team.

They were back in business!

Not done yet . Thanks again for all the reviews. Maybe I should do a sequel when this is finished? Let me know!