Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG-1
Daniel
stared in horror as Jack went into stasis in some device of the Ancients in a
hidden city in Antarctica. Things had been complicated enough when he had
been stuck with the job of trying to translate everything the colonel said
after he had used the information device of the Ancients. Sometimes it
had been very frustrating even though he knew the language, but as odd as
things had been, he missed his friend. He had been missing his friend for
quite awhile in fact because as annoying as Jack's mannerisms could be, they
were familiar. They meant 'home.'
Homes had always seemed to desert him,
starting when his parents died when he was eight. He hadn't found another
true home until he met Sha're, but that had only lasted a year, a wonderful
year he owed to Jack. But that had been torn away as well. It had
taken awhile to realize that SG-1 meant home to him now. He had been
afraid to love anyone again, but Jack and Sam had quickly slid through the
barriers, though he had long denied it, and then, eventually, Teal'c, though
the alien was not usually openly affectionate.
Now this family was broken, maybe
permanently if he could not find a way to reverse this machine. Though
Sam would do her best, no one could replace Jack, with his strange sense of
humor and his griping comments about Daniel's manner of speech and fascination
with artifacts to the point of obsession.
As Dr. Weir drew him away, he resolved to
find a way, somehow, to get his friend back.
In the cockpit of Thor's ship, Daniel
again looked down at Jack's now horizontal body. The Asgard had told him
that he could remove the Ancient information from Jack's mind but it could
permanently damage the man. Daniel automatically protested, knowing that
Jack would agree to the procedure if it could save earth, and especially Sam,
who was trapped by the replicators. Even so, he could not bear the
possibility that Jack could be gone for good this time.
He controlled his emotions, though, as he
heard Jack's voice through the speakers of the ship and then saw the
hologram. It was hard, hearing him speak in the familiar mannerisms and
then tell him that he had heard Daniel's protests on his behalf.
Later, when Jack was awake and the
immediate replicator threat was dealt with, it all came crashing down, and he
escaped to another room while Jack was still trying to figure out the device he
had just destroyed the replicator with. His departure was not
unnoticed. Jack watched Daniel's flight and then lifted an eyebrow at
Teal'c.
"Your departure deeply affected
DanielJackson, O'Neill. His work suffered and he has spent much time in
your office--and visiting the grave of your son."
Jack waited no longer but went after his
friend. Though it felt like no time at all had gone by since he had seen
Daniel, it must have seemed twice the actual time for the archeologist.
Despite the size of the ship, it was
simple to find the man, following the sound of his sobs.
"Daniel? Danny?"
The crying got louder, and not just
because he was closer. "J-Jack?"
"Hey, Danny." He pulled
his best friend into his arms. The genius collapsed against him like a
child.
"I-I missed you, Jack. And I
tried and tried to figure out how to turn it off but I couldn't and you were
gone and Sam is missing and Thor almost erased your mind and I couldn't stop
him or help you."
Jack's own tears flowed silently down his
cheeks. "We'll work this out, somehow, Dannyboy. I'm back and
we'll get Sam back, I promise."
Daniel finally lifted his face and
touched Jack's wet cheek. "We're quite a pair, aren't we?
Let's go see what progress Thor and Teal'c have made."
They wiped their faces on shirtsleeves
feeling much more confident. It was time to reunite the family.