Category: Angst, Action/Adventure, Drama

Spoilers: Many, a very long list of them, large and small, 2001, 2010, The Light, Need, In The Line Of Duty, The Film, Hathor, There But For The Grace Of God, The Gamekeeper, Absolute Power, Out Of Mind, Into The Fire, Tok'ra (both parts), Fifth Race, Torment Of Tantalus, Fire And Water, and the small ones, Holiday, Bronca Divide, Foothold, Forever In A Day, Thor's Hammer, Thor's Chariot, The Nox, Crystal Skull, Fair Game, The Curse, The Serpents Lair, Within The Serpents Grasp, Prisoners

Season/Sequel: Five, after 48 hours, but before Summit

Rating: PG-15

Content Warnings: Violence, character death (in a way) and some swearing

Summary: Do you know everyone as well as you think you do? Certain events lead to a revelation for the SGC group.

Status: Work in progress

Archive:

Disclaimer: I do not own StarGate SG-1, but the original characters in this story are mine, (luckily else I'd feel pretty useless). And I am making no money what so ever from this. Unfortunately.

Author's Notes: This is the second version of this story, and my first real try at a fan fic, so if it's a bit, funky, sorry. This is a bit more of a Daniel story than I had at first hoped, but hopefully the others are still there, I hope! Thanks to everyone who've helped, especially Linz, Lore and the ferret!

Challenge #880
Daniel's not who he has claimed to be over the pasted four years.

1. So who is he?
2. How is his cover blown?
3. What will be the reaction from the team?
4. No romance.
5. Lots of action/adventure
6. Daniel (well who ever you make him out to be) getting hurt and Jack realising that it doesn't matter who he is they have grown to be a family.

SOMEONE PLEASE DO THIS, PRETTY PLEASE.

Challenge #577
Write a story listening to your favourite music and use the music to influence your story (i.e. slow music means sadness fast music means action). Contribute the songs to the story and send it in. If you need more information contact me.

Submitted by Jennie

Songs:

Hanging Around

Explode

Erase/Rewind

Part One

Hanging around

I wonder what it's like
seeing through your eyes
You've offered me to have a try
but I was always late
The filters that I use
give me an excuse
I take away what's real
I feel it and it blows my fuse
I hang around
for another round
I'm hanging around
for another round
I'm hanging on
to the same old song

I hang around
for another round
Until something stops me
I wonder what it's like
walking by your side
To think before I talk
and to move at the same speed as you walk
I want to have a weight
to keep me in your state
I'm watching from above
I love it but it's not for me

Colonel Jack O'Neill sat on the edge of the camp that he and his team had set up, keeping watch. So far it had been a pretty normal mission. Doctor Jackson, SG-1's archaeologist, linguist and anthropologist, had been busy examining the caves near the Stargate for cave paintings but hadn't come up with anything of enough interest that would make it worth while for an another team to come to the planet. Major Carter had taken the soil samples and had them ready for their return the next day and the teams forth and final member, the Jaffa Teal'c had been busy guarding them all through out. So all and all they would be ready to return home in the morning, on time for once.

As always the night's watch had been split four ways, Jackson taking the first few hours, then Carter, then O'Neill himself and then Teal'c. But if they were totally honest there wasn't really anything much around to be looking out for.

A noise nearby summoned the middle aged colonel form his thoughts as he looked for it's source. After a few minutes his eyes fell to the moaning figure of Daniel Jackson. Over the years the member of SG-1 had come to know their fellow team mates habits and demons, or at least all of the ones that mattered. The only ones that ever really seemed to effect them in one way or another were their sleeping habits, Jackson had always tended towards having vivid dreams that would cause him to mutter and move around and it always seemed to come to whoever was on watch at the time to calm him. Or else everyone would no doubt end up being woken by him.

Quietly careful not to either of the others Jack walked over to his young face and sat down to one side of him watching as he tossed and turned muttering under his breath. Gently Jack started to reach out to rub his friend's back but froze, shock written all over his features as his mind possessed the words that had just left his friend's mouth. Swallowing hard Jack ignored the words, determined not to let them stick in his mind, after all it's possible someone to say something in their sleep that makes no sense what so ever, it tended to go with what the dream was like. Shaking the younger man gently he waited for him to wake up.

"Come on Daniel, wake up" His voice was quiet but he was close enough to the other man to know he would hear. "Come on Danny boy this isn't the time to be stubborn."

The young man groaned opening his eyes tiredly. "Wh, What's going on Ja'k?" Half asleep Daniel looked at his friend questioningly, "It's still dark."

Jack chuckled quietly shaking his head, "Yeah, you were having a bit of a noisy dream so I thought I had better wake you before you woke us." Daniel Jackson winced apologetically.

"Sorry." Jack shrugged, glancing round.

"Well, night Daniel." Daniel rolled his eyes and resettled in his sleeping bag.

"Yeah sure." Jack smiled watching as his friend went to sleep before heading back to his log and his watch. As he did so two sentences echoed in his head, I'll get her back, or I'll die trying. The next time I come back here, Ebony will be with me, or I won't come back. The words he had heard before he had woken his friend. The thing that troubled him was, as far as he knew, Daniel had never known anyone called Ebony.

They made short work of breaking camp as after five years they had learned how to do so quickly and efficiently, working well as a unit. Major Sam Carter glanced around as they headed off towards the Stargate gut instinct telling her that something was not right. Glancing at the others she saw the same tenseness on their faces and in their bearing even Daniel's, the only member of the team who wasn't military trained in one way or another. Turning her gaze to their surroundings she frowned. The wind was the only thing disturbing any thing and even that was only slight. The feeling seemed to have no reason or cause other than perhaps the eerily silence that had settled around them. In two days they had found no evidence to suggest that perhaps there were people on the planet, or at least not any where within a forty mile radius, not recently. The sudden noise of a twig snapping off to their left caused her to turn at the same time bringing her gun up to bare. Completing her turn she found herself face to face with a heavily armed young man who was no taller than five foot two, but built like a tank. He was armed like the others who had effectively surrounded the team with a bow and arrows and a long sword. Glancing at her Commanding Officer she raised an eyebrow.

"Sir?" A grunt answered her as the colonel lowered his weapon and held up his hands in a sign of surrender.

"Doesn't look like we've got much choice in the matter Carter. Lower your weapons." They all did so taking in the sheer amount of armed men surrounding them and realizing that there was no way that they could possibly get out alive even with their superior weaponry. Jack sighed before glancing over his shoulder at Jackson.

"Don't suppose you could talk to the nice army could you Danny?" The young man frowned slightly,

"I don't think they would listen to be honest Jack, after all I have a feeling they can understand every word we're saying as it is." Teal'c nodded solemnly.

"I do believe Daniel Jackson is correct O'Neill." Jack looked at their captures and made a face.

"Great, the innocent till proven guilty thing really doesn't work very well does it?"

The leader of the 'army', a middle aged man with long black hair and brown eyes, stepped forward and looked at each of them in turn, eyes resting for longer on Daniel than any of the others before speaking.

"You will come with us. You are our Prisoners. Attempt escape and be killed. Remain silent."

Glancing around for one last time they resigned themselves to wait till the situation was slightly better before doing as they had been told, following the leader.

General George Hammond, commander of the SGC stood in the control room over looking the Stargate a deep frown set on his face. Looking at the Technician on duty he spoke,

"How long has it been since SG-1 last checked in Lieutenant?" The young woman typed a search into the computer before quickly answering her CO's question.

"Twenty-four hours sir." Grim faced the general thanked her before heading up to the briefing room where SG-18 where waiting. Major Adams and his team stood as he entered the room sitting as soon as he had done so himself.

"There has been no news from SG-1 in 24 hours, I would like your team Major Adams, to find out why. As you know they are presently on a mission to PR5-7896, an apparently uninhabited planet that was not on the Abydos cartouche. Gear up and be ready to depart at 0800. Dismissed." SG-18 quickly left to gear up, more than a little willing to get going on the mission.

12 hours after being captured SG-1 found themselves in the middle of a large tribal like village chained to metal posts by a fire pit. Since it was still daylight there was no fire burning for which they were grateful as it was extremely hot even in the shade.

Unable to communicate in away because of the risk of punishment, which as they had found out on the way to the village was a beating, in the form of the flat of one of their swords. Glancing around the four of them took in their surroundings wondering what was to happen to them.

An elderly woman slowly made her way over to them looking at them each in turn stopping to look at Daniel for the longest as though something about him was interesting to her. Satisfied she had gotten a measure of each of them she turned and motioned towards a group of men who were guarding a hut nearby.

"Bring the others to join these." Her voice was firm, to be obeyed, which the men did. They vanished into the hut coming out moments later leading a small group of 'people' who SG-1 recognized automatically. Sam Carter gasped in horror as she identified her father as one of them. Along with him there was Aldwin and Anise two other Tok'ra with whom the SGC friendly.

The men lead them, none too gently over to the next three posts and chained them there before moving off making rude comments about the group now on the display posts. Teal'c sent an extremely hostile look in their direction effectively shutting them up.

The woman looked at them all once more a look of slight distaste on her face. "You may speak, for a time." With that she turned and left.

Sam looked at her father as best she could from her position in the line, worry gracing her features. "What happened Dad? How'd you get here?" Jacob Carter, host to the Tok'ra Selmak sighed heavily before answering.

"The Tok'ra council sent us here a week ago to find out what it was like, we were thinking of moving again, but it would seem that there is life here that we didn't know about before." Jack nodded.

"Oh yeah, ya' think?" Anise and Aldwin both threw him their best attempts at glares. "We came on a two day mission to look at the caves, the UAV didn't show anything that said 'people live here' so we came. But yet again it was WRONG. Got to fix those things." Teal'c watching the movement around them while they spoke summoned their attention.

"Their leader approaches." Breaking off the conversation they turned their attention to the man who now stood before them.

"More of you come. They will soon join you to be judged. You have been judged. You are foreign, no foreign is good, all of you are bad. Perhaps." The man turned and left heading off towards the largest of the huts. Teal'c frowned.

"I do not believe we have been judged fairly." Daniel raised an eyebrow.

"No, we've been judged, we're strangers, alien, so therefore we ARE bad, until proven otherwise." Six pairs of eyes turned to stare at the young man, sharing one thought, what?

SG-18 stepped out of the Stargate onto PR5-7896 straight into an ambush. Major Adams swore under his breath as a sword was held to his neck forcing his team to lower their weapons and surrender, against their will.

Well at least we know what happened to SG-1 now. Adams thought to himself, as they were lead along through the low shrubbery.

The group already on the posts watched as SG-18 were coerced into allowing themselves to be tied to the next five posts. Jack groaned.

"Great, now there's not seven of us but TWELVE! Great rescue attempt Adams." He muttered under his breath gained a smack from a sword for his trouble as well as a 'shut up and quit making this worse then it already is' look from Daniel.

The tribe's leader was back once again and seemed bent on speaking to them. Once SG-18 had been tied to the posts he raised his hands in the air meeting each of their gazes one by one.

"It is dark. Look upon the sky for this will be your last night foreign, unless," the man smiled at Daniel, "He can do the task set."

Looks of surprise and horror crossed their faces as it sunk in what the man was planning he had picked the 'weakest' of them to carry out a task to save them all.

Daniel felt himself go slightly paler than normal as the tribe leader confirmed his fears. He was to take the responsibility of all of his 'friends' lives on his shoulders and his actions would be the things that lead to them going free or them dying. It would be on his head if they died.

Like the last time but worse, so much worse. This time there wasn't just one life in the balance, but twelve. The last time it had been just him, and no one else. Of course as far as the others knew there hadn't been a last time. Damnit.

With a heavy sigh Daniel rested his head back on the post, the only one not to be resting in one way or another. In the past years, from the first mission to Abydos until only a day before he hadn't felt out of place or mistrusted by his friends. Now all he knew was that the situation wasn't good, it wasn't the same as the last time, different people, different planet, but it still made him feel bad. There was so much his friends didn't know about. Ever so much that he wished he could have told them, but couldn't, not after so long. Glancing down the row to either side he shook his head hating himself for what he had been doing for so long. For lying to them all, even the Tok'ra, a group of people that had yet to earn his trust beyond Selmak, Jacob's symbiot. Selmak had been around when SG-1 had faced some bad problems and had helped them not caring that they were of the Tauri, and for that he had gained Daniel's trust if not his complete unquestioning friendship, something very few people had gained over the years considering how many he had met. Looking out over the flat land that stretched out from one side of the village Daniel watched the sun rise wondering what it was that he would have to do to free himself and the others, or perhaps just the others, as in his heart he doubted he would ever be free of this place until the day he did what he could not do. Or rather what he hadn't done.

The group, all awake the sun having started it's daily journey across the sky a full three hours before, watched as the leader once more approached them a set of keys held in his right hand smiling. Each of them had their own thoughts on the matter ahead, the challenge, one working for the whole. The possibility that in no less than an hour's time they could be free, if all went well. The man drew himself to his full height, all four foot six inches of it and faced Daniel, addressing the whole group.

"The task is to collect six buckets of water from the lake. It seems a simple task but I can assure you it is not. There are many dangers between here and the lake, and many in it. The buckets must be full and clean. Or they will be discounted." Daniel stared at the man the distaste that he felt towards him carefully hidden. Collect water. Great that sounded like fun. "One weapon will be given to the person who is to carry out this, a simple knife." The man held up the small knife he had pulled from his belt and smiled sadistically at Daniel as he did so.

Placing the thing back into the belt he turned and addressed the others ignoring Daniel as though he were meaningless.

"If you believe that any of this is unfair do not bother to point it out, our decision has been made. That is the challenge." The man turned back to Daniel and wrinkled his nose looking him up and down as though he were a piece of meat before he stepped behind him to unlock the chains holding Daniel to the post. Stepping around to stand in front of him again the man narrowed his eyes. "Do not be foolish. The challenge is the only way. All others mean death to your kind." Distastefully he pulled out the knife and rammed it into Daniel's hand causing him to wince as the hilt bruised the skin. Defiantly meeting the other man's gaze Daniel silently told him that he didn't care, he just wanted to get on with the damn challenge. The man nodded grimly to two of the younger men to lead Daniel to the place he was to start, handing him a plain bucket. "It begins foreign."

Jack watched as his young friend was lead away to carry out the challenge, which really hadn't been explained very well, but what did he expect here they had a group of people none of which who seemed to be over five foot tall who believed in that oh so annoying belief of guilty till proven innocent, stupid idea that it was. Personally Jack was beginning to need to feel the cold metal of his gun against his hip rather than the cold metal of the damned post. Who used metal posts anyway, surely wooden ones were better. And rope, what he wouldn't have given to be tied to the post with rope, but no, chains it was. Worry and dread filled him as his friend vanished from site and beyond any help that any one could offer. To try what was probably for Daniel the impossible, almost, to save them all.

Daniel walked slowly through the shrubbery knife in one hand and bucket in the other hoping that all of his trips would be uneventful. It was obvious that there was something that fazed the people about this area and the lake, after all why else would they have stopped following him about ten minutes ago. A noise off to his left made him turn knife ready, eyes searching the brush for any sign of movement. Frowning he turned back to the trail determined not to lose more time than was necessary. But if he were to admit it the one thing he hated the most was not knowing even if at times it was better not to, not knowing never helped in situations like this one, it just got you killed. As he moved on he changed hands every so often in case there was someone or something following that was watching to see if he was going to leave one side unprotected or if he favoured one side to the other. Finally he caught sight of the lake, which looked harmless, on the surface. As Daniel drew closer he saw what the man had meant when he had said there was danger in the water. Ever so often a miniature shark looking thing would come up close to the surface in search of food, sharp teeth visible, even in the shallows. Raising his eyebrows Daniel moved forwards picking up a stone on the way concentration showing on his face as he threw it in towards the centre of the water. Swiftly he bent and filled the bucket to the water line before backing off eyes on the fury in the area he had thrown the stone. Yep, the shark like things were looking for food. Shuddering he checked the water in the bucket before turning and heading back.

The return journey was slightly slower then the trip to the water, as it came more and more obvious to Daniel that his movement was slowly being registered by what ever it was that lived in this part of the shrubbery. Swallowing hard he pushed himself on knife held ready. Upon reaching the village again he handed the first bucket to the boy who had given it to him before picking up the next with a heavy sigh. Turning around he headed back into the wild.

The next two runs where uneventful bar the near end of his bucket in the waters of the lake and increased movement in the shrubs. But the fourth run offered a greater challenge.

For the first few meters there was nothing, no movement, no bird song, nothing, not even a breeze, a tell tale sign of something to come. The calm before the storm. Stubbornly Daniel refused to allow the worry to get to him, pushing the nervousness away and focusing on the task ahead, collecting the fourth bucket full. Taking a lung full of air as a rustle in the brush to his left caught his attention Daniel tightened his grip on the knife in his right hand but gamely continued on, knowing that the sooner it was all over the better. As he walked he became aware of a large beast following him along the side of the track, every rustle making his heart skip a beat as fear built up as his mind started to run over all the possibilities. Frowning heavily he silently scolded himself for thinking too much, knowing that if he was going to finish this he would have to stay calm and in one piece. After all the water had to be clean.

Daniel froze as the beast's growl reached his ears, eyes widening in fear. Turning a placed the bucket on the ground changing his grip on the hilt of the knife hoping he could remember enough to be able to use the thing. Out of nowhere he found himself face to face with the beast, something that looked very much like a tiger and stood at about three and a half foot tall, Daniel had to fight the urge to turn and run knowing that running would bring a much larger danger than the beast down upon not only his own head but also the group of people that he had last seen chained to a set of metal posts, the people who he was doing it for, his friends. Swallowing his fear he took a step backwards away from it not sure of what to do.

It's large green eyes stared at him, measuring him up, reminding him of wolves that he had often seen while on holiday and on a dig once, those eyes had been full of intelligence, while these were full of intelligence AND hunger. Fear and dread wrapped themselves around Daniel's heart as a lump rose in his throat and he took another step back, knowing that it wasn't going to give up a chance at an easy meal.

The only warning that it was about to pounce came mere seconds before hand as it's muscles bunched in preparation. In those moments time seemed to slow as it leapt and Daniel turned the knife up and out to met it, digging into the soft flesh beneath the thick layer of red fur. The large animal dropped centimetres away from him, the knife buried in it's chest, unconscious. Daniel swallowed hard, fighting back the need to vomit as he realized that the warm sensation on his hand was the animal's blood, which coated most of three fingers and one side of his palm. Wincing he knelt beside the animal placing a hand against it's chest to check for any sign of life before he pulled out the knife, giving the dying animal a silent apology for what he had done knowing that he hadn't had a choice but still taking responsibility for it and the guilt that went with it. Carefully he moved the thing into the brush covering it with some bits and pieces hoping that it would be enough before leaning down and picking the bucket up again and continuing on his way.

Jack O'Neill silently glanced down the line meeting his team mates eyes, hoping with everything he had, that his young friend would be okay, that he wouldn't be killed, that he would succeed. It didn't matter that all of their lives were on the line, that wasn't important in Jack's mind, all that was important was that his young friend, who had lost everything, from his parents to his step-son, in the short space of thirty-five years. Daniel's luck, famous within the walls of the SGC, was not good, he was always getting hurt in one way or another, yet he just kept getting up again, never really faltering in his quest for what was right. Never giving up.

In his heart Jack knew only too well that even a man as strong as Daniel would hit something from which he could never get up from, never rise above, there would be something one day that would stop the young man, forever. And Jack was beginning to wonder if this was it. If this were that one thing that would halt Daniel Jackson. Forever. And there was nothing Jack, Sam or Teal'c could do but wait. Wait to see if their friend would return or if he wouldn't.

Daniel placed the fifth bucket on the ground and picked up the final one aware of the eyes fixed upon him, since the death of the cat-like beast the only other problem he had hit was one of the sharks. The small beast had given up on the rock before the others and had noticed the bucket being lowered into the water. The shark had jumped out of the water and latched it's self onto Daniel's left elbow, hard. It had taken him fifteen minutes to kill it and a further ten to get it off his arm where it had somehow kept it's death grip. So now he had dark bloodstains from himself, the shark and the cat-like thing on his clothes, though it didn't show much on the black of his T-shirt it was visible on his exposed skin and trousers.

Wincing he took the bucket's weight on his left arm, knowing that he would need to have the knife in his right, stronger hand in order to defend himself on the way to and from the lake. Looking round once before turning to continue the pattern he locked his gaze with that of the leader's for a good few moments allowing his anger to show in his eyes, letting the man know that he disliked the idea of having to do it all. Every last thing, and that he was doing it for his friends, not for himself.

As Daniel approached the lake he felt his blood run cold as the sound of an animal eating met his ears knowing that it was most probably another of the cat's eating what was left of the shark that had taken a bite out of him, not good, not good at all. Suppressing the fear he took the final few steps needed to reach the lake and bent down picking up a stone and throwing it in, as he had done every time in order to distract the sharks he glanced in the direction of the noise hoping that he wouldn't have to kill anything else to finish the damn challenge, he didn't enjoy killing things that were just trying to survive, it wasn't fair. Seeing that the coast was clear Daniel dipped the bucket into the water filling it then pulled it out and started to stand only to get the wind knocked out of him as a large furry object contacted with his lower chest. Dropping the bucket Daniel desperately reached for the knife instinct taking over, the knife automatically coming up to contact with the animal's side as actions that had been drummed into him long before were carried out with barely a thought as the animal's claws raked his right side and it's teeth drew ever closer to his chest. Withdrawing the blade from the beast's side Daniel pushed it up between the thing's front legs praying for it to stop what it was doing. Abruptly the thing went limp on top of him it's weight pressing down on his chest and right arm as he frantically tried to breath. Somehow he eventually managed to get out from under it, taking time to lay on his back taking deep breaths, his eyes shut tightly, heart pounding.

After a few minutes having managed to get his breathing under control Daniel pulled himself off the ground and headed over to where he had dropped the bucket. Finding it on it's side he wearily picked up another rock and re-filled the bucket before turning and trudging up the track back to the village, barely aware of his actions.

Placing the bucket on the ground in front of the village leader Daniel took a step back looking up and into the man's eyes.

"I have completed the task, may we go free now?" Daniel's voice was strained and worn after the day's activities but he knew it was good enough to get his point across. The man nodded, not looking too happy, but it was obvious he wasn't about to break the agreement so Daniel was happy.

"You may, come we must release your companions." Daniel nodded in understanding and followed the man back to the square.

The eleven companions spent the day in silence waiting for news if their friend had failed or if he had succeeded. Worry had worn it's self onto the faces of the three remaining members of SG-1 while concern was obvious on the faces of SG-18 and the Tok'ra representatives. Jack O'Neill glanced over at his 2IC as of the sound people approaching met their ears, silently asking if she could see who it was. Sam Carter shook her head solemnly in answer concern and despair mixing on her face. Teal'c's voice rang out startling the group at it's suddenness.

"Daniel Jackson are you well?" The sight of a very bedraggled, blood covered Daniel Jackson surprised them all, as they had none the less been expecting never to see him again.

In answer to the question the young archaeologist winced slightly.

"Oh yeah I'm fine Teal'c, though I have an awful feeling Janet's going to kill me." Jack winced running his eyes over his friend.

"Who'd you have a fight with and lose Danny?" Tired, and slightly glazed blue eyes met his brown ones as the answer came.

"I won, I think, two nice big fuzzy cat-tigers and a miniature great white in the pond." Jack raised an eyebrow,

"So, we going?" His only answer was a slight head nod. Grinning Jack laughed. "Well done Danny boy! Hammond'll enjoy this one!"

Jack rubbed his wrists as he stepped away from the post and walked over to clap his friend on the back but stopped before hand, eyes widening. He swallowed before reaching out and pulling his young friend's left arm up to get a better look at the damage before letting it go and slowly walking around his friend eyes taking in the damage. Taking a deep breath Jack met his friend's eyes.

"God Danny what was out there? On second thoughts don't answer that, I don't think I would like the answer." Glancing back at the others he continued, "We're going, now." Teal'c and Sam nodded their understanding walking over to join the two of them and offering Daniel their silent support. Somehow Daniel managed a weak smile despite the pain.

"I'll be fine, for now." He reassured them knowing that his voice did little to calm their fears, they would always be worried for him, something that he found reassuring. Even if it could get annoying at times. Jack nodded his understanding as the others walked over to join them and their group headed off out of the village back toward the Gate and their way home.

Daniel Jackson was in a bed in the infirmary asleep, having been taken out of the Gate room by the medics that had been waiting and the rest of them, including the Tok'ra, who had decided to return with the SG teams to Earth had gone straight up to the briefing room to tell General Hammond everything they knew about what had happened.

Teal'c sat quietly though the story until the general asked what Doctor Jackson had been though to get the wounds that he had.

"I do not know General Hammond, though judging from Daniel Jackson's wounds I am surprised that he prevailed. What I know of Daniel Jackson tells me it is not possible as he has not the skill nor the ability to kill anything with a knife, for such a thing would require close proximity to what ever it was, or rather they were. It is hard for me to believe he did it on his own." Jack sighed heavily before nodding his head in agreement as Sam Carter did the same.

"I have to agree with Teal'c sir, Daniel isn't capable of such a thing. But what we saw suggests that something like that did happen. Unless those people beat him."

General Hammond nodded in understanding. "Okay I'll take your word for it, for now we'll have to wait for Doctor Fraiser's thoughts on the situation before we can talk to Doctor Jackson about it." The group nodded their understanding.

"George, if you don't mind myself, Aldwin and Anise would like to stay here for a while before we return to base." The General smiled at his old friend and nodded his understanding.

"Of course, you're welcome to stay Jacob." Looking around he stood. "You're dismissed."

Meanwhile in an infirmary bed the exhausted young Doctor lay dreaming.

"Hope is important. With out hope we are nothing." The elderly man's voice ran out loud and clear reaching even the young boy's ears where he stood watching. "The idea of this activity is to test you. To see your faults and make you aware of them. It will also show you your strengths but do not take them for granted for it is easy for a strength to become a weakness if you do." The boy lent on the fence's upper crossbeam taking in every word the man said and remembering it for future use.....

Gentle hands brushed against the sword's blade as he examined it eyes shining with excitement. Smiling he fingered the hilt running his fingertips over the engravings. Looking up at the young woman who was stood in the doorway the smile widened as he met her deep green eyes. Holding up the sword for her to see he watched as she walked over and took it from his hands to look it over herself.........

The young girl was limp in her chains, the only thing holding her up was the wooden post that the chains held her to. Dried blood covered one side of her pale face while her right arm hung at an unnatural angle. His heart went out to her as he gently pulled the chains away from her and lowered her to the ground, before raising the bowl of water to her lips and kindly helping her to take to few sips from it knowing that she hadn't had much to eat or drink in a while from his own experience. Gently he lifted her into his arms hushing her as she tried to rebuke him for doing so, sure in her own way that she could walk. His voice was soft, the words meant only for her as he spoke, not knowing that someone else would hear because it was a memory, a dream, of something that had happened years before. "Hush child, it's time to get you home, hush, you shouldn't speak or else you'll wake them."

Jack O'Neill frowned looking up at his sleeping friend worry furrowing his brow.

"So, you look better." Jack commented awkwardly, mind still processing both what had been said in the debriefing and the words Daniel had spoken during his sleep, which he had annoying with himself for not understanding them had told the other two members of their team about. The thing was the other two had been as confused by them as he had.

"Yeah right, I still feel like a had a run in with Teal'c." Daniel commented in a voice that sounded better than it had two days before though it was obvious that the young doctor still had a fairly sore throat. Jack laughed half-heartedly drawing a frown onto his young friend's pale features. Jack winced inwardly, knowing that if he didn't act like normal he would be talked into telling his young friend what had happened in the time he had been more or less unconscious of any thing.

"Hmm, what did you have a run in with Danny-boy? Coz' what ever it was it's done in those looks of yours, a jealous lover perhaps, or one of the ones you ignored?" The joke was weak, the best Jack had due to the place that his mind was settled. Daniel presented him with an odd look telling him that the joke was one of the worst he had heard from the aging colonel. Jack shrugged.

"The old age thing is finally catching up with my humour." Suddenly Jack pulled a grin and clapped the younger man on the foot, "Nice to see you alive, but there's a mountain of paper work waiting to be shredded." Daniel laughed at this and gave a faint wave with his better hand as the elder man turned and wandered out of the infirmary.

A week later Daniel Jackson lay on his bed in his on base quarters deep in thought. Over the past few days he had noticed the way the others, his closest friends had been spending little to no time with him as though they were unsure of something. At first he had thought nothing of it guessing it was guilt at having left it to him to do the challenge, but after several days without improvement he was getting more and more worried about it. There had been times like this before, after they had escaped from Apophis' mother ships, when they had left him for dead on Nem's planet, after Osiris, enough times that he had grown used to it, but this time was defiantly different. He was beginning to wonder if there was a reason that the Tok'ra members had stayed behind, that there was the possibility that they KNEW. Though he doubted it as most likely the General would have ordered some one to watch him or for him to be put into the brig.

Sighing heavily he rubbed the corners of his eyes tiredly, unsure if the only solution to his own feeling of self-hate and the awkwardness was the right thing to do. It was the hardest thing for him to do after all this time, but in his heart he knew that he had always wanted to tell the people he trusted, as soon as the trust had gotten to this point, he had known he would tell them. No matter how hard it would be.

With a groan Daniel hauled himself off the bed and onto his feet, preparing himself for what he was about to do. Glancing around his quarters for a few moments he drew in a deep breath past the tightness in his chest, then turned and walked out the of room in search of his trusted team mates and friends.

Jack O'Neill, Sam Carter, Teal'c, Janet Fraiser and Jacob Carter, the host to the Tok'ra Selmak, sat around in an uncomfortable silence in the colonel's office, none of them sure what to do or say. What they knew was confusing and muddled not making any kind of sense to any of them, each one with their own thoughts on it, few agreeing on any one point. A soft knock on the door brought them out of their daze.

"Come in." Jack looked up expecting to it to be one of the Airmen on duty, only to find himself looking into the eyes of the subject of the meeting, Daniel Jackson. Jack swallowed trying to hide the discomfort he felt upon the arrival of the young man he thought he had seen as his best friend for so long. Looking around he saw that the others had also had the same thought as he had had, that Daniel had come looking for them, ALL of them.

"Hey Danny." Jack's voice was tight despite his attempt to hide his feelings.

Daniel looked around taking in the people in the room. He hadn't been expecting to find them all together but it didn't surprise him. No doubt he was the reason that they were there as the looks on their faces told him. The cause was most probably the events of the last two weeks. His unexpected success in the task set him back on the planet, words spoken in deep dreams. Dreams in which he had relived events from years before. Dreams during which he had no way to prevent himself from talking out loud because of their intensity. Not that he had much control over what he said during the other such dreams, or nightmares as they often turned out to be. He knew that Jack would have been the one who had over heard him and puzzled by the words had sort out guidance form the others. None of whom would have had anymore of a clue than Jack himself. But he was about to provide the answers.

"There's something you should all know." Daniel glanced around checking that they were all listening, yes they were. "I'm, I haven't been telling you something important." Daniel stopped stuck for words that would make the thing easier for him and for them.

"You can tell us Danny." Jack spoke prompting Daniel in a seemingly casual way drawing an uncertain glance from Daniel who continued none the less.

"I'm not who you think I am, I mean I am Daniel Jackson, but I'm not." Daniel frowned as he spoke knowing it didn't quite sound how he had wanted it to. Looking up he took in the puzzled looks of the rooms other occupants.

Teal'c had raised an eyebrow, the Jaffa's way of telling others that he didn't quite understand what had been said, Sam and Janet were starring at each other as though expecting an answer from the other and Jacob seemed to be having an inner conversation with Selmak on the matter at hand. While Jack was the only one of them who didn't look that startled, in fact he looked like on some level or other he had expected it, which didn't surprise Daniel, after all the group had been together for more or less five years. Five years was a long time in their situation.

"What do you mean?" Jack's voice showed some of his doubts on the matter.

"I'm not exactly who you think I am. It's pretty complicated. You see I'm not actually 36, and I'm not actually Claire and Melbourne Jackson's son, they adopted me, but that makes it sound simple." Daniel took a deep breath knowing he had their total and complete attention. "You see I'm a lot older than you think I am, I was born about 5000 Years ago and my real name's Alastair." Daniel held up a finger to stop Jack from interrupting as a very doubtful look crossed the colonel's face. "How do you think I got some of my scars Jack? They're not the kind of thing you get from falling over in the sandbox." Janet nodded in agreement, as the SGC's chief medical officer she well knew were each and every scar most of the staff had and knew what could and couldn't have caused them. Daniel's scars that he had had before the SGC had always confused her considering he hadn't been to hospital for any major injures before. "The reason I never said anything before was because I doubted you would believe me, not that you have much more reason to do so now. I honestly never liked lying about it all. I always wanted to tell you but it never seemed to be the right thing to do at the time, until now." Jack and the others still looked like they were about to call mental health to come in and have a few words with him. Daniel sighed mentally searching for some way to make them believe him, anyway that couldn't be explained by anything else but what he had just said. Suddenly one of the memories that had been haunting him of late came to mind, Ebony. Daniel had a feeling that it was the dreams about Ebony during which he had spoken out loud, the least he could do would be to explain that to them. Looking Jack straight in the eyes Daniel spoke carefully.

"I guess you've been wondering who Ebony is or was haven't you?" Daniel's voice was soft as he asked the question never once taking his eyes from Jack, who swallowed and nodded.

"Yeah I have, it didn't make any sense to me when you started talking about someone called Ebony in your sleep. It's normally Sha're or someone." Daniel took a deep breath and nodded his understanding.

"Yeah, well Ebony's been dead for a while now. But she died naturally, somehow." Teal'c was frowning now, head cocked to one side.

"I do not understand. If she were to have died naturally then would she not have been old?" Daniel looked at Teal'c for a long time desperately trying to keep the pain of Ebony's loss at bay.

"She was old Teal'c, and a grandmother." Daniel's voice was softer than before as his gaze settled on the floor at his feet. It was hard to talk about Ebony after so long. Her grandchildren no doubt would be with their grandma. "This is going to sound really stupid but I knew Ebony all her life. From the day she was born to the day she died." Jack's eyes widened while Jacob Carter looked like he was about to suffer a heart attack at any moment. Sam was starring at Daniel mouth open ever so slightly, disbelief plain on her features. Daniel shut his eyes but continued ignoring their reactions knowing that they were listening even if they didn't believe him.

"When she was twelve, she was taken, I went looking for her and found her tried to a wooden post in the middle of a tribal ground, one of her arms was broken and she had been beaten, and raped. She nearly died." Jack was starring at his 'young' friend knowing suddenly that what he had just said wasn't something that you could make up, or at least not something that Daniel could make up and then tell with so much suppressed emotion. Dread gripped Jack's heart as he realized something else, Ebony had meant something to Daniel, she had been important to him and he had found her. Jack closed his eyes reaching up to rub them as he asked the one question that he didn't want to hear the answer to.

"Ebony was she your?" A startled look crossed Daniel face and he blushed ever so slightly.

"She wasn't my wife, she was my granddaughter." Jack's head shot up right and he starred at his friend horror written on his face.

"Your granddaughter? You mean you found your," Jack's voice trailed of as the memory of the loss of his son and the pain that still accompanied any thoughts that tread within a few feet of the subject. Even with that he couldn't ever come close to imaging what it would like to find his young grandchild tried to a wooden post having been tortured. Daniel's eyes met his, honestly clear in them, as ever they were the clearest way to tell if Daniel was telling the truth, or what he was feeling, it was the reason why he wasn't a very good liar. You can't lie very well if your hearts not behind it and it shows in your eyes. Jack searched those eyes for anything that would tell him that it wasn't true, desperate to find something. But there was nothing to find. It was true. But it didn't change the fact that the guy had been lying to them, all of them for nigh on five years. A long time. Which meant that General Hammond would have to be told and that Daniel Jackson, or whoever he really was, would be locked up in one of the holding cells, for a long while. Jack stood up a feeling of betrayal and distaste raising above the other feelings as he walked over to stand dead in front of the slightly smaller man.

"Stay here, we're going to tell the General, he NEEDS to KNOW about this." Daniel winced at the tone of the other man's voice and the message the sentence carried, of betrayal and hurt and distaste. All of which only increased the weight on Daniel's heart as he realized that he wouldn't see the light of day for a good long while. Or feel like he was trusted and believed in, after all if you're going by a different name and falsifying your age, it made you a completely different person as far as most of the world was concerned. Though technically you're still the same person. But it depends on the person. Of course, like everything else, it depended upon the person.

Resignedly Daniel moved away from the door and watched as they one by one left headed to the General's office, leaving a guard outside the door. Not one of them said a word to him, or even looked at him with anything other than distaste. Sadly Daniel sat down in one of the office's chairs to wait for their decision on what his fate was to be. The only thought that entered his mind as he did so was a silent message that he sent after his friends. No matter what I will always see you all as my friends, even if today you doom me to a fate that you would only hold for an enemy. I will never hold it against you, I am so sorry for all the time wasted because I couldn't tell you the truth from the beginning I have only myself to blame for this. With that he closed his eyes waiting.

General Hammond stood and looked at the group having heard all they had to say on the matter at hand. Walking over to the window that allowed him to see into the briefing room he sighed heavily, feeling the same disappointment and betrayal that the others were but managing to hide it more effectively than they were. Shaking his head he turned back to look at them.

"You know that this means that Doctor Jackson will become, effectively our prisoner until we find something to do with him, what with the security around this project." They all nodded and Jacob spoke adding his thoughts to his nod.

"And it may be better, especially if there's something else about this, for example it is possible that Daniel's been invaded by something or other, in which case it would be better, a solution could be found." General Hammond nodded solemnly.

"Of course." Turning to Jack and the other three he met their gazes never faltering. "You should understand that like the time that Major Carter was taken over by Jolinar, you will be responsible for questioning him?" They all nodded determined that they wouldn't treat him any differently than they would any other prisoner. Even if he had seemed to be a friend for so many long years. General Hammond nodded not as worried about them as he had been when they had stared the meeting, telling him of Doctor Jackson's admission. "Good, you should take him to the brig, Jacob, perhaps the Tok'ra will have questions to ask themselves?" Jacob nodded following his daughter and her friends out of the room heading towards his own destination while they left to place someone they had believed to be a good friend into the brig, because he was not who or what he seemed.

Daniel didn't bother to say anything or to fight them when they came to lead him to one of the converted storage rooms that they used as a cell in which to keep prisoners, when ever they had any, knowing it would just be a waste of time and energy.

Now he was laid on the bunk that had been placed against the back wall one arm draped over his eyes as he tried to get to sleep. For the past hour he had been vainly attempting to settle but the feeling of being watched was overwhelmingly uncomfortable. With a heavy sigh he dropped his arm and rolled onto his stomach allowing the exhaustion that he had started to feel while waiting for them to decide his fate to take over pulling him into a deep state of unconsciousness filled with his own memories, knowing that he wouldn't speak a word as he slept.

Tiredly the young man ran a hand through his long hair, if it hadn't of been for his wife's love of his long wavy hair he would have cut it, despite the fact that as he was now of the higher class, even if it only by marriage, he should by necessary keep it long. Groaning he pulled himself upright and stretched before heading out of the room to begin a long search for his children. For the whole of his life, all twenty-seven years he had seen both sides of the world, unfortunately during his first eighteen years he had seen more of the bad than the good, the deaths of all of his family bar two of his sisters, an aunt and an uncle by the hands of raiders, villages and towns that the raiders had destroyed and the final battles of a long and bloody war, it hadn't been until his eightieth year that he had seen more good, that had been the year he had met his wife, two years his younger and had fallen in love with her. Despite that it had taken two years for them to get married, and only then because she had been proclaimed with child, if it hadn't been for that her father never would have allowed it. Now seven years on they had five children, three girls and two boys and she was once again coming into time. The eldest of their children, a girl they had named Elena was always leading her younger siblings into trouble leading to long periods of hunting for the small group.

The task always fell to Alastair as his wife always had to see to the youngest of the group, Ambrose a tiny one year old who had more or less become his mother's loving shadow. Heading for the one place that they could nearly always be found Alastair chuckled as a quiet squeal sounded from behind the small room's curtains. Good humouredly he turned round on the spot as though unsure of where it had come from before swiftly turning and pulling the young toddler into his arms and holding her up. Evelyn giggled as her father placed her back on the ground and ruffled her hair fondly before one by one extracting the five year old twins, Jonathan and Serena and the seven year old Elena from their hiding places and driving them out of the room and out into the garden.....

Evelyn smiled warmly at her father as he dismounted walking over to her smiling warmly as he drew her into a gentle embrace. Four inches shorter than her father she buried her head into his shoulder before pulling back and looking him over. Pregnant with her fourth child she was paler than normal due to the pressure upon her. Her three children, Kerrin, Marcus and Ebony knew well enough not to ask her for much while she was nursing due to a long lecture from their grandfather and father, Thomas. Ebony, the only girl in the bunch was the one who always asked when their grandfather was going to visit as he was one of the few people she knew with the same love of horses she had and so as the young girl insisted was the only one who could possibly understand her. Alastair patted the side of his third daughter's face and gently kissed her on the forehead. Drawing back he took in the house and it's surroundings a humoured laugh escaping him as he spotted a hand sticking out from behind a barrel, Ebony.

"Well, well, hiding from me are you Ebony?" The young girl stood up as soon as he started to speak dusting down her skirts and shaking her head, blue green eyes widening.

"No Grandfather, I wasn't hiding." Came the stubborn reply, "I dropped something." Alastair chuckled as she walked over and hugged him the fourteen year old well knew her grandfather's fondness for her as well as the reason. She was the image of both her mother and her Grandmother and shared many of her grandfather's interests, making her one of the few of his children or grandchildren that did. She also knew from experience how protective of his large family he was after he had found her and brought her home after some raiders had stolen her from her parent's home in a raid. Eyes bright she looked up at him a smile spreading across her face having seen what was sticking out of his saddlebag.

Daniel blinked as he woke from his dreams groaning as his stomach complained telling him in no uncertain terms that he needed to eat something, not that he could. It didn't look like anyone had thought that he might be hungry, either that or they wanted to see his reaction to going without food for a day or so, but he doubted that was the case, after all they hadn't been that cruel to even Apophis, which was extraordinarily unexpected, he had been their worst enemy never seeming to die. But then they had known that Apophis was like he was from the beginning, not five years later.

Daniel mentally kicked himself for his stupidity, even after hundreds of years of life he still made idiotic mistakes, but then at least he had told them. Something he hadn't done in a few years, or if he was honest very often at all in the past several hundred years, it was always too likely that something like this would happen, or someone would try to kill him, try being the operative word. He hated, absolutely LOATHED lying about it, before it had become necessary he hadn't felt like a traitor to his family and friends, and he hated feeling like that. His mother had always taught him to be proud of his family and never to deny that they were that and yet years later he had found himself forced to do so. After this, he promised himself he would introduce himself as either Alastair or Daniel Jackson, nothing else, it would never feel right to call himself anything else, not after this. Daniel glanced at the bars that formed one wall of the cell wondering if he would be left to rot, which in his personal opinion wouldn't be very nice. He could think of a lot of better ways to spend his time.

The sound of a key in the lock pulled him out of his thoughts as he turned his gaze to see who it was. The door opened allowing a young airman to enter bearing a tray of food. Carefully the young, Lieutenant, placed the tray on the floor and unlocked the door to the part of the room that Daniel was held in, never once taking his eyes off Daniel as he then bent down and picked up the tray and placed it on the floor inside the cell before turning closing and locking the cell door and leaving the room. Daniel looked at the tray on the floor for a long time deciding if he was hungry enough to eat the unrecognisable lumps of 'food' that had been placed on it. Frowning at the tray Daniel decided that the food would taste better now than it would if he left it to get any cooler than it was. Of course there were ways he could reheat it, but he didn't feel like going into that, not unless he felt like being a total and complete idiotic fool. Which he didn't? Standing he wandered over to it and picked it up carrying it back to the bed, as the floor was cold. There wasn't a knife and fork to eat it all with but a very breakable looking plastic spoon, which would be fun to use. Prodding each offering with a finger he finally worked out that some of it was supposed to be mash potato, the only thing still warm, while the rest of it offered not a hint to what it was. Deciding to eat the stuff that he knew was edible, and warm, he slowly disposed of the potato before placing the tray on the floor and pushing it towards the door.

With a heavy sigh he lent back against the wall and closed his eyes. Locked in a cell there were only a few things you could do. One was eat whatever was brought, the next was do your business in the pot, something Daniel decided was a last resort, another was sleep, which it was more than a little possible to do too much of, then you could talk to yourself, another non-agreeable idea to him, and the last was wait, wait for the people watching to come talk to you while you sat silently on a metal bunk. With a groan he rested his head against the wall behind him. It was so frustrating to think that he had trusted them only to be locked away and forgotten, because he had been protecting them as well as himself, if anyone of the people hunting him ever found out that they knew him, they would use them to get to him, like before.

Daniel silently drew his legs up in front of him and lent his head on his knees, wrapping his arms around his lower legs as guilt filled him, guilt over things that had happened, were happening and would happen. He felt better hating himself for it all; blaming himself it was better that way.