PART THREE Jack and Sam left to inform the General about the change in their plans, leaving Lucy with Daniel and Teal'c to prepare their late lunch.

'So what's Gondolia like?' Daniel asked as he sat beside their young guest beside the fire.

'A lot like Earth really, though they're more technologically advanced.' Lucy replied 'Gondolia's in your future, 24th century to be exact.' Lucy held her hand up to stop him from interrupting, 'we have to use your portal in order to get to your time. The portal is similar to the Stargate except that it not only crosses space but also time. There are 3 portals; ours, Earth's and one in deep space. Ours and Earth's have fixed times ours can also change destination but that's never been tried before and the one in deep space can transport you to any time or place without the need for another portal. We use the shuttle for transportation.'

She stopped allowing Daniel to interrupt. 'Uh maybe you should be talking to Sam about this.' He gave her a sheepish grin.

'Sorry, it's not easy to explain to someone who hasn't much knowledge of physics.'

'Don't worry, I find the same happens when I try to explain something archaeological to people.' He gave her a shy smile.

'You know I could teach you some of our language if you like.' She offered.

'Sure I'd like that.' He grinned, his interest piqued.

She decided to change the subject.

'You're an orphan aren't you?'

Daniel nodded slowly.

'Is it that obvious?'

'Not really. I'm telepathic but I also sense emotions, orphans, I don't know, feel different I guess.' She shrugged 'I can't really explain it.' She watched him thoughtfully for a few minutes. 'You can trust Jack you know.'

Daniel looked up from the fire, startled by the subject change. 'I do.' He told her, not really liking where the conversation was going.

'I meant with your thoughts...' Lucy hesitated 'and Sha're.'

Daniel looked at her coldly.

'That's not really any of your business, and I certainly wasn't thinking about her .' 'I wasn't looking.' She picked up a branch and poked it around in the fire. She knew she had to tread carefully, they didn't really trust her yet but she couldn't just sit and watch their friendship fall apart either. She'd already watched her sister go through it several times before she met Ryan and she didn't plan on watching her new friends do the same, especially as she liked them both immensely. They were meant to be together as far as she was concerned. She liked the others too, but there was something about Daniel and Jack that reminded her of the twins. Stubborn yet loyal to a fault! 'I caught your nightmare last night, you were projecting.'

His expression softened.

'Sorry.'

' Nah, don't worry about that. I just wanted to let you know that you could trust Jack, he won't let you down if he can help it. He feels the same way about you as you do about him, he's just not very good at showing it.' Lucy smiled at him 'Your very lucky, he's a good friend and there aren't many of those around believe me!'

'Yeah, I know.' Daniel sighed.

'So trust him.'

'It's not that simple.'

Lucy sighed knowing she'd have to go a bit further if she wanted to save their friendship. 'Ya know, he did try to visit you, but they kept refusing to let him do so.'

Daniel looked at her knowing she was talking about his incarceration. 'They?'

'Mackenzie. The General was under orders I think. Anyway, when they finally allowed him to see you they were told to stay away from you, incase they upset you. Jack argued with them about it but they threatened to send him back to base and not allow him to see you at all. If he hadn't obeyed he certainly wouldn't have been allowed to return. It wasn't his choice Daniel.' Lucy explained gently.

Daniel gave her a questioning look.

'How do you know all that if you didn't read our minds?'

Lucy looked up as Teal'c came back from the surrounding woods and waited for Lucy to answer the question. Putting down the firewood he'd collected he sat beside them. 'Jack knows how you feel about it all.'

'What do you mean?' asked Daniel.

'He knows you feel that SG-1, in particular himself, abandoned you. He feels guilty for not trying harder and scared that he's lost your trust and friendship, not that he'll ever tell you that. Last night after your nightmare, these particular memories were at the surface of his thoughts. It was hard not to pick up on them.'

Daniel sat silently for a while, going over what he'd just been told. Lucy was about to get up and leave him to his thoughts when he stopped her. 'Are you happy with Vicky and Ryan?' he asked suddenly.

'Oh yeah, definitely!'

Lucy grinned 'I couldn't ask for better guardians, we're extremely close. I guess we must seem like a pretty strange family to most people but it works for us.'

Daniel smiled glancing at Teal'c.

'It doesn't seem that strange to us. I'm glad you found a family so quickly.'

'You've got a family right here Daniel.' She smiled.

'Yeah, I know. It just took me a while to find them. I wouldn't worry, I don't plan on losing them just yet.' Daniel smiled back.

Teal'c cocked his head as if listening to something. 'The others are returning.' he warned them.

'Hey kids, dinner ready?' Jack called as he strode into their camp with Sam.

Teal'c stuck a bowl in his hands before Daniel could say anything. Daniel watched in surprise wondering when Teal'c had had time to cook. 'Hi Jack, Sam. What did the General say?'

'We can go ahead with our plans to rescue....'

'Ryan.'

He sat next to Lucy.

'Anything exciting happen whilst we were gone?'

'Nope.' Daniel replied a little too quickly. Jack gave him a surprised look.

'Actually, I was telling Daniel about Gondolia.' Lucy pulled Jack's attention away from Daniel. 'But I was told that Sam would be more interested.'

Sam looked up from her own bowl of stew. 'Why's that?'

Lucy started to explain about Gondolia and their portals. Jack having gotten bored after the 5th sentence that passed straight over his head got up and moved to sit beside Daniel. 'Did you get any of this the first time round?' he asked casually.

'No.'

'Good.' Jack smirked at him.

'Good?'

'Yeah, now you know what it's like listening to you.' Jack replied, ducking Daniel's half-hearted swipe at his head. 'Your gonna have to do better than that!'

Daniel groaned. Jack could be impossible when he acted like a kid, but if it helped show him that there friendship was still intact and stopped Jack from feeling so guilty. Well, it would be worth it. 'At least I have the decency to look interested.' He shot back.

'Hey! I can look interested!' Jack looked indignant.

Daniel reached down and scooped up some nearby mud, which he then threw at Jack. Jack sat there looking shocked for a moment, mud running down his jacket.

Daniel's grin faded uncertainly as he wondered if he'd gone a bit too far.

'I'll get you for that Danny-boy!' Jack grinned and flung some back at Daniel.

Lucy and Sam stopped their conversation, watching as two grown men sought to cover each other in mud. 'Mud fight!' Lucy yelled grinning as she scooped up some mud herself.

15 minutes later they'd succeeded in covering themselves in mud, not even Teal'c had escaped as Lucy's reflexes proved faster than his own.

' So Jack, where's that lake the M.A.L.P picked up?' Daniel asked from where he lay on the ground trying to catch his breath and wipe the mud off his glasses, though without much success.

'A bit further that way.' He replied pointing to the ruins. 'Why?'

'Well it would be a good idea to get cleaned up and whilst we're at it we should refill our canteens.' Sam replied for Daniel, who'd closed his eyes and looked ready to fall asleep. Sighing she tried to get some of the mud out if her short blond hair.

'Come on then let's go.' Jack prodded Daniel in the ribs. Daniel sat up quickly looking annoyed.

The 3 men left allowing Lucy and Sam to get back to their conversation on Gondolia.