STARGATE: SG-1

'You Had Forgotten'

Written by Kiya II

Spoilers for Gamekeeper, Meridian, Abyss, Full Circle, Fallen, Homecoming and minor mentions of Fragile Balance, Orpheus, and Revisions

Comments? Email me at

CHAPTER ONE- THE JOURNEY

Can you see me?
I'm standing right in front of you
I know they never will be able to
in this darkness I can't see through

Can you hear me?
Though I don't sound the same
You should know me, beyond my name
I'm the one with whom you played Love's game

Can you feel it?
The heart beating in my chest
Bleeding now, for all the rest
My soul no longer able to pass Life's test

Can you smell it?
Rose's bloom on sea spray air
some how I forgot how to care
Now chained to this past, my fate unfair

Can you taste them?
The tears that fall from my soul like winter rain
the hope, the sorrow, the blood and all the pain
Not even able to remember when the fear came

Can you remember them?
All the rest, like me, who loved you so
the ones who would never leave you but still let you go
Now standing here, waiting for Death, that for this love, never came

Can you see me?
I'm dying right in front of you...because you had forgotten me

Theresa Rose Walsh

It had been some time since the figure in the dark room had stirred. He had been sitting there silently and unmoving for more then an hour now which had to be doing hell for his knees. If it weren't for the fact that he was blinking every so often, someone walking into the dark office would have thought that he had dozed off.

Why he was sitting there alone in the dark was a question only someone who didn't know him would ask, for those he did know him would take one look at him and realize that he was obliviously deep in thought about something that was troubling him.

His mind was a whirl of thoughts, mostly things that even he didn't understand and couldn't make out. His thoughts had all swirled together forming one big massive cloud which didn't make the slightest bit of sense to him but only on thing stood out clearly in his mind: Daniel.

Jack could sill remember the pain he had felt when he had lost the younger man, the pain that came with having to watch him die and not being able to do anything about it to save him. He'd never felt so helpless in his entire life. He hadn't even known what to say to Daniel and so he had kept away not facing him until he knew he had too.

Then Daniel had gone and done the unthinkable and asked Jack to let him go, to let him go out into the Universe as some higher being and be okay with it. Jack had wanted to tell Daniel to stay, had wanted to grab hold of the younger man and never let him go. Instead he had let Daniel go because he had seen how much pain his lover had been in and how much Daniel believed that he could do more this way.

So Daniel left him and Jack had been left alone in the dark for a year. He had fought to get on with his life even though his reason for living was now gone but he hadn't be able to. The only reason that he hadn't just died when he had gotten ill was because he knew that Daniel wouldn't have wanted him to just give his life up when there was still a chance that he could live.

So what did he do? He let the Tok'ra put that snake into him and he began to regret it when he woke-up to find that he was now the prisoner of a very angry Gould. He had almost died again. Almost thrown his whole life away and just let himself fall into a pit of insanity until a miracle happened. Daniel came for him.

At first he had believed that it was all a dream but then after trying to shake off the illusion of his presence to find that he wasn't going away he found that Daniel really was there and Daniel stayed with him right until he had gotten home and was safely tucked away in one of the infirmary beds.

He had wanted Daniel to stay with him then but even he realized that Daniel couldn't and for a moment Jack realized that Daniel didn't want to leave him either. He just didn't have a choice in the matter. So he had left Jack alone again but now Jack knew he was still out there, watching over them all.

Anubis happened next. Jack's whole world was yet again turned upside down on that mission. Daniel came back again but this time the younger man had been even more worried then he had been the last time he had appeared to Jack and he still had been unable to help them. Jack still yelled at himself for being so hard on Daniel at the time. He had ordered Daniel to do something even though he knew that his love would be going against all the rules but Daniel had done it and then Jack had blamed himself for the outcome.

Abydos got destroyed, Skaara and everyone that Jack had known there had ascended and Daniel had disappeared. He didn't know what had happened to his lover except that he had gone to face Anubis and had lost. He thought perhaps Daniel was finally dead as in never to return. That thought alone had almost killed him.

Then the unexpected happened. They found Daniel. They found him on an isolated planet living with a tribe of nomads and on the planet that was believed to have been the Lost City of the Ancients. Except there was one problem with him that they hadn't thought of; He didn't remember anything.

As hard as Jack tried at that moment to block it all out, he couldn't and the memory of the pain from that day began to surface…

"I am unfamiliar with that story," Shamda said. "What lesson does it teach?"

Hell if I know but I couldn't exactly just say that now could I.

"It has to do with flocking…and togetherness…and…to be honest, I'm not that familiar with the particulars myself. The point is we're not your enemy. Give us a chance to prove it." Whoa, did that ever sound like something Daniel would say but why I am thinking about him. God O'Neill, you can't afford to be thinking about Daniel right now.

My heartaches at that line of thinking so I have to tell myself to shut up and focus on the here and now and not on the then.

"Colonel," I whip around to see Pierce and his team entering the area. Didn't I tell them to stay and guard the Gate?

Pierce gives me a smile that I don't understand. "We found something you might like to see."

At that moment, I turn to look up at the rest of the team and my heart suddenly stops in my chest. Daniel. No it couldn't be.

He descends the steps with the SG team as Carter, Teal'c and I gather closer. He looks bewildered, somewhat lost and very confused.

"Daniel?" I just barely croak out, unable to believe what's before me. He looks so good but there's something about him that setting all my Danny alarms blaring. I just don't know what it is.

"Arrom," Nomad said from just behind me and I watch Daniel look up at him. Arrom? What was that about?

I turned toward Nomad and asked, "Arrom?"

"It is what we call him," Nomad answered and now I know something's wrong.

"It means naked one," Shamda added.

"That's how we found him in the forest, two moons ago," Nomad said.

"Seem he doesn't remember who he is," Pierce answers from behind me and I turn back to face Daniel. There was nothing in Daniel's eyes that suggested that he even knew who we were. All that was there was fear and loneliness. My heart begins to break again. My Danny had forgotten me.

"Daniel?" Sam asks as she approaches Daniel with a smile, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "It's okay. It's me, Sa-"

I watch Daniel put his hand up to stop her from touching him. He seems cold and closed off now, something I've never seen from him before. Sam looks devastated.

"I'm sorry," he answers softly. Even his voice sounds different. It sounds deeper and darker then it had before. I hardly recognized it

He walks off passed us all and we turn to watch him go.

"Not even me?" I shout after him but he doesn't even turn around. He just ignores me. I don't know what to do now. Daniel doesn't remember me, doesn't remember what we shared. That hurts worse then knowing that he was out there somewhere but I couldn't see or touch him.

God, Danny…

Jack was knocked out of the memories by a knock on his door. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced at the clock on his desk and winched when he realized that he'd been sitting in the dark for over two hours now.

Turning on the lamp on his desk he squinted his eyes shut as the light pounded into his skull and he heard the knock on his door again.

He sighed deeply, placing a hand over his eyes to block out the light. "Come in," he rasped, shocked at how dry his throat had become.

His door opened slowly and when he looked up he saw Sam poke her head into the office.

She smiled at him. "I hope I'm not disturbing you, Sir," she said and Jack could tell that from the look on her face that she realized how bad he must look right about now. He was wondering that himself. He hadn't been sleeping well and he hardly recognized the face that looked back at him every time he looked in the mirror.

"Don't worry about it, Carter," he told her, gesturing her into the room. Seeing the invitation, she gently closed the door behind her and walked towards him standing on the opposite side of his desk.

He looked up at her through tried eyes. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Sam frowned slightly and took a seat in the chair behind her. "Actually Sir, I was wondering if there was anything I could do for you?"

Jack looked at her puzzled for a moment. "Major?"

Sam sighed. "Look sir, I know that it's not really any of my business, but I've seen the way you've been since Daniel came back and I was just wondering if there was anything I could do to help," she answered him, looking genuinely concerned.

Jack chuckled to himself slightly, looking down at the clutter to papers on his desk. He should have known. Sam and Janet were the only people that had known about his and Daniel's relationship. He should have realized that sooner or later one of them was going to come to see if they could help.

He leaned back in his chair looking up at her. "Not unless you can make Daniel remember everything."

"Sir, I realize how hard this must be for you-"

"Do you?" Jack asked, suddenly angry. "Do you really have any idea what it's like to just stand by and watch him knowing that you can't be close to him because he doesn't remember the relationship that you and he shared? Do you really know what that feels like?" Jack lashed out at her. He didn't mean too but he found that he couldn't help it. All the anger and frustration he felt was being directed at her when it shouldn't be directed at anyone but at the moment he really didn't care.

Sam didn't seem fazed by his outburst. She appeared to have expected it. "No, I don't," she answered him truthful, keeping her voice low and calm. "But I can understand your frustration. Daniel didn't remember any of us in the beginning remember? It hurt to see him and know that he didn't have the slightest idea who you were."

She went silently for a moment, looking down at her lap. Jack could see that she was getting at something, but what he wasn't sure.

She looked up at him again and he noticed that her eyes were full of tears. "I don't understand everything you're going through, Sir, but I do understand some of it. But just try and see how hard all this has been on Daniel"

"I do," Jack said before she could say more. "It's hard watching him struggle to regain everything he's lost and to watch him try and understand this world that he doesn't remember, but God Carter, it hurts not being able to be there for him like I once was. We were having a hard time just before he…and we were just starting to get over that huge fight that we had had over the android when the whole thing went down." Jack couldn't find it in him to continue. Just thinking about it all hurt too much.

Sam was silent for a moment. Then she said, "Sir, I know you've been having a rough time, but don't you think it'll help Daniel if you two just sit down and you tell him. He's been having a hard time with everything too and he knows that something's bugging you."

Jack looked up at her then surprised. "He does?

Sam chuckled slightly. "He may not remember what was going on between you two, Sir, but that doesn't mean he doesn't remember being your friend. Daniel's always known if something's been wrong and he talked to me about it. He was wondering if it was something he did and why you were pushing him away-"

"I haven't been pushing him away," Jack interrupted, raising his voice slightly. God, what a mess he was in. Daniel believed whatever was going on was his fault? That couldn't be further from the truth. It wasn't his fault that he couldn't remember everything.

"Actually, yes you have. Whether you realize it or not, you've been avoiding him. You hardly go to his office anymore and on missions, you only talk with him if you have too," Sam told him.

Jack rubbed his hands over his face at what Sam was telling him. Now that he had heard it. He realized Sam was right; he had been pushing Daniel away and avoiding him. He hadn't meant to, it had just happened. God, what an idiot he had been and poor Daniel; he didn't deserve that.

Sam sighed and leaned forward. "Sir, I really think you need to talk to him."

Jack laughed. "Oh, and what do you except me to tell him. 'Oh, hey Daniel. How you doing, oh and by the way you and I were lovers before you ascended, did I tell you?'" Jack shook his head. "I can't tell him."

"Sir, Daniel has a right to know," Sam continued, "and I know that telling him would be hard but you have to find a way. This whole thing is tearing you apart and sooner or later, Daniel's going to get hurt by it, if he isn't already."

Jack leaned forward on his desk, his head down as he took in what Sam had said. He knew she was right but he didn't have any idea how he was going to do this. How could he bring himself to tell Daniel what had gone one between them? He was scared of how Daniel would take it and he didn't know if he should tell him or if it was best to try and let Daniel remember on his own.

Sam seemed to sense what he was thinking. "Why don't you take Daniel and go on a trip, Sir. I'm sure the General would understand if you asked him for some time off, especially in Daniel's case and you two could go up to your cabin or maybe even go visit the family. You said you have been meaning to have a visit with them and they know about you and Daniel. You could explain the situation to them and maybe by being there with just you or you and your family, it'll help Daniel to remember."

Jack sighed deeply, rubbing a hand over his eyes again. "I don't know, Carter-"

"Sir, you could both use the break and maybe Daniel might remember on his own and you won't have to tell him. Granted you'll still have to talk with him, but if he remembers then maybe it won't be so bad," She finished.

Jack closed his eyes as he tried to think. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to get away from everything and just be with Daniel for a while; try and let him remember everything slowly instead of dumping it all in his lap. It'd be good for them both to get away from the SGC for a while after everything that has happened. Granted, not much time has passed since Daniel's return, but a lot of things have happened.

The Asgard made a mini me out of Jack, Teal'c's son and Bra'tac were rescued from a Jaffa death Camp and last but not least they had had to deal with those people hooked to that computer system. After all of this and with the things that had been going on with Daniel, Jack really did need a break and Jack suspected that after everything Daniel's been through since his return, he needed a break as well.

"Maybe you're right, Carter," Jack said. "I just need to figure out what we'd do."

"Well, like I said, you could take him to the cabin or spend time with him and your family. Either way he could remember," Sam answered.

Jack nodded. Either way Daniel had to remember something. There were just too many memories locked up of them at the cabin and at his parent's house for Daniel not to remember anything. He just hopped that this worked otherwise he was left with two opinions. Either tell Daniel himself or just leave it all be and try to get on with just being Daniel's best friend again. He wasn't sure if he could do that but if he had too, he would.

Sam sighed and stood. "So, I better get back to work. The General wants my analysis of that new planet to see what type of minerals would be worth mining, if there are any." She paused on her way to the door, "I hope things work out between you and Daniel, Sir."

Jack nodded. Just before she left, Jack called her back, "Major?"

Sam turned to face him, almost halfway out the door. "Yes, Sir?"

Jack gave her a small smile. "Thanks. I know how hard it is for you to talk about…you know and I…" He sighed. "Thank you."

Sam smiled. "No problem, Sir." With that she was gone, making sure the door was shut firmly behind her.

Jack leaned back in his seat, feeling his back crack from the stiffness it had had to endure. He wasn't quite sure what he should do but knew that he couldn't just sit here and do nothing. He needed to make Daniel remember because he didn't think he'd be able to go on if he didn't get his love back. Daniel meant too much to him for him to just sit by and let Daniel believe that they were and had never been anything but just best friends.

He knew he had to do what Sam had said he should do; take Daniel and just go somewhere to get away from everything that involved the SGC but where would they go? They could just go on vacation somewhere but Sam had been right in thinking that they should go somewhere were there were a lot of memories of them being together. So what it really came down to was this: should he take Daniel up to the cabin or should they go visit the folks?

If they went to the cabin, they'd be by themselves but Daniel may just end up doing what he had done before they had gotten together: do nothing but read. Then again, if they went to his parent's place, Daniel may end up feeling overwhelmed and knowing his mother, Kat O'Neill may not be able to help but make Daniel feel very overwhelmed.

He would be around people he knew, though, not just Jack and Daniel had never met his parents until after they had become a couple so if Daniel remembered anything, it would have to be about them.

So really he only had one choice: Daniel was coming with him to re-meet the folks.

With a sighed, Jack reached over, picked up the phone and dialled his parent's number. It wasn't long before the voice of Kat O'Neill broke over the line, "If you're another sales person asking for money, I swear I'll find you and kill you…slowly."

Wow, sounds like someone's having a bad day, Jack thought.

"I pity whatever poor soul that got you into a bad mood," Jack replied.

"Oh, it's you," Kat seemed to sneer into the phone.

"Not quite the response I was hoping for but that's okay, Mom, cause I still love ya."

Jack could have sworn that he could hear Kat smile over the phone. "You should call more often. Your father and I have been dying to know what's up been going on with you."

There was a pause before Jack answered, "Sorry, Mom, but things have been sort of busy around here"

"Jack, what's wrong?"

She's still sharp, Jack though riley. He sighed deeply, "We found him."

There was a pause and the Kat asked hesitantly, "Daniel? You found him?"

Jack heard scraping through the phone and knew that his father had just gotten up from the kitchen table to join his mother by the phone.

"Yes," Jack answered.

"Oh thank God. How is he? Is he okay?" Kat asked.

"He's fine, mom. It's just…" Jack sighed deeply, "Daniel's lost his memories."

"Oh God," Kat said simply which surprised Jack slightly. Usually his mother was a little more vocal then that.

"He's better now. He remembers a lot of things, but not quite everything," Jack told her.

There was silence, then, "He doesn't remember about you two, does he?"

Jack could feel the tears coming as he heard it vocalized, but fought against them.

"No, he doesn't," Jack answered quietly. "He doesn't remember anything that involved us."

Kat pieced it together. "So he doesn't remember me or your father either?"

"That pretty much sums it up," Jack answered.

They were both silent for a moment. Jack hadn't realized how hard it would be to talk to his mother about this, but then Kat had always been able to turn him to mush if she tried hard enough. Scary thing was that right now, she wasn't really trying.

"So what are you planning on doing about it?" Kat asked finally. She sounded quite calm considering.

"Well," Jack began, drying his eyes. "You remember my friend Samantha Carter, right?"

"Oh, that lovely blond-haired female friend of yours and Daniel's."

"Yeah that's the one. Well she suggested that Daniel and I either go to the cabin for a week or so or come visit you and Dad. Since I know that if we go to the cabin, Daniel will do nothing but read, I though we should come a visit you two."

"Oh, so we come second, do we?" Kat asked.

Jack chuckled. "Never. Only in Daniel's case do you come second." That should please her, he thought.

Kat laughed, "And it better stay that way."

Jack smiled. "It will." He then sighed. "If I can get Daniel to come, you and Dad better start cleaning the house up. I know you have a lot of pictures of Daniel and I lying around, but he needs to try and remember on his own, so you'll have to pack those away for the moment. I'll call you guys after I've figured out when exactly will be coming so you can plan everything out. Also you two have to be careful not to let anything to slip around him and also…Mom, don't overwhelm him. You know how you get when he's around, but could you try and tone it down. Daniel doesn't need it at the moment."

Kat snorted. "I do no such thing. Just because you don't feed him, doesn't mean I won't."

Jack sighed. "Mom, you know that's not what I mean."

There was a pause and Jack wondered what his mother could possibly be thinking about.

"Fine," Kat finally answered, sounding slightly put down. "I'll give it a shot."

"Thank you," Jack answered.

"I'll just treat him like I did when he first came here," Kat answered.

"Mo-" The end of the line had gone dead.

Jack sighed deeply as he replaced the phone in the cradle. Then he leaned back in his chair rubbing his hands over his face as he thought. God was Daniel ever dead when he walked into the house of O'Neill. His mother was going to eat him alive.

Jack leaned against Daniel's lab beach, feeling quite smug with himself. After some grovelling and the neatly woven invitation, telling Daniel how yes he had meet Jack's parents before and his parents really wanted Daniel to come visit them again, Daniel had forgiven Jack and had agreed to come along. He was feeling very smug indeed.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Jack added, making sure Daniel didn't think that Jack was trying to make him go. "It's not going to be all that interesting-"

"But I want to come," Daniel said, not looking up from where he was energetically scribbling notes down onto a pad of paper. "You said I'd met them before and what a better way for me to try and remember more things then to see you in your natural habitat."

Jack pretended to seem slightly upset about that. "Daniel, you make it sound like I'm some sort of lonely animal you watched on the Discovery Channel."

"Hey, I like the Discovery Channel," Daniel interrupted, actually looking up at Jack for a moment before returning to his work.

"I know you do," Jack answered, crossing his arms. "You'd always make me watch them whenever you came over."

"You didn't have to let me," Daniel countered.

"Oh, yes I did. Other wise you whined about missing some great documentary all night." Jack inwardly grinned to himself. He had to admit that he had missed their friendly bantering but he missed Daniel even more.

Daniel, wisely, choose not to answer to that, be just buried his head in his work pretending he hadn't heard Jack in the first place. He was concentrating on the page in front of him so hard that Jack thought if he kept it up he'd burn a hole in the page. Oh, yeah, he had been an idiot to push Daniel away. He had really missed this.

"So what should I expect when we get there?" Daniel asked, trying to change the subject.

"You just don't want to admit to the fact that you whined," Jack said smugly. For once, He was right.

"I did not," Daniel said softly.

"Yes, you did," Jack answered.

"Not."

"Did."

"Not."

"Did."

"I did not whine. I merely told you how I wasn't going to ever be able to see it because I forgot to tape it at home," Daniel answered, looking up at Jack again.

"That doesn't mean you had to whine about it all night when I was trying to watch a game," Jack scoffed.

"I didn't whine," Daniel said again, returning to his work.

"Right," Jack drawled, picking up a statue from Daniel's work table and began playing with the thing.

Daniel watched him closely making sure Jack didn't drop it.

"You're going to die," Jack said softly but with a smile.

Daniel looked up at his over the rim of his glasses. "And why is that?"

"Wait 'til you meet or should I say, re-meet my mother. She'll eat you alive."

"Are you trying to scare me into not coming?" Daniel asked.

"No," Jack said quickly. "Just trying to warn you."

Daniel looked at Jack closely for a moment before asking with a smile, "Are you scared of your mother?"

Jack's head whipped around to face Daniel. "I didn't say that."

"But are you?" Daniel asked again, leaning back from his desk for a moment and crossing his arms, his work temporality forgotten.

Jack looked away from him. "I think I better go," He said, placing the statue back down.

Daniel started laughing. "Oh, the great Colonel Jack O'Neill, destroyer of Goulds, is afraid of his own mother." Daniel laughed harder. "That's…the…fun…nest…thing…

I've…ev…er…heard," Daniel just barley croaked out as he clutched his stomach.

Jack scowled. "That's what you said the first time I invited you to come with me to met the folks."

Daniel paused in his laughter. "I did?"

Jack just sighed and shook his head, which set Daniel off again. "I think I better go finish that paper work Hammond wants finished before we go."

"Yes," Daniel agreed, still shaking with suppressed laughter. "You do that."

Jack bowed his head. Oh this trip was going to be great fun. First he had to survive his mother and then he would have to deal with Daniel. Of course being his luck his mother would probably make sure they had to share a room again which wouldn't be all that much fun for him, but his mother would get a kick out of it. Kat did cruel things like that.

"Just remember what I told you to bring," Jack said as he started for the door.

"Yes, I know," Daniel answered, rolling his eyes. "Lots of sweaters, pyjamas and enough clothes for a least two weeks." He then paused. "I take it you won't let me read if I bring any books, will you?"

Jack smiled at him. "Trust me, you're better off without them. Besides, Mom won't let you have any time to be reading. She'll be too busy feeding you."

Daniel frowned. "Okay then," he said, slightly confused.

Standing by the door, Jack said, "So I'll pick you up at five o'clock. Flight leaves at eight and it'll take us an hour to get to the airport. It's suppose to be a direct flight so we should be there by mid-afternoon."

"Okay," Daniel answered, having buried himself back into his work.

Jack sighed as he left the office and shut the door. Part one of his plans was now accomplished and Daniel didn't even realize it and that's the way it was staying. He didn't know if he'd be able to deal with everything that he knew was going to happen over the next two weeks, but he did hope that by the end of it, he'd have his Danny back because he didn't think he'd be able to deal with this another minute if he didn't.

"Daniel, hurry up! We're going to be late!" Jack yelled out as the Daniel took his merely little time getting out of the house, locking it up, and putting his bags in Jack's truck. Finally the passenger side opened and Daniel hoped in, closing the door behind him.

Jack scowled. "Took you long enough," he mumbled.

Daniel buckled his seatbelt and turned to face Jack, looking extremely tired. "Sorry, but I had to lock everything up."

Jack merely shook his head as he pulled out onto the main road and headed for the airport.

Looking at Daniel again, he saw the younger man already looking out the window. Jack frowned. "Daniel," He began, "What time you go to sleep last night?"

Daniel blinked at Jack and creased his forehead in thought. "Umm…Actually I'm not sure."

Jack sighed and reached down for a traveling mug that was between his seat and Daniel's. It was a good thing that he came prepared. Daniel wouldn't last the day until he got some coffee into him.

He handed the mug to Daniel who looked at him questionably.

"It's coffee, Daniel. You know that stuff that makes you start," Jack answered as Daniel took the mug.

"I know what coffee is, Jack," he said as he took a sip.

"And have you had any this morning yet?" Jack asked.

Daniel fell silent. "Only a cup," He answered quietly. "I woke up late."

Jack shook his head. "Figures. Daniel, you know you need at least three cups before you can even start to think properly."

"Hmmm," was all Daniel said as he continued to sip on his treasure.

Jack chuckled to himself. It was a well-known fact by everyone who knew him that Daniel could not survive without coffee. How he had lived on that planet for two months without it had baffled Jack, but Daniel had merely said that he slept a lot.

Jack could believe that. With his memories gone, there hadn't been very much for Daniel to do on that planet. What was the name of it again? Oh yes… Vis Uban. There hadn't been much for Daniel to do. If Daniel had retained his memories, he would have had a ball looking over the ruins and studying the ancient writings that had littered the place, but he hadn't remembered and so hadn't been able to do anything but sleep, eat and maybe walk around a little exploring.

Jack glanced over at Daniel to see that he was staring out the window again, cradling the mug of coffee in his hands. He seemed to be deep in thought about something, but what Jack wasn't quite sure. There was a time when Jack could read Daniel like an open book and vice versa but with this huge gap between them since Daniel had come back, they hadn't been able to do that. It was almost as if since Daniel wasn't exactly on the same page with Jack anymore, they couldn't understand each other.

It wasn't as bad now as it had been before. Before Jack had been expecting things to go back to the way they had been after maybe a week. Daniel had been gaining his memories back fairly quickly and he had hoped Daniel would remember about them and they could move on; try to get this whole ascended business behind them, but they couldn't. Daniel hadn't remembered what they had shared and so Jack hadn't been able to talk to him properly.

Finally, Jack had begun to talk to Daniel again like they would have if they were still friends and that had helped things out a little, but there was still this gap between them that Jack was sure both of them could feel. Daniel knew something was wrong, he just didn't know what and Jack wasn't sure how they were going to get around this if Daniel didn't remember.

He sighed as the sun started to make its appearance. It's warm glow spreading light across the trees on the side on the road, through the window and hit Daniel's face at just the right angle that Jack thought he might be an ascended being again. It was the type of glow the sun was given him that made it seem that way. Daniel had looked that way when he had come to Jack in Ba'al's prison. Jack couldn't help but think how it had made Daniel look even more beautiful then he already was, but it was a sad kind of beautiful. It hadn't really reached his eyes and Jack, at the time, hadn't understood why. Now he did. Daniel had missed him.

"So what exactly are we going to do when we get there?" Daniel broke the silence. Looking over Jack realized that the younger man was finally starting to wake up. He had been smart this morning in bring the strong coffee.

"Well," Jack began, propping his arm up against the side of the window. "First thing that'll happen is mom will probably either feed you are see you to bed. No offence, Danny, but you look like shit."

And he did too. Jack wasn't sure what Daniel had been doing last night, but he sure hadn't been sleeping. His skin was slightly pale but it was hard to tell with the sun now beaming down on him. He had huge bags under his eyes and his blue eyes seemed dull somehow.

"Thanks," Daniel answered, rubbing his eyes. "And what are you going to do?"

"Me? Mom will make me unpack everything. She's like that," he said.

Daniel chuckled slightly, "I think I'm going to like your mother."

"You do," Jack said, making Daniel look at him. "You two enjoy ganging up on me. If it wasn't for the fact that she'd kill me if I didn't do it, I wouldn't have even decided to bring you with me."

God help me, Jack thought. He really was asking for it. Daniel and his mother together were like a nuke going off, in a teasing sense. They both loved to torture him and when they teamed up on him…God this trip was not going to be fun. Then again…

Jack looked back over at Daniel and watch as he took another sip out of his coffee. Daniel was so worth it. If he remembered anything about their relationship, even if it was only a little flash of a memory, this whole trip would have been worth it. Hell it wouldn't be worth enough.

The two sat in silence for the rest of the trip to the airport. The drive was rather peaceful and Jack got the impression that Daniel no longer felt anything was wrong between them from the way he looked as the drive went on. The younger man may be tired, but he sure as hell looked like he was happy, especially with that smiled that was starting to spread over his face. He was obviously thinking about something that had made that smiled happen and Jack was curious to know what it was.

"What'cha thinking about?" Jack asked as the turned on the road leading to terminal three.

Daniel's smile grew wider as he looked down at his lap. "Just something."

"And what would that be?"

Daniel turned to look at him as Jack pulled into a parking space. "Wouldn't you like to know," he said as he hopped out of the truck and shut the door.

Jack scowled as he turned the truck off and joined Daniel at the back to grab his bags. After making sure the truck was locked up they headed into the airport. Daniel kept that knowing smile on his face the whole way and Jack couldn't help but think, Why do I have the feeling that he's up to something?

After two hours of waiting around, shifting through lines and going through security, they finally boarded the plane. By the end of it, Daniel was exhausted and as soon as the plane was in the air, he fell asleep, his head resting against the side of the window.

Jack couldn't help but chuckle as he press the button for the air attendants and just watched Daniel sleep. He always thought that Daniel looked like a little lost child during his sleep and not the stubborn as hell archaeologist that he was when he was awake. The contrast between the two was astounding, but over the years Jack had forgotten the difference…until now.

That's how much Daniel had been open to him before he had ascended and now was not. Daniel use to leave the archaeologist at the SGC when they went home or anywhere else for that matter. Well, not all the time, but he had still been very open to Jack. It had taken awhile to get all those walls down, but Jack had done it. Now, though, Daniel didn't remember any of that and the walls were all up again whether Daniel had noticed it or not. Jack had noticed though and that was just another reason why he'd been having such a hard time since Daniel had come back.

"Can I help you, sir?" An air attendant asked as she came up beside Jack.

Jack merely gestured to Daniel. "Can I have a blanket and pillow for him please? He's really tired."

The air attendant smiled as she gazed at Daniel. "He looks it. I'll be right back." She switched the call button off and headed down the aisle.

Jack slouched down in his seat and turned his head to watch Daniel again. Boy, was he ever out. Jack had known he was tired but he hadn't realized how much until now. He seemed troubled too and Jack wondered why.

Oh, how things have changed, hey Danny-boy? He thought to himself quietly as the air attendant came back up the aisle holding a pillow and a blue blanket.

"Here you are," the attendant said as she handed Jack the blanket and pillow. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, we're fine, thanks," Jack smiled up at her as she went on her way.

With a sigh he turned to Daniel and carefully lifted the younger man so he could get the pillow under his head. Daniel's forehead creased into a frown at being disturbed. Jack quickly settled him back against the pillow and then, without realizing what he was doing, stroked his hand against Daniel's cheek in an effort to calm him down. It worked almost immediately. Daniel's features settled and he returned to his peacefully slumber.

Jack pulled his hand away in shock once he had realized what he had been doing. Had Daniel woken up he'd have to explain that away and he really didn't want to get into that just yet. He wanted Daniel to remember something…anything before they even broached that topic.

What really had him shocked, though, was that Daniel had reacted to it like he use too when they had been together. Daniel had nightmares off and on about various things that have happen during his life and sometimes that was all Jack had had to do to sooth him. Just gently stroke his cheek and whisper sweet words to him and he be peacefully resting in no time. That was what had happened.

Jack felt his heart do a little flip as he though it over. Daniel may not remember it, but the memories were still there and part of Daniel did remember. That little thing gave Jack hope that things would work out for them. Now if only they could get Daniel to start remembering everything and they'd be set.

With another sigh, Jack pushed his thoughts away for later and pulled the blanket up over Daniel, tucking the corners around his body to make sure he kept warm and comfy. They couldn't have Daniel getting cold now, not when they were going to meet Jack's parents.

Jack shivered at the thought. His mother would skin him alive if he let Daniel get sick. He'd never hear the end of it and what's worst and that she could tell Daniel things that would follow him all the way back to the Springs. He only had to put up with his mother for two weeks, but Daniel? God, he really didn't want to go through that.

The airplane rid was pretty much uneventful. They played a movie that was nothing more then a chick flick and after watching the first ten minutes of it, Jack simply took the headphones off and decided to spend his time Danny watching instead. Sure Daniel wasn't doing anything except mumbling incoherent things every once and a while but Jack still loved to watch him. Daniel would never get boring to Jack even if he were doing nothing at all.

The weather outside stayed sunny and bright but Jack noticed that the clouds underneath were getting darker and heavier. Ever once and a while he heard a crack of thunder and knew that when they landed, it wasn't going to be pretty getting off of the plane.

Soon the clouds rose up higher they the airplane was and they were surrounded by grey clouds. Water sprayed up against the window and thunder bombed occasionally but it was nothing to worry about.

A half hour later, thunder roared outside the window again and Daniel rolled over a bit, his head landing on Jack's shoulder. Jack was startled for a moment, thinking Daniel was going to wake up, but he didn't. He settled himself more comfortably and then went back to a peaceful slumber.

Jack wasn't quite sure what to do as Daniel relaxed against him. It wasn't the first time Daniel had done this. Hell, they had snuggled all the time before…but this was the first time it had happened since Daniel had come back. Jack wasn't complaining. Like he ever would but he didn't want any of this to affect what might happen when they got to his parent's place. If Daniel woke up that would be the end of it.

The blanket was falling down off Daniel now, so Jack reached his arm around him, moving his slightly to pull it back up again. Daniel's head moved a little bit forward so that it was almost nestled under Jack's neck now. After the blanket had been fixed, Jack tried to pull his arms back but found that he couldn't. Daniel had his back pressed against it, trapping Jack's arm against the sit.

Well this was just getting better and better, first the little caress and now this. Jack sighed, not knowing was else to do so he just wrapped his arm around the younger man loosely. Daniel seemed to like it and sighed a little. Jack smiled. He's going to be the death of me, he thought as Daniel snuggled in just a little bit more.

Jack relaxed back into his seat glancing around a little. There were a few people looking at him and Daniel but he didn't particular care. There weren't that many people giving them nasty looks but there were a lot of old couples smiling at him softly. He smiled back, not quite sure what was running through their heads. Hopefully they just thought they were good friends and Jack was doing that supportive thing that friends do.

There was one girl that caught Jack's eye though. She had a saddened expression on her face. Jack had noticed her earlier when he had asked the flight attendant for the pillow and blanket but hadn't thought nothing about they way she had been looking at Daniel. Seeing it now though, Jack recognized the look.

That girl wasn't the first person to look at Daniel that way. Many women at the base did it. Hell, even men gave Daniel's those looks. It was the look that said man is that guy ever hot and wouldn't I just love to get my hands on him.

Unconsciously, Jack's grip on Daniel tightened slightly and he gave the girl a look that said back off cause he's mine. The girl looked up at him startled, then flashed him an angry look, one that Jack also knew very well. Great, now he wasn't going to be able to get them out of the airport without having a confrontation with this girl. Who the hell did she think she was any ways? She didn't have any right to be looking at Daniel the way she was and want to fight to get him.

Well if that's the way she wanted to play, then she was about to learn that it was never a smart thing to cross Jack O'Neill, especially when Daniel was the one being held as the prize.

"We are now descending toward the New York airport. Please remain in your seat until the seatbelt sign has been turn off. On behave of our crew, we hope you enjoyed your flight and we hope to see you again real soon," The pilot said over the intercom and the plane started to descend making Daniel's ears want to pop.

The flight had gone by really quick in his opinion but he had spent most of that time sleeping. On Jack's shoulder no less. He had been a little startled to wake up and find his head on Jack's shoulder but the older man hadn't seemed to care and for that Daniel was gratefully. He didn't want to cause an awkward moment.

Daniel yawned as he gazed out the window. It was still extremely stormy out there. The clouds were so dark as they got lower that Daniel couldn't even see the ground. Rain was whipping passed his window and thunder kept crashing now and again. He wondered why there was no lighten.

Daniel glanced over at Jack and watch as the older man gazed around the compartment for the thousandth time. Daniel wasn't sure what it was but sometime after he had fallen asleep Jack had slipped into alert mode. He wasn't sure what exactly was setting of Jack's alarms but he pitied whatever or whom ever it was. Jack could be very overprotective; of him and almost everything else Jack cared about.

"Jack," Daniel said finally, drawing Jack's attention. They hadn't spoken since Daniel had woken up. "We're almost there…" Daniel left his sentence hanging, knowing that Jack understood it and it appeared that he did.

Jack just sighed in response and slouched down lower in his seat. Daniel could still feel that he was very tense but Jack wasn't going to calm down until whatever was setting his alarms off was far away from them.

Soon the plane landed softly on the runway. Softly as in it was bumpy as hell. Daniel refrained from commenting on it, but Jack started cursing under his breath as he was jostled in his seat. Something about bad knees caught Daniel's attention and he realized that maybe that landing hadn't been the best thing for Jack. Especially not with him all ready winded up and tense.

Once the plane had stopped, people slowly began rising from there seats to reach the overhead baggage compartments. It took Jack awhile, but finally with much grunting he was finally up and out of his seat. Daniel just stayed seated while Jack got their bags.

"Here," Jack said, passing Daniel his black bag with was filled with books and some notes on translations he had been working on.

Daniel frowned as he took the bag from Jack and swung the strap over his shoulder. Great, I meant to work on some of this, he thought though the fact that he had slept most of the trip had answered his question as to why he had forgotten.

It took a while but finally they started moving up the aisle. Jack let Daniel go first and Daniel didn't think much of it. It wasn't until they reached the door that anything significant happened.

"Ouch," a sound came from behind Daniel before something or someone bumped into him. Books spilled all over the floor of the airplane but Daniel was thankful to find that none of them belonged to him.

He bent down to help the woman who had dropped them not noticing the angry look Jack shot him.

"Here you go," Daniel said, picking up four of the books and handing them too her.

The girl looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks," she answered as she took the books from him.

Rising to her feet, she said, "I'm sorry. I can be kind of a klutz."

Daniel also rose from the ground and shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

"Daniel," Jack said and when Daniel looked over he saw that Jack was shooing him towards the door.

"Oops," Daniel smiled at Jack as Jack just shook his head and growled under his breath.

The girl and a fuming Jack, once off of the plane followed Daniel closely. Daniel noticed the change in him but at the moment couldn't understand why. All he had done was help someone pick up her books.

"My names Lydia Freemen," the girl answered, holding out her hand towards Daniel.

Daniel smiled and shook her hand, "Daniel Jackson."

Lydia looked behind them at the still fuming Jack. Daniel followed her gaze and frowned.

"And who's he? Friend of yours," Lydia asked kind of smugly and Jack seemed to glare at her but Daniel didn't notice much.

"Yes he is. He's name is Jack O'Neill-"

"Colonel Jack O'Neill," Jack finished for Daniel, coming up beside them. Daniel didn't understand what was going on with Jack but figured he could get it out of him later.

They entered the airport and the three of them went to collect their luggage together, much to Jack's distaste.

"So Lydia," Daniel said, gaining her attention. He figured he might as well start up a conversation with her while they waited for their luggage. Jack was being insufferable and Daniel didn't think he'd get much of a conversation out him. "What do you do for a living?"

Lydia smiled. "Oh I'm a librarian and a historian. I just recently got a position at the New York Museum Of Fine Arts. That's why I'm here now. Figure I might as well start looking around for a place to stay before I start the job."

Daniel smiled, though inwardly he flinched. He hadn't heard someone mention that museum since the Gamekeeper back when Sha'uri had still been alive. That experience was still very clear in his mind and when Lydia had mention the museum a vision of that cover stone had formed in his mind.

Jack moved closer to Daniel, though Daniel didn't notice.

Lydia smiled back at Daniel. "So what do you do?" she asked.

Before Daniel could answer, Jack interrupted, "His a Doctor of Archaeology, Anthropology and Linguistics."

Daniel gave Jack a look. He always seemed to do that whenever somebody asked what Daniel did. Why, I will never know.

Lydia's eyes opened wide then. "You're…Dr. Daniel Jackson?" She sounded shocked or something.

Daniel cringed inwardly. This doesn't sound good, He thought but kept a smile on his face. "Yes," Daniel answered hesitantly.

Lydia seemed to calm herself down. "No it can't be," she muttered quietly to herself making both Jack and Daniel raise their eyebrows.

"Okay, spill," Jack demanded.

"Jack," Daniel hissed.

Lydia looked at them both unsurely before settling her eyes on Daniel. "Dr. Daniel Jackson gave a… a seminar several years ago about the Great Pyramids and how he believed that they were over ten thousand years old, which of course goes against ever scared belief in the archaeological community. He also said that the Pyramids had been built by aliens-"

Daniel raised a finger to silence her before crossing his arms. "Okay I never said the Pyramids were built by aliens. That was something the press came up with because they didn't want to tell people that I didn't exactly know how they were built, only when they were built."

Lydia stared opened mouthed at him. "You can't be Dr. Jackson."

Jack's eyebrow rose even higher. "And why not?"

"Because…" Lydia stammered. "Because… Dr. Jackson supposedly disappeared after that seminar. No one has seen him since or even heard of him. He hasn't published anything in years. He's supposedly dead."

Daniel chuckled slightly. "You're right. The Archaeological community believes that I am dead and I know that because I have been keeping taps. The truth, however, is that I just got a well paying job that happens to be classified-"

"Ergo the Air Force Colonel," Lydia concluded just as the luggage racks began to spin.

Jack smiled. "Yeah sure ya bet'cha."

Lydia sighed. "I'm sorry, Dr. Jackson-"

"Daniel," Daniel corrected.

"Daniel," she continued. "It's just that…I've read a lot of your work and a lot of it is very well thought out and backed up with solid evidence. I actually reference it a lot in my own work. It's just that I hadn't expected you to be so…so…"

"Young?" Jack supplied helpfully. Daniel felt that he was finally beginning to calm down, though there was still a lingering bit of tense. He realized now that Lydia had been setting off Jack's alarms but what he didn't understand was why?

Lydia smiled and nodded, "That must be it. I admit I've seen pictures of you but those were taken years ago and I just never realized…"

Daniel smiled though Jack stiffened again for some reason. "It's okay," Daniel answered. He then looked down at the luggage rack and smiled, picking his bag up.

"Umm, Jack," Daniel said, gaining Jack's attention.

Jack turned to him. "Yeah?"

Daniel merely pointed and Jack swore as he pushed Daniel aside to grab his bag, which was starting to go around again. They really didn't want to have to wait for that thing seeing as how it took ten minutes for the baggage to cycle through.

"Well," Jack began after rescuing his bag. "We better be heading off. Daniel?"

Daniel turned towards Jack and frowned. There was something about the way the older man was looking at him that seemed too familiar for comfort though for the life of him he couldn't remember where he had seen it before. He didn't even know how to describe it. There were a lot of emotions mixed into it but Daniel was only able to pick out one: annoyance.

He was also sending death glares towards Lydia but Daniel couldn't figure that one out either though it also seemed familiar. Almost as if he had seen Jack react this way many times before and just couldn't remember, which at this point could be entirely possible seeing as how he had only just recently been getting his memories back and there were still a lot of blank spots. He just wanted to know what had happened during those blanks spots in his memory and why he could remember things like how to speak Latin, but not whatever he had forgotten.

Lydia's face dropped suddenly. "Oh, well maybe will meet up again. I start working at the Museum in a few days. Why don't you come see me there."

Daniel looked back at her and didn't know what to say. It would be rude to tell her no, but he hadn't been at the Museum since the accident that had killed his parents, unless you count the Gamekeeper, and he didn't particularly want to go back there.

"Maybe," Daniel finally answered, feeling her owned her that much. "It depends how busy we get. We'll only be in town two weeks."

"Oh," Lydia answered. Daniel thought she was going to say more but a glare from Jack shut her up quick. Daniel was starting to feel slightly annoyed. Okay Jack. Once we get out of here, you are so going to tell me why you're behaving this way.

"Okay then," she said. "I'll see you guys later then?"

"As I said," Daniel repeated, "Maybe, but it would be nice. Bye."

"Bye Daniel, Jack," Lydia said as Jack dragged Daniel away.

Daniel glared at Jack. Oh was he ever going to get it.