I'm going to try to keep this short this time but I really do need to say a few things.

First: Wow! Thanks for all the reviews! I was so encouraged I couldn't help but put up another chapter!

Second: I lied. Sorry. There are two spoilers in this chapter that I'm aware of. They're both pretty small but if you haven't seen "The Curse" or "Divide and Conquer" you'll probably be just a tad confused at those parts.

Third: This chapter isn't very funny, but it's necessary for the rest of the story's development so please bear with me. I'll get back to the adorable pint-sized SG-1 soon.

Fourth (and last): the disclaimer: SG-1 isn't mine and I am making no profit whatsoever off this story. I own nothing here except for the Corunnas and their world and the plot itself. However, I will serious consider any monetary sum asked to change this situation. (And trust me when I say money is no object. Just tell me how much I need to steal . . . um . . . pay for them and I'll sign the check faster than you can say "Daniel, don't touch that!")

Okay, enough rambling. On with the story!

Acting One's Age
Chapter 2 - A Little Argument

TWO DAYS EARLIER

"This is amazing!"

Jack rolled his eyes.

"Daniel, you've said that like fifty times in the last five minutes. I thought you spoke twenty-five languages. Can't you think of another word besides amazing?"

They'd been on P2J-612 for a day and a half but it had taken some time for the locals to warm up to the four strangers who'd appeared out of the forest. Eventually they had though and after lunch the leader of the village, Saanchi, had brought Daniel and the rest of SG-1 to these ruins thinking they might be of interest to someone who said they traveled the Way of Knowledge—their name for the Stargate. Saanchi hadn't stayed because of some of their beliefs about the Knowledgeable Ones, but he said anyone who traveled the Way must be fit to visit the Old City.

Daniel was still trying to decide where exactly to begin in his translation of the numerous carvings and text covering the walls. Meanwhile, he ignored Jack's jibe but took the opportunity presented by Jack's starting a conversation with him.

"Jack, some of these artifacts predate anything we've previously seen regarding the Ancients, but there's no mistaking the relationship."

"That's great, Danny-boy," his lack of sincerity blatantly obvious in his voice. "I don't suppose they have any plans for a really big gun that we can use to destroy the Go'auld."

"Uh, no."

Jack snapped his fingers. "Damn." He waited only a beat before, "Maybe just a big gun?"

"Jack, everything we know about the Ancients suggest that they would never leave that kind of information around for just anyone to find."

Jack shrugged. "I can dream, can't I?"

"Sir, look at this."

Carter's voice drew the attention of both the colonel and the archaeologist and they walked over to where she stood looking at a relief carved into the wall.

It showed two pictures side by side. One was of two people sitting around a table. There was an obvious display of weapons among those seated at the table as well as with those in smaller groups at the rear of each of the two seated persons.

The two figures at the table were similar but there were differences that even Jack could see. The groups behind each resembled their companions but, again, differed from the other group. Writing was carved into the empty space above the table and that was what had Daniel interested.

The next panel showed a group of smaller beings—like miniatures of the first panel—but there were no weapons and the figures were drawn in a circle holding hands and alternating back and forth between the two kinds of people, no one person holding the hand of someone like him or her.

More text was inscribed in the air above the people and after a moment Daniel shifted his attention to this new text, his lips moving as he silently studied the symbols.

"Well?" Jack said, having waited as long as he possible could.

"I'm not sure of the exact translation," Daniel said, then pointed to the first panel, his fingers tracing the glyphs as he explained. "I think this says something about disagreement or possibly conflict . . . and a 'Seat of Remedy' . . . I think."

"So they came here to work out their problems?" Jack asked.

Daniel nodded, eyes still on the carvings.

"Something like that . . ." he agreed, then moved over to stand in front of the other panel.

"I'm not sure of this first part but, uh, this means approximately 'wisdom of youth' . . .

"I'm going to need more time to figure out the rest of this," he said after a moment more of study, lightly brushing a finger over the central figure facing him, a small creature with the same design inscribed on his chest as the figure on the right in the first panel.

"Well when we get back you can ask General Hammond for some more time here. On this trip you've got another"-he checked his watch-"four hours before we have our dinner thing with the Corn people. Then we all get a good night's sleep and start back in the morning to the Gate."

"It's Corunna, not Corn, Jack."

"Whatever. You have four hours."

"Jack, I need at least a week here."

"Four hours."

"Sir, I don't see how staying a little longer could hurt anything," Sam interjected. She wanted to spend a little more time with the women in the tribe learning about the dyes they used to create the vividly colored clothing they wore. It wasn't very technical, and it wasn't really part of their mission either, but her natural curiosity had been piqued and she found herself very interested in the process nonetheless.

Besides, if it was a former settlement of the Ancients or their ancestors then they were bound to find something technological for her to study eventually.

"Carter, go find Teal'c and let him know we're returning to the village in four hours," was Jack's only response.

She didn't look happy, but his tone-and rank-left little room for argument and she nodded. "Yes, sir." With a final glance at both Daniel and Jack she went to find the big Jaffa who'd been checking the perimeter last she'd seen.

Daniel finally looked away from the carvings to look at Jack. "Why don't you and Sam and Teal'c all go back and let General Hammond know I'm staying a little longer? I'm sure Saanchi won't mind-"

"Daniel," Jack interrupted. "We're leaving in the morning. When we get back to the gate you can ask General Hammond yourself for some more time." He started to turn but Daniel wasn't ready to let it go.

"I don't get it, Jack."

Jack turned back and cocked his head.

"What, Daniel? Did I stutter? Was I speaking a language you don't know? What was so confusing about us leaving in the morning?"

"If this was some weapon or poison or . . . something we could use to kill the Go'auld then you'd stay without hesitation. But because it's just a cultural marvel, it's not worth spending time on. There's no threat here. No Go'auld trying to kill us or impending planetary destruction or hostile natives or . . . I'm just asking for a few more days. The Corunna will let me stay, I'm sure, and I'll stay right here in the ruins and-"

"And I said no, Daniel. How long have these ruins been here?"

Daniel repressed a sigh. He knew where this argument was going. "Probably several million years."

Jack nodded. "Exactly. And like you said, there's no impending planetary destruction or anything that would threaten these ruins. They'll still be here in a few days. You can come back with General Hammond's approval."

The truth of the matter was, Jack just didn't trust Daniel not to get in some kind of trouble.

There weren't any obvious threats, but it was the hidden threats he was worried about. Daniel might be great at helping them get out of some pretty sticky situations, but since he got them ­into most of them, it didn't say much. Daniel was a great guy, but he was also a walking disaster. An ambush waiting to happen. A magnet for trouble. And all those other clichés.

He just couldn't be trusted by himself on a foreign planet. Hell, he couldn't be trusted on Earth, Jack decided, recalling the whole episode with Daniel's mentor's funeral and the rebirth of the System Lord Osiris in Daniel's old girlfriend, Dr. Sarah Kane.

"Did I make my point clear now? Any lingering confusion?"

"Whatever," Daniel said and brushed past Jack to return to the main room.

Jack turned and watched the younger man stalk over to the large central table and lean on it as he studied the carvings there. Jack could see, though, that the frown creasing his friend's brow wasn't concentration but anger.

With a sigh he shifted his P-90 slightly and walked over. Time for a little fence mending. He didn't want Daniel thinking it was a conspiracy against him.

It wasn't just because Jack didn't trust him alone. General Hammond had told Jack to make sure they got back on time, but why was supposed to be a surprise apparently and he didn't want Jack to mention it to the rest of SG-1 if he could help it.

"Daniel?"

"What, Jack? I only have four hours. I'd rather not waste any of it."

"Daniel, look at me."

The archaeologist complied by twisting his head to the side and meeting Jack's eyes, then looking back down at the table.

"Anything else I can do for you?" he asked, his cold voice echoing the hurt Jack had seen in his blue eyes. It had been mostly hidden, but Jack knew Daniel well enough to see the little bit still showing.

"Daniel, I promise you, if General Hammond says you can come back, I'll be right there ready to go. But we really can't stay this time."

"I'm not asking you to, Jack. I told you I can handle a few days by myself."

"Daniel, you're a member of my team and I'm not leaving you behind. Not in the middle of a firefight and not in the middle of some very peaceful ruins."

"Which means you don't think I can stay out of trouble," Daniel said, still staring at the table, but not really seeing it. He moved around to the other side and tried to concentrate once more.

"I didn't say that."

Now Daniel straightened and looked him in the eye again from across the table, the etchings on the surface forgotten.

"You didn't have to, Jack. Not aloud. I'm not stupid." His patience had run out by this point and now he was on a roll, his anger and frustration showing more clearly as he continued.

"I notice the way you keep an eye on me when we're walking through unfamiliar territory. If we're attacked, you're always close by. I'm the first one you send through the gate while the rest of you lay down cover fire. You're constantly reminding me that I have to eat and sleep and take breaks and . . . and you treat me like I'm five years old." His anger had pretty much expended itself by then and his shoulders slumped. "I'm an adult, Jack. I can take care of myself. I don't need a babysitter."

Jack was trying to figure out how to deny it, but kept coming up blank.

Mostly because it was true that he kept a close eye on the younger man. But he was responsible for Daniel and, like it or not, he did need a babysitter sometimes.

"I'm just asking for a little respect and trust," Daniel continued. "You give it to Teal'c. You even give it to Sam and you're head over heels in love with her. But you're not constantly looking over her shoulder and lecturing her and . . . just generally mothering her. You do that to me."

"Maybe because she doesn't give me any reason to," Jack shot back, bristling slightly at Daniel's bringing up his feelings for Sam.

It was true and there was no way he could deny it, especially after the whole 'Tok'ra lie-detector' fiasco. But both of them had pretty much agreed that it was a subject best left buried and were trying to act as though nothing had changed. The few who knew of what exactly he and Sam had said to clear their names seemed to be following suit and Jack knew Daniel had to be serious about this to bring it up at all.

Yes, it sometimes just about killed Jack to send Carter into a dangerous situation, he knew he couldn't hold her back because of the way he felt. That would be letting it get out of hand and would require splitting the team up or worse.

None of which was relevant at the moment, he reminded himself as he forced his attention back to the present. He regretted the retort, but it was the truth, however painful it may be.

Daniel looked down and nodded, absently brushing some dust off of the table with his hand.

"Well then maybe I need to talk to General Hammond about transferring to another team," Daniel said softly.

Silence filled the space between them as Jack tried to process what he'd just heard. "What?" he finally demanded when his brain gave up and decided it had to have misheard.

Daniel looked up. The pain in his young eyes wasn't as nearly well hidden as before. "I said I'm going to ask for a transfer to another team. SG-1 is the flagship team. They're the first ones out. They work the frontlines where it's dangerous. It's obviously not the place for a civilian and a researcher like myself so I'll let you and Sam and Teal'c and . . . whoever . . . go out and scout out the dangers and I'll be safe on a survey team that comes after. Then you won't have to worry about me anymore."

"That's not what I meant, Daniel, and you know it." This whole conversation was rapidly spinning out of control. How had it come to this? Jack wondered. This wasn't the conversation he remembered them starting with.

"Obviously I don't know it, Jack. What did you mean? You just told me you can't trust me." Daniel shrugged. "I'd ask for a chance to prove it to you but we've been working together for what? Four, five years now? Sam and Teal'c have earned your trust so I know it's not you. Logic says it has to be me then."

"Dammit, Daniel, I do trust you. If I didn't I'd never have put you on my team in the first place." Jack needed to get this conversation back on track. It was about going home, right? Yeah, that sounded familiar.

"What exactly do you trust me with then? Because it's not my own safety and well being."

How long had Daniel been thinking about this? Jack was trying to get a hold on what he was hearing without losing the thread of conversation, but he was a little shocked by Daniel's reaction. Was he beginning to lose touch with his people?

"You're not listening," he said almost absently.

"No, Jack!" Daniel yelled, his temper flaring once more. "You're not listening."

"I am listening!" Jack yelled back. He was trying to anyway. What was Daniel really trying to tell him?

An odd hum filled the air causing both of them to stop cold.

"What's that?"

"I don't know," Daniel said as both of them scanned the room around them for any indication of the source.

"Where's it coming from?" Jack asked turning in a circle to look at the whole room.

"I don't know. Maybe if I had a little more time," Daniel said, sarcasm clearly evident in his tone. Jack shot him a Look but otherwise ignored the comment. He was more concerned by the sudden noise than their argument at the moment.

The hum rose in pitch just as Teal'c and Sam entered the room.

"O'Neill, what is that noise?"

"We don't know."

"Look."

At Sam's command both Jaffa and human turned and followed her gaze to the table which was faintly glowing.

Daniel's hands still rested on it and he was already looking it over closely, trying to discern a source for the light.

"Daniel?" Jack asked.

"I'm working on it," the younger man said.

"Can you work faster?" The hum was growing louder as well as continuing to rise in pitch.

"Not with you talking, I can't," he snapped.

Jack rested his hands on the table and leaned forward, his own temper reaching its limits.

"You know, I'm getting sick and tired of your attitude."

Daniel looked up to meet Jack's eyes, mouth open to respond, but whatever he was going to say was drowned out by a sudden deafening squeal and a bright flash of light.

When the light dimmed and the noise faded to silence once more all four members of SG-1 lay on the floor out cold.

Thanks for all the reviews! Until next time . . .

"The most beautiful things in this world are useless. Peacocks and lillies for example." - Anonymous
Keaira