Daniel smiled faintly and then without warning he began to fall backwards on top of the ring of fire that surrounded him. Jack walked in just as his shoulders began to fall. He rushed up behind his friend and caught him before he was covered in hot wax, unable to hold the man for long O'Neill kicked the candles out from under him and laid Daniel back onto the floor. Sam stared in horror at Jack's actions.

"Don't say it Carter, I wasn't about to let him burn himself." Sam's eyes strayed to Daniel he looked quite peace in spite of his uncomfortable position; legs still crossed lay on his back. Jack looked too and Daniel sighed it was small and satisfied. "See he's fine." Jack yawned loudly, "Wow where'd that come from?"

"Do not be alarmed O'Neill, you are merely succumbing to the effects of the Primtak."

"What?" asked Jack getting a little woozy he sunk to his knees. "You drugged me? Why?"

"The last challenge is choice O'Neill, Daniel Jackson trusts you more than anyone if anyone can convince him to choose his life then it will be you." Teal'c bowed his head as Jack sunk to the floor and passed out.

"Jack, Jack come on, time to get up." Jack groaned and rolled over away from the voice. "Come Jack wakey, wakey!"

"Go away," groaned Jack.

"Hey, I told you not to have so much moonshine." Jack sat up and groaned in the brightness of the day.

"This from a guy who has one beer and passes out." Daniel put a hand out for his friend and helped him to his feet.

"Come on, Kasuf wants me to show you the new irrigation system he's designed." Daniel clipped shades to his glasses and they stepped out into the bright dessert daylight.

"So," said Jack, as they walked through the village. "A whole month huh?"

"You were at the celebration Jack."

"How's Shar're?"

"She's great, a little tired maybe, Shifu is teething."

"Shifu?"

"The baby, Jack my son, your god son?"

"Oh, yeah right." Jack yawned and rubbed the back of his head. "So are you happy?" Daniel turned to him a smile of utter contentment of his face.

"I've never felt so happy in my life. I've got everything I've ever wanted right here."

"So you're bored out of your huge over active mind." Jack grinned. Daniel evaded.

"I have chores that keep me busy and Kasuf is training me to be his second after Skaara."

"Chores don't make for a very intellectual pursuit Daniel."

"No, but they make for a good life for Shar're and my son." They paused as a herd of animals was led across the street. "And I don't intend to risk this for anything Jack." Jack nodded.

"Fair enough." They continued up the street to an excavated field, rivulets of water ran in grooves across the ground. Kasuf was chatting wildly to Skaara in Abydonian and Daniel animatedly joined the conversation. Jack was pleased to see his friend was so happy especially after what he'd been through in the passed few years.

O'Neill and Daniel lay side by side inside the circle of candles. Teal'c and Sam had arranged them and re-lit the candles that Jack had knocked over. Teal'c completed the ritual and chanted the words over the two men.

"What do we do now?" asked Sam once they'd finished.

"Now we wait." Said the Jaffa and resumed his position outside the circle, in front of his friend's heads.

Jack knew something was wrong, he couldn't say what exactly but that instinct for danger he had when Daniel was concerned was on over drive. Though looking across the campfire at his friend laughing and talking with his wife and child by his side all he could think about was how happy Daniel looked. Maybe that was it He'd never seen his friend look so happy so content with his life.

Yeah right O'Neill, Jack chided himself, Daniel's happy and that's what's wrong with the world. The realization dawned on him suddenly the flash of Daniel sat in a ring of candles an X on his stomach. Jack looked back over at his friend smiling harder than ever. After a few more minutes Jack got up from the fire and decided to take a walk. He'd only taken a few strides into the darkened desert when he heard footsteps behind him and found Daniel almost in toe.

"Jack," he breathed that contented smile still on his face. "Are you okay?" he looked concerned for his friend. Jack smiled back.

"Daniel I'm fine; go back to your family."

"You're a part of my family Jack." O'Neill stopped and looked back at his friend.

"Let's walk," he said and they made their way across the dunes in the moonlight. After a few minutes in companionable silence Jack turned to his friend.

"How are you Daniel?" Daniel looked at him a little surprised.

"I'm great actually; I finally have everything I've ever wanted." He paused frowning.

"What is it?"

"I keep half expecting to wake-up." He shrugged. "Like this is some dream that I'm having and none of it is real. Part of me thinks it's too perfect."

"And the rest of you?" Daniel smiled.

"The rest of me doesn't really care." Jack flung himself down on the top of the sand dune and looked out at the cool Abydonian desert the lights of the fires in the village barely a glimmer in the distance.

"So this is what you want? To be here with Sha're for the rest of your life?"

"So much it hurts Jack." Jack buried his face in his hands; he had to do it there was no way around it. "Jack?" the worried voice called to him.

"I have to tell you something Daniel. Something that's going to be difficult to hear, but understand I need to tell you the truth and if after that you still want to be here I can't stop you. But know this I will have lost the best friend and teammate I've ever had." Daniel stared at the man not quite comprehending the warning but knowing enough that it was important and so remained quiet waiting for the rest to come.

"You know how you said part of you is expecting to wake up from this like it's a dream?" Daniel nodded. "Well, I wouldn't call a dream really, more of a vision." Daniel's jaw dropped.

"What!" he cried.

"You fell through the gate and got infected by this illness; it turned you into a Jaffa." Daniel's eyes widened and suddenly he broke into a smile. He gave Jack a shove and laugh.

"Good one Jack."

"Daniel I'm serious, Teal'c is performing a ritual on you well I guess it's us now, to help you throw off the change, this is the final test Daniel you have to choose to live."

"You're serious?" Jack's face was a stone wall, but Daniel couldn't help but smile. "You can't be serious Jack does this look like earth to you?" he spread his arms out over the expansive horizon. "Jack are you alright?" he was searching his friend's face now. "You haven't even mentioned Sara and Charlie." Jack froze his face went pale.

"Why would I?"

"Hello? It's not everyday your estranged ex-wife and son come back into your life."

"What!"

"Jack, I was at your wedding last month before I joined Sha're here." Jack now just noticed ring on his finger, you MALP'ed in last week just to tell me Charlie lost another tooth." Daniel smiled again.

"I still want to pinch myself every time I think how good we've got it!"

"We?"

"You, me, Sam and Teal'c," Daniel lay back content. "Teal'c is on Chulak with his family now that the Gould are dead the Jaffa are free. Sam's going nuts over that new lab they got her at the SGC and what's his name James from SG7 that's she's been dating," Daniel leaned forward in a conspiratorial wink. "He's going to pop the question next week, they are so perfect for each other; he's tough but smart and has a few degrees in anthropology and psychology or something." There was that smile again. "Everything's so perfect." he smiled. Jack stared at the man as he closed his eyes in contentment. So this was Daniel's fantasy, not just the perfect life for himself, but for everyone he loved too. Jack couldn't help a smile, as the tears came to his eyes. Daniel looked back at his friend concern showing on his face once more. "Jack?" it was a loaded question.

"I'm okay Daniel," he managed a smile and lay back with his friend to chart the night sky. One more night Jack told himself let him have this for one more night.

Teal'c and Sam were getting worried, Jack had been under for eight hours and Daniel was fading fast. He was showing signs of a burning fever and they both knew that if O'Neill didn't snap them out of this soon Daniel would die.

Sam crawled over to Jack's head and leaned down to his ear,

"Colonel I don't know if you can hear me, but Daniel won't last much longer, he has to get through this now or there won't be much left of him to save." A tear fell from the Major's eye on to Jack's cheek. "Save him for us Jack." She whispered.

Jack sat bolt up right breathing heavily; he felt a warm droplet land on his cheek but when he went to wipe it was dried. He lay back down trying to steady his breathing, but in his angst all he could think of, was message received Major.

"Jack?" Daniel was at the door to his room; they'd walked back to the village after the evening meal and decided to crash. Daniel's face was filled with concern as he hurried to Jack's side. "Bad dream?" Jack peered up at his friend with equal concern,

"No," he said "Just one that's too good to be true." Daniel looked confused. Jack sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He began to walk through the quiet house. He hated to do this, but it was the only way. He paused outside Daniel's room, and they watched while Sha're and the baby slept.

"Let me get this straight. You saved Sha're when Amornet tried to kill you when she hid the child at Kheb?" Daniel nodded, "remind me; how are all the Gould dead?" Daniel looked concerned.

"Jack you know this."

"Humor me." They walked down the hall to what passed at the main living area and both men sat themselves in the cushions arranged there.

"The Tok'ra perfected their poison to only affect mature Goulds and leave the host behind. That made it safe to release in Jaffa populated world's because they only carry lava Goulds."

"Daniel, don't you think that's a little…"

"What?"

"Convenient."

"No, it's a lot lucky."

"And Charlie?"

"What about him?"

"Daniel, you know this Charlie died more than four years ago, he shot himself with my service revolver. That's why I agreed to the original mission to come to Abydos."

"Jack Charlie was in a coma not dead, Sara ran away from you in fear and you blamed yourself, but last year the doctor found a way to wake him and everything turned out okay."

"Again Daniel I'll ask the question, is that a little too perfect?"

"You're being too paranoid Jack why can't you just accept that good things do happen and right now it's our turn?"

"It's not in my nature." Daniel smiled.

"Okay, I'll bite, if none of this has really happened; how I remember it how are things in the reality you live in?"

"Not as good as this," said Jack wanly, "But then how could it be?" Jack sighed. "Shar're died two years ago, Teal'c had to kill her to save your life, the child is with Oma Delsala an ascended being residing on Kheb, he is a Harceus Daniel, he's not your son. Sara and I haven't spoken since that incident with the crystal me, Charlie is dead, but I've dealt with it, mostly. Teal'c lives on the base, his wife is dead, and his son travels with Bra'tac. The Gould are not dead, in our time we've managed to knock the number down a few, but they're still out there. In local news, Sam's still on her loosing streak with men, the last man, and I use that term loosely, she dated, died in a hail of gunfire. And in recent events you fell off a cliff on a remote planet and got infected with a virus, a virus that is killing you. Teal'c found a mediation that's supposed to cure you and you've gone through it. This is the final test Daniel all you have to do is choose to live." Jack took a deep breath and let it out. Daniel blinked slowly and deliberately. "Have you ever heard the phrase, too good to be true, Daniel?" Daniel nodded. "Well you're living in it." Daniel buried his head in his hands.

"How did this happen?" he asked looking up.

"You believe me?"

"Jack you've no reason to lie to me, and I don't think a delusion would go into this much detail."

"This one did." said Jack gesturing to their surroundings.

"Ok, I don't think your delusions would go into that much detail. Besides," Daniel rubbed his tired eyes. "I've been having these nightmares, flashes of memories of things that couldn't have happened here. I knew this was too good to be true, but" he looked wistfully in the direction of his bedroom and Shar're. "I didn't want it to end." Jack saw that his friend had been suddenly defeated by his realization.

"Daniel we have to go."

"Go where? I don't know how to end this."

"I've got an idea, come on let's go." Jack got up to leave, but Daniel hesitated. He walked back in to his bedroom and touched his wife gently.

"Dan-yell?" she yawned confused and groggy.

"I'm going for a walk with Jack okay, I didn't want you to worry."

"Okay, my Dan-yell I will be waiting with your son when you return." She leaned up and kissed him and fell back into a deep sleep. Daniel walked out of the room, tears clearly near the surface.

"Let's go," he mumbled, before leaving the house. Jack followed close on his heels. "Where are we going?" asked Daniel as Jack steered him out of the village.

"Home," he said simply.

They stood in front of the three story high ring and stared at it.

"What now?" Daniel asked; Jack shrugged.

"This is your dream, take us home." Daniel dialed the gate and it engaged, in all its shimmering beauty. He climbed the steps slowly and paused to wait for Jack.

"Let's go home." He said and they both stepped through the gate together.

Teal'c could tell that Sam was exhausted her head bobbed down every few minutes as she fought the sleep she most desperately needed. His face of concern simply steeled her to stay awake longer, waiting for their sleeping teammates to come back to them.

Daniel sat up with a start, his whole body rigid as he gasped for air. His face contorted in pain as he doubled over grabbing his stomach. Jack opened his eyes slowly and glanced over to his friend. Daniel was heaving in pain clutching in gut. Jack tried to sooth his friend, as the pain seemed to flow through him in waves.

"What happen?" cried Sam, her nimble mind already imagining the worst.

"Paradise" Jack whispered hoarsely. After a few moments the convulsions stopped and they were able to roll Daniel on to his back, though his body was still wracked with the bruises of a beating he never received, the split in his stomach was now healed over and all that remained was a faint scar. Daniel coughed back to consciousness and Jack hovered over him. "How's it going there?" Jack smiled, but Daniel just frowned. "Sha're," he muttered and was gone into a real sleep this time.

"Let's get him up on the bed." Jack whispered to Teal'c. Teal'c nodded and lifted his sleeping friend on to the bed nearby.

"What happened sir? We thought you weren't going to make it."

"It was close." said Jack grimly.

"Daniel Jackson didn't want to leave?" questioned Teal'c as he pulled the covers over their friend.

"No," Said Jack, "I didn't want to take it from him." Jack closed his eyes for a moment to find his composure. "We should get Frasier in here to check out those bruises, make sure he's okay." Sam nodded.

"She's been coming in every half hour to check on us."

"How long have I been out?"

"Just over ten hours."

"Wow," he turned to Teal'c. "I can't believe you drugged me!"

"I did not; it was your contact with Daniel Jackson that drew you into his Primtak. I knew that one must join him in the final task, but the book did not say how, when you caught him you were chosen and I knew that was how it worked." Jack scrunched up his face, and turned back to Daniel.

"You didn't warn me."

"That you would see Daniel Jackson's ideal world,"

"That I'd want to leave him there."

A/N: Feedback is not only appreciated it's throughly enjoyed. Reviews are welcome.