A short holiday fic written for the Word a Month challenge on HRA (January's word was "beginning"). Many thanks to Stonedtoad for the beta! And also to L.E. for the inspired and inspiring word!

Enjoy and a very belated Happy New Year to you all!

23:56. The 31st of December. New Year's Eve. Four minutes to the first day of another year. To a new beginning.

Daniel looked around him, observing the excitement visible on everybody's face. They had all gathered – SG 1, Janet, and even General Hammond himself – at a small New Year's feast held at Jack's house. And while the others were all fussing about the bottle of champagne soon to be opened, he stood by the window, watching and thinking.

These people were the closest thing he had to a family and honestly he was grateful of finding them – or better said, to have been found. A few months ago, he had been still on a distant world, trying in vain to find his place in a society that wasn't his, not knowing where he belonged or even who he was.

But that had changed, and he resumed his old existence again, starting again from where he had left. But, as he could clearly remember now, when all his memories had been regained, this one was just one of the long series of beginning he called his life.

The first beginning he could remember was when his parents had died. Yes,
it was first of all an end, the ending of his careless and comfortable life, but it also meant the beginning of his orphan life. Then, each foster family and each orphanage was a change for him and, in a way, a new beginning, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Going to university was the threshold of his independent life and a huge change, but the first real change in his life was brought to him by the first Abydos mission.

That was the most unexpected beginning of them all. It was only then that his life had taken a completely new turn: he had a wife, a home, a feeling of inner peace. Sha're had given him all that, and he had hoped that their idyllic life would go on forever. But it couldn't be like that, as a new beginning was waiting for him – and in order for it to happen, the current situation had to come to an end.

So he began a life without her, the emptiness of loosing her only slightly compensated by the growing friendship between him and the other three members of SG 1. Jack, Sam and Teal'c had gradually become family to him,
discovering the Universe together and supporting him as he searched for his wife.

And when that quest was over, Daniel began a new stage in his life; it was the end of all of his hopes, but as usually also another beginning. A new beginning even came when he had though that his very life was ending and,
guided by Oma Desala, he stepped on a higher level of existence. And even though he couldn't remember anything from his time as an ascended being, he knew it must have been an astonishing experience, only comparable with his everlasting love for Sha're.

But even immortality had an end. And then came his short time on Vis Uban,
he was found by his friends. And now here he was, with them and with his life again, thirty seconds to a next year. To another beginning.

"Daniel?" His friend patted him on the shoulder as he offered him a glass of champagne.

"Yeah, Jack?"

"Happy New Year!"

Instantly, everybody was by his side. Sam hugged him tight, while Teal'c showed one of his kind (and extremely rare) smiles and Daniel felt he was really home. Many things have happened to him, mane changes occurred in his life; and he learned that a new beginning always came at the end. No matter what. In a way, each day was a new beginning.

"Happy New Year, everybody!" he said, watching the beautiful fireworks that could be seen outside. Today was a very special day indeed. Not only as it was the first day of the year, but also, as it was the first day… of the rest of his life.

THE END

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