A/N: So sorry about the time delay in posting, but my muse took off for parts unknown. Personally, I think she went to the Bahamas at Christmas and just came back today. I've only reviewed this once, and it hasn't been beta'd, so let me know if there are any mistakes and I'll correct them. Thanks for sticking with this.

SCG

Sam waited at the bottom of the ramp. Teal'c had been away from the SGC for almost a month and she missed the last remaining member of the original SG-1 team. She usually went to Daniel when she was wrestling with a decision, but Daniel was the problem. He'd been gone for eight months and she was having more trouble dealing with this disappearance than she'd had when he'd ascended the first time. At least then she knew he was still around – sort of. He had showed up now and again when one or another of the team was in trouble. But this time, they had no idea what had happened to him. He could be dead or trapped in some kind of limbo or captured by a rogue Goa'uld or an Ori - or he could have been made king and be living it up on some remote planet like Maybourne. She needed to know.

The iris dilated, revealing the event horizon; then Teal'c stepped through onto the metal ramp silently. It fascinated Sam how such a large man could move so quietly. Her tensed neck muscles relaxed as she stepped forward to greet her friend.

"Teal'c. It's good to see you." Sam raised a hand to hug the Jaffa, but then stopped and just grinned at him.

"SamanthaCarter. You are a vision for irritated oculars." Teal'c flashed a small grin and bowed toward Sam.

Mitchell, who had been waiting with Sam, glanced at his fellow Lt. Colonel and raised an eyebrow in question.

"A sight for sore eyes, Cam." Sam was so glad to see her friend that she missed the smirk on Mitchell's face. "Teal'c. There's something I need to discuss with you. Come see me in my lab after you've checked in with Landry."

Teal'c nodded his agreement and continued up the stairs to the briefing room to meet with General Landry.

XXXXXXXXXX

An hour later, Teal'c entered Sam's lab to find her staring at her laptop screen with a blank look on her face. He observed her for a few moments and realized that her eyes were unfocused and she was not thinking about her work. This is most unusual behavior for Colonel Carter.

Teal'c crossed the room and stood opposite the scientist, waiting. Within a few seconds her eyes focused and she looked up in surprise to find Teal'c standing quietly.

"Teal'c! I didn't hear you come in."

"Indeed. Had I not known better, it would have appeared to me as though you were in a deep state of Kel'nor'eem."

Sam shook her head and gave him an embarrassed grin. "No. I was just thinking… about Daniel."

Teal'c raised his head slightly and an impassive mask descended over his features. He lifted his eyes so that they were no longer on Sam's face, but unfocused above her head, echoing the look she had had when he entered the lab.

Sam looked down at her fingers as they fiddled with the corner of her laptop. "He's been missing for eight months now." She drew her eyes up to her friend's face. "God, Teal'c. I miss him."

Teal'c clasped his hands behind his back and widened his stance. He simply looked into her eyes and nodded in understanding.

"The Tok'ra are almost all gone now and the few that are left don't have friendly feelings towards us right now. Especially since my dad…." Sam's voice wavered slightly. "Well, anyway. The Asgard are busy rebuilding and don't seem to have any ships to spare. Thor has promised that if they hear anything, they'll let us know. Landry won't let us use the new ship, the Odyssey, to search."

She shifted her weight on the stool and shut her laptop. "I'm having a really hard time keeping positive about his disappearance." She stood and began pacing behind her lab table. "It's beginning to affect my work. Teal'c, nothing has ever done that before. I've always been able to lose myself in my work. Now I can't focus on anything."

She walked around the table and placed a hand on his massive arm. "Teal'c, I've been thinking about asking for a leave of absence. I'm not doing anyone any good like this. Maybe I could go off world and search from there."

Teal'c looked down into his friend's trouble blue eyes. His free hand drifted over to cover the hand she still had on his arm. "I believe that you could be of much more use here at the SGC. You would not have access to the technology, resources or people that you have here."

Sam visibly wilted. "You're right. It's just that I feel so useless and frustrated. If I knew for sure he was dead… I need to know what happened. I can't just give up, no matter what Landry says."

"Indeed."

Aeire

Daniel leaned against a birch trunk and closed his eyes. He'd tried to be happy here, but without something constructive to do all he could think about was home. He cared about Ashling and wanted to do what was needed to help her defeat the Ori, but it was difficult to forget about Jack, Teal'c, Sam and the SGC. He'd managed to build a life on Earth that he'd been happy with and now that had been wrenched from him. Again.

Time to go back. Sulking never solved anything and I did promise to help Ashling. Daniel turned back to toward the hut and saw Ashling standing at the edge of the wooded area, waiting. He strode purposefully, approaching his wife with determination.

He stopped an arms length in front of her and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I stomped off. I just needed to think – alone."

"And I'm sorry for trying to dictate to you, as though you were under my control instead of being my equal in marriage." She took a small step closer to him and reached for his hand. "I'll listen to what you have to say before I make a decision." She unconsciously draped an arm over her belly, "This is my child too, and I don't want to do anything that could harm him – or her." She allowed a shy grin to soften her face as she looked up into Daniel's face.

"Okay, that's all I ask. I'll do what I must to protect you and the baby from harm. You need to know that the both of you are my first priority, not your brother or the Ori – until the baby's born, then we can work together to stop them." Daniel leaned down and softly kissed the top of her head and then pulled her close for a hug.

They went back to the hut to discuss what should be done next to protect Ashling and the baby and still confront Iollan and the Ori. They entered and sat at the table with Neala and Tomas.

Daniel closed his eyes in thought for a moment, "Just before I left, my people were able to develop an inhibitor which negates the Prior's powers. I have one in my pack. We can use that to temporarily stop the Prior, but it's not permanent. We still need to come up with a way to stop him and Iollan. If we can do that, then Ashling has a shot at regaining her throne."

Neala, Tomas and Ashling exchanged confirming looks, information flowing among them without words. Ashling nodded to Daniel. "We leave tomorrow."

"No. Here I put my foot down, Ashling. You've just spent days hiking through the forest and you're exhausted. We spend two days here for you to rest and then we'll leave. That is not up for discussion." Daniel crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back to glare at her.

Ashling's chin rose a fraction and her eyes flashed with anger as she confronted her husband. Neala and Tomas attempted to control the grins threatening to appear as they watched the battle of wills between the younger husband and wife.

Finally, Ashling nodded in agreement. "All right, but we leave at first light on the third morning. No excuses, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel pulled her in for a sideways hug, "Agreed. I just want to keep you and our baby safe and healthy."