Daniel's silence was, Jack admitted to himself, downright creepy. Normally, the linguist would be talking their collective ears off about everything under the sun, which had seemingly only shone in Ein Gedi for the last month.
Jack's eyes strayed from the road to once more contemplate the brooding archaeologist. There was no doubt about it; Daniel was having what Jack liked to call a 'Deep Thoughts' moment.
The focus of those thoughts was probably not out the windshield, Jack mused wryly, or out the passenger side window, which were the two locations where Daniel's gaze wandered. No, the focus was more likely back in Ein Gedi. Jack snorted to himself. He could tell wishful thinking from the tactical mindset he'd developed over the years, and that was a seriously unrealistic thought. If anything, Daniel's mind was still back in the Mountain, going over the events of the last few days, contemplating the changes he saw, and wondering if they were permanent. Jack would do his best to see that they were.
Jack himself was quiet during the ride. He knew that he stood a better chance of getting Daniel to open up if he waited for backup. Sam and Teal'c were only a few miles behind, and if Jack knew Carter, that distance was decreasing. Exponentially.
Proof of that observation was rendered a mere ten minutes later, and Jack pulled into his driveway with Sam nearly rear-ending him in her enthusiasm, but the Colonel only grinned at his 2IC. He completely understood – after all, Daniel was back. Those three words held the key to everything, and told the crippled remainder of SG-1 that everything could be worked out.
Slamming the car door behind him, Jack preceded the rest of his team across the lawn to the house, noting how Sam and Teal'c stood close to Daniel but avoided crowding him. He frowned a little. They were giving the linguist the distance they thought he needed – but perhaps that was what was wrong from the beginning. As a team, they had backed off when they should have stuck together, stepped away when they ought to have clung tighter. The support gradually formed cracks underneath Daniel, and hadn't been able to take the stress of incidents like – oh, say, Euronda, for example. And because of the crumbling from within, everything else had collapsed.
"Uh, sir? Are you going to let us in?"
Jack started. "Course, Carter." He ignored the minor fact that he had been standing, staring at his door with his key in his hand as he worked all of this out. "Just thought we'd enjoy the weather for a bit."
"Consider it enjoyed," Daniel murmured, and Jack caught a slight glint of humor before Daniel glanced away. It was a beautiful day – but nearly over by now. Jack threw the door open and said grandly, "Welcome. Food?"
"Ah, I thought we'd order out," Carter said evasively.
Jack threw her an affronted look. "I can cook."
"Of course you can, sir." Carter's anxious eyes held a devious twinkle as she soothed ruffled feathers.
"I can!" Jack insisted.
There was a muffled snort from the direction of a certain close-mouthed linguist, and Teal'c's face softened slightly. Jack caught the grin before it could get very far, but Sam didn't even bother, smiling broadly.
"All right, all right," Jack grumbled happily.
"Half plain, half everything?" Carter called, making her way into the kitchen, Teal'c hot on her heels.
"The number's on the wall by the phone." Jack's attention was focused on Daniel, as the archaeologist stood stiffly in the center of the living room. "Coat?" he asked, ignoring the rumble of Teal'c's voice in the kitchen and Sam's soft counterpoint.
Daniel started, shot Jack a look and took his coat off. "Shoes?" Jack pressed gently. Daniel's lips thinned, but he toed off his sneakers and sat on the couch.
"Danny?"
"Jack."
Finally – words! Well, one word. Better than nothing, Jack reasoned, and proceeded to take all he could get. "Are – are you okay?" The delivery was awkward, but the feelings were there.
Daniel generously accepted the question in the spirit it was asked, and answered with staggeringly open honesty. "I don't know."
Jack sucked in a breath. This was it, then. "I'm sorry," he said roughly, unsure of what else he could do.
Daniel sighed, defeated. "I know."
"It's not enough, is it?" Jack's voice low, pained.
Daniel turned to him, stricken and disquieted. Taking a deep breath he gritted out, "No."
Jack felt his heart lurch.
"Being sorry, in the long run, has never changed anything," Daniel continued. Hope stirred, and Jack's gaze zeroed in on Daniel's face, seeing how much of an effort it was for him to demand this, nearly positive that he would be rejected, that it was too much to ask. But nevertheless, refusing to back down. "So," he breathed, clearing his throat before continuing more strongly, "What are you going to do about it?"
Jack looked at him steadily. "I'm going to fix it."
Daniel stared at him in disbelief, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly. "H- How?" he finally managed.
"All I need is a chance."
Daniel looked at him pensively, and started as a voice behind him said quietly, "Just a chance, Daniel?"
Swinging around in surprise, Daniel saw Sam and Teal'c hovering in the doorway to the kitchen. "I too desire an opportunity to make amends," Teal'c intoned solemnly.
Daniel took a step back, his knees colliding with the couch. He sat down, hard, and still halfway unable to believe that they were doing this, trying to make it work again, trying to get back something he had accepted as lost for good.
"Well, Daniel?" Jack asked softly, after several minutes of silence.
The archaeologist looked them all over, closing his mouth and pursing his lips. Finally, he nodded. "Yes," he said.
Jack whooped loudly in relief, and Sam grinned. Even Teal'c's lips curled. Daniel gave them a tentative smile that had the others beaming in delight. "I'll call Hammond," Jack said exuberantly.
Daniel's face froze. "Are you sure?" he said, uncertainly.
Jack smiled broadly, but he did a double-take on seeing the linguist's contained posture. Daniel did not look happy. "Danny?" he asked quietly.
The other man wouldn't meet his eyes. "I – I don't think it would be a great idea for me to rejoin SG-1 just yet," he said in a rush.
The room quieted.
"Why, Daniel?"
Sam, her blue eyes full of compassion, of a need to understand. No recriminations, no accusations.
"I just – I think it would be better if we got used to this for a bit before we jump right in," Daniel said, much softer. "I mean – this is all so – new." Their relationship was new. "It's not as solid as it was. Can we really go out there and face the Goa'uld and – and who knows what – when we're not sure how each other will react?"
And they all understood. This new bond had barely been conceived, and was still fragile, as delicate as spider silk. Too precious to risk off-world, in a galaxy that had and would do its best to rip them apart.
The argument was terrifyingly accurate, and logical. They all understood.
"It's okay, Danny," Jack soothed, sitting next to the linguist on the couch, Sam on his other side. "We understand." A quick glance at the others revealed that they understood, and agreed.
"We can build up to it," Sam confirmed, smile gentle.
Daniel smiled back.
"General?" The archaeologist, astrophysicist and Jaffa all looked to Jack as he spoke into the phone. The colonel smiled at them all as he relayed the news to Hammond. "Daniel wants to come back to the SGC."
- - - - - - - - - -
Wow, sorry about the delay. Everyone has been remarkable about prodding me to continue, and I want to thank you all for it. The lag in posting can be fully attributed to 3 things – exams, my LAEVA DEI fic refusing to be back-burnered, and a reasonable confusion as to what was actually going to happen in this fic. All of the above have been resolved, yippee!
On a closing note, I wanted to tell each and every one of my reviewers that, quite simply, YOU GUYS ROCK!! Not a day has gone by without me receiving a review on this fic, which I find frankly amazing. I remain convinced that my reviewers are some of the coolest people on the planet. Go you, and thanks so much!!