The infirmary room was quiet; the only sound the soft beeping of the monitor as it kept track of Sam's vitals. She had been back at the SGC and unconscious for almost forty-eight hours. There was no physical reason. Carolyn had suggested it might have had something to do with Orlin's oblique statement that Jack would have to bring her the rest of the way back but Jack had no idea what he'd meant. Neither had Daniel whose own memory of being ascended was admittedly vague and patchy. Everybody else was equally at a loss.

Jack shifted in his chair and looked at Sam. He rubbed his eyes tiredly.

'Any change, sir?' Mitchell asked from the doorway.

Jack looked over at him and shook his head.

Mitchell cleared his throat. 'Bra'tac has arrived and you're needed in the briefing room, sir.'

Jack frowned but shoved his chair back and got to his feet. His job leading the SGC precluded his past habit of staying with an injured team-mate for hours at a time. He had only managed to sit with her sporadically. Usually Daniel or Teal'c, who had accompanied them back, took over. He glanced at Mitchell.

'I'll sit with her, sir.' Mitchell confirmed. He figured the General wasn't in the mood to give him another rule but it seemed not letting a team-mate wake up alone in the infirmary was one of them.

Jack gave a sharp nod and left to make his way to the briefing room. SG12 had come back that morning with the science team. Doctor Lee had reluctantly handed the disconnected power source over to the Jaffa but had come back babbling about sub-space and inter-dimensional power differences. Bra'tac had probably come back for Teal'c, Jack thought. No doubt with the shifting political tide back in favour of the pro-Tau'ri groups, Bra'tac wanted Teal'c back on Dakara.

Jack sighed. It had been good to have Teal'c around the last couple of days. Sam needed him; Daniel needed him; heck, who was he trying to kid; he needed him. Jack shook his head as he walked into the briefing room. Bra'tac, Teal'c and Daniel sat waiting, along with two other Jaffa that Jack had never met. On the table in front of them was a crate with an odd looking ZPM in it; it had a faint green glow instead of the usual orange colour.

'Gentlemen.' Jack said taking his seat at the head of the table. 'Sorry to keep you waiting.'

'O'Neill, I'd like to introduce Council members Byn'c and Gerek.' Bra'tac waved a hand on the two Jaffa sat with him.

Jack nodded politely. 'Nice to meet you folks.'

'We have brought news from Dakara.' Bra'tac began.

'Excellent.' Jack said forcing himself to pay attention.

'We have buried the one known as Orlin in the sacred ground at Dakara. A monument will be erected so all know we were in the presence of a Great One.'

Jack nodded with mixed emotions. He still didn't know how he felt about Orlin's sacrifice. With Sam unconscious, he somehow felt he had failed to live up to his part of the deal. 'That's a nice thought.' He managed when he realised Bra'tac was waiting for him to speak.

Bra'tac nodded. 'We have also brought this ZPM as a gift to the Tau'ri.' He gestured at the crate. 'It is of no use to us.'

'Are you sure about this, Bra'tac?' Daniel asked.

'Daniel.' Jack warned the archaeologist.

'Jack.'

'It's rude to refuse a gift.' Jack pointed out in a friendly tone.

'We don't even know if it'll work here.' Daniel said.

'Then we'll find out.' Jack replied.

'Bra'tac,' Daniel said firmly turning to the Jaffa, 'this device could power the Ancient systems in the buried city. Are you sure you want to give that up?'

'According to your Doctor Lee, the power is almost gone.' Bra'tac said.

'And I'm sure he's right but if you kept the power on, we could access the information in the systems using the consoles in the chair room,' Daniel said excitedly, 'what we could learn could be incredible.'

'I can't believe I'm saying this,' Jack said, 'but Daniel has a point.'

'I do?'

'You do.' Jack agreed. 'The information in the Ancient systems on Dakara probably has more combined value to both our people than Earth possibly being able to use this ZPM to power our defences for a short period.'

'What do you propose?' Byn'c asked.

Jack looked at Daniel. 'What am I proposing Daniel?'

'A joint study, Jaffa and Tau'ri, for as long as the power lasts. With the data gathered shared completely between our two peoples for the benefit of both.' Daniel said quickly.

Jack gestured. 'What do you think?'

'I believe this is acceptable.' Byn'c said.

'I concur.' Gerek said.

'As do I.' Teal'c agreed.

'Then we are agreed.' Bra'tac smiled. 'We have something else to ask of you.'

'Oh?' Jack leaned forward over the table.

Byn'c cleared his throat. 'The Council would like to request the return of Major Davis and his team to assist us with the reconstruction plans for our new government and a new treaty to be drafted between the Free Jaffa and the Tau'ri which would be the first item confirmed by the new government.'

'Making it clear to all,' Gerek said forcefully, 'that our alliance is strong and cannot be broken by those with poison in their hearts.'

'I don't see a problem with Major Davis and SG7 returning to Dakara.' Jack said. 'I'll make the arrangements.'

'And there is one last item of business.' Bra'tac said. 'The Council has discussed how we allowed Cral'k and others to achieve a position where they may have irrevocably harmed our alliance.'

Byn'c folded his hands on the table. 'There is an old Jaffa saying that trust is earned over time and lost in a blink of an eye.'

'We have something similar here on Earth.' Daniel chipped in.

'We cannot allow those who have doubts to shake our trust in each other again.' Gerek added.

'Which is why we decided to create a new position, one that we are all agreed will continue into the new government.' Bra'tac said. His eyes came to rest on his former student. 'It is an Ambassadorial position between the Free Jaffa and the Tau'ri, one where the Jaffa warrior who holds the post will live amongst the Tau'ri and fight at your side as part of your command.'

Jack glanced across at Teal'c who had stilled into total motionless.

'Teal'c,' Bra'tac said softly, 'the Council would like to offer you the position,' his eyes flickered to Jack, 'if the Tau'ri are agreed to the proposal.'

'I'm agreed.' Jack replied quickly. 'Daniel?'

'I'm agreed.' Daniel added.

'We're agreed.' Jack gestured.

'Well, my friend?' Bra'tac said his eyes returning to Teal'c. 'I'm afraid you will have to relinquish any ambitions to leading our new nation.'

'We realise you have strong support, Teal'c,' Gerek said, 'and would make a fine leader…'

'But with no fear that you wish power for its own sake, all our people will listen to you more.' Byn'ac added.

'And your place as a trusted advisor is assured.' Bra'tac added. 'The position will be yours for as long as you wish it to be. We are agreed that this is how you can best serve our people.'

'The Council affords me great honour in offering me the position.' Teal'c replied, inclining his head at the three Jaffa across the table. 'I accept,' his dark, solemn eyes caught Jack's, 'and I pledge my allegiance to you once again, O'Neill.'

'Happy to have you back, Teal'c.' Jack gave his first genuine smile since Daniel had walked down the ramp and told him Sam was missing.

Daniel slapped Teal'c's shoulder eliciting a raised eyebrow from his Jaffa friend.

The meeting ran for a while longer before the Tau'ri and their new ambassador watched the three older Jaffa enter the wormhole back to Dakara.

Jack rocked back on his heels. 'Are you sure you don't want to go with them and get your stuff, Teal'c?'

'I will return to Dakara once Colonel Carter has awakened.' Teal'c said firmly.

Jack nodded.

'Has there been any change?' Daniel asked folding his arms tightly.

Jack shook his head. 'She was still out when I was with her.'

'I don't understand. I mean, Orlin did heal her, right?' Daniel checked.

'Don't ask me, Daniel.' Jack sighed turning and starting the walk back to his office. 'I don't understand half of what went on.'

'What exactly did Orlin say to you?' Daniel asked as they started up the stairs.

'You heard him.' Jack said.

'I heard him say 'you'll have to bring her the rest of the way.'' Daniel said.

'Don't you think,' Jack said spinning back around and almost causing Daniel to go flying, 'that if I knew what that meant I would have done something already?' He continued up.

'Maybe he put it into your brain,' Daniel said, 'when he enveloped the two of you.'

'There's nothing there, Daniel.' Jack called over his shoulder as he crossed the briefing room.

'Have you tried, Jack?' Daniel asked as they followed him into his office.

'What the hell do you think? It's Carter, Daniel, of course I've tried!' It was almost a yell. Jack took a deep breath and picked up his pen.

Teal'c quickly closed the door. The rest of the SGC didn't need to hear the conversation.

Daniel folded his arms around himself. 'I'm sorry, Jack.'

'Maybe you're right.' Jack said wearily. 'Maybe I'm just too dumb to recognise that he left it in my head.' He couldn't look at his friends. 'If he did leave something he didn't exactly label it.' He sat down. 'Carolyn says she's fine. Everything works; she's breathing, her heart's beating, her brain's functioning…'

'So maybe Orlin could only heal her physically. Maybe he couldn't touch her on the spiritual, emotional plane because he made himself mortal and was no longer Ascended.' Daniel mused.

'That would make sense, Daniel Jackson.' Teal'c said standing with his hands behind his back.

'Well, the last time I looked I'm not an Ascended being either,' Jack said gesturing with the pen. 'How am I supposed to do that?'

'Orlin obviously thought you could.' Daniel murmured.

'Orlin was obviously wrong.' Jack said avoiding Daniel's eyes. 'Look, I have a stack of paperwork to do, not to mention I need to brief Hammond, Landry and the President on the new Jaffa stuff so…'

'We will leave you to complete your work, O'Neill.' Teal'c said solemnly putting a hand on Daniel's shoulder to ensure the younger man came with him.

Daniel didn't move. 'Jack.'

'Daniel.' Jack said with exaggerated patience not looking up.

'We're going to figure this out.'

Jack peeked at his friend finally and met Daniel's compassionate eyes. 'I know.' He gestured at them. 'You might want to relieve Mitchell from watching Sam. Let the kid know Teal'c's back on the team. I'll be by later.'

Daniel nodded.

Jack bent his head and started his work as they left the office. He heard the soft click of the door as it shut behind them. It stopped him writing and he threw his pen down, stuffed the heels of his hands in his eyes. 'Damn you, Orlin.' He muttered. 'You really stuffed up.' He lowered his hands.

'Perhaps he was only able to heal her physically. Maybe he couldn't touch her on the spiritual, emotional plane because he made himself mortal and was no longer Ascended.'

His friend's words haunted him. Had Daniel and Teal'c realised yet, he wondered. If Orlin had taken Jack's life and not his own, Orlin would have been able to save Sam completely. Instead, the other man had given his life and Sam was left with Jack to help her. Dumb, useless Jack who was screwing it up, he thought bitterly.

'You really should have taken me, Orlin.' He murmured.