On the Run

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. However, any characters that are not from either show are mine and I will use and abuse them as I see fit. Everyone else will be returned eventually, for I am only borrowing for a while, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Chapter 2

The next day, after morning chores in the village were done, the negotiations were resumed. All went well, with Daniel translating between Barrows and the chief elder, Song Min. The SGC was going to get access to the trinium, as long as they left the near-by cemetery alone, and the villagers were going to get some help with their water system.

The negotiations took longer than expected because certain rites and rituals needed to be followed, along with daily life in a small, self-sustaining village that needed to be attended to.

By the time the negotiations had almost come to a close and all parties were satisfied with the results, it was in the middle of the day. The members of SG-7 were invited to stay and join the people for one last night of festivities that were to celebrate the alliance between the SGC and the people of P5x-349, though they referred to themselves as the Qin. Borrows, while not all really wanting to party down with the aliens, knew that he had to accept, least he offend them and nix the treaty.

So there they were, standing in the village square, watching the people celebrate with songs, dancing, and laughter. Everyone was in high spirits. Even Barrows managed to crack a half a smile at one point. It might have been gas though.

Suddenly, while they were watching the merriment of the people, the sudden sound of a stampede drowning out the music invaded the party. People screamed in surprise and fright. Their voices competed with the horse hooves and the yelling of a raiding party.

Daniel, who was sitting near Abbott and Lopez, jumped up at first scream, his weapon at the ready, but unsure of who was attacking since people were running everywhere.

"SG-7, fall back," Barrows, who was on the far side of the square with Meyers, shouted to his people, but was then cut off when an arrow pierced his throat. Meyers was also similarly shot with an arrow.

"Oh shit," Daniel exclaimed, seeing both men quickly bleed out and die from their wounds. "Back, fall back," he then yelled at Abbott and Lopez as he fired his Beretta at the raiders, who were mounted on horseback, giving cover to his teammates, and the villagers who were running back to their homes, from the cavalry.

Abbott urged Lopez and Daniel to follow him back into the trees, not wanting to make the civilians targets, more so than they already were, and not wanting to box themselves in a frail building.

Daniel continued to fire at the raiders as he retreated, following Abbott and Lopez. He felt a sharp stabbing pain above the top of his right boot. Daniel ignored the pain, figuring that his healing abilities would kick in and heal any wound before it became noticeable.

They continued to run for about a mile until they were in the thick of the trees, concealed from anyone who wanted them dead.

"Oh my God," Lopez gasped, leaning up against the rough bark of a tree that looked vaguely like a maple tree from back home.

"Marisol, are you okay," Abbott asked, sliding down into a sitting position up against another tree across from Dr. Lopez. He didn't look all that good.

"Ye-yeah," she stuttered. "You?" she asked.

"I've been better," Sergeant Abbott said and moved his hand aside showing an arrow protruding from his side. "So have you Daniel." He then gestured at Daniel's leg.

Daniel looked down and saw an arrow sticking out of this calf. "Well, shit," he said, finally feeling the pain fully. Thinking quickly, he broke out an emergency first aid pack and pulled out a large band-aide.

"Mari, I need you to help me," Daniel ordered the other doctor on the team. He held out one of his knives to her. "Cut open the area around the arrow. Grab hold of the shaft and yank it out." He hoped she would be able to slap the bandage over the wound before his healing kicked in; while he could repress his Quickening signature, repressing his healing abilities was much more difficult, if not impossible.

"Daniel, I don't know if I can," Dr. Lopez protested. "It could make things worse."

"It won't. I promise you. I need you to do it so then we can help Jim here. Now suck it up and just do it," he barked, realizing how much he sounded like Jack right then.

"Oh my God," she muttered, hating what she was about to do. "This is going to hurt," she then warned Daniel.

Daniel let out a short laugh. "I've had worse. Just do it. Don't worry about it hurting. Yank it out and slap the bandage I am holding on to it."

Dr. Lopez cut open his pant leg a bit more, exposing the arrow, seeing the arrow's head buried in the muscle of his lower leg. She then grasped the shaft and pulled with all of her might, ripping the projectile out of his calf.

Daniel did his best to repress a scream, and his vision greyed out for a second. At least he didn't have to worry about scarring.

Dr. Lopez then took the bandage and slapped it over the wound which was gushing blood.

"Good job, now help me with Jim please," Daniel managed to ground out through clenched teeth. While he might be Immortal, it didn't prevent him from experiencing pain and Lopez yanking the arrow out of his leg hurt. Badly.

Together they cut off Abbott's tac-vest and tore open his over shirt and t-shirt, exposing an arrow in his body, on his right side, just above his belt line.

"Oh man," Daniel muttered. "I don't want to take it out. It might do more damage if we do."

"I just ripped one out of you," Lopez pointed out.

Daniel grimaced. "I know, but my calf isn't full of organs that you need to keep living. Plus, I heal quickly."

Abbott snorted at that.

"Quiet you," Daniel said, and continued to examine the arrow. "You aren't going to be happy with me," he said, making a decision, thanking all of the first aid classes the SGC had made him take over the years.

"Am I ever happy with you?" Abbott ground out, not liking the look on Daniel's face.

"Hey, I thought we were friends," Daniel said, looking wounded. "You mean you don't like our get-togethers when I regale you with tales of my misspent youth? I'm hurt," he said, doing his best to keep Abbott occupied as he got out the Leatherman tool that Jack had given him the previous Christmas. Moving swiftly, he broke off the arrow's wooden shaft using the plier's tool while holding tight just above the entry point.

Abbott did his best to not cry out in pain, but he couldn't keep it all in. He could be stoic when necessary, but not when he was having an arrow sticking out of his body and Daniel was fooling around with it, causing the wound to hurt even more than it already was hurting.

Daniel quickly padded the remainder of the arrow's shaft with strips of Abbott's over blouse and then bound it using ace bandages from his and Abbott's first aid packs.

"I hate you," Abbott ground out, though he didn't really mean it.

"You know you love me," Daniel smiled briefly. "Can you move?"

"Maybe, I don't know," Abbott managed to say.

Daniel, as gently as possible, hauled Abbott to his feet. "Can you stand on your own?"

"Sure," Abbott said and promptly sank. Thankfully Daniel caught him before he hit the ground. "Maybe not then." At this point, Abbott really did not look good. He was shaking and sweating. His skin was taking on an unhealthy shade of grey.

"Well, shit," Daniel muttered again, finding himself thinking, what Jack would do in this kind of situation.

Jack would probably tell him to get Abbott to safety and get help. They were possibly surrounded by an unknown number of enemies on very foreign soil, and with no immediate backup.

"Okay, let's get Abbott here to safety with you looking out and guarding him, while I make a run for the Stargate," Daniel decided, telling Lopez his idea.

Dr. Lopez looked alarmed at the idea of the three of them separating. "What if you get captured Daniel? We won't know where they will have taken you."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Mari," Daniel caustically replied. "I won't get caught and if I do, maybe I can talk my way out of things." Daniel looked around and spied a thicker copse of trees with plenty of logs and brush to further screen a hiding place. He just hoped that the brush wasn't also hiding this planet's version of poison ivy.

"Daniel, please don't do anything reckless," Abbott managed to say, giving Daniel a look that said plenty by itself.

"Have you no faith in me?" Daniel said, faking being hurt by Abbott's words.

Abbott snorted. "I have tons of faith in you," he said, "to get hurt, captured, or lead an insurrection among a native alien population."

Daniel half laughed, acknowledging that the Watcher's words were somewhat true. "Trust me, I will do my best to avoid any entanglements."

"No killing rampages," Abbott then said quietly.

At that Daniel rolled his eyes. "You go on one little tear and everyone automatically assumes you are going to do it again."

Lopez, not understanding where the conservation was going between them men, looked on in confusion.

"I'll be okay," Daniel said, handing off his sidearm and extra magazines to Lopez, but keeping his Zat, a radio, and his knives. He also handed off his beloved boony hat to her and covered his hair with a dew rag. He didn't want to take the chance of it getting caught on something or, worse, losing it.

After making sure that Abbott was okay, fortifying their hide-out, and that Lopez was comfortable with him taking off, Daniel slipped away, disappearing into the forest.

He was now officially on the run from an unknown enemy and on an alien world; a very typical Daniel Jackson kind of day.

A/N: So what do you think? Crap or not? Feel free to hit the shiny review button and let me know. Just please, if you don't like it or feel it should be improved somehow, let your criticisms be constructive and not flames.