'Same old Jack, I see.' Daniel said bitterly.

Sam glanced back over her shoulder. They'd been walking for twenty minutes and she figured Daniel had been sulking since his exchange with the Colonel. She didn't think the comment deserved a response and turned back to her sensor readings. She heard Jonas responding and suppressed the urge to sigh.

'I don't think the Colonel has much of a choice.' Jonas said.

'No, he never does.' Daniel muttered.

'It's quite a first mission back for him.' Jonas continued blithely.

'Sorry?' Daniel looked at him quizzically. 'What do you mean first mission back?'

'Well, the Colonel's been out for a while after he was…'

'Jonas.' Sam said sharply.

'After what?' Daniel pressed. His eyes met Sam's through the darkness and flashlights.

Sam sighed. 'The Colonel was captured and tortured by Ba'al a couple of months ago.' She said briefly. 'It was bad.'

'How bad?' Daniel's face creased with concern.

'Bad.' Sam repeated. She saw his blue eyes narrow and knew he was putting the pieces together himself; two months away from the field, Ba'al…'Let's keep moving.' She ordered.

Jonas caught up with her a few steps further down. 'I'm sorry.'

'I just don't think the Colonel would appreciate everyone knowing, Jonas.'

'You're right.' Jonas gave her an apologetic smile. 'Are we there yet?'

Sam's lips quirked upwards. 'Nearly.' She pointed. 'I think it should be around this corner.'

Jonas bounded ahead and stopped. His mouth fell open at the vast cavern in front of them. A wide underground pool lay ahead of them, a steady cascade of water flowing off a high ledge in a stunning waterfall. There was light coming from somewhere beyond the water and he discarded his flashlight; he didn't need it any longer. 'Wow.'

'Wow is right.' Sam said, drawing up alongside him; she switched the light off. Daniel stopped beside her and she turned to him with a curious smile. 'Something you forgot to mention?' She said. pointing at the waterfall.

'I must have been more out of it than I thought.' Daniel commented vaguely.

She stared at him for a long moment before she focused on her instruments with a frown.

Jonas walked up to stand beside her. 'Well, there're no carvings or drawings which suggests the Unas aren't indigenous here.'

'I'm picking up some strange readings.' Sam noted as she wandered back toward to the lake. He followed after her and rubbed the back of his neck. He was so hot. He looked at the water longingly. He took out a handkerchief and stooped by the side of the lake.

'Don't touch it!' Daniel's warning rang out as Jonas's hand hit the surface.

Sam whirled around. 'Jonas?'

Jonas was crouched by the lake's edge; he straightened and looked at his hand and the dry handkerchief. 'It's a projection or a hologram of some kind.'

'What?' Sam hurried over to him.

Jonas waved his hand in the water again and pulled it out. He touched the back of her hand.

'You're not wet.' Sam realised. 'Start checking for a control panel.'

'I don't think we need to.' Jonas motioned at Daniel. The archaeologist was standing near to them, his arms wrapped tightly around himself. 'I think he already knows where it is.'

Sam's lips firmed and she looked at Daniel. 'Do you?'

He nodded jerkily.

'Show me.' Sam ordered harshly.

Daniel hesitated.

'Now.' Sam's chin went up.

Daniel walked between two boulders to the left of where they were stood and stepped out onto the lake.

Sam watched breathlessly as the projection disappeared leaving an Ancient control table where the waterfall had stood. The lake shimmered and fell away, revealing a deep chasm forded only by the narrow metal bridge that Daniel was stood upon. He took a step away from them and Sam raised her gun, aiming it at Daniel. 'Stay where you are.' She ordered.

'Incredible.' Jonas said.

'How did you know?' Sam asked. 'How did you know he was lying?'

'He tried to stop me touching the water.' Jonas said. 'The only reason he would do that was if…'

'If he already knew it wasn't real.' Sam finished. She hefted her pack and motioned for Daniel to continue crossing the bridge; Jonas followed them over and immediately headed for the control table. Daniel stood silently, his blue eyes watching her cautiously.

'Why?' She asked.

'You know why.' Daniel crossed his arms over his chest. 'I lost everyone.'

It tugged at her heartstrings but she knew he'd probably intended it to and she ignored the rising wave of compassion. 'Tell me what happened; what really happened.' They locked eyes but Sam's gaze didn't waver and eventually Daniel looked away.

'We discovered P1X465 our second year of gate travel,' Daniel began, 'but we couldn't understand how to use the control table or what the device was for until Jack and Teal'c got caught in a time loop device.'

'The translation for that device helped you understand this one.' Sam realised. 'But you didn't tell anyone.'

'They would have blown it up.' Daniel's mouth tightened and he gesticulated wildly. 'Thousands of years of history and they would have destroyed it.'

Sam's eye shut briefly before she snapped them open again. 'So, you just woke up one day and decided to change realities?'

He flinched. 'I'd lost everyone; you, Jack, Teal'c. I thought…I only wanted a new start, a second chance to make things right. I spent almost a year alone, missing you all.' He swallowed hard. 'I asked for permission to go to Abydos and from there I travelled to my P1X465. I spent days there working out the translation, working out how to use the device.'

'Exactly how does it work?' Sam asked.

'The table triggers a shift between universes.' Daniel explained. He pointed at the other side of the chasm. 'Some kind of energy fills the gap in between and everything there changes when the machine is activated.'

'How?'

'With the table.' Daniel jerked his head at it. 'You can set coordinates with it; choose your destination.'

Sam looked back at it. Her eyes met Jonas's questioningly, checking their visitor's veracity.

'I don't know.' Jonas admitted. 'I'm not as familiar with Ancient as Doctor Jackson.'

'Keep reading.' Sam instructed; she turned back to Daniel. 'There are no Unas, are there?' She sighed. 'You couldn't have spent all that time there if they inhabited the caves.'

'Not on my P1X465.' He agreed. 'I've been searching for the right universe for a while. I'd visit some and stay for a couple of days to see if there was entropic cascade failure and if I got the shakes, I'd travel back to my own universe and wait, recover. Try again.'

'How long have you been doing this?' Sam asked, appalled.

'About three months.' Daniel admitted. 'The last universe I tried, I ended up in the cavern with a group of startled Unas. One of them was brave enough to cross the chasm.'

'The Unas attacked. You tried to get home.' Sam said. 'Only you ended up in our universe instead.'

'The rest of it happened as I said.' Daniel continued.

'You just missed out the part about switching off the machine on your way to the Stargate.' Sam pointed out. 'That was why the illusion was here when we came in.'

'I thought I was home. I was going to make my way back to Abydos but then,' Daniel gestured at her, 'I woke up in the SGC and saw you.'

'So, what was your plan?' Sam asked harshly. 'You'd figure you'd spin the story about the Unas and it make it less likely we'd come back to the planet?'

'I hoped.' Daniel admitted. 'I knew you'd find the control panel eventually but I figured I could tell you it was switched off and it would take a while to learn how to use it.'

'So you could stay.' Sam sighed and rubbed her head.

'All I've wanted for the last three months was to find a way to be with the people I loved again, with you again.' Daniel's eyes pleaded with her for understanding.

'People aren't…' Sam began.

'Kra'vk's, I know.' Daniel interrupted. 'But, however it happened, fate gave you back to me; it gave me back to you.' He reached for her hands and she pulled away. He visibly winced. 'You said you missed me.'

'I miss my friend Daniel.' Sam corrected heatedly. 'I don't know who you are.' His mouth formed a stubborn line she knew well and her heart ached at the sight of it.

'I'm Daniel Jackson.' Daniel took a step toward her and she took a step back. 'I'm the same Daniel Jackson you know.'

'No, you're not.' Sam's voice cracked as she spoke the words out loud. 'He would never have put us through this. Do you have any idea how hard this has been for us having you here? For me? Teal'c? For the Colonel?'

'Oh, here we go.' Daniel muttered. 'It's always about him, isn't it?'

Jonas looked up concerned at the raised voice; Sam waved him back.

'What are you talking about, Daniel?' She snapped.

Daniel whirled away from her. 'She was going to leave me for him.'

'Your Sam?' Sam clarified. 'She was going to leave you?'

'Yes, for Jack.' His tone was mocking and he gave a rough laugh. 'She told me that she was leaving that morning. I was so angry with her. We had a huge argument.'

'And then she died.' Sam murmured in sudden understanding. 'That's why you wanted a second chance. You think it was your fault she died.'

'It was my fault.' Daniel began to cry and he slid down to sit on the floor, his back against the control table.

Sobs wracked his body and Sam moved unable to witness his breakdown without offering him comfort. She wrapped her arms around him and rocked him gently. 'It wasn't your fault, Daniel. It was just a horrible, horrible accident.'

'I told her to talk to it.' Daniel clutched her jacket and held onto it fiercely as though he wouldn't let her go. 'I told her to talk to it and she died!'

'You couldn't have known.' Sam assured him, stroking his hair gently. 'It wasn't your fault.' Tears began to prick the back of her own eyes; emotion choked up her throat as he continued to weep.

'Jack had to kill her but when she died, I told Jack I blamed him.' Daniel sobbed. 'He loved her so much and I told him he killed Sam.'

Sam's heart felt like it was going to break in two.

'I should have just pointed a gun at his head.' Daniel whispered almost intelligibly. 'And I only said it because I wanted it to be someone else; I wanted it to be someone else's fault other than mine.'

She couldn't say anything; there was nothing to say. Eventually, Daniel quieted. Sam's radio crackled.

'Carter, come in.' Jack's voice stuttered through the static. 'What's your status?'

She pulled away from Daniel. 'We've found the source of the rift, sir, and some kind of Ancient control panel.' Sam responded. 'I'm just trying to understand it now.'

'Understood.' Jack replied. 'Stay alert, Major. We think this damn Unas might have doubled back.'

'Understood, sir.' Sam said crisply. She gestured at Jonas. 'Take position on the other side of the chasm and cover us.'

'Got it.' He replied. He took out the zat gun he'd been given and ran back across the bridge.

Sam turned back to Daniel. 'Can you show me how to use the table?'

'You're still sending me home.' Daniel stated, swiping at his wet cheeks with the back of his hands.

Sam sighed and met his eyes directly. 'I miss our Daniel so much sometimes I don't think I can stand the pain.' Her throat closed up and she had to swallow to ease the tightness. 'I would do anything to have our Daniel back. We all would but,' her voice broke again, 'you're not our Daniel.'

Daniel nodded. 'I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you.' He said quietly. He reached out and his thumb stroked away the tear that had leaked down her cheek. 'I'll show you how to use the machine.' He got up and started toward the controls.

A fierce yowl filled the chamber.

Sam's gaze darted to the entrance. A very large Unas stood in the entrance.

'Oh boy.' Sam muttered, taking in the size of it. It was twice the size of the ones they had previously encountered; an Über-Unas.

It howled again; a defiant challenge that echoed off the walls as it charged into the cavern.

Jonas fired his weapon. The blue stream spat out but it had no effect and a large swipe of the Unas's arm sent Jonas flying backward.

'Jonas!' Sam screamed his name; she breathed a sigh of relief as Jonas staggered to his feet only to take another blow from the Unas. She spared a look for Daniel. 'Stay here and stay down. Call for back-up.'

Daniel nodded. She could see him fumbling for the radio as she turned and ran back across the bridge, her boots pounding on the metal structure. She reached the end and knelt; she aimed her P90 and fired.

The bullets ricocheted across the cavern; they punched into the rock; skipped off the dirt and riddled the Unas. It screamed; an ugly roar that echoed ominously in the cavern. It whirled away from an unconscious Jonas and staggered back towards Sam.

She had a split second to react before the grotesque creature was on her. She could hear Daniel's panicked cry as she kicked out. There was a flash of something in the Unas's hand; metal – sharpened metal that he was wielding like a knife. She felt it slice through her arm as she punched out. She cried out as he backhanded her roughly; she hit the ground hard and her breath left her in a whoosh. She looked up to see the knife descending towards her…

'No!' Daniel launched himself at the Unas. He hit him sideways and held on as the injured Unas staggered before throwing Daniel off as though he were nothing but a fly. It turned back to Sam.

Sam ignored the sting of her own wound and reached for her zat gun as the Unas took another step toward her; the metal shard clutched in its clawed hand.

Daniel got to his feet. 'No!' He shouted again as he began to run.

The Unas turned around and thrust the knife deep into Daniel's gut.

'Oh.' Daniel's eyes widened at the pain that lanced through his body.

'Hey Ugly!' Jack's yell resounded around the cavern and as the Unas turned to face the new threat, Daniel slipped from his grasp, collapsing into the dirt.

Jack fired his weapon as the Unas advanced toward them. He felt the heat of a staff blast as Teal'c fired beside him. It took a full minute of firepower before the beast fell to the floor. The sudden silence was deafening.

'Teal'c, check on Jonas.' Jack ordered as he began to run to the archaeologist.

Sam was already kneeling at Daniel's side. Her stunned blue eyes took in the gaping, oozing hole in his gut. Where did she start? 'God.' She fumbled out of her jacket, wadding it up and applying pressure on the wound, refusing to believe it was hopeless.

'I saved you.' Daniel sighed. 'I saved you.'

'Yes, you did.' Sam agreed. She looked up briefly and was pleased to see Teal'c helping Jonas to his feet.

'Hurts.' Daniel gasped.

Jack skidded to a halt beside them, snatching his cap from his head. His eyes briefly ran over Sam before they turned to the bleeding man. He breathed out sharply. He didn't like the look of the ragged wound or the blood that already soaked the ground around Daniel's prone body. The younger man's cheeks were already turning pale and grey.

'Hold on, Daniel.' Sam begged. 'We're going to get you back to the SGC.'

'I don't think I'm going to make it.' Daniel murmured.

'Of course you are.' Jack answered, trying to inject as much confidence as he could into the few words. 'A few stitches by ole Doc Fraiser and you'll be as good as new.'

'No, oh,' Daniel gave a cry, 'oh God, it hurts.'

'Just hold on, Daniel, please.' Sam glanced down at her jacket; it was already darkening with blood. She held back the tears that pressed against the back of her eyes and crowded her throat. 'Don't give up.'

'We'll get you home.' Jack said gruffly.

'Not this time.' Daniel blinked back tears of his own as he took in Jack's grave face. 'You know I'm right.'

Jack didn't know what to say; he shook his head in mute denial.

'It was always you, Jack.' Daniel murmured. 'It was always you she loved.'

Jack's heart leaped into his throat.

'I think I always knew that.' Daniel whispered. 'I should never…we were both so lonely that night.'

'Don't try to talk.' Jack laid his hand on the other man's arm and Daniel shifted grasping his hand hard.

'No, you have to know…I didn't mean to hurt you.' He wet his lips. 'I thought you'd gone to Edora to be with Laira, we both did.'

'It doesn't matter.' Jack forced the words out, tried to ignore the tears tracking silently down Sam's cheeks. He knew Daniel was no longer aware of where he was; that he was speaking to another Jack; a best friend he believed he had betrayed.

'Forgive me?' Daniel begged, his blue eyes pleading with Jack for absolution.

'I forgive you.' Jack said roughly.

Daniel's gaze drifted back to Sam. 'Hey.' He reached up and touched her cheek.

Sam grabbed his hand, responding to the warm love in his eyes that she knew wasn't for her. 'Don't go. Please don't go.'

'I love you, Sam.' Daniel murmured gently. 'I did make you happy, didn't I? Even if it was just for a little while.'

'Yes,' Sam choked the word out, 'you made me happy, Daniel.'

His skin was clammy; sweat dripped into his cloudy eyes as Daniel's hands tightened on theirs. 'I miss Teal'c. Where's Teal'c?'

'I am here.' The Jaffa knelt beside Daniel's head and laid a hand on his shoulder.

Jack looked up helplessly at the Jaffa who shook his head; there was nothing any of them could do but watch him die.

'Jack, I'm scared.' Daniel's plaintive voice grabbed Jack's attention and he altered his grip on the hand he held.

'We're here.' Jack said; his voice rough with emotion he wouldn't give into. 'We're all right here.'

'It hurts so much.' Daniel whispered; his breathing was ragged. His eyes opened impossibly wide and he looked eerily beyond them.

Jack couldn't help but look back over his shoulder at the empty cavern.

'It's OK,' Daniel smiled brightly, 'they've come to take me home.' He sighed and as his breath left his body; his hands went limp in their strong grip.

'Daniel?' Sam asked timidly. 'Daniel.' Her voice broke again and fresh tears sprang up as he lay still, unresponsive.

'Sam.' Jack murmured her name gently.

Her damp blue eyes were glazed with shock as they met his. Jack placed Daniel's hand on the ground with care. 'He's gone.'

Sam nodded unevenly and, with a visible show of effort, let go of the hand she held. She made to swipe at her cheeks and stopped short at the sight of her hands, stained red with Daniel's blood. 'Oh God.' She muttered shakily.

'Major Carter, I will assist you.' Teal'c gently drew her away.

Jack remained where he was for a long moment before he reached up and closed Daniel's eyes. It wasn't their Daniel, he reminded himself briskly as he replaced his cap, tugging the green material over his head firmly. Grief and regret rolled through him. It wasn't their Daniel; so why did it feel like it was?