AN: Howdy, Kats and Kittens! Thank you so much for all your reviews! I'm so excited that people are still interested in this one. Well, I suppose I'll just let you get to it. Enjoy, yea?
Chapter Two:
Daniel takes a deep breath and releases it in a slow state of satisfaction as he exits the Stargate onto an alien world. Nothing beats the smell of a planet thousands of light years away from your own. With a smile, he makes his way down the stone steps and looks around.
Six months Janet had kept him grounded after his little 'brain drain' incident. Granted, three of those months had given the archaeologist and Kaara the chance to get to know one another outside of the hospital and the infirmary, but, nonetheless, he had missed it.
"Alright, Daniel," Jack says, scanning the area from behind his infamous sunglasses, "where're these friends of yours?"
"Be patient, Jack," Daniel replies without turning around. "According to the MALP, their camp is quite a ways from the 'gate. Plus, what makes you think they aren't here already?"
Jack falls silent, searching the tree line that surrounds the Stargate more carefully.
"I don't-"
Suddenly, a group of half a dozen Unas appear from the right, approaching cautiously with no sign of hostility.
"Daniel?" Sam asks uneasily.
"Stay perfectly still," Daniel says, trying his best not to move his lips too much. "Any movement will be taken as an offense. Just stay still until they reach us, then I'll take care of the rest."
Jack and Sam comply, albeit warily. As the group nears them, five of the alien creatures stop nearly ten yards from the Stargate as the largest of the bunch, obviously the leader, continues towards them, halting in front of Daniel.
The Unas brings himself up to his full height, almost four inches taller than the archaeologist, and raises his chin in a superior aire.
Daniel immediately lowers his head, gently saying, "Shaka."
The beast's head cocks to the side, studying the young man before he returns Daniel's gesture in kind.
Slowly, Daniel reaches into his pack and draws out a pocketknife, presenting it to the Unas leader and showing him of its use. As the blade flicks out of the protective holder, the leader's eyes widen with surprise and curiosity.
Taking the knife, he examines it carefully before removing a flat bracelet from his wrist, made of some kind of animal skin. Daniel bows his head in gratitude as the gift is offered and allows a long stream of air to pass his lips.
'The hard part is over,' he thinks to himself.
Gaining an Unas' trust is probably one of the most difficult challenges that Daniel has been put up against . . . Well, that and popping a simple, four-word question to the woman he loves, but that is another matter entirely.
The young man turns to his other two teammates, Teal'c having had to stay behind because of the Unas' uneasiness around Jaffa.
"We'll be invited to the village for negotiations, but only one of us will be allowed entrance to the tent where they will be held."
"Lead the way, mon cap-i-tan," Jack shrugs, truthfully not caring about anything but getting their imprisoned colleagues back to the SGC.
0 o 0 o 0
They have been standing outside the tent being goggled at by the locals for nearly three hours now, and Sam is beginning to get bored. She sits on a nearby stone and drapes her arms over her knees, allowing her mind to wander.
Let's see, she thinks. What color brides maid's dress do I think Kaara will pick? God, I hope it's nothing green! I get enough of that at the SGC.
She, Kaara, and Janet had been discussing wedding plans ever since the young nurse had 'accidentally' found the ring in one of the scatter-brained archaeologist's coat pockets.
"Purple," she says aloud, causing the colonel to look in her direction.
"Carter?" Jack questions curiously.
"Sorry, Sir," she smiles sheepishly. "Just . . . thinking out loud." Jack nods.
"About . . . the color purple," he says with a slight smirk. Sam clears her throat, tossing a fleeting glance towards the tent where Daniel still remains.
"Can you keep a secret, Sir?" She asks in a hushed tone. Jack leans in towards her, and the two stare at each other for a moment.
"Carter, I was in Special Ops for God knows how long," he reminds her. "I think I can keep a secret."
"Right," Sam says, avoiding his gaze for a minute. "Sorry, Sir." With one more quick glance to the tent, she turns an amused smile onto the older man.
"Kaara found the ring weeks ago," she says quietly, causing Jack's eyebrows to raise slightly.
"Found it?" He asks. "As in . . ."
"As in our jitter-minded archaeologist left it in his coat and it fell out while she was hanging it up one day," the major explains. "She's known for near three weeks."
"Damn," Jack says after a low whistle.
"She's been trying to drop hints, you know? Get him to ask her."
"Well, he's certainly taking his sweet time, isn't he?" Jack chuckles.
"No, the negotiations are over with," a voice says from behind them. They turn sharply to find Daniel standing with the Unas leader, a tired but triumphant smile adorning his face.
"Sweet," Jack says with a shrug. "I . . . assume it went well."
"Yea, you could say that," Daniel nods, wrapping his arms around himself in one of his famous and not-so-popular self-hugs. Jack sighs at this. He had thought that the archaeologist had stopped doing that.
Ever since Daniel had admitted to starting this odd gesture while traveling the multitude of foster homes throughout his childhood, Jack, Sam, and Teal'c had made it their mission to keep him from ever having to do it again.
Kaara had been the final touch, the soup de jour, the perfect person to put an end to that evil gesture. Obviously, the young man is stressed much more than any of them have realized.
"So," Jack says, standing and stretching his aching knees, "what's the damage?"
"We teach them how to bury the 'gate, and they let us take SG-2 home," Daniel shrugs simply. A silence lingers through the open area for a moment.
"That's . . . all?" Sam asks in astonishment. "They don't want anything? Technology? Food? Clothing? A better planet?"
"Nope," Daniel smiles. "They have everything they need here. They just don't want anymore intruders invading their planet." Another silence.
"And . . . it took you over three hours to come to these terms?" Jack asks in annoyance. Daniel looks to the ground as his cheeks turn a light red.
"They're a stubborn race, Jack," he attempts to amend.
"Not unlike some people I know . . . Sir," Sam says in Daniel's defense, putting a smile on the younger man's face.
"Fine," Jack says in defeat. "Can we just get our team and go please?"
Daniel relays the message to the leader, who nods and motions for them to follow him towards a large, stone hut.
The door, made of wood and guarded by two Unas with large spears, is opened as they approach.
"Um, I think only the leader and I are allowed to enter," Daniel explains to the other two, receiving an eye roll and a 'hurry it up' motion from Jack. He nods quickly, continuing to trail after the large creature.
As he enters, he finds four figures, sitting and standing around the rather spacious room.
"Danny?" Ferretti asks, straightening from his leaning position on a nearby wall.
"The messes I have to get you guys out of, Lou," Daniel sighs with a smile.
"What'd I tell you?" Lou asks with a laugh, picking Daniel up in a bear hug and swinging him around once. "This boy can wheedle his way out of a needle patch!" Daniel's face scrunches up.
"Sounds . . . painful," he says as the other man sets him down and ruffles his hair. "How is everyone?"
"Fine, I suppose," Ferretti replies. "Scale-face was a little rough bringin' us here, but they gave us plenty of food and water." Daniel nods.
Told you, Jack, he smirks inwardly.
"Doctor Jackson?" A small voice comes from the archaeologist's left. Daniel turns to see the newest member of the group, Charles Duncan.
"Charles," he greets with a small smile.
"I-I'm really sorry, Doctor Jackson. They just . . . I-I didn't know the language and they came out of nowhere-" the younger man stutters.
"Charles," Daniel places a gentle hand on the anxious scientist's shoulder. "Let's go home, alright?"
With a sigh of relief and a small, tired smile, Charles nods his approval of the suggestion.
As he and two of the other members of SG-2 start out the door towards Jack and Sam, Ferretti leans in and asks, "How was dinner?"
How does everyone know about that? the archaeologist whines to himself.
Daniel sighs and says, "Cut short." Ferretti winces.
Changing the subject, the younger man nods towards Charles outside, saying softly, "He's a good kid, Lou. Give him some time."
"I know he is," Ferretti smiles. "He's not bad when it comes to holdin' his own in cross fire. Plus, he reminds me of this geek I once knew. We got stranded on this desert planet a few years back. And that geek is probably the only reason why I'm standin' here today."
"No kidding?" Daniel asks in mock disbelief. "And whatever happened to that geek of yours?"
"He ain't a geek anymore," Ferretti smiles, ruffling the short, brown hair again.
Daniel smiles in return, and the two make their way out of the cell.
AN: Questions? Comments? Vague disregard to any or all words written and established in the mind of one who has no sanity?
Hope it was all right. I'll post the next chapter right away, seeing as I've left you with enough time between chapters. Promise to update a little more often now that I am home for the summer. Yay for no more school! Later, Gators!