They put their four days to good use. Lt. Michaels scoured the building, making notes and trying to translate the writings he found on every wall. It was Hebrew; he was sure, an ancient dialect. He recognized some of the pictographs along with the letters, but he wasn't familiar enough with the language to be able to translate it.

He trembled with excitement when he discovered a cache of delicate scrolls hidden within a niche cleverly concealed in the wall. The spidery text on them matched the language on the walls. Much to his chagrin, they were set aside to take back to Earth for study by Daniel Jackson. It made him even angrier when he had to spend precious time filming the structure from every possible angle. He knew that it would be Dr. Jackson taking credit for anything found.

Carter and Teal'c explored in every direction to see what they could find. Gone for hours at a time, what they found was nothing – no sign of anyone or any recent habitation. Whoever had once lived on the planet, the people who had built the temple were long gone.

Jack sat and watched. He watched for a threat on a world where there was none. He watched a man whom he wished was someone else. He watched for something, he didn't know exactly what.

Lt. Michaels was entirely too military. Jack had never known there was such a thing. Perhaps he'd been that way once, too long ago to remember. But since he'd met Daniel, he had changed in ways that he'd never imagined possible.

One of the things he'd learned from Daniel was to not make hasty judgments. He'd done that once with Daniel himself and been proved impossibly, completely wrong.

So Jack decided he'd leave the new kid alone; let him work. See what he came up with. Maybe he would find that the Jack O'Neill instinct would be proven wrong this time, but he didn't really think so.

It had been four amazing days. Jonathon had spent the time indulging his passion for archaeology. His father had never understood his desire to pursue it as a career. He tried to explain, to tell his father how much he loved finding things from the past, the mystery that it presented, putting together the pieces that each find presented to paint a picture of life as it once must have been.

"It's just digging in the dirt," the General told his son with a growl. In the end his father won and Jonathon had enlisted in the Air Force. Jonathon smiled at the rage his father must have felt when it was his archaeological credentials that had gained him his place at the SGC and not his father's rank and privilege.

Jonathon picked up the scrolls he had found reverently. It made him angry that it would be Daniel Jackson studying them at home. He was the one who found them. They were ancient and delicate; any handling further deteriorated their condition. He had the spiteful thought that maybe they would crumble in the other man's hands.

"Michaels." The colonel's voice calling him made him start guiltily. Did the other man know what he was thinking? He seemed to have a sixth sense where Daniel was concerned.

"Yes, sir?" Jonathon asked nervously.

"You ready to go?" The colonel gestured toward the waiting Stargate.

"Oh." He breathed out in relief. "Sure. Coming, sir," he answered, packing the scrolls away carefully.

He didn't want to go home. He wished they had more time to plumb the place of its secrets. They'd only scratched the surface of what it had to tell them. But he knew his duty. And now it was time to go home.

He ran up the stairs of the pedestal where the Stargate stood. He turned for one last look back; this was the first new world he had ever stepped on. He'd never be able to say that again.

He'd had a lot of firsts this trip and he was looking forward to a lot more. He had done well; he knew he had. He was certain that not even the legendary Doctor Daniel Jackson could have done better. And most importantly in his mind, they were going home with a 100 safety record. No cuts, no bruises, no injuries of any kind to show for their time spent off-world. Hell, no one had even got sun burned.

He looked back to see the colonel watching him with that unreadable expression on his face, but that was okay. He knew he would have to earn the team's respect and trust, but he would do it. He would!

The colonel tapped his watch, "01200, time to go home." He stepped through the gate after Carter and Teal'c, leaving the other man alone.

Jonathon stepped through the gate, after a last wave at the deserted world. The trip back was just as exhilarating as he remembered; he was going to love being a part of SG-1.

He stepped forward through the alien gate on one side and stepped out on the other side onto the ramp in the SGC. Gazing around at the faces waiting to greet them – the returning heroes; his satisfaction turned to dust. There at the bottom of the ramp, seated in a wheelchair trailing IV's and lines, with Doctor Fraiser at his side, was none other than Daniel Jackson himself.

Michaels nearly bumped into the colonel who stopped in surprise to see the man there waiting for them. Then all three of his teammates seemed to surge forward to cluster around their friend.

"Hey, big guy," Jack said as he knelt down, "Looking good. You've got a chauffeur and everything."

"It is good to see you here, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c agreed in his ever-grave fashion.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in bed?" Sam leaned over, hugging Daniel awkwardly around all the lines and tubes strung between his body and the wheelchair. "I mean, we're really glad to see you, Daniel."

Michaels hung back from the group unsure what to do. No one even noticed him or thought to include him. Not that he wanted to be a part of that group. It sickened him to see the way they all gushed, especially Captain Carter, like a schoolgirl with a crush.

He had seen them at their best during the past few days in the field. They had been a crisp and efficient team with no wasted emotion or energy. Now look at them, reduced to gibbering fools at the sight of a man in a wheelchair.

"I really didn't want him to be here, he should be in bed." Doctor Fraiser was saying, "But, no, the general had to show him some of the footage from the MALP, and then there was nothing for it. He had to meet you when you got back. It did give me a certain amount of leverage, in making sure he behaved himself the four days you were gone." She tried to look disapproving, but she knew there was no better medicine for Daniel Jackson than his team and a new mystery to solve.

"I'm really hoping you guys have gotten a lot of footage of that temple you can see in the distance." Daniel waved the sheaf of pictures they had used in their prep for the mission. "That outline is nothing I've ever seen before, I really need to see it closer."

At that the young Lieutenant felt a rush of contempt. A temple? What made the geek think it was a temple? He'd seen the same pictures Daniel now held. There was nothing about the blurry and slightly out-of-focus photographs of rocks on a hill to suggest that it was a temple. It could have been a public bathhouse for all they could tell from those pictures.

He had been there, he had seen the building, touched the stones of its walls. It most definitely wasn't a temple.

"A temple, is that what you said?" The Colonel looked over at Carter. Jonathon felt a moment of hope. The Colonel was going to stand up for him. Give Jackson the what for and tell him not to make suppositions regarding something he'd never seen. His hope flickered and died when the Colonel continued, "I said I thought it looked like a temple, didn't I?"

"You did, sir," Carter affirmed.

"I also heard you remark you thought the structure a temple, O'Neill." Teal'c just had to add his word of support.

What were they doing? Jonathon thought furiously. All of my notes indicate that I thought that building was a public hall, some sort of government facility and they knew it! Now, there they stood in front of him saying they had known it had been a temple, making him look like a fool. And in front of their pet civilian who Jonathon knew would be reviewing his notes.

Clutching his weapon tightly, Jonathon was struck with the sudden thought that he could be rid of Dr. Daniel Jackson for good. One pull on the trigger would be all it would take.

Dad would be proud, was his thought. Casually he swung the P-90 marginally to get a better angle on the man. His finger tightened on the trigger, all he had to do was squeeze ever so slightly...

Abruptly sanity returned and he realized just what he had been contemplating.

Surreptitiously he glanced around the room. Had anyone else seen what he had been about to do? The group at the bottom of the ramp seemed to have completely forgotten he was there. The colonel had taken over wheelchair duty and the Doctor was gone. They were all leaving while he was still stupidly standing there on the ramp. The techs and on-duty personnel in the room busily went about their jobs, oblivious to his presence.

"Lieutenant," a booming voice made him start guiltily.

Looking up he saw the Sergeant at the dialing computer.

"You need to hand off your gear and go with the rest of SG-1 to the infirmary for post-mission tests."

Right. To make sure he didn't bring back any alien organisms or been infected by a Goa'uld. He thrust his gun and pack into waiting hands and ran to catch up with the rest of his team.

There were already out of sight. They had gone, leaving him behind.

--SG-1--

Jack commandeered the wheelchair, taking over for the doc. After four days with a kid who didn't speak unless spoken to it was a pleasant experience to just listen to Daniel talk, even if it was at the sound of light.

"I tell you, Jack, it's a temple!" Daniel insisted. "If you look at its placement and the way everything is built…" he held up one of the MALP's photographs and waved it in the air.

To Jack's eye it was grainy and blurry, he really didn't see anything there of interest. But then Daniel's brain never saw anything the way the rest of the world did. It had been so long since Jack had heard Daniel waxing enthusiastic about anything. It felt so right.

"Did you get video of the temple?" he craned around a little to look up at the other man to ask anxiously, "Was there any sort of writing or …"

Before anyone could answer, the Lieutenant pushed himself to the fore. "It was not a temple. I was there. Me, not you; me."

There was a moment of stunned silence. Jonathon felt his face burn with shame that he had allowed the geek to goad him.

Finally it was Daniel who broke the silence, "I don't believe we've met," he said mildly.

"This is Lt. Michaels," Sam began to introduce him, a little embarrassed when she realized that no one had done so yet. "He's going to be a part of SG…"

"I'm taking your place," Michaels informed him bluntly. He refused to back down, even when faced with the glacial stare of one Colonel Jack O'Neill.

"That's enough, Lieutenant," the colonel stressed the 'lieutenant.' The kid needed to remember who was in charge, it didn't matter who his daddy was.

"Jack?" Daniel looked up at him, betrayal flashing in his eyes.

Sheesh, they'd covered this four days ago and now the kid had screwed it up. "Michaels is just assigned to us until you're back on your feet. I told you that." Jack turned to the young man, "Why don't you go on to the infirmary and get your tests. Carter, you and Teal'c go with him and make sure he gets there. Tell the Doc, Daniel and I will there in a few." He gestured for them to go.

Jonathon spun and took off. He didn't need to be escorted. He couldn't believe that he'd been dismissed like a child. One more injustice to add to Daniel's account.

"It's a temple, Jack," Daniel repeated in a firm clear voice as the young man disappeared down the corridor.

"Daniel, I know that. Listen, the kid's young. He'll learn." Jack couldn't believe he was defending Michaels.

"At what cost, Jack?" Daniel's gaze was steady. It was Jack who broke and looked away first.

"Jeez, Daniel, what is the big deal?"

"Big deal?" Daniel's eyebrows rose incredulously. "God, Jack. Today it's a temple. What if tomorrow he makes a mistake on a translation? He could get you guys killed. While I'm stuck here," he pounded on his leg in frustration.

"Hey," Jack caught his hands and held them. "Stop that. The Doc'll have my hide if she finds any new bruises on your delicate body. Now, he's not going to get us killed. I promise you that."

Daniel looked up at him. Jack could see the fear shining in his eyes. "What is this about, Daniel?" He asked quietly. "Not a temple, that's for sure."

This time it was Daniel whose gaze flicked away, he suddenly found the wall behind Jack's shoulder engrossing. Shrugging diffidently he said, "I don't know. I guess I'm just a little worried... Well, you know," his hands moved restlessly in his lap as he tried to articulate his feelings. "He's so military. He probably follows orders..."

"Damn straight he does. I'd have him up on charges if he ever..." Jack affirmed, and then the light went on, "You're afraid we're going to like him better."

Daniel opened his mouth to protest , and then shut it again. "I wouldn't blame you if you did. I mean he's all spit and polish. He probably knows what all those hand signals mean too."

Jack knelt down so his gaze was level with his friend, "He does. But you know what? I would never trade him for you."

Daniel raised a finger to argue with him, Jack stopped him, "Listen to me, Daniel. SG-1 is unique. We all have our place. You're our voice, our moral center if you will. I may not always listen to you, but I always hear you. I need you." He stood, moving to push the chair down the hall again. "And if you tell anyone I said that, I'll have to shoot you."

They walked along in silence until Daniel said, "It's a temple."

Jack sighed, sometimes Daniel was like a dog with a bone, "I know that, Daniel."

"I want to see it."

"Daniel, we filmed it six ways to Sunday. Hell, the kid even found some scrolls just for you to play with."

"Ja-a-a-ck." Jack hated it when Daniel used that wheedling tone. "I need to see it, please." He could never argue with the wheedling tone.

Jack blew out a breath. "Tell you what, be a good patient. Eat all your Wheaties, do your physical therapy, and when…" He held up a finger to forestall Daniel's next outburst, "when the Doc says you're well; then I will talk to the General and see if we can take you on a field trip. The place seemed safe enough."

"Jack, do you think...?"

"Dammit, Daniel, don't push it." They walked the rest of the way to the infirmary in silence.

To be continued...