Major General Jack O'Neill, head of Homeworld Security, and hero at large, was pissed. He wasn't pissed at being called at 0800 in the morning, he wasn't pissed at being called back to Colorado, and he wasn't even pissed at being brought back to visit with the SGC. It was the reason for all of the above.

Daniel Jackson was injured in some way. Hurt badly enough for the Command's CMO to contact him as Daniel's next of kin for a decision based on extreme need. This meant that Daniel couldn't make a decision involving his own welfare. And that meant to him coma, unconsciousness or crippling illness.

Hadn't he suffered enough? Hadn't the smartest and bravest man on the whole fucking planet done enough? Why didn't the universe just leave him the hell alone? All the guy wanted was to go to Atlantis and study his little heart out over Ancient stuff. Admittedly, that wasn't particularly safe from the reports they were beginning to get back from Weir and Shepard, but at least his friend would be happy while he was stuck in Washington DC. It just wasn't fair.

Jack entered Cheyenne Mountain at a fast walk flipping his ID card at the sentry on duty. He nodded to the few familiar faces that were left and strode to the main elevator. Hitting the down button to the 'final' NORAD level, he disembarked the car and headed to the rear of the corridor. Once there he cleared an additional sentry point and got into another elevator. Here he hit the button for level twenty-seven, the Command level of the SGC.

He strode down the familiar hallways and into the front office area of Major General Landry.

Jack stood at the head of the general's briefing table. His gaze swept around the gathered group of General Landry, Doctor Lam, and three quarters of SG1. "So," he paused for effect, "What happened?

Landry nodded at Mitchell. "Well, uh, sir. Jackson, Doctor Jackson was all excited about this temple that we'd found on the planet. So he wanted to go in and take pictures and rubbings and stuff. We did a quick recon inside and there was nobody home so we left him to it. Colonel Carter started gathering her samples, Teal'c and I secured the perimeter." He shrugged. "Situation normal."

O'Neill glared at him then looked at Carter. "Carter?"

"Sir?"

"Is that what happened?"

"Well, sir, of course there was more to it than that." She continued at his nod. "Daniel wanted to record his findings. The temple was deserted and there was no sign of any one having been there in a long time."

"So, you found this temple, checked it out, and then left him alone." He raised an eyebrow at his old 2IC. "Carter, what possessed you to do that?" The fair skinned blonde turned a fiery red.

Landry and Mitchell exchanged glances. The general pursed his lips. "I don't understand."

"When O'Neill was our team leader, Danieljackson was never left alone when he was performing his duties," Teal'c replied.

Landry looked at Jack in surprise. "Oh? Why?"

"Daniel seems to attract the wrong king of attention," Carter answered succinctly.

"Daniel is a shit magnet." O'Neill replied with a sigh. "We learned it the hard way."

"How do you mean?"

"I mean that Daniel attracts bad things." Jack frowned in his direction. "And because of who and what he is to the SGC, he's never left alone off planet." He switched his glare to Carter and Mitchell. "That's why. And Carter knows it."

"Sir," Mitchell spoke, "it was my decision…"

"Yes, I gathered that." He cut his eyes to the younger man. "I just don't understand why you made that decision."

"Sir, Jackson is a 40 year old adult and he's spent more time in the field than most of the SGC troops that are assigned here. It's ridiculous to suggest that he can't handle himself in the field."

"In light of what has happened in the past, and has now happened again, I don't think the word ridiculous applies," Jack snapped. "Daniel Jackson is a world treasure. General Hammond didn't want to let him go off world at all. Now you, in your total experience of, what, six months, you've decided that he no longer needs the protection."

"General O'Neill, what can happen?" Landry started.

O'Neill looked at him in amazement. "Well, if we don't even mention this episode, the first time I left him alone…he wound up married to the village headman's daughter." He looked over at Carter. "Carter, what happened when we left him alone with Shyla?"

"He became addicted to a sarcophagus."

"Teal'c, what happened when we left him alone with Kera?"

"She seduced him and was able to escape."

"And Hathor?"

Carter frowned. "He was…assaulted."

"And Reece?"

"He suffered an injury," Teal'c put in.

"She broke his arm. And Jonas?"

"He...he…" she choked.

"He died!" Jack leaned back and crossed his arms, glaring at the assemblage then centered in on Mitchell. "That's why, ladies and gentlemen. Because he died…again." He held up his finger to stop comments. "Look, I know, I know, it's Daniel. It's just the way he is, but he needs to be watched." He shook his head. "Look, Doctor Jackson is many things. He possesses many good qualities and enough smarts to save the world over and over again. But he has the survival instincts of a lemming!"

"What O'Neill says is true." Teal'c admitted. "Danieljackson does not place adequate value on his own life, though he will go to extremes to save a less worthy individual."

Having made his point, O'Neill looked at Lam. "So, where's he at and what's his status?"

She looked at him in surprise. "Uh, he's in his office…working, I suppose."

Jack looked around at the group in amazement. "What the hell is he doing there…no, wait, why did you call me if he CAN be in his office working. I thought he was in the ICU…or at least the clinic."

Carolyn tilted her head to one side and smiled. "Well, it's sort of an unusual circumstance."

O'Neill glared at the group. "It always is."

General O'Neill entered Daniel's office then stopped short in amazement. He'd been warned, but seeing him with his own eyes was a whole different ball of wax. "Daniel?"

The small boy looked up from the floor where he was sitting surrounded by papers and books. He scrambled to his feet and ran over to his friend. "Jack, you came!"

O'Neill knelt down gingerly until he was eye level with his friend. "Of course I came," He reached out to touch the childlike figure on his shoulder. Daniel then slid into his embrace. "Danny, what did you do?"

"I don't know," the small voice was muffled by his shoulder. "I don't know, I don't remember." The small boy pulled back to look at Jack through his tears. "I didn't mean to do it."

"You never do, Danny, you never do." Jack hugged him, then looked down into the little red face and sighed. "So can you tell me what happened?"

They heard a noise behind them and turned to see Hank Landry standing in the doorway. "That's what we'd all like to know, Jack. How did this happen?"

Daniel pulled back out of the comforting arms of his friend and looked towards the doorway. "I really don't remember much, General," he replied. "I had finished with the main chamber and had gone back to the rear room." He swiped at his damp face. Jack handed him a handkerchief which Daniel accepted gratefully. "I took my video cam and started to record the writing." He looked back at Jack. "It was very interesting. It was a mix of Ancient script and Native American pictographs, but they were about Kukulcan, a Feathered Serpent who was a Mayan god." The boy frowned. "He was their snake god, Jack, but he could fly. Kukulcan was identified with Atlantisas Tehuti, in Egypt as Thoth, and then later to Mesoamerica as Quetzalcoatl. "

Jack looked at him and nodded. "So you think he may have been a Goa'uld?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes and…" he paused thoughtfully. "He may actually have been an early Tok'ra. He was their god of light and was very important in their daily lives. He was one of the few gods that actually opposed the human sacrifice ritual."

Landry was getting that glazed-over look in his eyes. Jack could recognize it from having it himself on several occasions but Landry still managed a question. "But since the Goa'uld are pretty much defeated now, how does this help us?"

The boy looked at him much as if Landry were an errant school boy who wasn't paying attention in class. "He was also associated with Atlantis as Tehuti," he repeated patiently. "He may have been an Ancient. If he was, then this discovery could give us some insights into the Ori also." He glanced at Jack who nodded encouragingly at him. "He was the god of fire and light, which seems to be the medium that the Ori use to communicate with their worshippers. As we all know, I have personal experience with that particular aspect of them."

"When you and Vala had exchanged bodies with the natives on that other planet." Jack nodded.

Daniel looked at him in surprise. "You've read the mission reports?"

O'Neill looked offended. "Hey, I read mission reports; at least I read SG1's mission reports."

"Well, I believe that Kukulcan might have been an ascended Goa'uld, like Anubis was, but he was a good guy and they let him stay. That's probably why Oma agreed to let Anubis do it in the first place."

"So, Anubis fooled Oma," Landry clarified with a shake of his head.

"And she's paying for it now," Jack added. "But, where's Cocopuffs now?"

"I really don't know." Daniel yawned prodigiously. "I'm sorry; I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Well, since this, er, event, occurred yesterday, how much time have you had to sleep?"

The fair face flushed a bright pink. "Well, I wanted to determine…"

"AH!" Jack knelt down by the man-child, silencing 'the boy' with an upraised finger. "Sleep? How much? When last? Total amount?"

"Don't know," Daniel answered honestly. "I…what time is it?"

"1800 hours, and since they called me this morning and I came from DC this afternoon and you got back yesterday, can I safely guess at least twenty four hours?"

Droopy blue eyes blinked up at him. "That long?" He gazed unseeingly around the circle of paperwork and books sprawled with him on the floor.

Jack smiled at the boy encouragingly. "Time flies when you're having fun."

Deeply troubled blue eyes met his. "I'm not having any fun, Jack."

His friend looked at him knowingly. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

Landry looked down at the two. "He slept in the clinic last night."

Jack looked at Daniel. "Did you?"

The child shook his head. "No."

"Why not? You know you're safe here." He glanced at Hank. "I'll bet Teal'c was outside your door all night." The other general nodded.

Daniel looked up at him. "I napped, but I had bad dreams."

"Nightmares?" The boy nodded. Jack rubbed the narrow shoulders through the overlarge scrub shirt that Daniel was wearing. "Want to talk about them?"

"Not here." the small body leaned into Jack's comforting embrace. "Not now."

Jack nodded. "Okay, not now. But how about we get the nice General to get us a room with some beds in it, and maybe some dinner…or lunch, whatever the case may be, for you."

Daniel nodded into Jack's shoulder. Jack would fix it. Jack always fixed it. And now he knew he was really safe.

Landry took the suggestion to heart and immediately left to find Walter and get things in place.

Jack looked down at what appeared to be a sleepy child cuddled in his arms. He sighed. "Daniel?" he said softly. "Come on." He stood slowly, his knees popping in protest.

"I can walk, Jack," the soft voice protested.

"Oh, really?" Jack's voice was a comforting rumble in his ear. "Looks as if you're more likely to fall over."

Daniel laid his head on Jack's shoulder as they left the cluttered office behind. They went down the seven levels from Daniel's office to the VIP quarters where they were met by Chief Harriman who had a key card in his hand. The smaller man led them to room 25R3-06 and unlocked the door. Jack entered still carrying the child in his arms. He lay the boy down on the bed and then looked over his shoulder at Walter. "Thanks, Chief."

Walter nodded at the pair. "I can have a roll away bed brought down from the clinic if you want sir."

"No, don't bother." O'Neill shook his head. "But can you bring us some dinner?"

"Already on its way, Sir," Harriman replied. "I think the dining hall is serving meatloaf tonight."

"Be sure there's pie too, will you?"

Walter smiled. "Of course, sir. There should always be pie." The diminutive NCO pulled the door shut behind him as he left the two of them alone.