Rising from the Ashes of Ascension

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: As much as I might wish, I do not own Stargate: SG1, Highlander: the Series, or any recognizable characters from either show. If I did, I wouldn't be working in the public schools system. 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 awhile, but they might end up a bit scuffed.

Warnings: Potty language, violence, and occasional sexual references

"Are you okay?"

"No I'm not Jack," Daniel ground out, his blue eyes hard and angry. "They whipped the shit out of me and you're asking me if I'm okay? Not to mention the fact that you stabbed me in the heart."

"Well, usually you tell everyone that you're okay after something bad happens," Jack said. "Your back healed up like it should have. That counts for something. Also, we had to kill you so you would straighten out and let go of your Quickening. It was Adam's idea actually."

Daniel glared daggers at his old friend. "Thanks buddy."

"You're quiet welcome," Methos smiled brightly at his fellow Immortal.

"Fuck you too. Where's my shirt?" Daniel demanded, his voice hard and angry, reminding the others of his darker side. "Damn it Jack! Did you have to stab me? Death doesn't exactly tickle you know, Daniel glanced over at Methos, "At least not that I know of."

"All you have to do is ask and see if I do," Methos merrily replied.

Everyone looked between him and Daniel and took a huge step back.

"You're a freak," Daniel muttered, rolling his eyes. "Where is my shirt?" he repeated himself.

Sam silently handed it over to her teammate.

The Immortal used it to wipe the blood off his arms and quickly pulled it over his head, letting the dark cloth cover the slowly drying blood that was on his chest and back. He took his weapons back from Teal'c, placing his sidearm back in its holster strapped to his thigh. One knife went into a sheath on his belt and the other he strapped to his arm. After that he then quickly pulled on his jacket and vest, concealing the secreted weapon and gore.

"What now?" Methos asked, looking at his longtime friend with cool, calculating eyes.

"Well, I momentarily thought about nuking the place and letting God sort them out after we took the naquadah for ourselves," Daniel asked, a tiny smile played across his lips.

Jack looked at his Immortal friend with a bit more than mild shock. The words that had just passed Daniel's lips sounded exactly like something he would say. Hell, he thought to himself, I was thinking the very same thing. I wonder if the spacemonkey is psychic or if I am just a really bad influence.

"Daniel, you can't mean that," Sam insisted, her china blue eyes reflecting the worry she felt for her friend.

"Can't I Sam? These assholes for some reason feel they have to be the militant version of the Lorax and torture people. Granted I can see how others can find life precious at all levels, but this is asinine!"

"DanielJackson, going off like a partial rooster will not help the situation, nor will it help the people of Firdaws see how primitive and flawed their philosophy towards the lives of advanced creatures is," Teal'c rumbled.

"That's half-cocked T," Jack said. "Danny, I am sorry that you got punished for my stupidity, I really am, but we have to finish this mission. Can you please hold it together until we can get a treaty signed so we can have access to their naquadah? I promise you a week free of hockey and me fiddling with your rocks."

Daniel appeared to think that one over. A week of Jack not messing with his stuff might be worth him not going nutso on the blue skinned aliens.

"It's not enough. I could slice my way, literally, through these aliens quick enough and still get us access to the naquadah, while getting my kicks in," he said coldly.

"I'll be your sparring partner for a month," Jack said, cringing at the thought of having the ancient Immortal kick his ass all across the mountain and back, in front of the Marines no less.

"No," Daniel said, a hard edge to his voice. "There'd be paperwork if I ended up killing you."

"But it'd be an accident, right?" Jack asked, a tad bit nervous.

Daniel only snorted in derision, doing nothing to help alleviate growing Jack's sense of alarm.

"Next archeological site we get sent to, I'll refrain from hurrying you along, unless of course the Goa'uld or some other alien race that we've managed to piss off, start raining heavy fire down upon us of course," Jack finally said, hating himself for saying those words. He really didn't want to be stuck on an archeological dig while Daniel ensconced himself among broken bits of pottery and dirt, but if it kept his friend from deep-sixing the negotiations and killing the aliens, so much the better. While he really didn't care if the aliens lived or died at this point, he didn't want to see his best friend do something that at a later, and calmer, point he would end up regretting.

When in the hell did I become the reasonable one out of the group? Jack thought to himself, shocked with his level-headed thinking. Danny is the one that has to normally talk me out of going Road Warrior on people. What a disgusting turn of events!

"Fine," he ground out. "I promise not to go all Hannibal Lector on them, but don't expect me to let the fact go that they whipped the shit out of me over a fucking bug. I plan on having a word or two about that."

"I wouldn't expect any less from you," Jack sighed.

"You know, I would have been happy with the promise of you staying out of my coffee stash," Daniel said, throwing the words over his shoulder as he started out the door, knowing what Jack's reaction would be.

"D'oh," Jack cried, smacking him-self in the forehead.

SG1SG1SG1SG1SG1

Daniel stalked his way back to the scene of his torture, finding the blue skinned aliens standing there, watching him cautiously.

"How is that you are able to walk as you do so soon after the Excoriare Corium? No one has ever been able to move so easily afterwards. Have you been blessed by the gods?" the leader of the group spoke up, a hushed reverence in his voice. "Are all of your people like you?"

A million comments flooded his mind in that moment, but Daniel forced himself to push away the negative thoughts that were dominating his thought process. The pissed off side of him, the most vocal part, called for vengeance, for blood, just like it had been for him long ago. The quieter, more rational side to his psyche said to seek understanding and forgiveness.

"I have not been blessed by the gods. I have a higher tolerance to pain and discomfort. This gift, as you would call it, is rare among my people and is not spoken of, as per our custom," he stretched the truth. "I would like to know if it is still possible to negotiate to see the source of the mineral my people desire. Are you still favorable towards negotiations?"

The leader took in his words. "We may talk as long as you and your people follow our laws."

Daniel, biting back a few choice words about their laws, nodded. "Do you have a name?"

"I am Hoeckner," blue alien replied.

"Thank you Hoeckner," Daniel said smoothly, ignoring the screaming cry within him for vengeance, for blood. "Do you have somewhere we can talk?"

The alien directed Daniel to a building that was similar to the other mushroom houses. They went inside together.

Nothing was heard of what was being said. The others stood around outside, waiting impatiently. Earlier, SG-12 had been recalled to the village to join SG-1. Nobody told them what exactly had happened to Daniel, but they figured from the tenseness in the Colonel's eyes and back, Major Carter's blank face, and Teal'c's deeper grimace. They also took in Dr. Pierson's dead looking eyes. That worried them the most. The man looked like he could wipe out an entire village and not think twice about doing so.

Eventually, the door opened and Daniel and Hoeckner emerged. The alien did not look happy. Daniel looked enraged.

"Let's go," Daniel said shortly and marched off in the general direction of the Stargate.

The others all looked at each other for a second and then took after the archeologist.

"Daniel! Daniel! Wait up," Jack yelled after the retreating figure.

"What Jack?" Daniel bit out.

"What happened?" Jack asked. "I thought you were going to negotiate with them to get us the right to get their naquadah?"

"Yeah, I was. That was my plan. Unfortunately the people of this planet do not like the idea of the ground being disturbed, because their worms, or whatever they call them, might be hurt. Hoeckner told me that they assumed that we just wanted the rocks that lie on top of their sight and that they would never agree to us digging in their precious dirt. I tried to tell him that we have techniques that could return the land to its previous condition, but I was told no. Apparently even the damn worms on this planet have more value than human life!" At this point Daniel was raging, fully pissed that such a simple diplomatic mission had unraveled, leading to him getting whipped over a bug and resulting in nothing useful for Earth to defend itself with against the Goa'uld.

"That's it? They meet us, whip the crap out of you, and tell us no?" Jack asked, incredulously. He was half tempted, when he got back to the SGC, was to see if Hammond would allow him to throw a small nuclear device through the Gate, killing a few more bugs in the process. Unfortunately, Hammond probably wouldn't go along with the plan. Maybe if I ask nicely, and actually finish up all of my paperwork, he thought absently.

"And you want to know the funniest thing about all of this," Daniel continued on, ignoring Jack.

"What?" Adam asked, watching his old friend carefully, looking for the familiar signs of a personality switch.

"I also asked why they have such an over-the-top method for dealing with people that kill their bugs, Hoeckner told me that when the Goa'uld occupied this world long ago, they knew how sacred the animals were to the people, and in order to keep the population in line, they would threaten to kill the animals unless the people bowed down to them. Now, they feel that anyone, especially ones that look like Goa'uld, that doesn't respect the lives of the lesser beings is as bad as the Goa'uld. We just got compared to the Goa'uld for killing a fucking bug! These people make ELF look rational!" Daniel ranted, his hand gesturing wildly.

The ancient Immortal wasn't done with his rant though. "You know, I died, Ascended, and came back to a life that is completely screwed up. My former life is in ashes and this new one is insane. Why couldn't you guys have left me on that planet you found me on? It was nice and I didn't have crazy giant Smurfs giving me a beating from hell over nothing."

Jack thought that one over for a second. "I don't know what to tell you Danny. This mission was messed up from the beginning and I am sorry, sorrier than you can imagine. You shouldn't have had to go through that for my sake. While I appreciate not having to go through that myself, I am sorry that you did. Let's go home, get cleaned up, give our report to Hammond, and take some time to process all of this over a good bottle or two of beer."

"Fine, but you can't take back your promise of leaving me alone on the next archeology-type mission. A deal is a deal," Daniel said, glaring at his team's leader.

"I made a promise didn't I?" Jack asked.

Daniel nodded and did an about face and continued on with his march towards the Gate.

Once everyone was there, he quickly punched in the coordinates for Earth.

Sam sent the all-clear signal back to the SGC so they wouldn't end up splattered on the iris that covered the Gate.

The blue skinned aliens trailed behind the SG-teams.

"I wish I could say that being here and meeting you guys was a pleasure, but Mama O'Neill always told me not to lie," Jack snapped off, glaring at the aliens.

"It is not our fault that your people cannot see the value in all of Creation. Maybe someday your people will realize how precious life is and will not find it necessary to use violence when you encounter something different," Hoeckner said, looking slightly smug in Jack's opinion.

"Let's go people," Jack said.

"Oh, Hoeckner," Daniel said, his voice sounding mild, gesturing for Papa Smurf to come closer. He also gestured towards Jack to move closer to the wormhole.

Jack looked over at Daniel sharply, wondering what his friend was about to say. Hairs on the back of his neck stood up. There was something chillingly familiar in the Immortal's voice.

Hoeckner came over, not suspecting a thing.

Daniel reared back and punched the alien squarely in the face, smashing its nose, enjoying the sound of bone and cartilage (or whatever the alien possessed in equivalency) breaking.

Jack caught a glimpse of devious satisfaction on Daniel's face right before Daniel plowed into him, pushing him through the wormhole which closed up the second they entered the interstellar conduit that would take them back to their home planet.

The blue puddle spat them out into a tangle of limbs. Jack was able to recover first and climbed to his feet. He looked down at his friend that was still in a prone position on the expanded metal ramp.

"Feel better?" Jack asked.

Daniel smiled a nasty smile. "Actually, yes I do."

"What in the name of all happened?" Hammond's voice boomed through the Gateroom.

"Oy, is this briefing ever going to be fun," Jack commented as he pulled the deceptively younger-looking man to his feet, trying to ignore the fact that Daniel's brief smile had seriously creeped him out. "Let's get cleaned up, get the brief over with, and get the hell out of here. There's a case of beer at my house with our names on it."

"Sounds great," Daniel replied. "It had better be the good stuff or there will be Hades to pay."

A/N: Well, what do you think? Crap or not? Hit the shiny review button and let me know what you think.

Truth time, this was a really hard chapter to finish. Beyond the hard drive deciding that it should commit suicide this chapter was really difficult to put together. It took me two re-writes to finish it, plus with a lot of help from Lorilei. She deserves a lot of credit for this chapter being finished and the idea of Death tickling was hers – between you and me, she might be a bit warped (which makes her such a great writing partner). I had written myself into a hole and she helped me find a way out of it. I am not overly happy with this chapter, but hopefully it will get better in the coming chapters. Please forgive me.

Thank you for reading it and dropping me reviews and the like. I do appreciate it. It helps. Take care and don't be afraid to drop me a review or two (I am such a review whore, I know) and let me know what you think. Yes, Daniel was a little OOC, but he had just been tortured, so I think he's allowed to be a bit pissed, plus it will play into something I would like to incorporate into later chapters. Be patient with me please. Thanks!