Ancient Power
Part 3
Jack stood alongside Sam blending in at the back of the crowd that had gathered in the plaza. Teal'c was out of sight on the side of a building facing the platform in the middle of the square. He wasn't about to leave his staff weapon behind, so hiding had been the only option. Jack and Sam had tucked the zats into the wide sleeves of the tunics they wore. All three of them were unhappily watching the scene on the platform. Kor'ac stood facing the crowd along with seven other Jaffa. In front of them was a row of kneeling villagers, hands tied behind them. Jack counted four men, two women, and a young boy and girl, both around eight years old.
Kor'ac stepped forward. "Hand over the one called Daniel Jackson or we will begin killing the prisoners."
An old man took a couple of steps forward from the crowd. "Please, we do not know of whom you speak. We have seen no strangers in the village."
"I know he and his friends are here. Bring him out now or I will kill one of your people." Kor'ac leveled his staff at the back of one of the kneeling prisoners. The tip opened, crackling with energy, and the crowd gasped.
The attention of everyone in the square turned as Teal'c stepped into view, his staff weapon held unthreateningly to one side
"Jaffa, hear me!"
Staff weapons on the platform swung in his direction, but didn't fire.
"You are one of his friends," Kor'ac stated. "Give him to us or we will kill the villagers."
"I am Teal'c of the Free Jaffa."
Several of Kor'ac's men traded glances and whispered words. They had heard of him.
"You serve a false god. A 'god' who was killed by a mere human."
"Our God lives!" one of the Jaffa shouted.
"Only because you have a sarcophagus. She has no power over death."
More words were traded among Kor'ac's men. Kor'ac held up a hand to silence them. "Jaffa," he admonished, "do not listen to the words of a shol'va."
"I am no shol'va—I am free!" As he spoke, Teal'c inched his way closer to the platform. "Jaffa, do you not tire of following this false god across the galaxy, killing and destroying? When did you last see your families?"
Teal'c knew from their reactions that he had hit a sore spot. The Jaffa shifted uncomfortably, glancing from Kor'ac to Teal'c. He pushed on. "When did you last make love to your wife or hold your child? The Free Jaffa govern their own lives. We have built our own government and enjoy life with our families. We decide what is best for our people. Give up your enslavement to the Goa'uld and join us!"
Several Jaffa lowered their staff weapons and took a step back. Kor'ac turned to them. "Your place is with our God. Do not be swayed by the words of a shol'va who serves the Tau'ri, or you will be treated as shol'va yourselves."
Teal'c could see that Kor'ac's men had been moved by his words, but engrained fear of Kor'ac and Anath kept them from rising against them.
"Enough!" Kor'ac shouted, turning back to face Teal'c. "Hand over Daniel Jackson or I will start killing these people one by one, starting with this one." Once again he aimed his weapon at one of the kneeling men.
The townspeople became agitated, pulling back from the platform. Calls of 'no' and 'have mercy' could be heard.
Jack and Sam had continued to inch forward until they were almost at the front of the crowd. Tilting his head towards Sam, Jack said quietly, "Well, that didn't work. Time for plan B. Think you can take the two on the right?"
"Yes, sir, but probably not before one of them hits a villager."
She saw the muscles in his jaw tighten, and followed his gaze to where it rested on the two children on their knees, tears running down their cheeks.
"Do you have a better idea?"
"No, sir," she said reluctantly. She looked at him, seeing the grim resignation in his face.
"All we can hope is that we're faster than them," he replied.
Sam nodded in agreement.
"Okay," Jack said, "on three." He knew Teal'c would be prepared for the move and just hoped they didn't aim for the same targets. There was a good chance they could take all eight of the Jaffa down before they could fire on the prisoners. "One, two—"
Before he could say 'three', the last person he expected or wanted to see stepped into view on the opposite side of the platform from Teal'c.
"Daniel!" Sam whispered.
No, no, no! Jack should have known Daniel wouldn't give in so easily. Just once, couldn't Daniel do what he was told?
Daniel stepped out into the open facing the Jaffa and their prisoners. On the opposite side of the square he could see Teal'c. He had heard his friend's speech and knew it had hit home with Anath's Jaffa. But their fear of the Goa'uld kept them from breaking free.
As he moved forward, he watched the Jaffa take a step back, fear evident in their eyes. Even Kor'ac looked unsettled at first, quickly masking his fear as he shifted the aim of his staff weapon from the villager on his knees to Daniel.
Daniel knew the rest of his team was nearby, watching, with Jack probably fuming. He also knew this was the only way to keep the villagers from being slaughtered. Jack would understand—eventually.
"You will surrender yourself or I will kill these people," Kor'ac challenged him.
"Let them go and I will come freely."
"You are in no position to make demands."
"Do you really want to challenge me?"
Daniel watched Kor'ac shift uncomfortably, considering his options. Clearly, he wasn't sure if he wanted to test Daniel's powers.
"Come forward and kneel and I will release all but two of the prisoners. And tell the shol'va to lay down his weapon."
Daniel considered his own options. He was pretty sure they wanted him to come closer so they could activate his implant. He could continue to bargain with Kor'ac but he was afraid the First Prime would start killing the villagers if he continued to resist. At least, if he went along with it, most of the prisoners would be freed.
"All right, I agree."
"What the hell does he think he's doing?" Jack hissed.
"Trying to get as many of them freed as possible, sir."
"But he's handing himself over to them!"
"He must know we're here—I think he's counting on us to help."
"Help him get killed or turned into a host? Not a good plan."
Teal'c watched as Daniel took several steps toward the platform and paused. Kor'ac signaled to his men and soon six of the hostages were running towards the crowd. Kor'ac had kept two prisoners—a woman and a young girl—knowing Daniel would be reluctant to put them in danger. Two Jaffa held tightly to them, pulling them to one side of the platform.
Stopping in front of the platform, Daniel glanced to the side, exchanging a look with Teal'c. Teal'c laid his staff on the ground, placing his trust, and his life, in Daniel's hands. One of the Jaffa pulled out the control device and touched a button. It was all Teal'c could do to stop himself from leaping to his teammate's aid as Daniel went to his knees, head down, body swaying slightly. He heard the Jaffa moving around and then the sound of rings descending. He pulled his gaze away from Daniel to see Anath appear in the center and then the rings ascended again.
Anath stood, arms crossed, crimson cape billowing behind her, and let her gaze drift across the gathered crowd, briefly studying Teal'c before coming to rest on Daniel.
"Tsk, tsk, Daniel. You have been a bad boy."
Daniel ignored her comment and remained silent.
"Bring him," she ordered.
Two Jaffa descended the platform, grabbed Daniel by the arms and hefted him to his feet. They began pulling him up the short flight of steps, half dragging him when his unsteady legs faltered.
Reaching the top, they brought him to the center and released him with a shove. He landed sprawling at Anath's feet. The Goa'uld approached him and placed a booted foot in the middle of his back. Glancing at the Jaffa with the control device, she said, "Turn it up."
Daniel continued to lie on the floor as Anath removed her foot and began to circle around him.
"We could have done this the easy way, Daniel, but you chose to make it difficult. There will be consequences for your actions."
Daniel turned his head to look up at her and Teal'c could see her dark eyes simmering with anger. "You have me—let the others go." His friend's voice was barely above a whisper.
"I don't think so. They are a guarantee that if you are able to overcome the implant, you will not act foolishly."
Jack turned to Sam, keeping his voice to a whisper. "Implant?"
"That must be what the Jaffa is controlling with that device. It's probably what gave Daniel that shock in the throne room and I would guess it's keeping him from being able to focus enough to use his powers."
"This just keeps getting better and better."
"On your knees." Anath planted her feet near Daniel's head.
Daniel brought his hands under him and weakly began to push himself up. Finally, he was upright, knees bent, sitting on his legs. He looked up defiantly into Anath's eyes. She unfolded her arms and for the first time Daniel saw the hand device capping her fingers and twining itself around her arm.
She lifted the encased hand and Daniel prepared himself. Instead of glowing, the hand swung out, slapping him across the face, metal tips digging into his cheek. The force tossed him to the floor again. Before he could recover, Anath grabbed his hair and pulled him back to his knees. She released him and lifted her hand again; this time the center jewel began to glow as she directed it at his forehead.
"You will suffer before I take you and then your friends will watch as I claim your body and mind for my own."
"I don't... think so."
It infuriated her, but she laughed. "You have no choice."
The glow of the jewel intensified and Anath flung her hand forward, intending to drill it into Daniel's skull. Shock replaced the triumph on her face as Daniel brought his own hand up to intercept the stream of energy.
"I think I do."
The energy deflected off of his hand and dispersed into the air. Daniel slowly stood, his hand still locked into a dance with the energy flowing from the hand device.
Anath stood momentarily transfixed before disengaging the device and taking a step back. "How is that possible?"
"It's possible because your implant no longer has an affect on me and because the power of the Ancients is stronger than the power of the Goa'uld."
"Jaffa!" she screamed.
Kor'ac turned his staff weapon on Daniel and released a blast at him. Daniel held his hand out and it was as though the blast hit an invisible wall before diffusing into the air.
Jack was firing as soon as Kor'ac's weapon released its bolt of energy at Daniel. The First Prime was struck by the zat blast and crumpled to the ground. Jack prepared to shoot a second time, but was stopped by Teal'c's hand on his arm. Jack didn't think there was much of a chance of converting Kor'ac, but he deferred to Teal'c and held his fire.
Carter had her zat trained on one of the Jaffa whose staff weapon was aimed in their direction, but the rest of the occupants of the plaza had their eyes riveted to the two figures in the center of the platform.
Daniel faced Anath again. "You will not take me as a host. In fact, you will never take anyone as a host, ever again."
"You can't—" Anath's words choked off as Daniel stepped closer until they were inches apart.
"I also demand that you give up this host."
Anath's body stiffened as though paralyzed, her eyes growing wide with fear before rolling back in her head. Still she stood, unmoving, as Daniel reached out and placed a hand on the side of her neck. Her body convulsed once and then appeared to go limp. Daniel wrapped both hands around her and pulled her to him, gently taking them both to the floor.
Seeing Daniel deflect the staff blast and render Anath unconscious had thrown the Jaffa into disarray. With their God and the First Prime both down, they were lost. Teal'c seized the opportunity.
"Jaffa! It is as I said—your god has no real power. I give you the chance once again to leave her service and join the Free Jaffa."
With a sidelong glance at Daniel, one of the Jaffa approached the edge of the platform and, holding his staff horizontally, offered it to Teal'c. "You speak the truth. I will join you."
One by one, the remaining Jaffa followed suit, including the two holding the remaining prisoners. Their bonds were cut, sending the woman and child running to rejoin their families.
Seeing Teal'c had the Jaffa situation under control, Jack climbed onto the platform, Sam at his heals, and headed for Daniel and Anath. Sam diverted to Kor'ac, picking up a piece of rope to bind his hands.
Jack knelt next to Daniel, zat ready in case Anath surprised them, but her eyes were closed and she lay motionless. Jack turned his attention to Daniel, taking in the cut across one cheek that was oozing blood, and the haggardness of his features.
"You okay?"
Daniel's eyes remained fixed on Anath, but one side of his mouth quirked upwards into a smile. "I'm better now."
Jack glanced back at the Goa'uld. "Is she dead?"
"It depends."
What? Jack's eyes came back to Daniel. His friend met his gaze and Jack was struck by the intensity of emotion in their blue depths—pain, relief, sadness.
"What do you mean, 'it depends'?"
"It depends on whether you're talking about Anath or her host."
Did Daniel mean what he thought he meant? "You mean you were able to kill the snake without killing the host?"
Daniel's smile grew wider, this time reaching his eyes, making them sparkle with just a tiny bit of satisfaction. "Yeah."
Jack continued to be amazed by the powers Daniel had continued to demonstrate. These were the kinds of things that could come in very handy in their line of work, but at the same time, Jack was worried about the mental and physical toll it was taking on his friend. Not to mention the danger posed by those like Anath who would try to take control of that power for their own purposes. Jack wasn't sure how long they could continue to keep this a secret, especially after what Daniel had done here.
Jack placed his hand on Daniel's arm. "Ya done good, Danny. How about you get some rest and let us take it from here?"
"Okay," Daniel replied, still smiling as he proceeded to pass out.
Jack scrambled to grab him, keeping him from collapsing on top of Anath, instead, pulling him back against his own chest.
"Carter! Some help here!"
Immediately, Sam was at his side, helping him settle Daniel in a more comfortable position against his chest.
"Is he all right?"
"I think so."
"Is she dead?" Sam nodded towards Anath.
"The symbiote is."
"You want me to—?" Sam aimed her zat at the woman's body.
"No! The host is still alive."
"But how—"
"Daniel said he killed the snake without killing the host."
"My God, that's amazing!"
"Yeah, he is."
Sam smiled, then leaned down and kissed Daniel's forehead.
"Carter?"
"Just checking for fever, sir."
"Uh huh." Jack's tone was light as he teased her. "What about our Jaffa friends?"
"They are willing to assist us with whatever we require." Jack looked up to see Teal'c standing over them.
"I think the first order of business is to destroy that sarcophagus."
"But, sir, we could—"
"No," he cut her off, "too dangerous and we're not takin' any chances."
"Yes, sir."
"Teal'c."
"It will be done, O'Neill. We will gather the remaining Jaffa and make them the same offer of freedom."
"You do that. And round up any extra weapons you find. Oh, and we'd better secure Grumpy over there in a cell until we can figure out what to do with him."
"It would be best if we took him to Dakara to face trial."
"Okay, just put him in a cell until then."
Teal'c bowed respectfully and left to organize the Jaffa. Another figure climbed the steps and crossed the platform to join them. Meryet kneeled next to Daniel, placing her hand on his cheek. She looked up at Jack, her mouth forming a question.
"He's okay," Jack answered, anticipating her question.
Meryet smiled with relief but in the next instant, scrambled backward in fear, when the woman on the floor moved.
"The Evil One is still alive!"
Meryet prepared to run, but Sam grabbed her. "It's all right, Meryet. The evil that was inside her is gone."
Meryet stared at the woman who had been their tormentor, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Daniel killed the evil that was inside her," Jack explained. "When she wakes up, she's going to be just a young woman like you—a scared young woman."
Meryet calmed somewhat, and looked from Jack to Daniel. "Truly, he has great power."
"I think maybe we should move her somewhere away from the other villagers," Sam said, noticing the crowd still watching from the plaza. "They might not be as ready to accept that as Meryet,"
"Why don't you take her back to the citadel?" Jack suggested. "She's probably gonna be a little freaked out when she wakes up."
"What about Daniel, sir?"
"I think we'd better find him someplace to take a nice, long nap."
Two hours later, Jack stood watching Daniel sleep.
It was hard for him to believe that all that power was crammed inside his friend, just waiting to be released. He didn't think there were many people who could deal with having that kind of power, but he knew if anyone could handle it, Daniel could. But he wouldn't have to do it alone—they would all be there for him, if he'd let them. That was a talk Jack planned to have as soon as they got back to the SGC.
Which brought him to the next order of business—waking Daniel. Teal'c had procured a ride to the gate in the form of a cargo ship and it was time to leave.
The Jaffa, along with a restrained Kor'ac, were already on board, as was Anath's host, who, despite some movement, had yet to wake up. Jack decided that was just as well; she'd be better off waking up at the SGC where there were people to help her through what were sure to be some rough days ahead.
Sam entered the room, accompanied by Meryet and Henut. "Sir, Teal'c's ready to beam us on board."
With a sigh, Jack bent down and shook Daniel's shoulder. "Daniel, wake up."
He really hoped there wouldn't be a repeat of the disorientation Daniel had shown on their previous attempts to wake him.
To Jack's surprise, Daniel's eyes fluttered open and he looked directly at Jack. "Time to go already?"
"Yeah, Teal'c's waiting."
"Okay." Daniel levered himself up and sat rubbing his eyes.
"Here're your shoes," Jack said, handing them to his friend.
Daniel put them on and stood up, taking a slightly wobbly step. Jack reached out for him but Daniel brushed him off. "I'm fine."
"Right."
Meryet approached Daniel, but before she could speak, Daniel jumped in first. "Meryet, I'm so sorry that you and your people had to endure this. Thank you for helping us—we appreciate everything you've done."
"No, Daniel, thank you for destroying the evil one and for giving us our freedom again."
She put her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He returned the embrace and when they released each other, he said, "My people will help you get things back to normal."
"Will you come back and visit us?"
"Of course."
"Be careful, Daniel."
"I will."
"Time to go, Dannyboy. Meryet, Henut, thanks for the hospitality"
Teal'c was signaled and soon they were on board the ship. Daniel immediately went to where Anath's host was lying on a pallet, Jack and Sam following close behind. She was restless, but according to the Jaffa, had yet to wake up.
Her eyes suddenly flew open and darted around the room, taking in her surroundings, coming to rest on the two Jaffa who had been watching her. She abruptly sat up and scrabbled backwards until her back hit the wall. "Nooo..."
Daniel quickly bent down, drawing her attention to him. "It's okay, you're safe. Anath is gone."
The woman's eyes remained wide and her forehead creased in concentration. "I remember you," she said, her voice wavering with emotion. "You're the one Anath wanted to... to..." She buried her face in her hands, sobbing. "I'm sorry..."
"It's all right. It's not your fault. Anath didn't take me."
The young woman lifted her face and looked at Daniel through tear-filled eyes. "I couldn't stop her. I could never stop her. It's been so long..."
Sam knelt next to Daniel. "What's your name?"
"Kiya."
"How did you come to be Anath's host?" Sam asked.
"Ba'al conquered my people. He said he wanted someone to be the vessel for his sister. He chose me." Kiya covered her face again and Sam moved closer, putting her arm around her shoulders.
"You're free now, Kiya," Daniel said gently. "We'll take you back to our world and help you find your people again."
Kiya looked up at Daniel. "Why would you help me after... after what I did?"
"It wasn't you. None of this is your fault. Anath is dead; she'll never hurt you again."
Kiya leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Daniel's neck. "Thank you," she whispered. "I don't know how you did this, but thank you."
After a few seconds, Kiya pulled away and wiped her eyes.
"Why don't you rest a while? We'll be at the stargate in a few minutes," Daniel said.
He got up, leaving Kiya talking with Sam, and joined Jack.
"I bet she's got a lot of inside information on Ba'al."
Daniel looked at him sharply. "Jack, we can't put her through that—"
Jack put a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "I know, Daniel. But it's gonna be tough to keep her out of the hands of the NID."
"The Tok'ra. They could help."
"We'll discuss it with Landry. I think having the head of Homeworld Security in our corner might help," Jack said, smiling.
"Thanks, Jack."
They landed at the gate and soon everyone had gone through to the Alpha site. A short time later the former members of SG-1 made their way down the ramp of the SGC gate room, followed by a troop of Jaffa and a restrained Kor'ac. Kiya was ensconced between Sam and Daniel, her eyes wide as she took in her surroundings.
General Hank Landry waited at the base of the ramp, surrounded by SFs with their weapons raised. "Stand down," he ordered. "Jack?"
"Hey, Hank."
"What happened? We tried to contact you at the cabin and got no response from any of your cell phones. We sent a team—they found your vehicle at the cabin, which was empty except for your personal stuff."
"Well, let's see. We got kidnapped, met some old enemies and made some new friends. Actually, some of our old enemies are our new friends," he replied, his hand sweeping to indicate the Jaffa. "Oh, and this is Kiya. We're gonna help her find her home world."
"Pleased to meet you," Landry said before turning back to Jack. "From what I've read of your past exploits, it sounds like a typical SG-1 mission."
"Unfortunately, yes. But on the upside, everyone's in one piece."
"We'll let Doctor Brightman determine that. Report to the infirmary, shower, do whatever needs doing, and report for a debriefing at 1700 hours."
"You got it," Jack answered, leading the way out of the gate room.
"And welcome back, everyone."
"Well General, it doesn't feel like anything's broken. I don't even see any bruising."
"Fast healer," Jack replied, exchanging a knowing glance with the doctor.
"We'll do a CT scan to be sure."
Kiya was being checked out in a private room which they hoped would be less traumatic for her. Teal'c's exam was finished and he stood waiting, hands clasped behind him, while the rest of his team was examined.
The nurses had finished with Sam and Doctor Brightman began her assessment. "Colonel, anything you want to tell me about?" she asked as she began her exam.
Sam hesitated only briefly. "Just got roughed up a bit—nothing serious." She glanced surreptitiously at Jack before giving Doctor Brightman her full attention.
"Well, you do have some bruising. What about the one on your cheek?" she asked as she probed the area.
"I, uh, got slapped."
"We'll do a scan to make sure you don't have a fracture."
When she finished with Sam, the doctor moved to Daniel.
"Well, Doctor Jackson, your only obvious injuries are your wrists and the cut on your cheek."
Daniel looked down at the now bandaged wrists resting on his lap and wondered how much he should say.
"Anything else I should be concerned about?" the doctor was asking.
If you only knew, thought Jack, wondering himself how much Daniel would share voluntarily. He had a few questions of his own.
Doctor Brightman continued to feel Daniel's head, her fingers moving down to his neck. As she reached the base of his skull, her movements stopped. She looked Daniel directly in the eye, raising her eyebrows in a question.
"Um, yeah, that would be it."
Doctor Brightman moved around so she could get a better look, tilting Daniel's head down. "What is it?"
"An implant. Anath could set it on low, basically making it hard for me to concentrate, or she could, uh, zap me with it, which would knock me out."
"And she did that? Rendered you unconscious?"
"Yes, she did."
Looking him in the eye once again, she asked, "How are you feeling now?"
"I'm—" He hesitated, noting the stubborn look on her face that reminded him so much of Janet, knowing she wouldn't let him go if he didn't tell her the truth. He owed her that much; she had helped him by making sure no one saw his test results after his encounter with Ba'al.
"Tired. Got a bit of a headache."
She continued to hold his gaze, evidently trying to decide if he was holding out on her. Satisfied, she said, "I'm not finding any other injuries, but we'll need to take out that implant."
"By the way," Jack interrupted, "what happened with that implant? How were you able to keep Anath from zapping you back in the village?"
"I think it must have shorted out when I released... when that energy was released in the throne room," Daniel said, choosing his words carefully. "When Anath tried using it in the village, nothing happened."
"So, you didn't know it wasn't working when you faced Anath and her Jaffa?" Jack's voice was getting a familiar edge to it that made Daniel wonder how he could get out of this conversation.
"No, but I knew I had overcome it once and I hoped I could do it again."
"Hoped?" Jack's voice had moved from annoyed into the infuriated range. "I swear, Daniel—"
"I had to take the chance, Jack, or Anath was going to start killing the villagers."
"I know." Jack sighed as he moved closer and put his hand on Daniel's shoulder, letting him know he understood. "So, you were just pretending to be under its control?"
"I was hoping she might lower her guard if she thought she still had some control over me."
"Very sneaky, Doctor Jackson."
Daniel gave him a small smile. "Learned from the best."
Jack smiled back, shaking his head.
"Sorry to interrupt," Doctor Brightman said, "but it's time for your scans. You can continue this conversation once Doctor Jackson's settled here again."
"What?" Daniel said, "I thought you didn't find anything else?"
"Until that implant comes out, you'll be staying in the infirmary where we can keep and eye on it—and you."
"But, but, Melinda—"
"Oh no you don't," the doctor cut him off, waving a hand in front of her. "It's Doctor Brightman to you. I was warned about falling for your 'personal appeals'."
Jack laughed out loud. "Give it up, Daniel. You're stuck here. Don't worry, we'll come back and see you later. That okay, Doc?"
"That will be acceptable, General," Melinda Brightman said as she tried to hide her smile.
Jack walked purposefully down the corridor, headed for the infirmary with Sam and Teal'c at his side. They had finished their scans, taken a shower, and had a short visit with Landry, followed by a stop at Sam's former lab, empty now, to discuss their plans before seeing Daniel.
Entering the infirmary, they found it much quieter now; only two beds were occupied and they crossed the room to Daniel's in the far corner.
"Hey, Daniel," Sam said, leaning over to kiss him on the forehead before settling herself on the side of the bed.
Jack took up a position standing across from Sam while Teal'c stationed himself at the foot of the bed.
"Hey, guys. What did Landry say?"
"He's postponed the debrief until tomorrow to give us time to... organize our reports."
Daniel nodded, understanding the unspoken meaning. "How's Kiya?"
"She's doing fine," Sam replied. "Her body is absorbing the symbiote. She's coming to terms with what happened and I think, eventually, she's going to be all right."
"And Landry agreed to contact the Tok'ra," Jack added. "I'm sure they'll be willing to send some people to talk with Kiya."
"Good, that's... good," Daniel replied, not doing a very good job of masking his concern for the woman who had been host to a monster.
"That just leaves one more piece of business," Jack continued, drawing Daniel's attention back to him.
Daniel looked up, brows pinched with curiosity. "Oh? What's that?"
"The three of us have discussed the situation and we think maybe we should keep the team together."
"What? Are you kidding?" Daniel looked at each of his friends. "You all have your own lives to live. Sam, there's so much waiting for you to do at Area 51; Teal'c, you're an important part of the Free Jaffa's new government—they need you. And Jack, who would be the Head of Homeworld Security if you didn't take the job? It could easily be someone who doesn't have the SGC's best interests at heart. You've all got more important things to do than babysit me."
"First of all, we wouldn't be babysitting you," Jack countered. "We'd be... looking out for you. We'd be looking out for each other. We know how important this is, Daniel—how important you are, and not just because of your, you know... " He waved his fingers at Daniel's head.
"We care about you, and we decided it would be a good idea if we all stuck together," Sam added.
A smile began forming on Daniel's lips. "That's... that's really nice, guys, but I can't ask all of you to give up everything you've worked for. Just like you wouldn't ask me to give up what I've worked for—going to Atlantis."
"There's plenty to do here, or maybe we could go with—"
"It's all right, Jack. I appreciate it, I really do. But I think I can take care of myself now."
"Well, not if you go passing out every time you... you know."
"I was just exhausted—that's not going to happen every time."
"You sure about that?"
"Yeah, I am. It's going to be fine. And I think Atlantis is the best place for me."
Jack traded glances with Sam and Teal'c before turning his gaze back to Daniel. "You're really sure? Because you know we'll be there for you if you just say the word."
Of that, he had no doubt. They had always been there for each other, and they always would be, no matter how far apart they were. "I know. And, thanks."
"All right. But we're gonna get one thing straight."
"What?" Daniel wondered what else Jack was concerned about.
"Don't keep anything from us—and I mean anything—ever again. Don't try to protect us by keeping us in the dark—we need to know what's goin' on. Got that?"
"Got it."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
"Good. Okay. Guess we'll go and let you get some rest, then."
Sam leaned over and gave Daniel another kiss on the cheek.
"Carter."
"Sir?"
"That's kinda gettin' to be a habit."
"Sorry, sir." She chuckled and exchanged a grin with the object of her affection.
"Sleep well, Daniel Jackson."
"Thanks, Teal'c."
"Who's up for ice cream?" Jack called, heading for the door.
"That sounds good, sir."
"I believe a hot fudge sundae would be most satisfying."
Their voices trailed off as they walked out of the infirmary.
"Hey, guys? What about me? Guys?"
Jack chuckled to himself as he listened to Daniel's pleas fading as they made their way towards the commissary. He'd bring his friend some ice cream—later. Let Daniel get a taste of what it was like to have your friends keep something from you.
The truth was, he felt satisfaction knowing that they had been able to talk things over—that they had been able to get Daniel to understand that they were all in this together. He and Carter and Teal'c were more than willing to change their plans if necessary—if Daniel needed them. And Daniel had promised not to keep things from them. Jack hoped he'd keep that promise, and not get selective memory, particularly when it came to—
Daniel, you'd better remember that promise, especially if you get any funky new powers.
Jack stopped in his tracks, eliciting concerned looks from Sam and Teal'c, as a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
You'll be the first to know, Jack. Oh, and make mine chocolate.
The End
