Some things were instinctive - Daniel had headed straight for the bed he usually occupied when guesting in the infirmary.  He was sitting on it now, the heels of his boots hooked over the bottom rung of the side rail, elbows on his knees when Jack sat down beside him.

"I'm sorry," the linguist offered quietly, studying his clasped hands, "for yanking your chain.  I know you're worried and I'm sorry I'm the cause.  But what happens if Quinn gets up on that ship and runs up against something he can't translate?  Or translates just slightly wrong?  Like the tablet.  Who gets to die this time?" 

The fate of Abydos hung between them. 

"You and Sam?  Teal’c? . . . Not if I can help it."

Jack swore volubly, trailing off to silence before asking satirically, "You're sure you don't want to stay on base and do translations?"

"Don't think I haven't been tempted.  But for some reason the phrase 'SG-1 is a field team, Daniel,’ keeps running through my head."

"All right, gentlemen."  Dr. Frasier surprised them both.  "I know why you're here, Daniel."  She held out a hand for Jack's.  "Colonel?  What now?"

"Carter's rat bit me."

"One of those cute little mice she's got up in her lab bit you?  What did you do to it, sir?  They're sweet as can be."

"Shut up."  Jack slanted a glance at Daniel.

"I didn't say a thing."

"You're grinning."

"I am not."  Daniel's face was perfectly straight, not even a hint of dimple showing, though he was shaking slightly with suppressed laughter.

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"D2," Daniel tossed back.  "He poked it."

"Did not."

"Yes, you did.  You poked it and it turned around and bit you."

Janet crossed her arms over her chest.  "When the two of you are done with your Laurel and Hardy routine, I'd like to get on with this."  She signed a nurse over.  "Lieutenant, please clean up the Colonel's finger and let me know if it needs stitches.  If not, a solution of alcohol and peroxide should clean it out just fine.  Take him to the back, please, where I don't have to listen to him moaning."

Jack rose to follow the nurse, shooting a scowl over his shoulder, muttering about Napoleonic power mongers.

"All right.  What about you?  And by the way, thank you for checking in like I asked you to.  You know, General Hammond and I just went round and round with the Colonel over whether or not you're going on this mission?" 

Janet checked Daniel's pulse and took his temperature. 

"Hmm.  You're still running a low grade temp.  The antibiotics should have kicked that by now."

"He's just . . . worried."

"He's more than worried, Daniel.  He's terrified of letting you back out there."

"Yes, well . . . I'm not exactly thrilled about going up against Anubis myself, especially given what they tell me happened the last time I faced off with him.  But they're my team, Janet.  I belong with them."  It was said with unshakable confidence.

Setting aside her doctor persona, Janet perched on the bed next to him.  "Daniel, I think I understand your motivation.  I want to be sure you understand no one is pressuring you to do this."

"I want to do this.  So, I need you to get me well."

"You have been taking the antibiotic?"

"Course I have . . . when I remember."

"Bad as ever I see.  How many times have you forgotten?"

"Uhm . . . I don't know."  Daniel pulled the Z-Pak out his jacket pocket.  "Three times a day, times what - almost three days?  Oops.  Looks like . . . three . . . no four times.  I forgot it at breakfast today, too."

Janet just shook her head.  "That would explain why you're still running a temp.  What have you got going for the next hour or two?"

"Why?" He looked over at her suspiciously.

"What are you willing to endure to go on this mission?"

Daniel thought a minute.  "Pretty much anything . . . I guess." 

"Lie down.  I can jump start you with a couple hours of IV antibiotics, but then you have to remember to take the pills."

"That's all?"

"That and we cross our fingers that it works."

"I can do that.  Can I go back and get some work if I have to lie here for two hours?"

"How about if you take a nap?"

"Do I have to?"

"Compromise?  If you haven't fallen asleep in the first half hour, I'll send an SF to your office to bring you back some work."

"You're not putting anything in it to make me sleep are you?" he asked dubiously.

"Now that would be telling."  Janet rose, seamlessly sliding back into doctor mode.  "What's it going be, Dr. Jackson?"

"You're going to make me do this even though I've slept through the night for the past two nights?"

"How bad do you want to go?" 

Janet refused to meet his gaze since he was wearing the 'please don't make me do this' look she had never developed an immunity to.

"All right."  Daniel bent over to unlace his boots, dropped them on the floor, and swung his stocking feet up on the bed.

"Jacket off, too.  I'll bring you a blanket."

"I don't want a blanket."

"Don't take that petulant tone with me, young man."

"Sorry.  I wasn't going for petulant.  More . . . authoritative?"

"Needs work."

"'kay.  How 'bout, thanks, Janet, but I don't need a blanket?"

"Better.  But you're getting one anyway.  You don't have to use it, even though you're already breaking out in goose flesh."

Daniel was disgusted to note she was right.  He found the controls and raised the head of the bed enough to lie back comfortably, fairly certain he was in for an enforced nap whether he wanted it or not.

It wasn't a memory exactly, but he felt sure the petite physician ran her infirmary with an iron hand, albeit in a velvet glove. 

She was back almost before the thought was fully formed in his mind. 

"Will you please put it in my left hand?  Just in case I don't fall asleep?"

"Sure, no problem."  Janet moved the IV stand to the left side of the bed, laying out her supplies on the rolling tray. 

She dropped the folded blanket under her arm so it landed against his hip.

"Oh, that's not fair."  Daniel reached automatically to touch it. 

She'd brought one of the blankets they kept in a special warming tray for use with shock patients.

"I never claimed to play fair.  I play to win.  Oh, yes, you've got a lovely vein right here.  It will do the job just fine." 

Dr. Frasier cleaned the site, deftly inserted the IV needle, and set about hanging the saline solution that would deliver the medication to her patient. 

Shooting her specially mixed cocktail into the IV line, she capped the needle and disposed of it in the contamination box. 

"Okay," she rubbed his shoulder.  "You're on the clock.  It's 14:35.  If you're still awake at 15:00, I'll send an SF to your office for work.  Will you let me put the blanket over you?  Just in case you need an excuse, even a low grade temp makes you more susceptible to becoming chilled, and we don't exactly keep it warm inside the mountain."

Daniel surrendered gracefully.  He knew it absolutely had to be his imagination, but he could feel his body loosening already, sliding toward sleep. 

"Yes, please."  He turned on his side, tucked his hand under his chin, and closed his eyes.

Janet settled the blanket over him, careful to leave it loose and un-inhibiting. 

Jack had shared with her the close call he'd had with Daniel and a panic attack. She also knew they'd been sleeping in sleeping bags on the deck for the last two nights.   And she knew the Colonel’s take on it was - whether he remembered it or not - Daniel was subconsciously associating his very painful 'death' with beds, and sheets and blankets, perhaps even sleeping in general.  She wasn't sure she agreed with the amateur psych analysis, but then again, she wasn't sure she disagreed with it either.

"If you're not going to sleep, at least try to rest.  Okay?"

"Hmm," Daniel murmured, the absolute picture of innocence. 

The minute she was gone, he flipped back the blanket and set his watch alarm for 2:55.  If he slept through it from whatever she'd put in the IV, so be it.  At least he was going on the offensive.  He snuggled back under the blanket and dozed off.

"Hey!"  Jack swept back into the main section of the infirmary, finger bulkily bandaged, only to find the archeologist out like a light.  "What the hell happened here?"

"Shhhh, Colonel.  Do you want to wake him up?"  Dr. Frasier whispered fiercely, sizing up O'Neill's temper.

"Yes!  I'm not cooperating with any of your little get-well-quick schemes.  I'd rather he stays sick!"

"Sir, this is what Daniel wants."

"You and I both know what Daniel wants is not always good for him," Jack countered in a low hiss.

"How long are you going to keep this up?"

"What?"

"You can't protect him forever."

"He made that point damned clear a little over a year ago on Kelowna," Jack snarled.  "I promise you, I don't need any reminding of that fact.  And what's with you anyway?  I expected you to back me up with the General!"

"For how long?" Dr. Frasier repeated levelly.

"For as long as it takes, dammit!"  Colonel O'Neill turned on his heel and stalked out of the infirmary.

Half an hour later Janet was pulled from her chart survey by a faint but incessant beeping.  She rose from behind her desk and went to investigate, following the sound to the sleeping archeologist. 

Baffled, she studied him for a long moment before realizing it had to be his watch.  Very carefully, she uncurled one finger at a time until she could ease the blanket out of his grasp. It still took practically standing on her head to get at the angle of his wrist to turn off the alarm. 

Daniel only shifted slightly and reached to pull the blanket back under his chin with a murmur of discontent.

Janet stood looking down at him, her gaze drifting over the familiar features in a way she had not let herself do since his return.  She'd kept a very professional distance during his initial reintegration with the SGC.  They'd both needed it. 

Many of the tests she'd had to run had been invasive and uncomfortable.  Daniel had been extremely anxious and tense, responding only minimally to her light banter.  So nervous, in fact, she'd finally relented and allowed Jack back into the exam room. 

She'd gone straight to Sam's lab when she'd finally released him into the Colonel's capable care and they'd both had a good long cry. 

Now, she counted fingers and toes like she hadn't been able to do before, brushed her fingers very gently through his hair, pushing it back off his forehead, and generally just drank in the sight of him sleeping peacefully.  She didn't realize tears were slipping down her face until she looked up to find the Colonel standing at the foot of the bed.

"I know," he said quietly.  "When I touched him, on Vis Uban, and felt flesh and blood . . ." Jack drew a hand across his eyes.  "For cryin’ out loud, Doc, I threw my shoe through him the first time I saw him." The lean jaw clenched tight.  "And then on Abydos, when he didn't come back . . ." He started to shove his hands in his pockets, but drew back quickly as his bitten finger throbbed warningly.

Janet brushed at her tears.  "I've seen a lot in these last six years, but this . . . I never even let myself think this might be possible.  Do you suppose we get to start over with his nine lives?"

Jack smiled involuntarily.  "Please, God?  I hope so!"  He moved around to the opposite side of the bed and pulled up his usual chair.  "Look, about before -"

"I understand, Colonel.  I know exactly how you feel.  Please don't wake him up."

Jack flipped the chair around and straddled it, crossing his arms over the back and putting his chin down on his arms.  "I just came to wait."

"Thank you."  Janet headed back to her chart survey, knowing she left the archeologist in good hands.

The quiet voices of his teammates drew Daniel slowly back toward consciousness.  He opened his eyes experimentally, momentarily at a loss as to why he was waking up in the infirmary.

Sam, sitting on the foot of the bed, was the first to notice he was awake.  She slipped a hand under the blanket and began to massage his foot. 

"Hey, there.  About time you rejoined the living - no pun intended," she added wryly.  "Daniel?'

He forced his eyes open again, surprised at how heavy his eyelids still felt. 

"What did Janet put in that IV?"  He yawned and stretched, drawing the blanket with him as he turned over.  "Can I just go back to sleep?"

"We're going to supper.  Are you hungry?"  Sam patted his ankle.

"Uhm?  Don't think so.  I'll see you in the morning."

The chair beside the bed thumped down on all four legs as the Colonel leaned forward.  "I don't think so either.  Come on, Daniel, it's time to get up."

"Shhhhhh . . ." 

Daniel turned back on his side, curling the blanket into his hand under his chin as Jack gave it an experimental tug. 

"Sleeping here.  Go away."

In the next instant the blanket had been stripped away and Daniel found himself suddenly, and disorientedly, sitting up. 

"Time to rise and shine, Danny.  Carter, get his boots, they're under the bed."

"Sir?  Maybe -"

"Maybe we should get him up and make him eat dinner so he can go back to bed at home?"

"O'Neill, perhaps Danieljackson would benefit more from sleep," Teal'c weighed in.

"Ya think?  Sleep  - food.  Food - sleep.  I think he probably needs both and since he's slept all afternoon and he's going to take Frasier's sleeping pill before he goes to bed tonight, I think food wins this round.  Come on, Daniel, slide over."

Daniel smacked irritably at the hand still fisted in his t-shirt.  "I'm up.  Let go of me."  He slid his feet cautiously over the side of the bed.  "Sam?"

"Teal'c, see if you can find his jacket."

"Sam, I'm perfectly capable of putting my boots on."

"I know that," she slid the second boot onto his foot, gave it a smack to get it on, and began to lace it.

"Please stop hovering!"

Sam and Jack froze. 

Teal'c calmly handed Daniel his jacket.  "Perhaps it would be wiser to allow him to stay here and sleep, O'Neill."

"Didn't we just have this conversation?"  Jack caught the archeologist by the back of his jacket when he would have happily curled up again.

Daniel peered at his watch, trying to make the dial come into focus.  "What time is it?"  He gave up and looked around for his glasses. 

Teal'c handed him those as well.

The large wall clock popped into focus and Daniel did a double take.  "I slept for six hours?"  He rose, a little unsteadily.  "Whoa.  Too fast."

"Did the doc check your blood pressure before she left?” 

Jack grabbed a handful of t-shirt again, then an arm when the archeologist abruptly sat back down on the bed.

“He’ll be fine, just give him a minute.  What do you want to eat?"

"I don't know.  Where are we going?"

"Where do you want to go?"

"Right now, to the bathroom."  Daniel was suddenly pressingly aware his bladder had processed all those fluids.  He shot across the open ward and disappeared into the bathroom, kicking the door shut behind himself. 

He was still yawning when he wandered back out, despite obviously having stuck his head under the faucet.

"You're dripping."  Jack looked around for a towel, found something resembling a washcloth on the nightstand and threw it at the archeologist.  "Are you at least awake now?"

"No."  Daniel caught it deftly, scrubbing his face and then his wet hair, leaving it sticking up in all directions.  "Do I have to go?"

Sam, who had backed off when accused of hovering, crossed her arms over her chest.

"Stand still," Jack commanded, palming Daniel's chin and using his fingers to slick down the kid's wet hair.  "Under any other circumstances, this would be mildly amusing.  There, at least you look half way presentable."  He swiped at a stray cowlick as Daniel pulled away.  "Especially since you've been fighting sleep on par with a two-year-old this last week.  You can go back to bed when we get home.  And anyway, I'd just as soon you stay sick this time around." 

The Colonel shepherded his charges toward the infirmary doors.

"I'm going to do whatever I have to do to go on this mission.  I will not let you harass me into staying on base."

Jack glanced over his shoulder at the archeologist as he swiped his card for the elevator.  "Just an FYI, Daniel.  I have never harassed you into anything.  Not for lack of trying, mind you.  But you're too damn stubborn to ever back down.  If your mind is made up already, then nothing I can say or do is going to stop you."

"Okay.  Just so we're clear on that."

"Windex couldn't make it any clearer.  That doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying."

Daniel squeezed his eyes shut, clamping two fingers over the bridge of his nose.  "So, Jack, how's the finger?  And, oh by the way, do you want me just to stay on base at night?"

"What?"

"I asked how your finger was."

"Fine."  He'd taken off the wads of bandaging and put a bandaid on it himself.  "Why should you stay on base at night?"

"I just thought maybe you'd be more comfortable if I slept here instead of going home with you."

"You just want to go back to bed."

Daniel shrugged easily, dropping his hand.  "Well, there's that too."

"Nice try, Space Monkey.  No deal.  I'm going to rag on you every chance I get.  And when this is over, we are so going to work on this memory thing of yours.  I need you whole again, Daniel.  We need you whole again!"

"Indeed," Teal'c intoned.

Sam just raised an eyebrow.

*           *           *

Twenty-four hours.

All right, it had taken two weeks and twenty four hours, but Jack had lived an entire life time in the last twenty-four hours.  He was going to have start borrowing lives from Daniel at the rate he was going through his own.

And he was still majorly pissed that he'd been forced to send Daniel into such a volatile situation to begin with.

One Earth day - and both Anubis' ship, and the weapon he had destroyed Abydos with - were history.

Their space monkey was back in one piece, thanks in no small part to Jonas, who'd taken a staff blast and very probably saved Daniel's life; though, privately, Jack considered it small repayment not only for Daniel's death, but the SGC's irreplaceable loss of Doctor Jackson. 

Okay, so they'd saved the Earth, and maybe the Universe, again; kept Anubis from getting his ascended hands on the naquadria; blown up his ass, not to mention his weapon and his ship; but the best part, as far as Jack was concerned, was they were getting rid of Quinn too. 

The new kid had been invited back to Kelowna to broker the alliances between the three warring factions.

Jack hadn’t been able to usher the interloper to the Gateroom fast enough.  He’d only refrained from tapping his foot impatiently during the long, excessively drawn-out good-byes exchanged between Jonas and the rest of his team, by watching Daniel's exhausted, but exhilarated, grin keep reforming every time he tried to wipe it off his face.

"So long, Jonas, drop us a line every now and then, through the Intergalactic Post Office."

"That would be Colonel O'Neill's way of saying keep intouch," Carter clarified, purposefully not looking at the Colonel.  "We'll miss you, Jonas.  Good luck with the negotiations."

Teal'c placed a hand over his heart in a Jaffa mark of respect.  "It is with regret I bid you farewell, Jonasquinn.  I wish you many happy returns from the fruits of your labor."

"Uh, kinda mixing your metaphors there, aren't you, Big Guy?"  O'Neill popped his neck with a twist of his head.

"Hey, thanks for the uh - you know - life saving thing back there."

"Sure, Dr. Jackson.  It was the least I could do."  Quinn unconsciously touched the bandages under his shirt.

Daniel glanced over as Jack loudly cleared his throat.

With some effort, the Colonel managed to refrain from uttering a caustic, ‘ya think?’ 

"General Hammond, sir."  The young alien touched a finger to his forehead in salute.  "Major Carter, Teal'c.  Colonel, Dr. Jackson.  It's been a pleasure.  Thanks for giving me sanctuary when I needed it."

"Jonas, you've been a valuable asset to the SGC, we're sorry to see you go.  But I know you'll be an even greater asset to your own planet's recovery.  Best of luck, son."

Jack thought he sensed relief from the General as well, though the man would never be so gauche as to let it show.

Handshakes all around and finally the interloper . . . uh . . . stop gap - okay, temporary replacement - was walking up the ramp, turning to lift a hand and finally - finally being sucked into the wormhole. 

Jack's sigh of relief was faintly echoed on his right, by the General, who failed to receive his fair share of the nasty looks zinged at him by his teammates, Daniel included.

"Well done, SG-1!" the General boomed proudly, grinning unabashedly at each of them in turn.  "We'll debrief tomorrow at 0800:00 hours."

Jack tilted his head.  "You mean we don't even get to sleep in, after saving the world - yet again - sir?"

"Very well, Colonel, 0900:00.  Dr. Jackson, are you all right?"

"Fine, sir.  Just tired."

"Good.  Good.  Well, then, you're dismissed, SG-1, until 0900:00 hours tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to the full debrief."

"Yes, sir.  Thank you, sir.  Permission to take my team home, sir."

"Of course, I'll see you all in the morning."

"Goodnight, sir."

"General Hammond." Teal'c inclined his head.

Jack elbowed Daniel. 

"Huh?  Oh.  Nite, sir."

"Right.  Teal'c.  Carter.  Get your jammies and your toothbrushes, I don't know that mine will fit either of you, and come on.  We're all going to my place."  Jack took Daniel by the arm.  "Daniel and I are going to change.  We'll meet you in the parking lot."

"You know, Jack, maybe Sam and Teal'c just want to go back to their own places and relax." 

Daniel let himself be towed along behind Jack, not really understanding why he was letting himself be towed, other than he was too tired to fight it. 

"I didn't get the impression they were quite as glad as you to see Quinn leave.  They might need time to process all the stuff we've just been through."  He glanced over his shoulder at Sam and Teal'c trailing behind.

"Yeah, and I want us to process it together, like we used to after a mission.  Especially after a successful-beyond-our-wildest-dreams mission.  It's been awhile since we've had one of those."

Carter's eyes widened in surprise.  "It has, hasn't it?  I kind of forgot what it feels like to be this elated."

"Yeah?"  Jack grinned.  "Now what would be the difference?"

Three pairs of eyes zeroed in on their civilian teammate. 

Since they'd stopped and he wasn't being towed anymore, Daniel had slumped against the nearest wall.  "What?"

"Indeed, O'Neill, you are correct.  I will retrieve my jammies and toothbrush and meet you at the surface."

"Yes, sir, me too."

"Excellent!  Come on, D.J., let's hit the showers."  The Colonel snagged the archeologist and started off again.

"Jack, either slow down, or let me go."  Daniel tugged his arm from Jack's loosened hold.  "Thank you."  He stopped in the middle of the hall and slumped over again, bracing his hands on his knees.  "I'll catch up." 

Sam and Teal'c surged around him, disappearing as they turned different directions at the intersection of hallways.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing's the matter.  I've just spent the last twenty-four hours in one of the tensest situations of my life, two or three solar systems away from Earth, trying to stay out of sight on an alien ship about to get blown out of the galaxy.  Maybe this is just a walk in the park for you guys, but it's going to take some getting used to again for me.  I'm beat."

"You were only on that ship a little over eight hours."

"Haven't we been gone more than eight hours?"

"S'okay," Jack patted him on the shoulder.  "We'll get you up to speed.  By the way, you did good up there.  Kept Carter and me from turning into toast, got Quinn back, found a way out."

"Jack, the only thing I did right was translating the technical engineering stuff."

"Ahh!"  Jack's finger went up.  "This is another bad habit we're going to break right off the bat.  I don't care if all you did was piggyback Jonas around that ship and do what he told you to do, which I know damn well wasn't the way it went down.  You did good.  Say thank you and come with - now."

"Thank you.  But . . ."

"Don't want to hear it, Daniel.  It's over, nobody died.  Okay, Anubis and his army kicked the bucket - for this we give thanks - and we lost a couple of Kelowan's and a few Jaffa."  Jack headed off down the hall again.  "SG-1 is all in one piece and relatively unscathed, which just might be a record for us.  So come on, Carter can't use the showers until we're done."

"Sam took a shower in the infirmary after Janet cleared her this afternoon."

"Good, then we only have to hurry because Carter and Teal'c are waiting for us.  Come on, come on."

Daniel sighed.  "Coming, Jack."

*           *           *

"Sam?"

"Hmm?"

"You're on my foot . . . I think . . . At least, I can't feel it anymore."

"Where's your foot?"  Sam patted the floor around her shoulder, found a sleeping-bag-padded-ankle, rolled over, and found his foot.  "Oh, here it is.  Sorry, Daniel.  Can you move it?"

"Not so much.  But, then, I can't move much of the rest of me either."

"You okay?"

"Think so.  You?"

"Pretty sure.  Headache."

"Oh, yeah.  From hell," Daniel commiserated, rolling over, sleeping bag and all.  "Any idea where Jack and Teal'c disappeared to?" he asked, voice muffled by the pillow he'd buried his head under.

"Huh?"  Sam sat up with a yawn.  "Oh.  I think I hear somebody in the kitchen."

"What time is it?"  Daniel reached up to pat the coffee table in search of his glasses.

"A little after 8:00 . . . It's after 8:00!  We have to be back on base in less than an hour!"  Contrarily, Sam flopped back down on her sleeping bag.

"What's the matter?"

"Head's spinning.  Think I'm going to throw up."  She scrambled up hurriedly, dashing for the nearest exit, which happened to be the front door. 

"Think I drank too much last night."  She stumbled back into the living room and dropped down on the couch.

"Good morning, campers!"  Jack sauntered in, large mugs of coffee in both hands.  "Carter, you must be the lucky recipient of the morning-after-badge-of-honor.  Daniel usually tosses his cookies long before daybreak."

"Did I leave the door open?"

"Just a smidge.  I kicked it shut on my way in here.  Coffee first?  Or aspirin with a coffee chaser?"

"Aspirin, please, sir."

"Daniel?"  O'Neill handed Carter one of the steaming mugs.

"Does this mean I have to get up?"  Daniel moved his head from under the pillow to on top of it.

"Well, if you want to do anything more than roll out of your sleeping bag and into the truck, you might want to think about getting up now."

"Why do we do this again?"

"Do what?  Celebrate?  Get stone cold drunk while celebrating?  Or are you perhaps referring to saving the universe on a daily basis?"

"All of the above."  Daniel reached up to grope for the cup of coffee Jack had plunked down on the coffee table.  "I need a bottle of extra strength."

"Carter?  You want a whole bottle too?  Or will a couple out of Daniel's do you?"

"Not sharing," Daniel groaned.  "What were we drinking last night?  I gotta remember to stay away from that stuff."

"Carter, you get the guest bathroom.  Daniel, use the shower in my bathroom.  Teal'c has pancakes about to come off the griddle.  Hurry if you want breakfast."

The linguist groaned again.  He pulled the pillow back over his head and debated the wisdom of rolling out of his sleeping bag into the truck.  That would give him at least another half hour before he had to get up.  He could always shower on base.

"Thanks, sir."  Sam took the aspirin Jack handed her, swallowing them with coffee.

Jack plucked the pillow off Daniel and smacked the extra-large bottle of extra-strength aspirin down on the coffee table next to the mug of coffee. 

"Considering you've only had this brand new body for a few weeks now, you might want to think about going a little easy on stuff like aspirin.  I know you took it by the handfuls before, but you might find the normal dose actually works this time around."

Sam got up, stepping carefully over Daniel, while trying not to slosh coffee on him.  "I think I left my bag somewhere around here last night."

"By the door." Jack took her by the shoulders, since once over Daniel, she'd closed her eyes again.  "That way."

"Thanks, sir,” she repeated.

"My pleasure, Carter.  Daniel, get up."

"Can't we call in sick today?"

"In the first place, you're not sick, you have a hangover.  From two drinks, mind you, which is another reason I suspect that virgin body of yours needs a little cautious bringing along.  In the second place, you work for Uncle Sam, so unless you're dying, you're at work.  And finally, we've still got tons of paperwork to do to bring you back from the dead.  If you want your back pay, you need to get it in gear."

"None of the above sounds like sufficient motivation to entice me to get up," Daniel mumbled, channeling his Jaffa friend as he pulled the pillow back over his head.

"If you don't get up now, Carter's going to use up all the hot water."

Daniel sighed, debating the merits of hot vs cold. 

"She can have it."  He had no plans to get in the shower.  "Not getting up until I'm sure I'm not going to barf like Sam."

"Sam did barf."

"Go away, Jack.  You're being annoying and my tolerance is at its lowest ebb right now."

"Oh, Dr. Jackson, you haven't begun to experience annoying yet this time around." 

Jack's footsteps receded from the living room and Daniel began to wonder if he shouldn't get up after all.  Some inner prompting was telling him he probably didn't want to experience Jack in full annoying mode.  The Colonel's dead-on mother grizzly bear impression was annoying enough. 

If he moved slowly – very slowly - and kept his eyes tightly closed, perhaps he could fool his body into thinking he wasn't really getting up.  Now there was an idea.  Except there was no fooling his body and he'd been upright for maybe ten seconds before he was following Sam's path to the door to barf in the bushes.

Tequila sunbursts, or sunrises, or whatever the hell those drinks had been, went straight to the top of his new list of things never to try again, right under ringing onto an alien ship with somebody he didn't know from Adam.  He was positive, what with this job he'd somehow acquired, and hanging around Jack, that list was going to grow by leaps and bounds in very short order.

So why did it feel so right, hanging off the doorjamb, trying to ignore the neighbors studiously ignoring him as they carpooled off to work?  Maybe they were used to people hanging out Jack's front door vomiting in the bushes. 

If last night was any indication of the way SG-1 usually celebrated 'victories of some significance' as Jack had announced with his first toast, the neighbors were probably used to the sight.  Daniel wiped his arm across his mouth, then wiped his arm on his sweat pants, and cautiously made his way back inside.

The mug of coffee and bottle of aspirin were waiting for him on the bathroom counter when he got out of the shower.

*           *           *

"Are you sure, Dr. Jackson?"  General Hammond was shaking his head in . . . disbelief wasn't the right word, because he believed every word the team had relayed during the mission debriefing.

No, not disbelief  . . . awe.  Even after seven years, they still occasionally managed to leave him in awe.

He was a bit concerned the little things that usually spoke so poignantly to Dr. Jackson's state of mind were missing this morning.  The tapping, twirling, turning, constantly-in-motion pen had remained at half mast in his hand, with one exception, when he'd scribbled a note to Colonel O'Neill on the legal pad in front of him. 

Jack had tilted his head to read it, looked at Daniel, then glanced at Teal'c and Major Carter, and shrugged. 

General Hammond was pretty fluent in SG-1ese, but this one had gone over his head.

There had been no fidgeting, no knee bouncing, no getting up for more coffee.  In fact, the full cup of coffee in front of the archeologist hadn't been touched.  He'd spoken only when directly addressed by one of his team members, and listened intently, with little or no expression, as they each gave detailed run downs on their end of the operation.

It was the linguist’s concluding statement, after a concise report of his harrowing sojourn with Quinn on the alien ship, that had the General concerned.

“Yes, sir, it’s quite probable Anubis is alive."

"What?"  Jack exclaimed, turning to look at Daniel with patent disbelief.

"You're kidding!"  Sam echoed the Colonel.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow.

The General exchanged a concerned glance with O'Neill.

"Ra is the only one we killed that stayed dead.  We'd thought we'd killed Hathor; how many times did we kill Apophis?  I take that back, Ammonet stayed dead.  Didn't we kill Her'uer more than once?"

"Sokar stayed dead," Sam spoke up.  "And Seth."

Daniel shrugged.  "Okay, you're right.  So the odds are actually better than I thought.  Four out of seven, that I remember, have stayed dead.  I just have a bad feeling about Anubis."

"Daniel, nobody got off that ship."

"We don't know that, Jack.  Can't know that for sure."

"Even if Anubis managed to live through it," General Hammond stated calmly, "he is powerless to do anything any time soon.  His army was destroyed.  Between your team and the Goa'uld, you all turned his ship and his super weapon into future star material.  Dr. Jackson, what harm do you think he could still do us?"

"I agree, nothing right away, sir.  But don't underestimate the fact he was ascended.  It's possible, since he had no physical body to begin with, the essence of him remains.  I don't believe we're finished with him, sir."

"I'm just curious." Jack leaned back in his chair, propping his chin in his hand.  "When did you remember all this stuff about Ra and Hathor and Apophis?"

Now the pen began to tap rapidly against the legal pad in front of him.  "I've done a lot reading in the past couple of weeks, so the knowledge was there.  But something happened yesterday . . ." Daniel trailed off, closing his eyes.

"While you were on the ship?"  Sam exclaimed.

The linguist shrugged again.  "I don't know if it was the situation, or the ship, or the Goa'uld, but something about it really opened the flood gates."

"Seriously?  Everything's back?"

"No.  There are still big gaps between what I know and what I actually remember."  He opened his eyes, his glance flitting around the table.  "But it really has nothing to do with this meeting.  Shouldn't we talk about this later?"

"Dr. Jackson, if your returning memory leads you to believe we may yet have to deal with Anubis, it has every thing to do with this debriefing, son."

"And why didn't you tell us this last night?"  Jack demanded.

"Was there a time I was capable of speaking coherently last night?"  Daniel inquired, meeting Jack's gaze levelly.

"You could have told me on the way home."

"I was a little shell-shocked, not to mention exhausted."

Come to think of it, Daniel had been very quiet on the ride home.  Jack supposed he was getting used to this quieter Daniel.  It hadn't even occurred to him yesterday their old archeologist would have been talking his ear off as he wound down.  

"So what do you remember?"

"You want the play by play, or just the highlights?  It could take awhile if you want me to start back at birth.  Or maybe you're just looking for what I've remembered from the last seven years."

Carter jumped in soothingly.  "Can you hit the highlights of what happened to you, specifically yesterday, on the ship?"

Daniel rolled a shoulder.  "Sir, would you mind if I just put it in my written report?  A lot of it's still jumbled and putting it down in writing will help me sort through some of it."

"Of course, see that all your teammates get copies of your mission report as well.  I'd like those on my desk before you leave, people."  General Hammond rose, signaling the end of the debriefing.  "Again, congratulations on an excellent job, SG-1.  Dr. Jackson, I'd appreciate it if you could validate your conclusions.  Do some research for me, would you?  See if you can find any precedent for this kind of thing."

"Yes, sir.  With all due respect," Daniel rarely spoke military, so when he did it garnered attention.  "The information we have on the Ancients is sketchy at best.  It's possible there's information in something I wasn't able to translate prior to ascending, but we don't seem to have much on them, period.  I can look, but this isn't the kind of thing you're going to find on the internet.  If I do find anything, it's likely to be by sheer luck.  However, sir, I know I'm right." 

He felt it clear to his bones.  And when Dr. Jackson knew he was right, he was immovable, even by a length of two-by-four.

"Perhaps if we were to return to the planet, Kheb, Danieljackson.  Were there not innumerable walls of information in that temple where you first met Oma Desala?"

Daniel jumped like he'd been hit with a bolt of lightening as the memory of Kheb and his first contact with his mentor surged to the forefront.  "Yes!  There might be something there.  That might be the answer, sir!"

Hammond paused at the head of the table.  "Good thought, Teal'c.  Let's schedule a mission to Kheb early next week." 

Curiosity had him glancing toward the note on Dr. Jackson's legal pad. 

Smiling he added, "You've been hard at this for weeks now, people.  As soon as your reports are turned in, consider yourselves on stand down until Monday.  I don't want to see any of you anywhere near the Mountain.  Teal'c, go see your family.  Or all of you go fishing.  That's an order.  Dismissed, SG-1." 

General Hammond exited the board room feeling much better about his lapse in SG-1ese; the note had read - Can I go back to bed when this is done?

They sat blinking at each other for several moments, surprised by the brusquely delivered order.  It was not unusual to spend weeks preparing for a mission of this magnitude. 

Sure, there'd been the added stress of Daniel's reintegration and coping with his memory loss, but any drawbacks from working around that had been relegated to the status of - who cares, he's back.  In any case, it had been his descension and return that had put them on this path.  Without his new interpretation of the tablet, none of this would have happened.

Slightly bewildered, they all rose, heading out to the hallway and down toward the elevator.  Jack swiped his card through the reader, the doors opened, and they filed on silently. 

"Everybody going to eighteen?" 

He stabbed the button and the doors swished closed, leaving them staring at their feet, or alternatively, the ceiling. 

Today the elevator whisked them up the nine stories to their offices faster than Jack could ask, "Any bright ideas on how we should spend our down time?  No?  Me either.  Okay, let's reconvene in Daniel's office when we're all done with reports.  We'll think of something.  Think Hammond would let us go off-world?  I'm thinking I'd like to revisit P6X 787."

"The tropical planet, sir, with those gorgeous beaches?"

"Yeah, that one, although we could just head for Acapulco.  The accommodations would probably be better.  Anyway, think about it, guys." 

They filed off the elevator, Sam and Teal'c peeling off to their separate destinations.

"Jack, I should probably stick around here.  I've got lots of personal stuff I need to take care of that's difficult to get done while we're working.  And I've got stacks of stuff to go through; cards and things people gave me.  I need to write notes.  I could really use the time."

"First of all, General Hammond just ordered us out of the Mountain.  What's on your desk, stays on your desk.  And we can always come in late, or leave early next week to take care of personal stuff.  For that matter, if it comes down to it, you can just take my truck."  Jack made shooing motions.  "Go on.  We'll talk about it later."

"Jack . . ."

"Oh, for cryin’ out loud, lighten up, Daniel.  Let's just keep our options open for now, okay?"

"I don't want to go anywhere.  No, wait.  I'm not going anywhere.  I want to get these things done.  I want to get my life back together again.  Go to P6X whatever, or go to Acapulco with Sam and Teal'c.  I'm. Staying. Here."

Jack heaved a sigh.  "Damn, you’re as stubborn as ever aren't you?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

Jack rolled his eyes.  "Never mind.  We'll stay home and put you back together, Humpty Dumpty."

"I don't need you to stay and hand hold, Jack.  I'm perfectly capable of doing this by myself."

"Not going to happen.  Catch you in a few."  Jack sauntered off to his own office, leaving the archeologist standing in front of his lab door.

For a moment Daniel leaned his forehead against the cool metal, then swiped his card though the reader, opened the door and closed it behind himself. 

He needed to concentrate in order to get his thoughts in some kind of order and that required coffee.  He started a new pot, turned on the computer and began scrolling through the information in his head as he mindlessly poured a cup and sat down at the keyboard.  This was going to take awhile.  Inhaling the scent of the fortifying caffeine, Daniel cautiously sipped the hot, black brew and settled in for the duration.

In the back of his mind, he kept expecting Jack to come banging on his door demanding to know why he wasn't done yet.  So he was surprised to find himself still alone and undisturbed when he finally saved and printed the file - seven cups of coffee and three hours later.  He closed the document, opened his e-mail and sent it off to his three teammates. 

It was standard operating procedure that Jack got copies of all their mission reports.  The only unusual thing here was being directed to send his report straight to Sam and Teal'c as well. 

He rose, stretching thankfully, and took the copy from the printer, mildly surprised again, when he made it all the way to Hammond's office without running into his C.O.  With General Hammond's renewed thanks still echoing in his ears, he ambled back down the hall, deep in thought.

"Hey."  Sam strode off the elevator, bumping his shoulder in a friendly manner when he didn't acknowledge her greeting.  "Earth to Daniel?"

"Oh . . . Hey."  Daniel shook his head.  "Sorry.  You just finishing, too?"

"Yep.  Dropping off the General's copy.  You done?"

"Just left mine."

"Great.  I've got a few things to finish up in the lab.  See you in yours in a few?"

"Uh, Sam?  I need to talk to Jack.  It may take more than a few minutes.  Mind if we come to your lab instead?  When I'm done?"

"Sure.  No problem.  Want me to let Teal'c know too?"

"Would you?  Thanks."  Daniel smiled.  "See you in a bit."

"Hey?  You okay?"

Daniel gnawed his lip.  "Actually, I think I will be.  Sam?"  He shoved his hands in his pockets. 

She tilted her head inquiringly. 

"Just - I don't know . . . thank you."

Not caring who saw them, or what rumors were likely to get started if they did, Sam pulled him into a full body hug.  She sighed in bliss when he immediately hugged her back just as hard and drew back to grin at him. 

"You're more than welcome.  It's so good to have you back!"

"Even with all my bad habits?"

"Only you would ever ask that question without it being a bid for compliments."  Sam hugged him again and let him go.  "I sincerely hope every fault and foible is still intact.  I told you before, Daniel, I adore you just the way you are.  Go talk to the Colonel."  She swiped her card for the elevator since it appeared he couldn't find his again.  "Teal'c and I will wait for you in my lab."

"Really, Sam, thanks."

Sam smiled, winked, and waved him on to the elevator.  "Later."

Two minutes later Daniel raised his hand to knock on the closed office door of Colonel Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neill.  He hesitated, then firmly rapped his knuckles against the steel.

"Come."

Daniel opened the door and stepped in, closing it behind himself and leaning back against it.

It was a moment before Jack glanced over.  An eyebrow went up in inquiry.

"You're busy."

"Just a little FYI . . ." The Colonel took a moment to complete the line he was typing.  "Anytime you actually track me down in my office, I'm busy," he added, swiveling around in his chair.

"Oh . . . well . . . If it’s important, I can come back later."

Jack leaned back, propping his chin on his hand. 

"Do I need to paint you a picture?  Anytime you find me in my office, I'm doing important stuff.  See, I don't like being in my office.  I avoid it as much as possible.  Want to know why?  I hate doing important stuff, because important stuff almost always involves paperwork and there's nothing I detest more than paperwork.  Not even the Goa'uld.  So, yeah, I'm doing important stuff.  What do you want?"

"Uh . . . it's not important, it can wait.  I'll come back." Daniel twisted the doorknob behind his back.

Jack's barked, "Daniel!  Sit!" cut off his retreat. 

"It was important enough for you to hunt me down.  I can't remember the last time that happened.  In fact," the Colonel mused, "I wasn't even aware you knew where my office was."

"Very funny."  Daniel sat, despite feeling like a puppy called to heel.

"I'm serious; you always made me come to you before.  So what's on your mind?"

Daniel squirmed uncomfortably.  Now that he was here, he wasn't quite sure how to tackle the subject. 

"Uhm . . . are you still working on your report?"

"Almost done.  Does this have something to do with yours?"

"No.  Well . . . " The archeologist ran a hand over his face.  "Sort of . . . maybe . . . I guess."

Enjoying the uncharacteristic confusion, Jack merely waited.  Daniel rarely ever floundered like this. 

"It's just . . . look, it's really no big deal, I just wanted to talk to you about some things I remembered."

"Okay.  If it can wait a few minutes, I'll finish up and you can go with me to drop it off.  Then we can go up to the top if you want."

“Sure.”

Daniel's smile of relief was a beautiful thing.

As he turned back to his keyboard, Jack made a mental note to reassure Daniel frequently.  The kid had never really internalized the significance of his contribution to the team.  He wanted to make sure this time around, Daniel understood how much they all valued him and not just for his contributions.

He’d wasted a lot of time staring at the memo-covered cork board above his computer, imagining the different scenarios that could have played out over the last forty-eight hours, all of them ending up with their teammate dead again.

He had never doubted he and Carter could hold up their end of that crazy scenario she'd outlined in the briefing room two weeks ago.  He'd never really doubted Teal'c would move heaven and Earth to make sure the Goa'uld would be there to finish the job SG-1 had started. 

But doubt, and guilt, had eaten another large hole in his soul that he hadn't found some way to make certain Daniel was kept out of the fray.  Or perhaps, more truthfully, his acidic guilt had enlarged the original hole burned into his conscience with ascended Daniel's disappearance after Abydos.

Daniel had nothing on him when it came to guilt, except Jack reserved his guilt for not protecting his family.  There was no question in his mind he did his best to protect the universe, even sacrificing his 'family' when necessary.  It was the fact he could, with little or no deliberation, sacrifice his family, that ate at him. 

In Jack O'Neill's code of conduct book, you did what had to be done and lived with the consequences.  However, since the destruction of Abydos, he'd been finding it harder and harder to stomach the consequences. 

Now, with Daniel back, retiring was no longer an option.  There was no way he'd hold the kid back from going through the Gate.

Daniel lived for Gate travel.  New/old cultures around every corner, phenomenal ruins, indescribably fascinating aliens to meet and greet . . . No, there was no way he was going to keep Daniel desk bound.  Nor would he consider consigning his 'kids' to somebody who was incapable of looking after them the way he did.

Nope, seven years ago, that energy blast on Abydos that had killed Daniel, had fried his own circuitry.  In the blink of an eye, every disconnected Charlie synapse in his brain had been rewired to the archeologist.  It hadn't taken long for one mouthy, female scientist to hardwire herself into his brain as well.  And while Teal'c had never needed his 'protection', he still fell under the umbrella of Jack's kids. 

He couldn't turn them over to someone else now even if they offered him the opportunity to resurrect Charlie.  He'd been inordinately surprised to realize that, and had suffered through an insidious bout of guilt until it had occurred to him that Carter, Teal'c, and Daniel were as much his kids as Charlie had ever been.  Fruit of his loins they were not, but the intensity of the lifestyle they shared and the sheer amount of time they spent together, had forged ties very few genetic families ever achieved. 

The fact that he could put his team in the same category as his son in no way lessened what Charlie had meant to him, it merely confirmed even a hardass military colonel like Jack O'Neill could be human after all.

Jack hit the print key. 

"Okay, let's go."  He rose and collected Hammond's copy of his report.  "We should let Carter and Teal'c know where we're going, in case they coming looking for us."

"Sam knows.  She offered to track down Teal'c."

"Good.  Then we're off . . . like a herd of turtles."

Signing out at the guard desk, they meandered up the worn path to the top of the mountain where a spacious area had been leveled and cleared, then rustically landscaped to provide an oasis for the Mountain employees needing fresh air. 

It was chilly, still, despite the bright sunshine pouring into the clearing.  Not a single cloud marred the sparkling view of downtown Colorado Springs spread out at the foot of the mountain. 

Jack stretched his long, lean length back against a picnic table, digging in the heels of his boots and wrapping his arms across his chest. 

Daniel began to pace, but not to talk. 

Drawing on unknown reserves, Jack waited, yet again, for the unusually silent archeologist to spill whatever it was this time.  A smile twitched the corners of his mouth just as Daniel shot him a questioning look.

"What?"

"What what?"

"What are you grinning about?"  Daniel slowed his footsteps, but continued to pace, though a little less frantically.

Jack shrugged.  "Hey, I've got lots to grin about today.  Would going down the list help get you started?"

"Sure."

"Quit stalling.  What's on your mind?"

Daniel stopped and shoved his glasses to the top of his head, digging the heels of both hands into his eyes.  He dragged his fingers down his face with a sigh and resumed pacing again. 

"You remember the last night I woke up with that nightmare?

O'Neill inclined his silver head, keeping his eyes on Daniel as he nodded.  "Umm huh."

"I can't promise to let you beat the crap out of me, but I'm ready to take this to the gym."

"I didn't say it would end up in the gym, only that I couldn't promise it wouldn't," Jack reiterated smugly.

Daniel stopped pacing and crossed his arms over his chest as well, only on Daniel, it was because he was uncertain and slightly defensive. 

"Okay, want to tell me why you were pissed at me?  I think I know," he rushed on, rolling his shoulders.  "And I don't blame you.  It hurt when you let me go without even an argument, Jack."

Jack growled softly.  "I let you go because you asked me to.  And I was pissed as hell that you would even ask me.  My God!  It was like putting the gun in my hand and asking me to shoot you."

Daniel turned away and was instantly, roughly, swung back by Jack's hand on his shoulder.  He was a little surprised the Colonel could still move that fast. 

"Oh, no you don't.  You're going to hear this and I'm going to listen to how bad I hurt you, and then we're going to put it away.  But, Daniel, we both have to hear this." 

With a painful intake of breath, Daniel's eyes rose back up to Jack's.  His jaw clenched as he ground out, "You first."

Jack dropped his hand, but refused to move out of Daniel's space, refused to let the archeologist break eye contact again. 

"I'm going to tell you what I remember, okay?  Obviously this is my interpretation of what happened.  Yours may be different.  But that doesn't invalidate either interpretation.  Agreed?"

Daniel nodded, not trusting himself to speak.  He'd been very thankful last evening to get roaring drunk, even if it had only taken two drinks to get him there.  He had no idea what had triggered the memories, perhaps Jack's voice in his ear piece, maybe just the situation, but with Jack's insistent voice ringing in his ear, memories of NID fiascos, Edora, the Enkarans had begun to filter back.  Hazy at first, but with increasing intensity as weariness shaded to exhaustion, and exhaustion gave way to lethargy, so it became harder and harder to concentrate, to move his aching limbs forward, to find Jonas and ring down off that damn ship. 

Pretty much everything after finding Quinn was a jumbled, blurry mess of impressions.  The memory he would take away from this mission was the returned memory he’d belated realized he could have happily lived without for the rest of his life.  He owed Jack the opportunity to say his piece and then he intended to strike it from his own memory again, as best he could. 

Blue eyes met brown.

Searching for the right words, never his best forte, Jack began slowly.  "We were all there . . . at the end . . . Carter, Teal'c, Hammond, Doc Frasier and myself.  Jacob too.  Do you remember Carter trying to use the healing device? . . . No?  Just as well, since it only made things worse.  Anyway, she’d SOS'd her dad in hopes of at least borrowing enough time to sort through other alternatives.  So I'm watching Selmak with the healing device and all of a sudden you're standing at my shoulder asking me to tell him to stop." 

Jack stopped and waited for the rock blocking his air passages to shrink. 

"You came to me because you trusted me to make the right choice.  On one hand you were offering me absolution:  Jack, make this right for me this one last time and I forgive you for all the stupid choices you've made previously.  On the other hand, you were punishing me for all my stupid choices by making me pull the trigger.  At least with Charlie it was a sin of omission.  You made this a sin of commission, Daniel."  Jack raised an eyebrow.  "I have no doubt when my time comes I'll be spending several years in a purgatory of my own making, I have lots of sins to atone for.  None of them hurt the way this one did."

"Trust," Daniel murmured, when Jack silently indicated he was done.  "Who knew what burden it could be."

"Ah, Danny . . ."

"No, Jack.  I never really realized, until now, how much of a burden that can be.  I trust you implicitly - now trust me back."

"Daniel," Jack sighed, "someone's trust is always a rare and precious gift.  Very few people manage to give it unconditionally like you did.  Carter, Teal'c and me?  We've never given you our unconditional trust.  Remember Machello?  Both times?  Euronda?  The Enkarans?  I could go on . . ."

"No," Daniel said again, "you did give me unconditional trust.  All of you.  You trusted me to put away my pacifist nature when necessary.  You trusted me to shoot when words didn't work.  You trusted that I would trade away pieces of my soul to be what you needed me to be.  And in return I trusted that you, all of you, but especially you, Jack, would be there to hold the remaining pieces of me together.  I could be what you needed me to be, as long as you were willing to be the glue.  Was I too needy?  Too emotionally destitute?  Did I ask you to fill too many roles in my life, Jack? . . . By the time Oma came along an offered me a new path, I was ready to let go, one or the other.  I was too soul sick to hang on anymore."

After a moment, when Daniel did not go on, Jack strolled back over to the picnic table. 

"The fact remains, even when you were laying in that bed, layered in quantities of gauze just to keep your outsides in, doped to the max to try and give you at least a minimum of respite from pain, I know you would have stayed if I'd asked you to."

"I don't think so."  Daniel shook his head.  "I was beyond coping.  If you hadn't let me go, I would have chosen to die."  He scuffed the toe of his boot in the dirt.  "So . . . thank you . . . for giving me this second chance.  For coming through for me when I really needed you too, even though it hurt like hell at the time.  For being willing to do the Charlie thing all over again . . . for being the best friend a guy could have . . . ever."

"See, there you go again, handing over your heart like I'm going to take care of it! Daniel, I suck at this!"

The archeologist shrugged.  "I'm not asking you to take care of it this time.  I think I've finally figured out that's my job.  I could use a best friend again, though."

"I pretty much suck at that too."  Jack scowled.

"Difference of opinion here."

"Dammit, Daniel.  What else can I say to make you understand -"

"Nothing," Daniel cut him off quietly.  "There's nothing you can say that will make me think any less of you.  And please note, I didn't ask for forgiveness.  I said, thank you."

Jack looked up again, meeting the gaze settled expectantly on his face. 

"Huh," he huffed.  "Well, then, I'm not either."

"Good, because there's nothing to forgive.  Can we go back in now?  I'm getting cold."  Daniel rubbed his hands briskly up and down his arms.

"Are we through with this topic?"  Jack rose from the picnic table and headed back toward the path, confidently slinging an arm around his best friend's shoulders.  "Because I don't want this to come back and bite me in the ass again, twenty years from now, ya know."

"Is that your subtle way of letting me know you're going to let me hang around for at least that long?"

"Yeah, sure, you betcha.  We can do this re-evaluation thing again in another twenty years.  You good with that?"

"Yeah, sure, you betcha," Daniel responded, without a trace of sarcasm.

From his pocket, Jack pulled a small circle of woven fishing line.  "Don't get any ideas here.  It's not like I'm asking you to marry me or anything, but I wanted you to have something more substantial than thread to represent SG-1.  I thought about waiting until Carter and Teal'c were around, because they're part of this too, Daniel.  We're all in this together.  But now seems to be the right time." 

He held out the intricately woven ring on his palm. 

"Will you trade me your thread for my fishing line?"  Will you let us be there with you when you make that ultimate leap of faith?

Daniel stopped, lifted his hand and bit through a piece of the thin filament wrapped around his finger.  He unwound a significant length of thread and handed it to Jack, sliding the stretchy bit of fishing line over his little finger in its place. 

"I can do that . . . now."  He rolled his eyes in Jack's direction as they continued on down the mountain, the Colonel’s arm again resting comfortably, and warmly, across his shoulders.  "And you said you don't do touchy feely well.  If I hadn't gotten a lot of those memories back, I'd think you were lying to me."

Jack just rolled his eyes.  "Yeah, well, don't tell anybody." 

They were half way down the mountain before Jack finally got out his most important question. 

"So, Daniel, I need to know . . . can you be happy here again?  After giving up all that meaning-of-life stuff?"

Daniel, hands shoved deep in his pockets, slowed his steps. 

"First of all, I didn't really give up any of that meaning of life stuff."  He glanced at his companion, saw the raised eyebrow and looked away.   "I think maybe the meaning-of-life stuff I've been looking for is here . . . in Colorado Springs," he qualified, "specifically Cheyenne Mountain."

"Oh," Jack nodded sagely, "the Stargate.  Yeah, I can see how that might be your meaning-of-life stuff, even though being energy you didn't need a Stargate."

"Yeah," Daniel agreed, "the Stargate."  He stopped and turned, pulling out from under Jack's arm.  "I'm not much better at this touchy feely stuff than you are, Jack," he began, again scuffing a boot in the gravel path.

"Yeah, right," Jack scoffed.  "Who's always trying to drag stuff out of us, hmmm?"

Daniel smiled.  "Uh huh.  I'd much rather drag stuff out of you than talk about my stuff."

For a long minute Jack just looked at him.  "Oh," he said finally, more than a little surprised at the truth of the statement.  "Too bad.  Shoe's on the other foot now."

 "Well . . ." Daniel turned to look out over the valley, "I guess I can tell you I think another one of the things I've finally figured out is that my meaning-of-life stuff revolves around people I love." 

He glanced up again to find Jack watching him with that half smile the Colonel occasionally got when he found something amusing.

"And?"  Jack inquired.  "So?"

"And . . . so what?"

"You still haven't answered my question."

"Which was?"

Jack folded his arms over his chest.  "Can you be happy here again?"

"Oh."  Daniel turned to continue on down the mountain.  "Yeah, I can . . . I am."  He glanced back over his shoulder at his C.O.  "You coming?"

"That's it?"  Jack didn't move.  "Yeah, I can?  I am?"

"Hey, I answered your question, didn't I?"

"Throw me a bone here, D.J.  How do you know?"

Daniel turned back, raised a hand to shade his eyes, and said simply, "You're here.  Sam's here.  Teal'c's here.  You happy now?"

"Yeah," Jack grinned.  "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Hey, Daniel?"  Jack fell instep with his friend again.

"Jack?"  Daniel fell easily into their routine.

"Welcome home." 

Hardwired?  Oh yeah – and damned glad of it, too. 

The End

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