|
Jack just grinned.
"Betcha don't think I'm crazy now..." he said. Daniel couldn't speak, he just gaped at the 'Gate. Finally, he began to speak, his words falling over themselves as his brain sped to try and formulate all the questions he wanted to ask. "What... I mean, how... where... can... What is... that doing here?" "If you want a closer look, Daniel, the door is over there - just take the stairs, it brings you out right by that door... But we haven't got long, so hurry it up!" Daniel turned to Jack with a quizzical expression on his face, a question forming, but his desire to get to touch the 'Gate itself won out. With a look that clearly said he wanted answers when he got back, Daniel sped out of the control room.
*************** In his haste to join the search teams returning to the planet, Daniel had not noticed Carter and Teal'c standing in the control room, watching the teams departure. As the wormhole closed, once the teams had gone through, Carter was still standing, staring at the 'Gate, gripping the folders that she was holding. "Captain Carter?" Teal'c's voice was close by, pitched low, so that only she would hear it. "Are you well?" What a question, Teal'c, Carter thought, of course I'm fine. My commanding officer is missing and I don't even bother to go back to the planet and help look for him, so why shouldn't I be fine? "You are worried about Colonel O'Neill." Not a question, a statement. "Yes," said Carter, "I am... and about Daniel too." "Daniel Jackson is confident that Colonel O'Neill will be found. He has been right before," Teal'c said. Memories of the Antarctic flashed in Carter's mind, memories of coming close, too close, to not making it. Daniel had been right then, had always believed that she and the colonel were still alive, had kept looking when everyone else had given up. So why do I think this time he's wrong? Carter wondered. Why can't I get so involved in searching for the colonel? "Let's just hope he's right again," was Carter's only response, before she headed from the room.
*************** What the hell is that thing doing here? Daniel wondered, as he ran down the stairs towards the embarkation room. He... Jack... knows more than he's telling, but everything he said before sounded so crazy... Daniel's thoughts ground to a halt as he entered the embarkation room - hesitantly, Daniel walked up the ramp, halting a short way from the 'Gate. Daniel was lost for words, finally face to face with the elusive Stargate. He had been dreaming of this moment since he had first heard rumours of the 'Gate's existence, a story passed down by the children and grandchildren of the labourers on the Giza dig. Daniel cautiously reached out to touch the metal of the 'Gate and was surprised to find that it was slightly warm, not cold and metallic as he had expected. "Naquada," said a voice behind him. "What...?" said Daniel, startled. "I'm sorry, did I make you jump? The 'Gate, it's made of a material called Naquada, can't get it here on Earth... that's 'cause the 'Gate isn't from round here..." said Jack, leaning casually against the railing of the ramp. Daniel turned to Jack with a serious expression on his face. "I think it's time you told me everything, Jack."
*************** "Let me get this straight..." Daniel said, a while later, "... you claim to come from another reality, where you got separated from your team on another planet. And I, I mean the Daniel Jackson of that reality, work with you..." Jack nodded. "You brought me here so I could see the 'Gate," Daniel said, waving a hand absent-mindedly towards the artifact in question, "and then decide if I wanted to go with you to another planet to see if the people there can help you get back where you should be..." "That just about covers it," said Jack. "You are crazy...." Knowing that words alone wouldn't convince Daniel, Jack got up from where he had been sitting on the ramp. As he left the 'Gate room, Jack spoke over his shoulder to Daniel. "Stay this side of that yellow line, Daniel, okay?" "What?" "Just do it..."
*************** "Ferretti?" said Daniel, some time later, as the search teams were nearing the ruined village. "What?" "What if we don't find him?" Daniel was concentrating on where he was walking when he spoke, but Ferretti could almost hear the cogs going round in Daniel's brain. Knowing how much Daniel relied on and trusted Colonel O'Neill, he decided the best way to deal with this question was as lightly as possible. "You saying my team can't handle this, Jackson?" Ferretti snarled, looking for Daniel to react. True to form, Daniel glanced up as soon as the words were spoken, a stunned expression on his face. Suddenly feeling guilty for mocking Daniel's need to know if his friend was okay, Ferretti hastily spoke again, in a quieter tone. "We'll find him, Daniel, if anyone can."
*************** Back in the control room, Jack began to boot up the computer system, glad for once of the hours he had been forced to spend there in the past. Now let's hope the scroungers haven't taken anything vital, Jack thought, as he punched in the coordinates for where he wanted to go.... Looking through the plexiglass screen, down into the 'Gate room, Jack was pleased to see that Daniel had done as he had asked, and was standing at the bottom of the ramp. He still looks like he wants to hug the 'Gate and not let go, thought Jack, with a smile. The computers began to work, and the generators began to kick in - a low rumble was the first warning of the 'Gate being activated. Jack saw Daniel glance around, as if looking for the source of the vibration. The outer ring of the 'Gate began to move as, one by one, the chevrons locked - all the time the rumbling became louder and louder, until the furniture that was still left in the 'Gate room began to jump slightly. Daniel was staring transfixed at the 'Gate, even as the wormhole formed. As he was standing slightly to one side of the ramp, Jack was convinced that he saw Daniel's jaw drop as the event horizon formed. He hesitated, clearly torn between his usual curiosity and a, till now, rather under-developed sense of self-protection. "You can touch it if you want," said Jack's voice over the loud-speaker system. Not waiting to see what Daniel did, Jack gathered together what little equipment he had with him and headed out of the control room, to the 'Gate. By the time Jack entered the embarkation room, Daniel was standing right by the event horizon of the wormhole, his hand outstretched, but not quite touching. Jack was struck by a sense of deja vu, remembering how he had seen the Daniel from his reality do just that on their very first mission together. Hurrying up the ramp to join Daniel, Jack spoke, "...it's decision time, Daniel. You've seen it, you know now that I was telling the truth... Come with me. There's nothing for you here, so what have you got to lose?" Daniel just looked at Jack, for once lost for words. "It's up to you, Daniel. I'm gonna go through now, follow me if you want, if not then go back to what you've got here. Whatever you decide, be happy, okay?" As he spoke the final words, Jack smiled at Daniel, then stepped into the wormhole.
*************** As he had expected, Teal'c found Captain Carter in the messhall, nursing what had probably once been a cup of coffee a couple of hours ago. Nodding at some of the other people there, Teal'c took a seat at the same table, and looked at Carter, waiting for her to speak. "Hey, Teal'c," she said absently, when she noticed he was there, at the same time rubbing one hand over her face as if trying to rub away her feelings, "you found me." "Indeed." "Any news from the search teams yet?" "They have reached the village, but thay have yet to find any trace of Colonel O'Neill," said Teal'c. "Well, at least Daniel's there...," Carter continued, as if she hadn't heard what the Jaffa had said, "...who knows what he would be like if he was here. He'd be driving us up the wall, I bet." "You are experiencing guilt," said Teal'c abruptly, "You feel that you should be there, on the planet." "Of course I should," said Carter suddenly, "what am I doing here? I can't do any work, all I can think about is where the colonel is, if he's injured, or being held prisoner, or even..." Carter's voice stumbled on the word, as if she was unwilling to speak it in case uttering the word itself would cause the thing she named to happen. "Colonel O'Neill is very resourceful," said Teal'c calmly. "I know," said Carter, with a sigh, "...it's just... when we were in the Antarctic, I know that Daniel didn't give up, that he kept on looking for us when everyone else thought we would never be found... " Carter's voice began to shake slightly, and she paused, pulling herself together. "At least then I felt that I was doing all I could, to try and get us back here... but now, I feel so useless."
*************** Jack stepped out into a familiar-looking world. Good thing I remembered these co-ordinates, he thought, out of all the planets we've 'Gated to over the years. He turned to look back at the wormhole, waiting to see if he had been followed. As the seconds ticked by, a cold feeling began to grip Jack's heart. Well, looks like Daniel's made his decision, Jack thought, turning away from the 'Gate to walk down the stone steps. "J..J..Jack," said a voice behind him. It was Daniel, teeth chattering, glasses covered in a thin layer of ice, standing just this side of the event horizon as it disengaged. Daniel's always expressive face showed a degree of surprise at what he had just experienced. "Sorry, Daniel," Jack said, pulling a spare pullover from his rucksack and handing it to the obviously-frozen archaeologist, "...maybe I should have prepared you for that!" "Wh... whatever you told me," said Daniel, "it wouldn't have been enough!" Suddenly, as though his brain kicked into a higher gear, Daniel took a proper look for the first time at their surroundings. "Where are we, anyway? This isn't Colorado..." "Nope. Not Kansas either," Jack said, grinning at Daniel's confusion. Before Jack could begin to answer Daniel's question, he heard a shout, swiftly followed by an explosion that was too near for comfort. Grabbing Daniel's arm, Jack pulled Daniel with him down into the small amount of cover that there was near the 'Gate. What the hell? thought Jack, as he tried to see who was attacking them, only to recognize with a sinking feeling the advance of three Jaffa towards the 'Gate. "We've got to get out of here, Daniel. Haven't got time to explain, " Jack gasped, ducking as the next shot was too close for comfort, "but those guys are bad news..." Daniel turned terrified eyes in Jack's direction. I keep forgetting, this Daniel hasn't been through anything like this before, Jack thought. "Follow me, Daniel, and keep close!" Jack began to move from their relatively secure position in cover near the 'Gate, heading for the trees nearby. "RUN!" Jack shouted, taking off for the tree-line, the ragged sound of Daniel's breathing reassuring him that Daniel was hot on his heels. As Jack jinked towards the trees, he felt rather than saw the Jaffa coming even closer. Each shot from their blast-weapons was getting closer, and the two men were covered with dirt and debris as the shots hit the ground beside and behind them. Finally Jack reached the trees, and threw himself behind a fallen tree-trunk before he turned to look for Daniel, who was labouring towards him, Jaffa gaining with every step. Without thinking of the consequences, Jack emerged from his hiding place, in an attempt to distract Daniel's pursuers, a trick that seemed to work. Concentrating their fire on where Jack was standing, waving his arms and shouting to get their attention, a blast hit the trunk on which the colonel was perched, sending him flying into the undergrowth. "JACK!" Daniel screamed. "I'M OKAY!" Jack shouted back, "GET INTO SOME COVER!" As he tried to recover his breath from where he had hit the ground, Jack was aware of the cautious approach of the Jaffa hunting party. Here goes nothing, Jack thought, standing again. "ANTAEUS! HELP US!" Jack shouted. Jack saw the cruel smiles on the Jaffa as they came within shooting distance - out of the corner of his eye, he saw Daniel staring at him in shock. Then everything went black.
*************** "Time to go back, Daniel," said Ferretti, in a quiet voice. Sighing, Daniel nodded - turning to take a last look at the village, as the search teams gathered together to return to the 'Gate, Daniel felt his eyes begin to sting slightly. Never thought it would end like this, Jack, he thought sadly. Realising all eyes were upon him, waiting, with unexpected sympathy for his loss, for him to be ready to leave this place, Daniel turned resolutely from the broken down settlement where he had lost his friend. "Let's go home," he said.
*************** When the light came back, Jack and Daniel were standing in a clearing, and they were not alone. Facing them was a small man in a long pink overshirt, his hair white and wispy, and seemingly with a life of its' own. "Antaeus," said Jack, with a smile, "I am so glad to see you." The small man looked at Jack quizzically, an expression which was mirrored by the look on Daniel's face. For a moment, Jack was uncertain as to who he should make explanations first. "I'm going to keep talking, Daniel," said Jack, "to give Antaeus here a chance to learn our language. Last time we met he didn't take too long, so we'll be able to see if he can help me very soon..." "You've been here before?" asked Daniel. "A while back," Jack said, "one of the early missions... This planet belongs to the Nox, they... well, they're full of surprises! Don't be misled by the way they look..." Turning back to Antaeus, Jack continued, "...I hope you're well, Antaeus. How are Opher, Lya and Nefrayu?" Looking intently at the small man standing before him, Jack was sure that he saw a reaction at the familiar names. "I've been here before, Antaeus, except that it wasn't this reality. I know that sounds strange, to say the least, but when I met the Nox in my reality, they had the kind of technology that might be able to help me. I know you have the technology to control the 'Gate, and help me get back, if you want to use it." No reaction. "Are you sure this is the right place, Jack?" asked Daniel. "It is..." said Antaeus. "Can you... will you help me?" "What is it you want from us?" asked Antaeus. "The 'Gate on my planet is protected by a device we call an Iris, it stops the wormhole connecting properly unless a code is sent. I've got a transmitter, but by now the codes will be different, as they are changed regularly, so I can't use it," Jack said, hoping he was explaining his situation clearly enough. "I've seen," Jack continued, "Lya controlled the 'Gate, stopping the Iris from closing. If you can help me get back to my reality, then the Iris has to be open for me to return there." Antaeus thought for a moment, before making a gesture towards Jack and Daniel.
*************** When the 'Gate opened, returning the search teams to the SGC, and Daniel stepped through, the expression on his face told the results of their search all too clearly. Even from where she was standing in the control room, Carter could see the sadness on Daniel's face, telling her all she needed to know. Without thinking, she hurried to the embarkation room, slipping between the search teams leaving the room at the same time, looking for her team-mate. Carter tried to think what she would say to Daniel. Any words she could use could never be enough, never express her understanding of this loss, not just to Daniel but to all of them. In the end, there were no words. One of the last people leaving the ramp, Ferretti's hand still resting on his shoulder in wordless sympathy, Daniel's face began to twist slightly when he saw Carter standing there, waiting for him. That alone made words unnecessary. Carter pulled Daniel into a hug, surprising Ferretti, that was easy to tell from the expression on his face. As Daniel tried not to cry, Carter could feel him trembling, and her own feelings of guilt and sadness were almost overwhelmed by a need to comfort her friend, to help him deal with his own sadness and, as a result, her own.
*************** Suddenly they were in the Nox village. "What the...?" gasped Daniel, "How....?" Jack just grinned, to hide the fact that he too was impressed. This was, after all, not the first time that he had been there, but the village and its' inhabitants still amazed him. "Sit. Eat." Antaeus gestured towards a row of small seats, around a table loaded with bowls of fruit. "Come on Daniel," said Jack, almost having to pull Daniel with him, as he was too engrossed with trying to look at everything all at once. Even as Jack was pulling him towards the seats, Daniel's head was almost spinning in an attempt to take it all in. "It's not going anywhere, Daniel, let's have some food." Daniel sat, obediently, still gaping at everything around him - Jack thought that Daniel's eyes would pop out when Lya and Nefrayu appeared from a nearby hut. "Have some fruit, Daniel," said Jack, pressing a blue hairy object into Daniel's unresponsive hand, with a grin at his friend's expression. Some time later, Daniel had overcome his amazement, and was obviously deep in conversation with Lya. Jack sat and watched Daniel with pleasure, noting how he was beginning to look relaxed and happy for the first time since they had met. "Antaeus," said Jack, turning to the Nox, "I have something else to ask you..." The smaller man looked up at Jack inquiringly, before offering him another piece of fruit. "No, no more fruit, thank you... It's about Daniel," Jack said, glancing over to see if Daniel was paying any attention, which he was not. "He... I would like to ask if he can stay here, with you. There is nothing for him back in his world, and I'm sure he would like to learn from you, learn your ways..." Jack ground to a halt, as Antaeus continued to look at him. "Please?" "If he wishes it..." said Antaeus, simply. "Oh, I think he will..."
*************** Jack was resting in the shade of one of the huts when he became aware of someone standing over where he was lying. Shading his eyes, in an attempt to block out the sunlight and make sense of the shadows before him, Jack realised it was Daniel. "Hey." "Jack." "Have the Nox reached a decision yet?" Jack asked. "Yes." Jack scrambled up from where he had been lying, brushing the soil and twigs from his clothing. For some reason, it felt important that he be as presentable as possible to meet this 'committee'. Daniel's tone had given no indication of which way the Nox's decision had gone, if he even knew.... Crossing the encampment to where the Nox were gathered, Jack tried to read their faces, to get an inkling of whether they had decided to help him or not, to send him home or condemn him.... to what? Nope, still as inscrutable as ever, he thought, shrugging. "We will help you," Antaeus said, as the two men reached him. Just like that? No lengthy reasons? Jack thought, ...should have expected that from the Nox! "You should go now." Antaeus said, gesturing for Jack to accompany him. "Where are we going now, Jack?" Daniel asked, quietly, as they found themselves, with Antaeus and Lya, back at the 'Gate. "Not we... Daniel... I don't know how to say this but..." "....I can't go with you," Daniel concluded. "There's nothing in my world for you, Daniel - believe me, one Daniel Jackson per world is quite enough!" Jack said, trying to grin despite the lost expression that was appearing on Daniel's face. "What about me? I left everything I had, followed you here, and now...?" "Stay here, Daniel. Stay with the Nox. They have hidden depths, there's lots you can learn about from them. The Daniel I know is always moaning that he never gets the chance to really study anything and I doubt you're any different..." Jack could see that he was beginning to get through to Daniel, despite his initial reluctance to stay behind. "Maybe you're right," said Daniel, grudgingly. "In time, when you find out more about the Nox, you'll thank me." "Maybe..." "You must go now," said Antaeus, indicating the 'Gate as a wormhole began to form. "What will you tell... Daniel...?" Daniel asked, as Jack began to climb the steps to the 'Gate itself. "Can't tell him too much," said Jack with a grin, "...he'll be so jealous..." Stepping into the event horizon, Jack's final thoughts were mixed. I hope this works... I hope I did the right thing... Jack had been warned by Antaeus that this trip through the wormhole would be a little different - instead of a matter of moments, the disorientation and extreme cold seemed to last for minutes, even hours, before Jack felt the slight resistance of the event horizon. Stepping through, Jack was almost relieved to hear the familiar sound of a deafening klaxon, and a voice which was still declaring "Unauthorized off-world activation" over and over again. Relieved because the cold of the wormhole appeared to have frozen his eye-lids together, so sound was all he had to tell that he was back where he belonged. "SOMEBODY TURN THAT DAMN KLAXON OFF!" "General?" asked Jack, turning in the direction of that voice. "Colonel O'Neill. Where have you been?" "It's a long story, sir."
*************** Daniel had finally gone home. Completely drained by the days without proper sleep, and the emotions he had been trying so hard to contain, he had not argued when the general had sent him back to his apartment to try and get some rest, barely staying awake long enough to drive home. In his apartment, Daniel had stumbled into his bedroom, throwing himself on the bed fully-clothed. He slept fitfully, till finally he was woken by the sound of his beeper, still in the pocket where he had hastily shoved it leaving the base. Rolling over onto his back, Daniel dug out the beeper and squinted at it, trying to focus tired eyes on the display - it showed the SGC number, along with an extension, Carter's. Crawling over to the phone on the bedside table, Daniel rang the number in question, asked for an extension and then waited for Carter to pick up. She picked up on the first ring. The very first sentence Carter spoke was enough to make Daniel roll off the bed, grab his car keys and run out of his apartment, leaving the phone still off the hook - from the receiver, Carter's voice could be heard faintly. "Daniel? Daniel!"
*************** Smiling, for what felt like the first time in days, Carter put down the phone. She recalled her own feelings when she had arrived in the embarkation room, gun in hand, with the klaxon still blaring out its warning. Suddenly the klaxon had been shut off, and in the deafening silence that followed, she had seen the last person she ever expected to see, ever dared hope to see again, standing on the ramp with the general. Carter smiled, as she left her office, at her memories of the mix of emotions she had felt, relief and joy, delight and still a little guilt, all mixed up and churning together. Shaking her head at the thought that she could ever have given up on the resourceful colonel, she headed back towards the infirmary, smiling as she turned a corner and almost bumped into Teal'c who was clearly headed the same way. "Hey, Teal'c," she said, "looks like you were right, we didn't give the colonel enough credit." Teal'c looked at her with the slightly puzzled expression she had come to know well - once again she wondered if he really didn't understand the terms he asked his team-mates to explain, or whether it was some subtle way of bringing them back to earth. "Colonel O'Neill is lacking money?" Teal'c asked, one eyebrow punctuating his question. "No Teal'c," Carter said, her smile widening, "it means we underestimated his ability to get back here on his own, without our help." Nodding, Teal'c said nothing, and the two walked in companionable silence till they got to the infirmary. Suddenly, as he was opening the infirmary door, Teal'c turned to Carter. "You have phoned Daniel Jackson." Teal'c's voice was steady - this was a statement, not a question. "Yeah, Daniel's probably breaking every speed limit between his apartment and here as we speak." "He has been most distressed by this," said Teal'c carefully, "I was concerned." "We all were, Teal'c." Carter spoke quietly, trying to forget her own emotions and reassure her friend. "Now let's go see the colonel."
*************** Jack sat in the infirmary, his eyesight gradually returning. I spend way too much time here... As he sat, waiting for the results of the absolute onslaught of tests that Dr. Fraiser had insisted he go along with, Jack's mind went back to the Nox planet, and to the other Daniel he had left there. Did I do the right thing? I couldn't have brought him here. Two Daniels? How would the world cope? Would it have been better for him if I'd left him where he was? No answers, only questions. Suddenly, Jack was aware of blurred shapes appearing before him. Even before they spoke, Jack had figured out who they were. That big blurry one must be Teal'c, he thought, so the other one has to be either Carter or Daniel. "Teal'c? Daniel?" he guessed. "Well, you're halfway there, colonel," said Carter's voice, "but it's good to see you anyway." Jack could tell, just from hearing her voice, that his captain was smiling. "Daniel?" he repeated. "Daniel Jackson will be here presently, Colonel O'Neill," said the other blurry shape. "It is good to see you." "Wish I could say the same, Teal'c," Jack quipped, "but everything's just a blur at the moment. It's good to be back though." A slightly awkward silence fell, interrupted suddenly by the return of Dr. Fraiser. "Captain, Teal'c," she said, smiling at both of them, "I'm going to have to ask you to wait outside. Don't worry, the colonel isn't going anywhere till I've finished with him." "Oh, that makes me feel so much better..." drawled Jack, making Carter laugh and Teal'c look at her quizzically. "Outside...?" repeated Fraiser. "We're going Janet," said Carter, "come on Teal'c, let's get some food. I can't remember the last time I ate anything... See you later, sir." With that, Carter and Teal'c left the infirmary. Jack waited for a moment, until he heard the infirmary door close behind them. Dr. Fraiser was perched on a stool near his bed, and by the sounds she was making, she was leafing through the results of his tests. "Doc?" "Colonel?" Janet replied, looking up at him. "This eye thing, it's gonna go away, right?" "As far as I can tell, your eyesight is returning, and you should be able to see perfectly within 12 hours or so. No TV for a day or two, and no unnecessary driving either, I think. That shouldn't be a problem, though..." "What're you talking about, Doc?" "Well," said Janet, grinning, "all I can say is, don't be surprised if your team don't let you out of their sight again for a while..." "That bad, eh?" asked Jack, with a slightly worried expression on his face. "Yeah..." said Janet, quietly, before continuing, in a more positive tone, "but you're back now." Then the infirmary door burst open, heralding the arrival of an out-of-breath Daniel. He paused in the doorway for a moment, as if reassuring himself that the scene before him was real, taking in the stunned expression Dr. Fraiser was wearing, as well as the person he had rushed there for. That person was sitting on a bed, head cocked to one side, eyes looking slightly duller than usual, but definitely, completely alive. "Now, that can only be Danny," said Jack, grinning. For a moment, Daniel didn't know what to say. He reddened slightly, more aware now of the grin with which Dr. Fraiser was favouring him, and the need within him to try and say something profound, to express all the emotions that he had experienced over the past days. "Hi, Jack," said Daniel, then ground to a halt, though his brain was still whirling. Wow, that's original! Jack's been missing for more than 2 days, you thought he was dead, and all you can manage to come up with is 'Hi Jack'? Daniel thought. "Hi, yourself," said Jack, grinning at Daniel's obvious confusion, which he could hear even if his friend was just a blur. "What's it feel like?" "What?" said Daniel, even more confused. "Finding out someone has more lives than a bag full of cats?" Jack said, trying to clarify what he had asked. Daniel just stared at Jack. "I think the colonel is referring to the fact that it's normally you, Daniel, that people mistakenly assume to be dead," said Janet, trying to explain to the bemused archaeologist. "Oh..." Daniel paused, before quietly saying, "I... I'm just glad you're okay, Jack." Although he could not see his friend blush, Jack picked up from Daniel's voice that his friend was getting embarassed and so he changed the subject. "You'll never guess where I've been..." he said, cheerfully. "Where?" asked Daniel, falling for the ploy completely, his former embarassment forgotten. "No way, Danny-boy," said Jack, settling back on the bed with a grin, "you'll have to wait for the briefing like everyone else..." Gotcha, he thought.
*************** At the briefing that eventually followed, once Jack had received his medical all-clear, the colonel found that he had a captive audience, as he related his adventures on another Earth and with the Nox. Daniel, he had noticed, at first had been unable to take his eyes off Jack, as if somehow worried that his friend might disappear. Then Daniel had seemed to drift off into another world himself, particularly once his counterpart in that reality had become involved in the story, as if sharing the experience with him. "Do you have any idea of how they got you back to this reality, sir?" That was Carter, always the scientist, cutting straight to what was of most interest to her. Jack smiled as he shook his head. Afterwards, as the others left, having again expressed pleasure at his return, Jack found himself alone with Daniel in the briefing room. Suddenly, Daniel seemed to return to reality, glancing around with a slightly guilty expression on his face. "Have we finished?" "Yep. While you were dreaming, I finished telling everyone about what happened, then they left." Jack settled back in his chair, certain that he knew what was on Daniel's mind. "Jack?" "Uh-huh." "Now you know how I felt when I met you, well, the other you..." Daniel paused, licking his lips, before continuing, "... what was I... I mean, he like?" "You of all people, Daniel, should know what a hard question that is to answer! What do you want to know?" "You said he shared the same history with me up till the Stargate project - that it was there we parted company, me going to Abydos with you, him staying on Earth." "So?" "Was he happy?" Daniel blurted, looking a little embarrassed after he had spoken. "I think he will be..." was Jack's only reply. ~fin~
|
|