And Should I Wake Duck

And Should I Wake..

Written by Yum@
Missing Scene From "Children of the Gods"
Comments? Write to us at [email protected]

Daniel woke up with a gasp.

The darkness was the only thing he could sense or see. Daniel sat there, gulping air as he waited for the last of the nightmare to fade into mist. Hands touched his shoulders.

"Dan-yer?" the voice sleepily asked.

"Ament gna shee." Daniel murmured, as he was relieved to see the darkness soften to the surroundings of the hutch and of the candle that stood in its center. "Go back to sleep, Sha'uri."

"Shee hock na-gnee?" Sha'uri asked her husband if he had another nightmare. "Dan-yer?"

Daniel nodded, not remembering that it was too dark for her to see. When Sha'uri worriedly called out his name again, he sighed and settled back down on the mat. "Yes. Na-gnee."

Slender warm arms wrapped around his shoulders and head and Daniel felt himself being pulled to a gentle embrace. "I am sorry, Dan-yer."

"No, I am sorry." Daniel said slowly. It had almost been a year. Sha'uri had learned Daniel's language very quickly and Daniel took great pride in her quickness. But every so often, Sha'uri reminded him to say his words slowly. She lightly teased him of speaking as fast as the sand dune creatures could scurry by and snatches crumbs. Daniel winced, not really liking being compared to Abydos' equivalent to field gophers.

"Shee bene wa." Sha'uri murmured as she would always when he would wake abruptly from nightmares. "Shee bene wa."

Daniel nodded, slipping his own hands around her slender body, breathing in deep into her hair and waited for her breathing to deepen into sleep before he opened his eyes again. He was reluctant to return to sleep, fearing the dream would return. It hadn't come for a long time, flittering away into a bad memory a few months after he had say goodbye to Colonel Jack O'Neill and his men. Daniel smiled as he recalled Jack flippantly saying he would see him around as he stepped through the Stargate as if he would a neighbor's door.

The smile faded as he remembered the dream that came afterwards. The thought that he and Sha'uri would be separated had tormented his sleep for days afterwards. Despite the fact that they had buried the Stargate under rocks, Daniel kept imagining that the government would find out he wasn't dead and return to retrieve him. It was that thought that left him shaking in his sleep.

Sha'uri murmured his name and tightened her arms around him. Daniel smiled into her thick hair and thanked whoever it was responsible once more for this gift. Gift. Daniel's smile widened a bit. Sha'uri was literally a gift. At the time, Daniel had suspected but never knew. It wasn't until they had broken the language barrier down in that hidden tunnel Sha'uri had taken him to, that Daniel realized the implications. You are a gift in more ways than one. Daniel sighed, being careful not to awake her again. I was so lonely. But I never knew how lonely I was until you came and gave me water that first time we had arrived on Abydos.

"I love you." Daniel whispered into her ear. "Sha'uri bene wa."

Sha'uri, although she didn't awaken, smiled and whispered his name. Daniel held on to that voice and let it carry him away to sleep.

The cavern Daniel had discovered after Jack had left was enormous. Daniel couldn't believe his luck when he had discovered it underneath the village. He had literally dropped the torch on his feet in his excitement. The symbols! God, he never knew there could have been such a place. He suspected there was more to the village, but Daniel had figured to just finding tombs and old tunnels filled with symbols like Sha'uri had took him to.

The Eye of Horus gleamed without needing any light. Nevertheless, Daniel had a circle of torches brought down with a stone to be used as a table. He would sit there for hours, fervently copying symbols to bring home to translate. It took a few days before he realized that what he was looking at was a star map.

God, I wish I could use the Stargate, Daniel had thought, but knew it wasn't a good idea. He knew the government would try to send another probe to see if the Stargate was open. Daniel didn't want them to come through with their own agendas, disrupting the lives of the people of Abydos. Every so often, Skaara told him of the shaking the Stargate would make during their watch duty, its chevrons lighting up and setting the rocks on a glow. Even buried under two feet of rock, the Stargate still shook violently. After a few times, these events ceased, but Daniel knew that didn't mean that they had given up.

Some of these symbols do match constellations in the sky, Daniel thought as he finished up another page in his journal. The book was halfway done with symbols. Daniel was glad that he had taught them how to make paper or papyrus out of the dead trees found by oases. He had only three blank journal books left and Daniel didn't feel like drawing his thoughts out onto rock. Besides, Skaara and the other kids were learning their lessons so far; they were itching to learn to write, too. Daniel grinned at the thought. He had decided to reeducate the children first on their native language that their former god, Ra had forbidden. It gave him a chance to cement his hold on the language, although there were still times when a word would slip by that he didn't understand.

"What is tee-gnau?" Daniel had asked his wife in a puzzled voice.

"Where did you hear that word from?" Sha'uri asked him in his language with such a shocked voice that Daniel wondered if he had broken some sort of taboo.

"Skaara's friend Muth was saying it to the children and they were laughing suddenly." Daniel looked at his wife worriedly. "Did I do something wrong?"

Sha'uri turned a bit red as she shook her head. "No, Dan-yer. Tee-gnau is the animal we hear at night."

Nodding his head, Daniel remembered hearing the howling. He saw the beast in the daytime. It looked like a cross from a wolf and a bear, standing on its hind legs and emitting that long low howl. It gave him the creeps.

"I don't see why it is funny." Daniel said, not understanding why his wife just kept turning redder and redder.

"It also means the sound two makes during the night."

"Huh?" Daniel looked at Sha'uri, still not getting it. Then he remembered how they had pointed at him, thinking he didn't see, laughing as they said it. Then, it was Daniel's turn to blush. "Oh."

Sha'uri laughed and cradled his face with both her hands and pulled him into a kiss. Daniel responded quickly, but it didn't ease the hot embarrassment on his face. Sha'uri laughed softly in wonder at a man who would be so embarrassed as she was.

"We must be very careful with our passion next time, my Dan-yer."

"Are you hot, Dan-yer?" a voice from behind him gently asked. "Your face is as red as a gneet."

Daniel realized that his face had flushed at the memory. He turned around and looked at his wife with a crooked grin. Sha'uri smiled in return. How she loved the many ways her gentle Dan-yer smiled! Each one gave her happiness! She came closer and gave him the vessel of water.

"Mee-ya. Drink." Sha'uri told him firmly. Daniel took the water with a soft thank you in his lips and obediently drink the cool water. "You do not want to be sick." Sha'uri frowned, remembering the last time he was sick.

Daniel spent a lot of time in the chamber of Horus. One time, Daniel said he was having..allergeez? He was very sick with fever. For a moment, her father Kasuf thought it would have been best if they uncover the Stargate and send him home to be healed. But Daniel and Sha'uri feared that in doing so, the humans on his home world, might not let him return to Abydos. So Daniel stubbornly stayed and at a point, even Sha'uri was considering the idea. Finally, much to Sha'uri's relief, his fever was broken. Now she was very careful to make sure he did not get sick again. Every so often, Sha'uri would leave from her chores and seek her husband out in the chamber to bring him water and remind him to not stay too long less he gets sick again.

"I wasn't sick because of the chamber, Sha'uri." Daniel told her as he finished the water. "It was my allergies. They would get very bad at times." Daniel saw that it didn't convince her. It was very hard to explain allergies.

Sha'uri just smiled, knowing how stubborn her husband can be.

Suddenly, Skaara burst into the chamber. His dark braids tumbling out of his band as he skidded to a halt. In a mixture of rapid English and ancient Egyptian, Skaara explained the device they had found during their watch.

Muth had tripped by one of the rear columns and it must have triggered something because suddenly, a stone wall moved and revealed a compartment. The boys were terrified, but Skaara was not. Daniel smiled at Skaara's proud account. Skaara crept in and saw a metallic short column with huge buttons. Skaara recognized what was on the buttons. They were the same symbols as on the Stargate!

"Chapa-ai, Daniel!" Skaara tugged at his sleeve in excitement, dropping the cool composure he always carried whenever he and his group of boys were on watch duty.

Daniel barely remembered to gather up his notes before he and Sha'uri raced out of the chamber.

"No." Daniel repeated stubbornly, shaking his head adamantly. Sha'uri sighed in fond exasperation. Sometimes her husband can be so stubborn.

"But Dan-yer-" Skaara said, a bit dismayed and disappointed at Daniel's refusal.

"We can't unbury the Chapa-ai, Skaara." Daniel's hand slipped over to clasp his wife's hand by his side. "The people from my world may try again. Neet Chapa-ai!" Daniel's voice rose in his urgency. Sha'uri tightened her grip to calm him.

The device Skaara and the others had discovered was a dial. Daniel counted 39 symbols, matching the symbols of the Stargate that he knew by heart. Daniel knew that with technology so advanced, Ra couldn't have just used the device by turning it manually. It would take too long. The device was not a surprise. Yet it still came as a shock when Daniel saw it. He got a bigger shock when Skaara said he wanted to try out the symbols Daniel was translating.

"There may be other slaves like us, Dan-yer." Skaara was saying. His eyes gleamed with an excitement that Daniel feared could only lead to trouble. "We could free them. We had defeated Ra!"

"Skaara," Daniel shook his head. "We don't know if these symbols work and if they did, what was out there. Not all planets are like Abydos. Nag kne?"

"Neet!" Skaara was getting angry now. "You are afraid!"

"Skaara!" Sha'uri said, astonished at her brother. "Nag kne Dan-yer neet Chapa-ai? Mon-ye thak!"

"Please." Daniel was dismayed at how the argument seems to escalate rather than dissipate. Skaara eased a bit, but his eyes still looked stormy as he stalked off, muttering that he needed to be on watch duty. Daniel watched his brother-in-law reenter the pyramid where the Stargate was buried.

"He's right, Sha'uri." Daniel said softly as he turned to head back for the village. "I am afraid."

"Dan-yer." Sha'uri sighed as she guided her husband through the sand to the way home that she knew by heart. "You do want to try, et?"

"Yes." Daniel admitted, "but the price is not worth it." Daniel grasped his wife's slender hand with both of his. "I am afraid."

"No!" Sha'uri shook her head, her eyes shining out of love for the only man she would ever put her faith into. "You are my Dan-yer! You defied a god! You saved my people from misery. And," her voice softened to convey her deep emotions, "gave me your love when I had nothing to give you."

Daniel froze in his tracks. He whirred around and stared at Sha'uri. She wondered if she said something wrong. Perhaps her English was incorrect?

"No." Daniel said hoarsely. "You gave me everything." He abruptly hugged her. Sha'uri automatically wrapped her arms around her husband, her hand caressing his golden hair. She felt the urgency in his need to hold her so she said nothing more as they stood on top of the dunes, just holding each other as if fearing another god would break them apart.

Kasuf eyed his children as they gathered around the fire for their evening meal. Skaara normally would be chattering away to his son-in-law in a mixture of their language and of the man's. It often amused him and exasperated him at the same time. Daniel had tried to teach Kasuf some of his words. He is old, Kasuf would tell Daniel, not at all ashamed of it. He is too old to learn. Daniel was too stubborn, as his daughter often said with a smile. His son-in-law would say it in his words then in Kasuf's. Kasuf shook his head. Because of that, evening meals were very noisy.

It was quiet now.

The wife of one of the guards of the Chapa-ai had told him about the device they had found and Skaara's intentions. Kasuf agreed with Daniel that the Chapa-ai should be left alone, but he was surprised to see Dan-yer agree. He would have thought Dan-yer would be the one to speak of it first. Dan-yer liked to learn everything he sees. Even making feta flour! Kasuf harrumphed as he recalled Daniel's wide eyes as he watched the women make the flour. He didn't even realize how the women were laughing when he tried. Sha'uri was laughing the loudest. Kasuf had scolded her on being disrespectful to her husband.

"My Dan-yer would be more saddened if I did not laugh." Sha'uri told her father after he had scolded her. "My Dan-yer is different."

Kasuf could see that so despite his old habits, he allowed his son-in-law poke around everything. No matter what chore it was, for man or for woman. Yes, Kasuf thought as he smiled despite of himself, he is different.

"I say we unbury the Chapa-ai." Skaara finally said, ignoring the look his sister gave him.

"Skaara-" Daniel started, but Kasuf interrupted.

"My son. Neet. We do not know if the other people will return."

"If they come, we will know." Skaara insisted. "They send metal man first."

Daniel nodded at Skaara's point. The 'metal man' was the probe. They had sent one through and those waiting on watch duty were ready with rocks to crush it. In doing so, Daniel's people believed a disabled Stargate crushed the probe.

"The lights go on one, two, three!" Skaara continued, his voice more determined as he listed the points. "We will see it and be ready, et?" he was referring to the seven chevrons.

"Et." Kasuf murmured, agreeing. Daniel cast a startled look over to his father-in-law. Kasuf looked at Daniel with wise eyes. "You want to unbury the Chapa-ai, do you not, my son?"

Daniel numbly nodded. Sha'uri looked at him with a bit of concern.

"We will not let them take you away." Kasuf told him gravely. "They can not make you leave."

Skaara looked startled as he realized Daniel's true fear for unburying the Chapa-ai. He thumped his chest as he made his declaration. "I will not let them take my sister's husband!" Skaara nodded to Daniel, his eyes now dark with promise instead of anger.

"But-"

Kasuf held up one hand, his decision made. "It is no use arguing any more. We will try your symbols. Then we will close it again. Et?" Kasuf looked at both of his sons. The two looked at each other, then reluctantly agreed to the compromise. Kasuf smiled. Perhaps now the annoying noise during the evening meals can continue.

"If they do come," Kasuf said lightly, "I will tell them he can not leave." The others looked up with curiosity. "I will tell them we need Dan-yer to make the feta flour, et?"

The other men howled in laughter as Daniel turned red.

"Shee bene wa." Sha'uri murmured as Daniel woke up from another nightmare.

"Sorry." Daniel gasped as he settled back down on the mat. "I'm so sorry."

"Dan-yer." Sha'uri whispered, not at all bothered by the late night interruption. "You must not fear. Shee bene wa."

"If anyone tries to come, we would know." Daniel said, trying to reassure himself. "Sha'uri, I do want to try the Chapa-ai. Those symbols in the chamber of Horus are incredible. I-"

"Then you will try them." Sha'uri propped herself up on one elbow. "These...symbols. They open to stars not just yours?"

Daniel shrugged. "I don't know. It would make sense. Why would Ra list them in groups of seven? They must be addresses."

"A-addre..sses?"

"Um, kat-je." Daniel translated it as locations. Sha'uri nodded.

"Addrass." Sha'uri repeated the word. Daniel smiled at the pronounciation.

"Close enough." Daniel paused. "I should learn your language more than you learn mine. I am in your home now."

Sha'uri shook her head. "This is your home now." She leaned in to Daniel, her chin resting on his chest as she gazed at her husband. "Your home, Dan-yer. And if your people return to take you, I will go to you to your home instead."

"You can't leave Abydos!" Daniel exclaimed.

"You do not want Sha'uri in your world?" Sha'uri sounded hurt.

"No." Daniel placed a hand on top of her head gently to show that was not what he meant. "I can't ask you to leave your home. You would miss your family too much."

Sha'uri looked straight into Daniel's eyes as she told him. "My home is where you are, Dan-yer. It does not matter where you go. I will go too. If you have me, that is."

Daniel wrapped both of his arms around Sha'uri, leaving no doubt that he would never think that way. He just hoped it would never come to that sacrifice, though. He had no family on Earth. He was quite alone. Sha'uri knew a little about his loneliness. Daniel had no qualms about never going home.

"Shee bene wa." Sha'uri said it again, softening her voice the way she knew would calm her husband to sleep. She let her chin remain on his chest so she could watch his eyes closed in sleep before she did the same.

"Neet." Daniel murmured as he tried another combination out of his notebook. Again, as he punched the first six symbols in, the room would tremble. Skaara stood by his side, calmly watching the lights go on the chevrons, quite use to the shaking and rumbling the Chapa-ai created. He cast an annoyed look to Muth, who howled in alarm as the Chapa-ai was again activated. Daniel smiled as he thought how Skaara was more and more reminding him of the colonel Jack O'Neill. Skaara wasn't even aware of himself doing it.

The seventh symbol Daniel punched, didn't light up and the vibrations cease. The group around them murmured a mixture of disappointment and relief. Daniel sighed and decided it was enough for one day. They had been at it for over two weeks of Abydos' time. Nothing so far.

"The stars may not be there anymore." Daniel told Skaara.

"Neet, I see the stars up in the sky every night, Dan-yer." Skaara said, puzzled. "They are there."

Daniel wondered how he would explain the physics of stars and light travelling slower than the speed of light. He was no astro-physicist. Even if he was, how was he to explain stellar drift in ancient Egyptian? Despite all of this, Daniel was eager to try again.

"I thought I was happy you are not in the chamber anymore." Sha'uri came out of a makeshift hut inside the Chapa-ai room. Since they had unburied the Chapa-ai, they took turns guarding it all the time, thirty-six hours a day. "Now you stay here and stare at something else for a long time instead." Sha'uri scolded him as she handed him water to drink. "The second sun has set. We have to prepare the evening meal."

The boys snickered as Sha'uri scolded her husband, uncharacteristic of an Abydos wife, but Daniel didn't seem angry. In fact, he turned red, much to the boys' amusement, and just moved away from the strange device. They began to laugh as Daniel, yet again, tried to help Sha'uri with the preparation once again. Sha'uri affectionately slapped her husband's hand away. That created a few eyebrows to lift at the boldness, but again, Daniel didn't seem angry. He just fondly smiled at his wife. The boys pretended to sigh. That made Daniel turn even redder, to the delight of the boys.

It had been two months. Even Skaara was getting frustrated. He didn't understand what Daniel meant that the stars might no longer be there. He stood outside of the pyramid, staring at the stars with a bit of anger.

"Skaara!" Muth shouted as he stumbled over the pots to reach Skaara. Skaara bit back a sharp remark about how he was treating the rifle O'Neill had left behind for them to use to defend themselves. They had very little of these and knew nothing on repairs. They had to be very careful with them.

"Chapa-ai!" Muth could barely get anymore words out of his mouth.

It was then that Skaara heard the hum of the Chapa-ai.

"Kret-gah!" Skaara cursed as he barked at Muth to get inside and be ready.

Daniel had awakened to a sound he thought he had heard before. He opened his eyes and looked at Sha'uri, who was just beginning to stir. The sound grew higher pitch and Daniel stiffened as he realized what the sound was.

Someone was opening the Stargate from the other side.

Oh god, no! Daniel bolted out of their makeshift hut, barely hearing Sha'uri calling his name. He stumbled out of the hut, barely believing his eyes.

The chevrons were lighting up one by one. It was up to the fifth one already. Daniel felt a chill run up his spine as he watched the sixth symbol light up.

Why? It's been a year! Why are they trying again, now? They stopped trying before. Why are they trying again?

"Dan-yer!" Skaara shouted over the din. "We will crush whatever that comes! Get your stones!"

Daniel numbly nodded, but his feet were still rooted to the spot as he watched the black ring slowly spun to the last symbol. His nightmare was coming true. He wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all, yet he knew deep down inside that he couldn't hide forever.

A hand slipped into his and squeezed tightly. Startled, Daniel looked down and saw Sha'uri holding his hand, her face set in a determined look. Her other hand had a large stone, for pelting the 'metal man' that would come through to test the Stargate. Daniel nodded again and picked up one from the ground.

Everyone flinched as the column of light gushed out. Daniel was struck by a sense of deja vu as he gazed at the sparkles with renewed sense of wonder. He lead Sha'uri to the side and they waited for the first sign of incoming.

Within moments, a small box flew out of the Chapa-ai with such speed that nobody reacted until the Chapa-ai disengaged with a whoosh. One of the boys cautiously went over and gave it an experimental nudge with his foot then jumping back to see what would be the reaction.

When the little box did nothing, everyone gathered their nerve and moved in on it together. Daniel was about to go, too, but Sha'uri held him back. She did not now what it was, but what if it took her Dan-yer away? No, she couldn't let him leave her side. She gripped his hand tightly. No matter where you go, Dan-yer. I will follow.

"What is this?" Skaara exclaimed as he picked up the box before Sha'uri could warn him not to. "It was made of Dan-yer's paper!"

"What?" Daniel stepped forward now. Skaara handed him the box. Daniel was struck by how light it was at first grasp, then realized what it was.

It was a tissue box.

Daniel looked at it with dumbfounded confusion.

"It is your allergeez paper, Dan-yer." Sha'uri commented, recognizing the material that peeked out of the opening as something Daniel had used in the beginning for his sneezes. Running out, Daniel had to carry a rag instead.

"Tissue." Daniel automatically corrected her as he cocked his head in puzzlement. Who would send this through the Stargate?

"A friend, Dan-yer?" Skaara asked carefully.

"Someone who knows about my allergies and have access to the Star- Chapa-ai." Daniel murmured. His face lightened as he thought of one person. "Jack!"

"O'Neill?" Skaara leaned forward eagerly. "O'Neill send this? He is coming?"

"I don't know." Daniel said as he wondered what this meant. Skaara's face fell, but the boy shrugged as if he didn't really care. Sha'uri wasn't fooled. "Why would he send me this?"

"A message for you, Dan-yer?" Sha'uri suggested as Daniel turned the box around before shaking his head.

"Nothing is written on it."

"My father needs to know this, Dan-yer." Sha'uri said as Daniel nodded.

"We need to talk about what to do next." Daniel agreed and told Muth to go get Kasuf. They had to remain here and guard the Chapa-ai in case more 'messages' come through.

"Perhaps your friend needs your help." Kasuf mused as he listened to their story. "If he sends this only. Perhaps he is testing to see if you are here."

Daniel nodded, agreeing to what his father-in-law was saying. He just wasn't sure if he should respond back. Daniel told this much to Kasuf.

"That is your decision, my son." Kasuf told him. "I have faith in your decision. My daughter has faith in you." With this, he left the pyramid, confident that Daniel would figure out what to do.

The others drifted away, leaving Daniel and Sha'uri alone to their discussions. Skaara hung around for a moment, looking like he wanted to say something, then decided not to.

Daniel took Sha'uri by the hand and the two went into the hut together.

"What do you wish to do, Dan-yer?" Sha'uri asked her husband as he twirled the box absently. Daniel looked up, his eyes troubled.

"I don't know." He admitted. "Jack could be waiting for me to response, but I wish I knew why."

"Perhaps he wants to visit." Sha'uri suggested lightly, her eyes telling him that even she didn't believe that. Even if the two men had gotten to be close before Jack left, she knew well enough that even Jack couldn't just use the Chapa-ai so readily.

"Maybe he is in trouble." Daniel murmured as his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "He did say he was going to lie for us, saying that everything was destroyed here so they wouldn't come. Perhaps they had found out."

"In trouble?" Sha'uri didn't like the sound of it. "But he did no wrong, bene wa."

"He lied for us." Daniel reminded her, as he grew more worried with the idea. "In my world, it is a heavy crime."

"Bad." Sha'uri summarized it very simply. Daniel nodded.

"I guess I should respond." Daniel looked down, but Sha'uri knew without looking, the fear was in his eyes. "If it's Jack, maybe he would stop them from taking me back-"

"If not, I will go with you." Sha'uri said with conviction.

"God!" Daniel's voice was heavy with fear. "It's like my na-gnee coming true, Sha'uri. Maybe I didn't wake up yet." He leaned forward and embraced his wife.

"Shee bene wa." Sha'uri softly told him. "I will be here to wake you from your night dream. They can not separate us."

"Shee bene wa." Daniel smiled wanly. He wiped the tears that had trickled down Sha'uri's face unaware. "Only you can wake me from this. I can not lose you."

"Shee bene wa." Sha'uri whispered as she tenderly wiped his. The two weren't aware of themselves of crying, just of the one before them. "You won't."

Daniel took a deep breath and then poked his head out of the hut. He saw Skaara standing anxiously near by. "Skaara! Get me some of your black writing sticks." Daniel smiled as he felt Sha'uri slip a hand to his grasp. "I have a message to write."

Daniel woke up with a gasp.

The darkness was the only thing he could sense or see. Daniel sat there, gulping air as he waited for the last of the nightmare to fade into mist. Hands touched his shoulders.

"Daniel?" a voice quietly asked.

"Sha'uri?" Daniel whispered as a sense of hope pounded his heart. Oh god, it was only a dream. I never left. She woke me up from my na-gnee again.

"No." the voice said quietly. A face came to view. It was Jack.

Daniel gasped, his voice broke as he realized the hands on his shoulders were not of Sha'uri. He felt himself hunched forward as he realized that it had all really happened. Daniel felt a hand hesitantly stroking his back. God, he wished it was someone else's right now, accompanied by the soft voice which could always lull him back to sleep.

"Do you remember what happened?" Jack asked quietly as he pushed Daniel back down on the infirmary bed.

Daniel numbly shook his head, unable to trust himself to speak.

"We were at P5X771." Jack started. He continued when he got no reaction from Daniel. "The planet was contaminated with unknown bacteria. We had to return to SGC because we all got sick."

Daniel slowly nodded as bits and pieces returned about the mission. They had barely walked for more than an hour when he came down with a high fever, then Carter, and then Jack. Teal'c had to dragged them back to the Stargate one by one.

Jack looked at Daniel, remembering the feverish dialogue Daniel was having in his sleep. The rest of the team had recovered quickly enough in about a day or so. But Daniel had a more adverse reaction to whatever was there. Jack had to watch helplessly as Daniel burned with fever for more than two days. They had taken turns wiping his forehead, cooling his fever down with cold compresses. Nothing had worked and they had feared the worst. So Jack stayed all night with his friend and listened to Daniel dream.

"I thought-" Daniel's voice choked at the words. "I thought I was home again with Sha'uri."

Jack just nodded, remembering the broken sobs as Daniel dreamed. He had heard his name, Stargate and catches of words as Daniel berated himself for his bad decisions. He would hear Sha'uri's name every so often and one particular phrase.

"What's shee bene wa?" Jack asked suddenly.

"What?" Daniel asked hoarsely. Jack placed another cold compress on his forehead. The colonel touched Daniel's face with the back of his hand to check for fever. It was such a familiar touch that felt so gentle; Daniel had to swallow to keep the tears from spilling.

"Shee bene wa." Jack repeated, his eyes looking away to give Daniel his privacy to gather his control. "You were saying that one phrase over and over again."

"Shee bene wa." Daniel swallowed, but he couldn't prevent one tear from escaping. He felt a reassuring handgrip on the arm that didn't have an IV attached to it. "It means to sleep with beloved." Daniel swallowed again. He could hear Sha'uri's voice as she had whispered it to him countless times. "It means to 'sleep well knowing I am near'." Another tear. "Oh god, Jack. I can't-"

"Shee bene wa." Jack said it suddenly, his eyes looking down on his friend. He nodded his head towards two figures opposite his bed.

It was Carter and Teal'c, asleep on two chairs they had brought into Daniel's room. They had dozed off while keeping watch. Daniel could see the dark circles under Carter's eyes and the furrow of Teal'c's worried brow.

"Shee bene wa." Jack said again, getting the pronunciation so right that it was too eerie. "We'll be right here, Danny." He gave Daniel's arm another squeeze. "We'll be here when you wake up. Go to sleep."

Daniel swallowed again, felt a hand cupping his eyes. He let it close his eyes. He let it brush gently against his tears. As he felt himself drift away, so exhausted was he, Daniel heard her voice again.

"Shee bene wa. I will be here to wake you from your night dream. They can not separate us."

The End
© 1998 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.

I was thinking of this while listening to their cd soundtrack. Number 5, two minutes into the song is a sad melody playing and it made me wondered about what went on before Jack threw in the 'object' into the Stargate.

Stargate Home