Chapter Two

Fire

SGC

Earth

The debrief was long, chaotic and loud. Much to George's dismay, he'd lost control right from the beginning, what with so many diverse groups present and demanding to be included. And, as if in honour of the unconventional men they were here to rescue, George was open to anything.

Carter filled him in on what Daniel had told them about his captivity. While Ferretti, Griff, Reynolds, General Carter, Major Carter and Teal'c argued the best way of getting onto Tsydon – all out frontal attack was gaining over infiltration – George stole a quick glance between two of the oh-so-tall N'Has'y people standing along the observation window. Below, in the gate room, FREDs loaded with armaments were being parked along the west wall and the techs were wheeling in a UAV launcher. Good. Nor more sitting on their hands. Once their plan was finalised he'd run it past the president – a minute or two after his troops had gated out.

'But we don't know Ba'al was going back to his planet.' Jacob sounded as if he'd said that line several times already.

'Where else would he go?' Ferretti barely contained his frustration.

'Daniel Jackson did say Osiris was a partner with Ba'al in his abduction,' offered Teal'c.

'And no-one knows where Osiris hangs out – unless it's with Anubis, and I really don't recommend you go storming his compound,' Jacob shot back.

'Maybe he's gone to Yu's homeworld,' said Reynolds. 'He took Daniel there once before.'

George cleared his throat, gratified at the quick hush it brought. 'People—'

Someone stood in the group of Abydonians seated near his office star chart wall. Skaara, despite his short stature and quiet voice, drew everyone's attention.

'When we were on Ba'al's ship, while he waited for Dan'yer to come, he gave an order to his Jaffa. I remember the name now. He told them to draw a course to Sabat. I do not know this name, but perhaps he intended to take Dan'yer there.'

'Thank you, Skaara. Well, if that is where Ba'al went, does it sound familiar to anyone?'

Clouded frowns and shaken heads greeted him as he looked around the room. Oh, and one raised hand.

'Catherine?'

She too stood to be seen over the crowd. 'Sabat is the Ancient Egyptian name for the home of Osiris. Perhaps this Goa'uld calling itself Osiris has also liberated this name for its own home.'

'Oh! I know!' Cassie Fraiser jumped up. George had forgotten she was there – brought in by Doctor Fraiser to greet her returning pseudo uncle.

Cassie found herself the target of everybody's attention, turned beet-red and sat down abruptly.

'Go ahead, Cassie. We're happy to have everyone's contribution.' George nodded encouragingly.

Janet pushed her to her feet. 'Well, it's just – I was watching this documentary. About Egypt. Ancient Egypt and all the gods and stuff they had? Osiris was one of their big ones, you know? And they said he lived, well they believed he lived in Orion's Belt. The stars?' She waved her hand in the air in such a Daniel-like way George had to smile.

'Young Cassie is correct,' Catherine said. 'In the Old Kingdom Osiris was know among other epithets as He who dwells in Andjet, He who dwells in the House of Secket, and He who dwells in Orion. Orion was always a very important star formation to the Ancient Egyptians. I believe that importance may have been taken up by the Goa'uld.'

'Cassie, Catherine, thank you. Alright, people, how do we find coordinates for a planet in Orion's Belt?'

'Perhaps there is a Stargate address bearing the symbol of Orion?' asked Skaara.

'There is – too many to count in fact,' Major Carter said. 'Orion is one of the 39 symbols on the Stargate. It's in thousands of addresses.'

Over the groans of disappointment, Aris Boch spoke for the first time.

'The Goa'uld I know are all very big on their insignias. They brand their Jaffa with them, they hang 'em over their doors. Maybe Osiris used his for his address.'

George nodded. 'Catherine, did Osiris have a particular symbol associated with her, er, him?'

'Oh, yes, most definitely. The djed pillar of Osiris is one of the most well known. Here—' She leaned over the table and quickly drew a tall pillar bisected with three cross beams.

'Oh, my god.' Major Carter started rummaging in her pockets like a person possessed. 'Skaara, forgive me. I now we said we'd leave them for Daniel, but I jotted them down… just in case… Where is it…' She emptied the pockets of her pants and duster coat all over the table. Among the power bar wrappers, tape measure, mini telescope and tissues, was a small battered notebook. She flipped through it, gnawing her lip anxiously.

'Yes! General – here.' She shoved the book at him and everyone craned close.

'Under the Abydos pyramid there were seven addresses. This one – it had the djed pillar over the cartouche. It makes sense Ra would have know where Osiris had his base.'

'Osiris's address.' George beamed up at her. 'Well done, major. Very well done.'

He looked around at his teams, aliens and friends, both old and new.

'I need some volunteers for a rescue mission.'

Å

SABAT

He was falling, up, down, sideways, pulled in random directions by unseen forces, or was it just the restraints now failing to keep him down? He drifted, searching for that elusive thing to hold him in place. Images battered him: night on a strange land under unfamiliar skies, he and Sam laughing themselves sick at Jack's expense, Teal'c an amused stalwart presence at their backs. The night dissolved in flashes of places he knew, merged with those he'd never been to. Osiris leered over him, Hathor clenched her fingers in his hair, Klorel glared at him with conflicted eyes made demonic by the red glow between them. Something else pushed up, demanding to be heard. A gentle hand touched his face, dissolved into energy and left him with promises buried in his soul.

That other presence pushed again, rage and evil honed over millennia demanded to be heard.

Daniel fought, wanting to know yet afraid to face the echoes of the souls murdered by this being.

So many, many years, such loss, suffering caused for the glory of the one who was god above all, supreme being destined to rule for eternity. For he had found the key. He had nurtured it, shared it with his few trusted children. They should have been absolute in their power, but one had taken the secret and given it to her brother, the rejected one, outcast of the Ennead. Nepthys, jealous of the favour the One God had showered on Isis and Osiris, had stolen the secret and given it to her husband-brother Seth. In turn, they shared it with their demon-spawn – Anubis.

How he had raged. Vengeance begat betrayal – Nepthys was banished to the first homeworld, Seth murdered Isis and Osiris, Anubis fled to share the secret with the One God's enemies, who in turn rose and built their own empires. But none could touch the scale of his domain, the worlds under his rule, the wealth that built his fleets, fed his armies. He was invincible.

He was Ra.

Daniel gasped, staggered by the weight of memories flooding through him. For a moment he was on his knees on the great ship, Sha'uri a crumpled breathing heap by his side. Through the blinding pain all he could see was Catherine's necklace swinging from the neck of an alien pretend god.

He was picked up, hurled away from his love in a maelstrom of alien memories. He cried out for her. He reached and Daniel knew he was further from reality than he'd ever fallen before.

He stood on dusty ground, his ship casting a vast triangular shadow. He looked down at his new hands: thin, brown, and blunt, not clawed or green scaled like the first host who lay dying at his feet. He looked out across this new world and claimed it for his own.

A sudden rush of sensation overwhelmed him. This new body, this new skin he wore was alive with feeling. The touch of air moving over his flesh, something never before experienced inside the scaled hide of the Unas. He could feel every thread of the cloth wound around his hips, scent the fear and sweat from the fleeing villagers. In the rising dawn's light he could see further than he ever had in full daylight inside the first one.

He turned his focus inward, to the graceful movement of the limbs, then deeper past the diminishing wails of the host to an inner core… such spirit lay within: it flooded his mind. Passion, drive, determination, curiosity, creativity, a well-spring of life just waiting to be harnessed. He reached, immersed himself… and found his destiny. Powered by this life-force he would be invincible. It surged through his being, flooding his eyes with energy. He lifted his face to the stars.

'I am god.'

Å

The moment Jack had clapped eyes on Hathor he'd regretted not blowing Ba'al's heads off when he'd had the chance. But no, he'd been looking at the bigger picture, eliminating the threat to Daniel by taking out Ba'al's partners as well. What was the point of getting Daniel back to Earth if one of the system lords just grabbed him again?

Seeing Daniel pale and avert his eyes when Hathor steamed into the room made him realise just how much damage she'd done to his friend. The knife had flown true but those Jaffa were faster than any he'd encountered and the opportunity was lost.

And now look: here he was, chained to a wall while Daniel – kitted up like a full-on pharaoh – was strapped down under some metal cage and the ugly triplets settled in to watch the show on a TV that put his own pride and joy to shame.

By leaning to the left – ignore the pull on his bruised shoulder – he could see half the screen. Carter, Teal'c, himself laughing, Skaara, then Osiris, Hathor, blurring past and were gone. Then unfamiliar faces, stone buildings brightly painted, anger, blood, Hathor in the outfit Jack had first seen her in, but something told him this was old, old history. Then suddenly he was looking at Daniel, the floppy-haired original, behind him the huge bull horns guarding the ring platform on Ra's ship. Daniel's tortured face blurred behind the rising rings and vanished.

So that's how it happened.

The pictures blurred, refocused into a desert night, thin brown hands and beyond… a dead Unas.

'Whoa.'

If Skaara was right about the whole memory transference thing, Jack knew he was watching Ra take his first human host. He ground his teeth, hating that shit like this was inside his friend's head.

Daniel stiffened. His fingers flexed on the boards where his arms were bound.

'I am god.' His tone was like nothing Jack had ever heard out of Daniel's mouth.

Time for plan B.

The lock pick slid out of its sheath with a flick of his wrist and Jack set to work.

The system lords seemed pleased with Daniel's words. Osiris leant over him.

'Where is your base, your home world? Show us – picture it – now!'

Between them Daniel tilted his head, tendons in his neck standing out. He began to laugh. The sound was enough to make the hair on Jack's neck stand up.

'I know. Now I know. Robert… Robert you were right. Cleo… no naquada'.

Alarmed, Jack kept working on the lock. Daniel had to mean Rothman. He'd named the Goa'uld fossils they'd found on P3R 888: Goa'uld and Unas central.

'Focus!' Sekhmet slapped Daniel's face. Ba'al reached, caught her hand rising for a second blow.

'Do not break his concentration. I believe we are close.' To Daniel he said, 'Ra's home – go to Ra's home.'

A blur of images passed over the screen. Jack managed to recognise Abydos and Daniel's first apartment, then there was a great river, lush tropical forests, an enormous white stone plaza, huge pillared buildings, a temple of monumental scale, and rearing up over them all a pyramid larger than any Jack had seen.

'There!' Osiris pointed to a golden Eye of Ra adorning the temple. 'This is it, the home of Ra.' She grabbed at Sekhmet, excitement shining in her face. 'We have it!'

So this was what it was all about? Finding Ra's stash. As head honcho of all the Goa'uld he had to have possessed vast amounts of armaments, ships, wealth, who knew what else, and he'd kept it hidden from the rest of the Goa'uld so well that years after his death, these three were still looking for it. And if they got their hands on that kind of firepower…

Sekhmet was right in Daniel's face. 'The location. Show us the address for this world.'

The screen went blank. If Jack hadn't been anxious yet, he was now. Daniel began to laugh again.

'Show us!' Osiris was apoplectic. She shook Daniel roughly. 'Show me!'

'No,' Daniel said mildly, as if refusing a cup of coffee. 'I know – everything.'

His eyes opened. He looked at each of the system lords.

'I know your secret. The secret every Goa'uld keeps deep in their hearts. It's why you spawn so few fertile Goa'uld. It's why you eat your young. Why you keep your soldiers and workers and priests ignorant of who you truly are. I know where your power comes from.'

The three Goa'uld stilled, their greedy expressions gone, replaced by unease.

Daniel flicked a glance at each of them.

'Now it's mine to use.'

And Daniel began to glow.

Å

He'd gone past Ra's memories, his origin, his rise to power, found his home base more beautiful and vast than any of his rivals, its location familiar to him as if he'd always known – perhaps he had. Past the battles, the power grabs, the toil and suffering of millions over millennia. Past the corrupt taint of the Goa'uld, Daniel sank further within himself, deep into that core of fire and ice, the power house that fuelled every human being, the nugget of energy Ra discovered and found he could use for his own: the human soul.

'I know. Now I know. Robert… Robert you were right. Cleo… no naquada'.

Robert's smiling face was next to him, urging him to confirm the presence of naquada in Cleo's fossil. There was none. They'd puzzled over that. It had always been an unfounded assumption that the Goa'uld drew their super-strength power from naquada. They were wrong. The naquada in the Goa'uld's bodies was just a by-product of millions of years living within and using the mineral. Robert held the belief the Goa'uld found their power in another source. How right he was. Daniel found himself surrounded, immersed in it. The human soul. The Goa'uld's parasitic abilities let them channel that energy, use the weapons stolen from another, now vanished race, let them carve great empires of misery across the universe.

Gradually, he became aware of voices, indistinct and moving past him. A child laughed in a voice that sounded like Sha're. Another whispered cryptic messages in a familiar sweet voice.

'Oma Desala?'

He stared, but the reclinare, the Goa'uld, the room, all faded into a brilliant white light. Between one ray of light and the next a face formed.

Am I dead?

You have taken a step away from your physical life, Daniel. If you wish it, come, join us. Leave the pain behind.

The temptation pulled at him. He was tired of fighting, of running, of making compromises that ate into his heart and chipped away at his integrity. Complete peace of the soul lured him. He could just about touch it.

Can I go back?

No.

He looked past Oma and saw Jack, still struggling, still fighting.

I can't leave him.

Oma smiled that sad smile, the same one that had tempted his dreams for two years.

We will be here, Daniel. When you are ready.

She wreathed him tendrils of energy, her version of a jolly good hug. Then she faded back to her place in the universe.

Daniel blinked. Ba'al, Osiris and Sekhmet stood over him. Their haughty, self-assuredness was shattered. Well it might be.

Ba'al began to back away.

Daniel thought about the bindings holding his arms, legs and torso to the table. They crumpled into dust and drifted to the floor. The metal hood above him shimmered, the patterned birds loosed from the frame, almost took flight, then sifted apart into dust. He sat up, took in the odd clothing he wore, shrugged and swung his legs over the side.

Snarling venomous words, Sekhmet lunged at him. He raised a hand, enveloped her in gentle light. She froze, astonishment etched on her face. He crooked one finger, gave a little tug and the real Hathor-come-Sekhmet emerged from the human mouth. It hissed and spat at him, and he obliterated it as easily as the metal birds.

Already aging, the host sank to her knees. Daniel caught her, and eased her to the floor. He spoke to her gently, the words of her home came easily to him. She managed a tiny, human smile, closed her eyes and went to her long-denied rest.

'Heyh-hu,' he whispered.

Daniel stood, sorrowful compassion filling his heart.

A door was flung open – Osiris running for her life. Through the open door came the sound of claxons wailing alarm at an intrusion.

Daniel saw Jack, frantically trying to free one arm still chained to the wall. He reached out – odd that he didn't have to move to cover the twenty feet between them. The manacle crumbled. He gave Jack a hug, just like one of Oma's.

Ba'al was slowly inching backwards toward the door, hoping not to be noticed. Daniel flicked a glance at him, held him in place.

He turned then to face Sekhmet's Jaffa. They knelt on the ground, torn by grief for the loss of their mistress, held by fear and some confused genetic tie to Daniel. He could feel the emotions storming through the Goa'uld inside them.

'You ten are special amongst your kind,' he said. 'You have within you the ability to change, defy your predetermined lives.'

He reached into each of them, felt their spirits, the base Goa'uld lust warring with something that felt very familiar to him. He touched each, tweaked a little here and there.

'Go from this place. Find your brothers and sisters. Show them the path to freedom. Embrace it and live your own lives.'

They bowed so low they kissed the floor, then rose, tears streaming. They filed past Ba'al, out the door, and on their way.

'You might wanna put some clothes on too,' Jack called after them.

Ba'al grinned, rather feebly, as Daniel turned to him.

'You have two choices, Ba'al. Return home, continue your plan for enlightened reforms within the Goa'uld – minus the part where you assume control over all the Goa'uld – and you may live. Stray from that path, and I will remove not just you, but every Goa'uld from existence.'

'Well, now, Daniel Jackson. We do not bow to your every whim. We wish to negotiate,' Ba'al stammered.

'No. Do as I say. Or die.'

Daniel scuffed his bare toes through the dust pile formerly known as Hathor.

'And what of Anubis? He has power beyond even Our own. Will you hunt him down too?'

'I don't need to. He's here, as well you know. Lured by Yu to be destroyed by Ra's weapons when I gave them up.'

An explosion shook the floor. Jack gave him a peculiar look and darted to the door. A staff weapon bolt sent him ducking back.

'Leave Anubis to me, Ba'al. After all, a semi-ascended Goa'uld is no match for a semi-ascended Human.'

Daniel looked up to the ceiling, through layers of decks and hull plating, out to the asteroid cloud where Anubis' fleet played hide and seek with Yu's Ha'taks. He reached, found the most evil of system lords, found each Goa'uld under him, and turned them to dust. To the Jaffa he spoke, in the minds of each, encouraged them to turn away, embrace their host and live in peace. Or else. Further out, he found Yu, discovered an old, old soul. He pushed a little, suggested some, until the old one headed for home and a peaceful retirement.

Ba'al slowly lowered the comm link delivering reports from his men. He shook his head and chuckled.

'We knew We liked you, Daniel Jackson. Upon… consideration, We believe We will take up your offer. We will return to Tsydon.'

'Be good to your people, Ba'al. I will be watching. Oh, and stop referring to yourself in the plural. You're not the Queen of England, and it's really annoying.'

Ba'al opened his mouth, closed it. Shook his head at Daniel and gave orders to his men. He tossed a nod of respect to Jack and disappeared in a flash of light.

Daniel drew in a deep breath, feeling light-headed and rather tired.

'So. Daniel.' Jack was looking at him like they'd only just met. 'Can we go home now?'

'In a moment. Just one more thing to do.'

Å

As days went in an extraordinarily wacko life, this one was out of the park, beyond the pale… Damn, he'd run out of clichés. At least Daniel wasn't still glowing. Much.

Jack shook his head, then darted a peek out the door. Three of Osiris's Jaffa by the turn in the hall, fifteen feet away. Two more in an open doorway ten to the left. He quickly scanned the room for weapons – nothing. He had a bank of tech equipment, a broken mind sucker, powdered Hathor… and didn't that feel so good? Oh, and one battered, - half-dressed, getting wobblier by the moment archaeologist. Ah, yes, and his fourth backup knife: two inches of finest American steel. He pulled it from his boot.

'Okay, Daniel, stay here. I'm going to clear the corridor, then I'll come back for you.'

Daniel's reply was drowned out by two more explosions, closer this time, sending cascades of dust down from the ceiling.

'Someone we forgot to take care of?'

'No. There's only Osiris and her Jaffa.'

'Right. Maybe they left the oven on. Back in one.'

Jack drew a bead on the closest Jaffa, threw the knife and flung himself in the same direction. By the time the first warrior hit the ground, Jack had delivered a killing blow to the second's throat. He liberated both their weapons and fired at those down the hall. Only one returned fire. The others were firing behind them, and like music to Jack's ears, the chatter of P-90 fire echoed off the walls.

Sandwiched, the Jaffa threw down their weapons. Daniel appeared in the doorway, frowning hard at the Jaffa.

'Hold fire,' Jack bellowed. 'O'Neill, SG-1. Identify yourselves.'

'Carter and Teal'c and, well, everyone else, sir. Secure this end, coming at you.'

Jack opened his mouth to reply but had to clear away the sudden thickness in his voice. 'Clear this end, major.'

She darted around the corner, hit the wall and slid down to cover Teal'c who barrelled into view like some avenging angel. He couldn't be more glad to see them.

'Sir! Oh, Daniel! Are you okay?'

Carter was up and at Daniel's side in a flash. Behind them more troops hauled away the Jaffa. Jack could hear Ferretti's voice over Teal'c's radio.

'There is a pocket of resistance in the rooms east of the Stargate chamber, O'Neill. The Stargate is secured.'

'Good work, Teal'c. They'll be Osiris's Jaffa. The other Goa'uld… one has departed and the other, she's toast. Her Jaffa have seen the light, literally.'

Teal'c crooked an eyebrow at him. 'I shall oversee the removal of the rest, then.'

Jack nodded him off.

'C'mon Daniel. Time to bug out.'

Å

Daniel was drained. The energy that had filled his being when he spoke to Oma, when he put Hathor down and reached into the minds of the Jaffa symbiotes, it had filled every cell of his being, felt so right, so complete, as if it had always been a part of him. Now, it was ebbing, taking with it the last reserves he'd been running on for days. Someone touched his arm. He blinked and after a few seconds, recognised Sam.

'Hi.'

'Hi, yourself. You okay?'

'Tired. Bit tired.'

'How about we go home, Daniel?'

'Okay.'

Jack took his arm and Daniel tried not to lean on him too much. They were surrounded by SGC uniforms, and he quickly lost count of the different team patches. He spotted Jacob and Skaara also, both brandishing ribbon weapons on their arms. Turning the corner, their party ran into a wall of colour and muscle.

'Daaniel! Jaack! We are so happy to see you.'

'Sabire? What…?'

'We came to rescue you from the clutches of the evil ones. It is quite and adventure!'

'Now I've seen everything,' Jack muttered.

He pulled Daniel along at a fast walk, stopping now and then as the soldiers on point flushed out stragglers. Osiris's Jaffa were determined to defend their god's home. After the third such skirmish, the rescue party was strung out loosely along a plain-walled corridor. Noise from their rear drew Sam and the M'djay away from he and Jack. Jack kept him moving, but as they passed a doorway, it hissed open.

Osiris emerged, eyes flashing in rage. She snarled at him.

'Daniel Jackson. Do not think you can escape Us so easily.'

She raised her ribbon-device and blasted one of the water-filled pillars. It exploded, showering them with sparks and plunging the corridor into darkness. Osiris turned to Jack.

'You – you are not required.'

As she targeted him, Daniel saw a shadow move, coming up behind the Goa'uld from the room where she had been concealed. With smoke curling around his face and the yelling of the rescue team, he couldn't focus enough on whoever it was. Instead, he dived sideways, colliding with Jack, each trying to knock the other out of harm's way. The shadow loomed up right behind Osiris. There was a flash and she screeched. She dropped and lay unmoving on the floor.

Jack was smothering him, putting his body in the way of any stray fire. Daniel peered over his shoulder and saw the shadow morph into Teal'c, primed Zat in hand.

'Way to go, Teal'c.'

Sam skidded up to them, Major Coburn right behind her.

'Is she dead?'

'Not yet.' Teal'c raised the zat. He looked at Daniel.

Daniel pushed Jack aside, staring hard at Teal'c.

'Please.'

It was all he needed to say.

Teal'c nodded once, bent and slung the woman's body over his shoulder.

Jack finally got pointed in the right direction. 'Holy crap,' he breathed.

Teal'c turned and sprinted through the smoke. Over the open radio channels they heard his voice.

'Major Ferretti. Dial the co-ordinates for Cimmeria.'

'Roger that.'

Jack and Sam hauled Daniel to his feet. The teams hurried off in Teal'c's wake.

There was little resistance left. SG-3 eliminated one final pocket of Jaffa and cleared the way into the main chamber. In the centre the Stargate rippled, its blue event horizon beckoning. Teal'c took the steps two at a time, Osiris beginning to twitch as he did. Without thinking, Daniel reached out. A thin tendril of energy streaked from his hand to the Goa'uld. She fell limp, then Teal'c was gone.

After a pause, where a lot of people decided staring at him was the thing to do, Jack drew a breath and took command.

'Reynolds, take your team and back up Teal'c. Ferretti, we're gating out. Count everyone out then follow. Casualties first.'

Relieved, Daniel watched their only injuries – two airmen and Major Griff – get to the Stargate under their own power.

'Sir, we're gating to Cimmeria?'

'As good a place as any, Carter.'

She nodded and began ordering the teams to the Gate. Sabire stepped over and took her place at Daniel's side.

'This has been a most exciting day, Daaniel. It will inspire great songs.'

He finally got a good look at his friend – clad in a mix of his purple spotted sports gear, SGC-issue boots and armoured vest.

'You came after me.'

'Of course. Did we not vow to return you to your planet of short, pale people?'

'Yes, yes you did.'

He hobbled forward, his leg in its cast suddenly cumbersome and hurting, after scrabbling around on the floor with Jack.

Lou stood at the base of the Stargate, his team guarding the others as they went through: SG-4, gone; SG-8, gone; SG-10, gone. 'SG-13, SG-3, SG-5, go-go-go. SG special guests, get a move on!'

The N'Has'y contingent leaped up the steps and into the wormhole, Jacob and Skaara with them. Daniel cast a look around the beautiful, beguiling structure Osiris had claimed.

'We'll have to come back here.'

'One day, Daniel.'

Jack marched him up the steps, nodded to Sam who held the wormhole open, and tugged him into the vortex.

Å

It had been so long since he'd used a Stargate, he forgot to breathe out before going in. When the three of them emerged, he choked and spluttered, letting Jack and Sabire guide him across sun-warmed stone. They sat him down on the dais' edge.

Five more slurps behind him and Sam called out, 'Rescue party all accounted for, sir. Teal'c and Osiris have been taken by Thor's Hammer.'

'Good work – all of you. Very good work.' Jack sighed. 'Dial us home, Carter.' He looked down at Daniel. 'Time to go home, buddy.'

Daniel looked up at him, caught by the midday sun glinting on Jack's silvered temples. He nodded in agreement.

'No.'

'Beg pardon?'

'I mean, yes, of course, we're going home, but I can't go – not yet.'

'Why, pray tell?'

'I have to wait for Teal'c and… Sarah.'

'You can wait in a nice comfy infirmary bed.'

'I'm not sick. I want to wait here.'

He stared up at Jack, not wanting to argue but a year's worth of having little to no control over his own life reared up and made him dig his heels in.

Jack must have read his body language, because he gave in way too easily.

'Dammit, Daniel,' he said fondly.

Daniel grinned. 'Besides, here comes Gairwen.'

He pointed to a dust trail raised by a group of horses coming toward them.

'Lou, round everyone up and send them home,' Jack called. 'SG-1 and 2 are staying till Teal'c gets back. Homer – get over here.' He waved SG-3's paramedic over.

'Yes, sir. Uh, it's Howard, sir,' she added.

'Roger that. Check on Daniel, will you?'

Major Reynolds walked over as the Stargate clunked into life. 'Colonel, anything we can send through for you?'

'Yeah, a couple of those new ATVs. We'll save a week if we go get Teal'c and Miss Gardner. Better send some supplies, too – don't want to impinge on the natives too much.'

'Yes, sir. Doctor Jackson, it's good to see you again. Anything we can get for you?'

'Thank you, Steve. Uh, maybe some pants?'

Ferretti snorted. 'You look good in a skirt, Daniel.'

He ducked his head to hide the embarrassment in his cheeks.

'Oh!' He grabbed Reynolds' arm. 'I'd really, really, really like some coffee.'

Å

Four ATVs came through with SG-5 at the controls. Daniel watched the sturdy little vehicles with interest as they headed up into the mountains with a local guide provided by Gairwen. He raised a questioning eyebrow at Jack.

'I'm getting tired of walking everywhere.'

The supplies came through with several wicker hampers addressed to Daniel, compliments of the catering staff. He was already prising open the first container, releasing some wonderful smells, when the Stargate slurped once more.

'Boy, I do like the house-calls that come with this job.'

That familiar voice tugged delightfully at his heart.

'Janet!'

'Daniel!'

She was still wearing her skirt and doctor's coat, with a pair of boots and vest thrown on in haste.

'Major Reynolds said you were injured, and weren't coming back yet. So I thought I'd come to you.' She knelt down and clutched his hand. 'It's good to see you.'

'You too,' he said softly.

Janet winked at him, then looked up at Jack. 'Colonel, I have a message for you, from the general.'

'Oy,' Jack groaned. 'Tend to Daniel. I can wait.'

Janet declared Daniel in good health, apart from some bruising to his nearly healed leg. Gairwen invited them to their new village, which they accepted, leaving Beechworth and Bairnsdale on guard at the Stargate. Skaara, Seni and Tobay quickly made friends with the locals, as did Sabire and the M'djay.

'You've got a United Nations going on here, Jack.' Jacob settled himself by the fire, next to Sam.

'Mmm. Amazing what can be achieved when you have a common cause.'

Jack glanced at Daniel who gave him his best 'who me?' look.

After an amazing dinner of pot roast from the SGC, and local's special sweetened agat beans, people drifted off to their beds. Daniel was beyond tired but too wired from a full thermos of coffee to sleep.

Dressed thankfully in his own BDUs, he wandered through the village to an open meadow where he could look up at the mountains. After a time, he felt Jack at his side.

'They'll be okay.'

'I keep picturing what they're going through.'

Jack sighed. 'It'll be tough, but it's the best thing – for both of them.'

Daniel nodded. Teal'c's need for atonement weighed more heavily on the man with each passing year.

They stood together for a long time, getting used to feeling the other near once more.

'Think Ba'al will be a good boy?' Jack eventually asked.

'Yes. He may be a Goa'uld, a potentate, a…'

'Egomaniacal dictator…'

'Tin-plated despot…'

'…with delusions of god-hood.'

'But he keeps his word, strangely. If he doesn't, I'll know. And I'll do something about it.'

'About that. What exactly happened, Daniel, back in that room?'

He thought about it, examined it closely.

'I think I ascended. Not fully, but partway to a higher state of being. It's the state Oma and her kind exist in. I think humans have the ability, maybe some, maybe everyone. Maybe we're the same as Oma's kind. There's great power there, but it can be misused.'

'All those super powers and you didn't fix your leg?'

'D'oh.'

They both smiled. The sun sank slowly behind the mountains, kissing their faces with a final golden ray.

'Why didn't you go all the way?'

Daniel looked at Jack, really looked. Saw his unlikely friend, the man who had tracked him from planet to planet, across the galaxy, never tiring, never giving in. He thought of Sam and Teal'c, Skaara shedding his identity, Sabire heartily embracing the unknown, Helel the kind-hearted Goa'uld, so many people he'd met, known and called friend.

'I know where I belong now, Jack.'

Jack kept his eyes on the darkening mountain, but his smile stretched out to Daniel, and he knew he was home.

Å

Two days later, SG-3 roared into camp with Teal'c and a pale but happy Sarah Gardner on board.

Daniel embraced them both. There were many words to be said and now it appeared he had plenty of time to say them.

With profuse thanks to Gairwen and her people, the much extended SG-1 headed for the Stargate.

'Dial us home, Daniel.'

He grinned at Jack. One by one he punched in the co-ordinates for Earth. A simple thing he'd thought for so long he would never do again.

The Stargate whooshed open.

Codes sent, Jack looked at him.

'After you, Daniel Jackson.'

He blew out a deep breath, and stepped through the Stargate.

After one year, two months and fourteen days, Daniel returned home.

Å

10,470 words

Completed Saturday, January 5th 2013.