It didn't take Daniel long to find Michaels' trail. The man made no effort to hide it. In fact, it looked like he was cutting a trail, hoping to draw Daniel to him. Well, it was working, Daniel thought grimly, as he followed the signs made by crushed grass and broken limbs.

He found more discarded wrappers from power bars and MREs. It was obvious to Daniel that Michaels was making no effort to ration his supplies. Did he not see the need? Or did he not plan to be around long enough to need more? Daniel didn't know and he couldn't guess. He just continued on, trying to formulate his plan of action as he went.

He heard Michaels long before he actually saw him. The man was crashing through the undergrowth, throwing rocks at the birds in the trees. From time to time he would call out, "Dr. Jackson, come out, come out wherever you are. Come out and play with me, Daniel. You'll play with the others, but not me. Why is that?"

Carefully Daniel chose his position. It was a secluded rise looking down on Michaels. He'd be able to see the other mans every move without exposing himself, he hoped. This wasn't exactly his area of expertise. He called out, "John, we need to talk."

Surprised, Michaels spun. His eyes narrowed, scanning the trees, trying to determine Daniel's position. "Hey Daniel. Did you finally come out to die?"

"Jonathon, what are you doing? This is insane." Daniel tried to keep his voice steady and even. "Let's talk. We were friends once."

"Were we?" There was so much bitterness and scorn in Jonathon's voice. "Or was I just something to keep you amused until you were ready to move on."

"You know that wasn't true. What happened to you?"

"Don't tell me you care, Daniel." He continued to circle, his eyes searching for any sign of Daniel's position.

"I do, Jonathon. I do care." Daniel tried to put as much earnestness and caring in his voice as could, "I'm sorry I didn't contact you. Life got busy, you know."

Michaels gave a hollow laugh. "Oh, please. The great Daniel Jackson. You didn't think about me from the second you left our house." Daniel started to protest, but Jonathon continued, "Bet you didn't know my mom died."

"No, I'm so sorry." He was. He remembered Mrs. Michaels as a kind woman who infused her household with love and gentleness. Without her there to balance her husband's harshness, Daniel could well imagine that his young friend's life could quickly become unbearable.

"I don't want your pity, Daniel," the young man's tone was spiteful. "I don't want anything from you. You've been the bane of my life. I was never good enough for my dad, you know; but after you went away, it was intolerable."

"I'm sorry, I really am." Daniel didn't know what he could do to convince the other man, but he had to try. "Come on, let's just talk. We used to do that once."

"Oh, no, Daniel, there'll be no talking. Just dying. By you."

Daniel beat a fist on the ground in front of him. "Listen, Johnny…"

"Don't call me that." The rage in his cry echoed around the glade and battered at Daniel. "I don't have to listen to you. I won't listen to you. But I will tell you this, Daniel. You're going to die today. Didn't you hear the pretty lady? Only one of us will leave here alive."

"No, no she didn't." Daniel realized that abruptly. Ritual tests were usually deliberately obtuse. "She said only one of us would leave the temple, she didn't say alive or dead. Are you going to play her game, Jonathon?"

Daniel hadn't been watching the other man closely enough. He wasn't experienced enough at the game to know everything he needed to keep an eye on. Faster than he could track, the other man threw the rock he'd pulled from his pocket.

It hadn't taken Michaels long to figure out Daniel's position. Fingering the solid weight of the stone in his pocket, the man kept the rock hidden until the last possible moment. With a heave, he let loose with his missile. It flew through the air, his aim true.

Daniel saw the swing of his arm and began to move, but was too late. The rock connected with the side of the head solidly, leaving a bloody track. Daniel fell, clinging to awareness. He knew that his life depended on remaining conscious. In the seconds that Daniel lay dazed, the other man was on him, flipping him over to stand over his body triumphantly.

"Well there you are," Michaels leered down at him, gloating. "So glad you came out to play." He had acquired a substantial branch from somewhere. He tossed it from hand to hand, menace in every line of his body. He bent down reaching for Daniel's shirt.

Daniel didn't think; he just reacted. Drawing his legs up, he kicked the other man in the chest. Michaels tumbled head over heels backward. But it wasn't a hurtful blow, he was back up quickly, brandishing the branch like a club.

Daniel scrambled up, shaking his head, trying to clear it. His vision, never the best, was spotted and mottled, two Jonathons advanced on him. With a shaking hand he felt the lump on his forehead, it was sticky and wet with blood. He backed away warily, keeping his eyes trained on the other man with his club. Suddenly he regretted the decision to not find some way to defend himself.

"Well, well, you have learned a trick or two," Michaels chuckled as he advanced on him slowly. He swung the branch, almost playfully, like a cat playing with a mouse.

Daniel ducked. He heard the club whistle in the air over his head, "We don't have to do this, John. We're playing their game."

"Well, since it's a game I want to play, let's see what happens." He swung the branch again. Daniel jumped back to safety, but he was ready this time. As Michaels moved around for another swing; Daniel dropped a chop with both hands to the other man's back. To his surprise, Michaels dropped to his knees.

Daniel fell next to him. "Johnny…"

The other man looked at him with pure hate in his eyes, "Don't call me that." With his shoulder he drove Daniel backwards into a tree. Daniel landed against it hard, all the breath knocked from his body.

Michaels launched himself at the other man. He wrapped his hands around Daniel's throat, squeezing with all his might. "Never call me that." He watched with satisfaction the startled surprise in the blue eyes, the defeat. He increased the pressure as Daniel scrabbled at his hands trying to pull them away.

Daniel fought as hard as he could. His feet were unsteady beneath him and he couldn't get any purchase. He pushed at the tree with his back, but the other man's hold was too strong. Jonathon's hands were like iron around his throat. He struggled to pull in a breath, to get any oxygen to his lungs, his vision was beginning to grey out around the edges.

He couldn't die, not like this, alone, away from his friends. No. The darkness closed in taking him away…

"Daniel, did you hate us?" His mother's voice made him open his eyes in surprise. He found himself on the beach, sitting beside his mother. The water was pounding the rocks they sat on. The sky overhead was a leaden grey.

"Mom?" He sprang up searching the area wildly, seeking some sign of his assailant. "What am I doing here?"

"Did you hate us?" She gazed up at him quite seriously.

Daniel felt his throat for signs that there had been fingers on them moments before, squeezing the life out. "What's going on? I was just…"

"Daniel." His mother's sharp tone finally caught his attention, "did you hate us when you were eight?"

He pulled his scattered wits together, "I guess I did." He looked into her eyes. Yes, eight-year-old Daniel Jackson had hated his parents for leaving him alone. He had wished so many times that he could have died with them. At least then he wouldn't have been so alone. "But I grew up, I figured it out. I forgave you, I told you that."

She peered deep into his eyes, seeing the truth there, "Yes, you did," she smiled at him. "It's time to choose, Daniel. Are you coming with me, or staying?" She stood, holding a hand out to him.

Daniel stared at her hand a long moment. Taking it, he kissed it tenderly, "I'll be seeing you, Mom. Tell Dad I love him."

In a rush, he was back in the forest with Michaels' hands on his throat. The man's fingers were digging, his thumbs pressing in, harder and harder. Daniel could feel the world closing in on him, the last of his breath leaving his lungs.

Closing his eyes, Daniel stopped struggling. He let his body sag.

Michaels wasn't prepared and Daniel dropped away, a dead weight in his hands. He rolled away knowing that his respite would be short. He sucked breath into his starved lungs, he had to be ready when Michaels attacked again.

The other man was single-minded in his fury, it was only Daniel's death that he wanted. He rushed Daniel, hands still outstretched for his neck. Daniel exploded upward, punching quickly into his stomach and then down with all his strength onto the man's head with the rock he'd snatched up as he rolled.

It was over so quickly, Daniel had trouble grasping it. Michaels lay there broken and bleeding, unmoving. Daniel leaned on the tree for support, breathing heavily, blood flowing from his own head wound. The world around him tilted precariously.

Was this it? Was he supposed to kill the other man now? Was that all that would end this test? Trembling he sat. What was he supposed to do? He looked at the rock in his hand with horror.

He wouldn't do it. It wasn't Michaels' fault that things had ended the way they did. It wasn't Daniel's fault. It just was. He threw the rock away, hurling it as far as he could. Then he moved over and gathered the other man to him.

"I won't do it," he shouted to the empty air. His voice was rough and raw and it hurt to speak, but he continued "I won't kill him. You're going to have to do it yourself if you want it done."

He waited then, his breath harsh in his ears. For a moment there was silence. There was no sound: just the whisper of the wind in the trees, the song of the birds overhead, the busy activity of the animals in the brush.

With a flash of light, the forest was gone. He sat in the temple amidst a crowd of people, Michaels was still unconscious in his arms. Dazed, he could see where his team was imprisoned. When he appeared, the force field around them dissolved. They ran to him.

"You did it," Jack thumped him on the back. "You did good, Danny."

Serafina moved forward to regard them.

"I won't do it," Daniel told her coldly. The man in his arms began to rouse.

"Kill me," he sobbed. "You've beaten me again. You've got to kill me. I would've killed you. Please, just do it." He crawled away from Daniel, shivering.

"You know I won't do that." Daniel whispered. He stood, backing away from the pitiful heap at his feet.

"This is the Test of Cain," Serafina practically glowed with joy. "God loved Cain so much he could not take retribution for his murder of Abel. He forgave him and granted him a new life. That is what has happened here this day. You have given your friend the chance for a new life."

The people around them bowed again and vanished. Only Serafina was left.

"I wish people would stop doing that," Jack muttered to no one in particular. "Can someone please tell me what's going on?"

Serafina turned her gaze to him, "Jack O'Neill, it was never our intention that anyone die. If your friend's life had been in danger we would have stopped the test immediately."

"See, you could have told us that." Even though he addressed Serafina, Jack kept his eye on Daniel. The man looked none to steady on his feet and the head wound worried him. "Those are the sort of things that are 'need to know'."

Serafina faced Daniel, "Daniel Jackson, you are the first in many years to pass the test."

"Really?" Daniel blinked at her wearily. His voice was a mere whisper. It made Jack's throat hurt to see the imprint of Michaels' fingers there.

"That's our Daniel," Jack commented to no one in particular, "he always scores high on the oral exam." He put a hand on his friend's shoulder to keep him upright.

"You also O'Neill." All eyes turned to him.

"What?" Her solemn gaze made him a little nervous.

"You were willing to take his place," she reminded him.

Jack felt his face redden, he had never meant for Daniel to find out about that.

"Jack?" Daniel lifted a curious eyebrow.

"It was nothing Daniel, really." Jack did his best to look nonchalant.

"Each of you would have taken his place in this test even though you thought it a fight to the death?" Serafina turned her solemn gaze to the other two members of his team.

"That's right," Sam affirmed.

"This is so," Teal'c gave a small nod of his head.

"Your people have come far, Jack O'Neill, since we left the world of our father, Cain. You can be proud."

"Oh... I am. Listen, since we've done so well here, can we go home now?" Jack's only thought was to get his people out of the temple and home before there were any more pop quizzes.

"You could have left at any time," she told him with a small smile.

"But with Daniel and Jonathan this time."

"You may take Daniel Jackson, you have much to learn from him..."

Daniel opened his mouth, but shut it again when Jack shot him his 'don't even think about it' glare. He settled for quirking his eyebrows in a satisfied manner at his friend.

The woman continued as if unaware of the silent exchange between the two men, "But Jonathon Michaels must stay with us. He has much healing to do."

"He's not injured," Carter objected. Although the young man really didn't look well. Still lying in a heap on the floor, he seemed to have withdrawn into himself; his body was just a husk, his eyes empty.

Kneeling down next to him, Serefina touched his head in a gentle caress, "It is not his body which needs the healing, Samantha Carter, it is his soul that we must repair. He has lived with jealousy and hate a long time." She helped him stand.

"We can't just leave him with you," Jack objected. "What do we tell General Hammond, what do we tell his father? I'm sorry, he really does need to come home with us." Abruptly the force field sprang up around him again. "Oh, for crying out loud…"

"I am sorry," Serefina told him. Privately Jack didn't think she looked sorry at all. "I told you that you could not take him. If he wishes to return once he has been healed, then you may take him."

"Please, Colonel," Jonathon's voice was a broken whisper, "please, let me stay. There's nothing on Earth for me."

The kid had come back to inhabit his body. His eyes were filled with pain and anger and just a little hope. Reluctantly making his decision, Jack nodded, "I'm sure we'll think of … something to tell the general. We'll be back to check on you," he promised.

"I'd like that. Thanks." He turned to Daniel hesitantly. "I'm sorry..."

Daniel wanted nothing more than to throw his arms around him; to remember the kid that Jonathon had been, but he knew the other wouldn't allow it. Not yet. Events were too fresh. "I forgive you, Jonathon," he rasped. "That's part of the test. You've never done anything so terrible that you can't be forgiven." He could see in Jonathon's eyes that the young man hoped it was true. "Take care of yourself."

"You, too, Daniel." He lifted a hand to wave good-bye. Serafina put a hand on his shoulder. With a flash of light, they were gone.

The team stood silently, trying to absorb everything that had just happened. Daniel blinked up at them and put his hand to his bloody head.

"What are we going to tell, Janet?" Sam asked, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Submitting to Sam's examination and care of his bloody wound, he asked plaintively, "Can't we just tell her I ran into a door?"

Jack put a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Are you okay?" He studied Daniel's face. Somewhere along the way Daniel had changed from a geeky scientist who forgot to tie his shoelaces to a man fully able to take care of himself. When had it happened?

"I'm fine, Jack." He shrugged off their concern although it touched him deeply. "Do we have to go straight home? I haven't finished translating these walls yet."

Jack threw up his hands, shaking his head. Some things never changed, but that was okay. "You did good, Daniel. You did really good." He put a hand on his friend's shoulder, trying with a look to convey everything he wanted to say but couldn't. How proud he was of him. How proud he was to call him friend.

"Thanks." Daniel seemed to know what he wanted to say. He smiled at his friends. "I don't know if I ever said it, but thanks."

"Thanks?" Sam questioned. "For what? You saved yourself this time. You did so good out there all alone."

"No," Daniel shook his head, "I was never alone. I had you guys with me every step of the way. But I was talking about before. When I was laying there on that bed, I would never have found my way back without you."

Jack shrugged, "What can I say? We didn't want to break in a new team member. It's such a pain in the ass. Now, can we go home?"

Daniel looked at his team, standing there watching him expectantly. Where ever they were, that was his home. "Sure, we're coming back here right? I can finish the walls then." Wearily he picked up his pack. Sitting next to it were all their weapons and the other equipment that had been taken.

He followed his companions as they left the temple and began the long walk back down the road to the Stargate and home.

Finis

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story took a lot of time to come together, it would never have happened without all the people who generously gave me their help. So here goes, thanks to my beta Sue. She made my story better because of her sharp eyes. Thanks to Shell and JoLeigh of the countdown who helped with research. Thanks to everyone at the Gengate who offered feedback and encouragement. And finally thanks to Bess, your insight and comments always make me see my story in a totally new light ;-)