Title: Innocent

Summary: While negotiating a trade agreement, Daniel is imprisoned on an alien world. After his release, he tries to make sense of fragmented and disturbing memories. S10.

Spoilers: only one major one – Meridian, although I suppose anything ascension related is fair game. The story itself takes place in season 10, but there are no specific spoilers other than Vala's presence.

Category: angst, drama, action, hurt/comfort

Prologue

Blinding fear. At first that was all he was aware of. The sheer terror. But it wasn't just any fear; this was a specific kind of fear, fear born out of a terrifying blankness that was disturbingly familiar.

He didn't know where he was. He was only vaguely aware of who he was.

One thing was certain – he didn't belong here. He didn't want to be here.

It was dark and musty, the air oppressively still. Slivers of light cast menacing shadows throughout the cell. And there was no way out.

Oh yes. He was definitely afraid.

He didn't remember coming here. He didn't remember what had happened before he came here.

Harsh yelling echoed down a hallway, followed by banging and the sickening sound of a hard object impacting soft flesh. Repeatedly.

Wild eyes darted about the tiny room before landing on the only identifiable exit: a heavy metal door with one small window. The only window in the room.

With a dash of desperation, he sprung at the door, pounding on it wildly and shouting for someone to let him out. Through the small window he saw nothing but an unending corridor, swathed in darkness.

No one came.

Contrary to his first impressions, he wasn't alone here. But sometimes he wished he was. He didn't remember much about the others. When they came he begged them to help him, to explain, to help themselves.

Sometimes he didn't even understand the things he said to them. And he never understood what the others said to him. Not really. Maybe he didn't want to.

One thing was frighteningly clear. They called him a criminal.

He denied it of course. Repeatedly. Emphatically. But he didn't know if it was true. After all, he couldn't remember. He didn't think he was a criminal. He'd like to believe that he wasn't that sort of person. But he couldn't be sure. Maybe he had committed the crimes he was accused of. Maybe he deserved this…deserved to be punished. Maybe unspeakable crimes lay locked within his memory. Was it possible to feel guilty over something he could not remember?

Guilt and innocence mixed together. Did he really want to remember? What if the weight of his own memories was enough to destroy him?

He simply didn't know.

So for now, he said he was innocent. Because he wasn't sure if he could handle the alternative.

Part 1

Vala paced up and down nervously, casting annoyed glances at the closed doors and the guards that stood on either side of them.

They had been told to wait in the courtyard, just outside the prison gates. So they waited. And waited. Cameron stood still, facing the closed doors. His calm attitude annoyed her. She wished that he would lose his cool, just for a moment. Just to prove that he was as worried as she was.

Sam and Teal'c were still talking to the Chief Minister, mostly because Sam was the only one who still had an ounce of patience left to deal with the infuriating man. Even Teal'c was ready to bash his head in, but they all knew that wouldn't solve anything. There was something about Chief Minister Nebal that was beginning to set off warning bells in Vala's head. She didn't trust him. Of course, she didn't trust most people, but this was different. Something she cared about was at stake, and she couldn't bring herself to believe that the Rahsonians were being totally honest with them.

"Relax, Vala. They'll bring him," Cameron said. "And as soon as they do, we're out of here."

She spun around, throwing a glare at him. "How do you know?"

Cam let out a heavy sigh. "They aren't stupid, Vala. Right now they need us more than we need them, and they're not about to jeopardize that. Trust me, they'll bring him."

Vala marched right up to him, staring into his eyes. On the surface, she was all angry defiance, but she knew he could see the fear lurking behind her anger. "It's been three weeks, Cameron. Three weeks! The last time we saw him he was in chains, being shoved around by some nameless guards, and…" Vala's voice broke slightly.

She didn't need to finish. They both remembered. They had seen their missing teammate once in the past three weeks, dressed in the gray jumpsuit that they had all come to recognize as Rahsonian prison garb. He'd looked terrible; exhausted and far too submissive as the guards roughly prodded him along. They had barely spoken to him then. There hadn't been time for more than a few hasty words of reassurance.

Cam reached out and took Vala by the shoulders. "Everything's going to be fine," he said softly. "They'll hold up their end of the bargain. I guarantee it. Okay?"

She nodded mutely in response.

When the doors finally creaked open, they both turned to look expectantly. The guards nodded in acknowledgment as a security officer stepped outside. He was followed by two more guards flanking a single prisoner. His hands were cuffed behind his back, but the chains were gone and the gray prison uniform had been replaced with the same green BDUs that had been taken from him after his arrest. Despite the change in outward appearance, he was still guarded like a criminal. What disturbed Vala the most was that he actually looked the part. He shuffled along between the two guards without lifting his head, eyes seemingly glued to the ground.

Vala started to step forward, ready to meet their friend halfway, but Cameron seized her arm, holding her in place. She glanced up and saw the command in his eyes – Wait. She didn't move, but returned her gaze to the spectacle before them.

The lead officer signaled a halt when they reached the center of the courtyard and the guards reached out to restrain their prisoner. The officer executed a quick turn to face his captive, but he fixed his gaze at some spot over the man's shoulder. Then he delivered his pronouncement, speaking clearly so that his voice could be heard by the two foreigners who had gathered within the courtyard.

"Dr. Jackson of the planet Earth, you have been granted a diplomatic pardon. All charges against you have therefore been dropped, and you are free to return to your planet. Any attempt to return to Rahsonia will be treated as a hostile act and will result in your immediate incarceration." The officer signaled one of the guards, who reached behind the prisoner to remove his restraints. The cuffs snapped open and Daniel's hands fell loosely to his sides. He looked down at them for a moment as if puzzled by the sight.

The guards both stepped back, and for the first time the lead officer actually looked his prisoner in the eye. "Congratulations, Doctor," he said, holding out a hand in a friendly gesture. Daniel regarded him silently, and from a distance it was impossible to read his expression. With slight hesitation, Daniel grasped the offered hand. The officer gave a decisive nod and then barked out an order. Daniel winced at the sharp tone, but the officer failed to notice his reaction, his attention already on the prison guards beside him. The guards each gave a sharp salute, made an about face, and returned to the prison complex, followed by their commanding officer.

Standing alone, Daniel finally raised his gaze and saw his teammates. At first, no one moved. Then Daniel began walking slowly across the courtyard to meet them. He looked impossibly weary, shoulders slumped and walking with a slight limp. Nonetheless, after three weeks of tension and worry, he was a welcome sight.

Unable to contain her relief, Vala ran to greet him. She threw her arms around his neck in an enthusiastic hug, even knowing that he would be irritated by her exuberance. He flinched in response and hesitated a moment, clearly uncertain, before slowly returning the embrace. Vala smiled happily at the response. Her smile faded when she felt him let out a shuddering breath.

Vala pulled back slightly, leaving her arms draped around his neck as she leaned back to look at him. There were dark smudges under his eyes and beneath several days' worth of stubble, she could see his face was lined with fatigue. Noticing the split lip and the half-healed cut running along his right temple, she wondered if those lines spoke of pain as well as exhaustion.

"Daniel?" she spoke gently. He regarded her with blue eyes that held none of their usual spark. He still hadn't let go of her, and that alone was enough to cause her concern. She moved one hand from the back of his neck, to rest her palm against his cheek. She expected him to swat away the offending hand, to pull away from the intimate touch that threatened his personal space. Daniel did neither. He simply stared back at Vala. But he looked a million miles away.

"Jackson?" Cameron's voice came from close by, causing Daniel to jump and take a step back. He seemed unsteady, shaken somehow, and Vala kept one hand on his arm in an attempt at reassurance that somehow seemed inadequate.

Cam gave a small smile of apology. "You okay?"

Releasing a shaky breath, Daniel looked up with eyes clouded in pain. "Honestly?" he said. "I've been better."

The colonel nodded his agreement. He rested a hand on his teammate's shoulder and urged him forward. "Come on, Daniel. Let's go home."

Daniel nodded wearily. "Yeah. Home."

Vala refused to leave his side, while Cameron called Sam on the radio and told her to meet them at the stargate. Sam suggested that she and Teal'c stay behind. Apparently Chief Minister Nebal wanted to discuss the particulars of the trade agreement. Cam sighed in frustration and glanced at Daniel who looked away in discomfort. Cameron raised an eyebrow in question.

"The treaty's important," Daniel said quietly, his voice sounding hollow.

Vala exchanged glances with Cameron and saw his mouth twitch in irritation as he keyed his radio. "Sam, tell the Chief Minister that the treaty can wait, and then meet us at the stargate." He signed off and ended the transmission before she could reply.

They proceeded directly to the stargate, which was situated in a nearly abandoned portion of the city. Sam and Teal'c arrived shortly afterwards. The team exchanged silent greetings. Teal'c looked Daniel over thoroughly, a subtle expression of displeasure crossing his stoic features. Sam took one look at where Daniel stood between Cam and Vala and walked over to give him a quick hug.

"I'm sorry we couldn't get you out of there sooner," she whispered in his ear. Daniel merely shrugged and looked away. Vala observed quietly. Sometimes, she still had trouble reading her teammates' reactions. The relationship between the three original members of SG-1 was particularly difficult for her to understand. At times they hardly spoke to each other, barely seemed to notice that the others existed. But then, when it really mattered, they always knew exactly what the others needed.

"Vala, dial us home," Cam ordered. Vala was already moving towards the DHD when Daniel spoke.

"Actually…do you mind?"

Cameron waved a hand in invitation. Daniel moved to the DHD and began dialing. For a moment they all watched him. Vala glanced at Cameron who nodded. She pulled out her GDO to send the iris code, while Cameron turned back to Sam.

"Did Nebal make a fuss about you guys leaving before the treaty was officially signed?"

Vala watched the wormhole snap to life as she entered her code into the GDO.

Sam sounded a bit cautious as she answered. "Well, the Chief Minister is trying to be as conciliatory as possible, so he can't complain too much. Still, he wasn't terribly happy."

Daniel let out a bitter laugh, surprising all of them. "He never is."

The two colonels glanced at him in surprise, confusion clearly written on their faces.

With a sigh, Daniel turned back to the open wormhole. "Can we go, now?" he asked in a tone that was a cross between petulant and pleading.

"Yeah," Mitchell nodded.

Vala quickly made her way up the steps, joining Daniel with Teal'c as they made their way through the event horizon. A quick backward glanced confirmed that the two colonels were right behind them.

General Landry was waiting on the other side when they exited the gate, a small release of breath the only sign of his relief.

"SG-1," he acknowledged with a nod. "Welcome back, Dr. Jackson."

Daniel gave a brief smile. "Thank you."

"Report to the infirmary, Doctor." Landry turned to the others as he continued. "SG-1, briefing in one hour."