She had just entered the Gate room through the blast doors. With her were an entire contingent of Jaffa and. "Daniel?" Jack shouted. "Daniel!" "I see." Osiris' voice was smooth, seductive, and measured. "This is why I have so many Jaffa reporting to me today. Colonel O'Neill, I believe you know Dr. Jackson." She waved one lazy hand, and almost if responding to orders, the wormhole shut down. Jack watched the silvered surface disappear and felt his hopes going with it. Turning round, he realised Osiris and Daniel were standing close together. Almost as if they were one side. and he was on another. "Daniel, did you." Jack began, and then started again. "Daniel, what have you done? What have you done?" "He has done nothing except come to me," Osiris said, still smoothly. Daniel stood at her side, his blue eyes utterly expressionless. "Trust me, Colonel O'Neill, he has done nothing. It is mere. coincidence that he should choose to come here on the day you apparently have done the same." Involuntarily, Jack's eyes travelled to the glass of the control room. It was still intact as far as he could see. "Your friends are fine," Osiris assured him, and her eyes flashed white- gold. "They are being taken care of." "What the hell?" Jack shouted. "Daniel. you." "I believe the pair of you have some unfinished business to take care of," Osiris said smoothly, amused. "Leave it alone, snake," Jack told her, snarling with anger. "I see." The Goa'uld was always calm, always dignified. "Jaffa!" The Jaffa turned to face her, and she snapped several sharp sentences in Goa'uld at them. For the first time in his life, Jack didn't turn to Daniel for instant translation. The Jaffa were trained never to look surprised. They left the room quietly. Osiris, Jack and Daniel were left on standing on the Gate ramp. "Oh, for crying out loud!" Jack cried. "For God's sake, is this the time for this?" "I think it's the perfect time." It was the first time Daniel had spoken, and it was the first time Jack had ever heard such possessed fury in Daniel's voice. He had been angry when they had spoken before, but this was something new. Looking into Daniel's eyes, Jack began to feel frightened. "Daniel, what the hell is wrong with you?" he asked, trying to ignore the rising fear at what Daniel might say, or do, next. "You think I've betrayed you." It was a statement, not a question. "You're damn right I do! Daniel. I know you were angry, Jesus, you had every right to be. I would have understood it if you'd kicked my ass from here to next week. But Daniel. do you even realise what you've done? How many people you've condemned?" "What have those people ever done for me?" Daniel hissed. "They've abandoned me, made life miserable for me since I was eight years old. I left this planet without looking back six years ago! It was you who made me come back, and for what? I loved Sha're, and she was taken from me. I loved Sarah, and she is now. that." He was pointing at Osiris. "No-one here ever cared whether I live or die!" "Daniel, for crying out loud! What about us? What about me?" "You." Daniel's voice was even. "You've been a wonderful support to me these last few months, haven't you?" "Daniel." Jack began. "I may have behaved in a way I regret. But I never wanted to hurt you. Stop being such a drama-" He stopped and his mouth went dry. He knew, and Daniel knew, what he had been about to say. "The only one who won't hurt me is myself and I hate myself!" Daniel said passionately. He was almost crying. "I hate you, Jack, I hate you all! They hurt me and used me and no-one cares any more, no-one ever will. It was all a façade even when we were free! I hate you, Jack, I hate myself and I want to die!" "Daniel, I." Jack stopped there. He couldn't, he didn't know, he just couldn't. "Go on," Daniel said softly, dangerously. "Pretend you care. You've pretended so well until now, haven't you?" "Daniel!" Jack shouted. He didn't know what he was doing. He was shouting so the friend he knew and loved would come back, the one who bubbled over with charm and enthusiasm. Not the pale, hurt, frightening creature wearing his friend's face, biting at invisible chains and running for his life from his own demons. "My, my, you do have issues, don't you?" Osiris said smoothly. "It's a pity, really, that I won't get to hear the end of this." Off Jack's look, she went on, "If you had been paying attention, you would have known that your little protégée up there is a very resourceful young woman." Jack looked up at the Gate room, and saw to his amazement that Hailey was once more sitting in front of the dialling computer. He couldn't make out what had happened to Sadurfield and Nyan; nor could he see any Jaffa, which he thought a good thing. Hailey was typing furiously; Jack suddenly noticed that the Gate had begun to spin. During this whole horrible nightmare, he hadn't noticed the sound of the chevrons encoding. As Osiris smiled, the seventh chevron locked once more, and the trio on the ramp backed away from the plasma wash. Jack looked at it despairingly. Somehow, he had ended up closest to the base of the ramp - Daniel was next, with Osiris right by the Gate itself. Jack was wondering what the hell to do when someone he used to call his friend spoke. "Go through the Gate," Daniel said dispassionately. The fury had been replaced by deadlier calm; Jack knew how dangerous this calm could be, and he pretended he didn't. Jack stared at Daniel as if he was trying to stare right through him, trying to pretend he couldn't see the archaeologist standing there, looking back at him through expressionless blue eyes. Jack could cope with so much - hell, he'd had his planet taken over by aliens - but this was unbearable. After a pause, Daniel spoke. "I'm sorry," he said clearly. Jack waited for more. I'm sorry, but. There was no more. Osiris laughed softly. The sound made something inside Jack snap. "You bitch!" he yelled. "You did this to him! I don't care how you did it, but you did it!" "You are mistaken," Osiris said. "You wish for someone to blame. But your friend is not the angel you have always believed him to be. He has betrayed you out of his own free will." "Daniel." whispered Jack, repeating himself out of desperation. "What have you done?" "What have I done?" Daniel said. "What have I done? What does it matter? Give me the knife in your boot, Jack, and you'll see what I will do. Look to the future, Jack. isn't that what saving the world is all about?" "That's 'Colonel' to you," Jack snarled, and Osiris laughed. Jack moved tentatively towards the Gate, trying to shut out the horrible sound of her laughing. He moved past Daniel, who didn't even look at him, until he was level with Osiris. "Don't let me stop you," she said, and meant it. Jack decided not to question, but accept it. He could figure it out later. She was still laughing when he plunged forward into the shimmering wormhole.

Two Earth minutes later, Jack was on the planet of K'Tau. He wanted to avoid the inhabitants of the planet, and the explanations he would have to provide, so he continued on his way while avoiding the village. He had to think to remember his way around, especially without Daniel, but eventually he did find what he was looking for. He went on, trying not to think of Sam as he disabled the holograms as she had taught him, and looking at the runes engraved on the walls, he tried not to think of Daniel. He tried not to think of Daniel. full stop. He was in the presence of the Asgard High Council and the great hall of the Asgard was just as he remembered it, dark and shadowy and filled with whispers. He could just make out the forms of the Asgard themselves as they sat in solemn conclave. "Colonel O'Neill," said one Asgard evenly, blinking and apparently unaffected by the sudden appearance of the Earthman. "You wish to speak to Commander Thor." "Yeah, that would be what I'm here for," Jack responded, ignoring the fact it hadn't been a question. "Please," he added as an afterthought. "Unfortunately, Commander Thor is not here. He is currently on the Asgard flagship on a mission on the other side of the galaxy." "Oh." Jack said. "Is there some way I could. get hold of him?" He said this, and then inwardly berated himself for treating the Asgard High Council like Directory Enquiries. Especially as Directory Enquiries had ceased to exist several months earlier. "There is a way. You may have to wait a few minutes." "Could you please." "Very well." Several minutes did pass, as Jack stood there. He had enough time to start thinking of inane thoughts involving the piped music Directory Enquiries used to play at him when he was put on hold, but he soon abandoned them as he became aware of something happening in front of him. He wasn't quite sure how this whole set-up worked, but he became aware of the fact the other Asgard had all but disappeared. The only one he could see at all clearly said, "Greetings," and the human recognised him as Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet and Norse god of thunder, Thor. He was standing in a room that reminded him very strongly of the bridge of the Biliskner, with the same retro pink, red and purple décor, with all kinds of technology lurking in the corners. "Thor! Buddy!" Jack exclaimed. "How can I be of assistance, Colonel O'Neill?" Thor asked, and blinked his huge eyes. Jack looked around and blinked. "Is this the Biliskner?" he asked. "No, it is not. It is the replacement for that ship. It is called Ragnarok." "Right." "How can I be of assistance?" Thor repeated. "Oh, we're in trouble this time." "The Goa'uld?" Thor asked, before Jack could finish. "Yeah. How did you know?" "I did not. Please continue," Thor replied, mystifying Jack, but he continued nonetheless. "It's Anubis," Jack said. "Maybe it's somehow our fault, I don't know, but Anubis and Osiris and Nefertuum - they've taken over Earth." Thor blinked again. Jack wondered if this was the approved Asgard method of displaying extreme surprise. "This is. not good," Thor said. "Not good?" Jack repeated. "Not good?! This is an entire planet! I'm being honest with you, Thor. We're way out of our depth. We need help." "It would appear, however, that you still have control of your Stargate," Thor observed. Jack shook his head. "Nope. Anubis has the SGC as his base. We had to literally run in with guns blazing and take our chances. And then. Osiris was there in time to stop me." "That does not make sense. How then were you able to access the Stargate?" "I'm not sure," said Jack honestly. "I think Osiris. let me." "She let you? She allowed you to use the Stargate of her own free will? How did she learn of your plans at all?" Jack suddenly felt like he was six years old and his life was collapsing around him. "Daniel," he said in a low voice. "Daniel betrayed us for her." "I understand." "Oh, I wish you did." There was a pause, during which Jack tried his utmost not to think of Daniel and failed utterly. If he closed his eyes, he could see Daniel standing in front of him once more, screaming. "You wish for an Asgard mothership to orbit your planet and obliterate the Goa'uld, is that not so?" Thor's voice broke through his thoughts. "Yes!" Jack exclaimed. "Please! Thor, we're desperate. We. need. help." "I wish I could give it, but it is impossible." "You. what?" Jack couldn't believe this. After they had worked so hard and come so far. "Anubis was in exile at the time of the creation of the Protected Planets Treaty, and is therefore not governed by it. But by intervening in Earth's affairs, the Asgard are risking all-out war with Anubis, which is unthinkable. The war with the replicators has reached a critical stage and we cannot expend any resources on the Goa'uld. I am sorry." Jack sat down, temporarily forgetting he wasn't really on an Asgard ship. He was reminded of that fact when he landed heavily on the rock floor of a cavern. Thor waited politely for him to gather himself together again. "Thor. please." Jack said slowly, desperately. "We're. we're. " "I am sorry," Thor repeated. "Thor!" Jack was shouting now. "Thor, we're the fifth race and we saved your little grey butts! We need help! We're calling in a marker. Thor!" Thor's hologram disappeared. Jack found himself sitting on the floor of a rock cavern, alone and in the dark. Sitting there, he didn't move. He had just hit rock bottom.