CHAPTER TWELVE
Daniel and Sam spent the next couple of hours together in the ruins. The growling of their stomachs finally reminded both of them that they didn't eat any lunch. Since Daniel hadn't packed anything to eat except a couple of power bars, they returned to camp.
To say that Jack was shocked by the way they were acting when they arrived would be an understatement. He had spent all morning and half the afternoon trying to figure out how he was going to repair the rift between the two. He had even considered locking them in a room alone together until they worked things out. Of course, that had been followed by the obvious question of how you could keep a man who could blow a door off its hinges in a room against his will.
Now, looking at the two scientists, it appeared that Jack wouldn't have to do a thing. They were smiling at each other and seemed at ease. Clearly, something had happened between them to change things for the better. As soon as he could get Daniel alone, he'd have to ask what went on.
Seeing the two scientists fixing themselves something to eat made Jack realize that he hadn't eaten either. "Mind if I join you?" he asked them.
"Not at all, sir," Sam replied, giving him the first smile he'd seen in nearly four days. Also seeing the difference in his two youngest teammates, Teal'c smiled inwardly and joined the others in a late lunch.
After they were done eating, the four decided to spend their last few hours on the planet together. Much to Jack's delight, Daniel agreed to go fishing with him. What delighted him even more was that the archeologist gave Sam a rudimentary fishing lesson, and she joined them. Even Teal'c agreed to again try fishing with a rod rather than a spear, though he'd had a great deal more success with the spear, his fast reflexes, infinite patience, and ability to remain absolutely still for hours making him a natural spear fisherman.
And so it was that the four friends lined up along the bank of the lake and went fishing. Sam was as excited as a little kid when she got her first bite and managed to land it all by herself with lots of shouted coaching from both Jack and Daniel. The three humans were all amused when Teal'c displayed his own version of Jaffa excitement as he landed his first real fish caught with a rod. Sam and Teal'c each caught one more fish before the day was out. Jack was pleased with the three he caught. Out of all of them, however, it was Daniel who really struck it rich, landing five beautiful specimens. The problem was that he released every one of them, much to Jack's dismay.
"We've already got enough fish, Jack," the archeologist told him after he'd released his final catch.
"But we could have stuck them in the freezer for later," the colonel complained.
Daniel looked at him, a tiny hint of a smile on his lips. "I'll tell you what. The next time we go fishing, I won't release the ones I catch."
Jack's face lit up. "Next time?"
"Uh huh."
Grinning broadly, Jack slapped Daniel on the back. "It's a deal."
"But remember, Jack. In order for me to catch fish, there has to be fish to catch."
"Got it covered, Daniel. I know just the place."
The sun was just a few inches above the horizon as they loaded the last of the gear onto the FRED and headed for the Stargate. It would be mid-afternoon in Colorado when they arrived, meaning that it would be a very long day for all of them.
As they exited the Stargate back on Earth, General Hammond came forward with a smile. "Welcome back, SG-1. I hope you enjoyed your leave."
Jack glanced at Daniel and Sam. "Oh, we all had quite the time, General. It was certainly a vacation I'll never forget."
"Glad to hear it. Now, I know that this is the last thing you want to do after returning from vacation, but you will all need to report to the infirmary. You may not have been on a mission, but you were on another planet."
"Understood, sir. Oh, by the way, we brought back some fish for you. That was one sweet lake, sir."
Hammond smiled. "Well, thank you, Colonel. I'm looking forward to hearing all about it. You know, I was quite the avid fisherman in my youth."
A smile started growing across Jack's face. "You were?"
"Yes, I was. I spent many an enjoyable hour on this little stream not far from where I grew up in Texas."
"Really. Say, sir. Have you ever been to Minnesota?"
Two and a half hours later, Daniel was at home, dozing on his couch. He hadn't slept well for the past four nights, and it was really catching up to him. He was seriously considering forgetting about dinner and going straight to bed. A knock on his door told him that wouldn't be happening. Knowing that it was Jack, Daniel answered it. Sure enough, a pizza-laden Jack O'Neill was on the other side.
"What, no fish?" Daniel asked him.
"No, but if I had known that you wanted fish, I'd have had them put anchovies on the pizza."
Daniel grimaced. "No thanks." He stepped aside to let the colonel enter. Jack set the pizza down on the kitchen counter, along with a six-pack of beer. Daniel got some paper plates and started dishing out his pizza. He had a pretty good idea why his friend was here, and he wanted to put off the conversation as long as possible.
As it turned out, he was only able to delay the conversation for fifteen minutes. He wasn't even finished eating when Jack asked the question.
"So, what happened between you and Carter today?"
"We talked and both agreed that we didn't want our friendship to be ruined."
"That's it? You talked?"
"Well, no. I guess you could say that we hugged and made up. I told Sam that nothing had to change, that we could stay the same as we were before."
Jack watched him closely. "And do you think that you'll be able to do that? Will you be able to put your feelings for her on a shelf and keep being just her friend?"
Daniel returned the sharp gaze. "You did."
"Yes, your right, I did. The difference was, however, that I really didn't have a choice because of regulations. I wasn't willing to risk my career. You don't have that motivation."
"No, but I have one that's just as strong, maybe even stronger."
"What's that?"
"Sam's friendship. It's one of the most important things in my life. I'd rather give up my job at the SGC than lose it."
Daniel's statement made Jack think about something. All those years that he'd had feelings for Sam, he had never thought about leaving the military for the chance to be with her, at least no longer than brief moments now and then. So, what did that mean? It meant that his love for Sam had never been strong enough to outweigh his love for the Air Force.
A question entered Jack's mind. "Would you give up your place on SG-1 to be with Sam?"
"In an instant," was the immediate reply.
The answer confirmed to Jack that Daniel loved Sam with every part of his heart, something that Jack had never felt for her.
The two men fell silent after that. They finished their pizza and beer, then watched a bit of TV. When Daniel started falling asleep on the couch, Jack knew it was time to leave.
"Daniel, I know that you don't want to let yourself hope again," the colonel said as they stood at the door, "but even a little bit of hope can make things easier to bear. Don't completely give up on your dream. I still honestly believe that you have a chance."
Daniel watched Jack walk to his car, get in, and drive away. He shut the door and headed off to his bedroom. As he lay down on the bed a few minutes later, deep inside his heart, a tiny flame of hope flickered to life.
The next day, a call came through from the Tok'ra. A moment later, Jacob arrived, an expression of concern on his face.
"We need to talk," he told Hammond and SG-1.
A short while later, they were all in the briefing room.
"We may have a problem," the Tok'ra said. "As you already know, word of Daniel's abilities have been spreading among the rebel Jaffa. It was really nothing big at first, though it was big enough to cause a stir. Well, all that changed when Daniel chose to play catch with a Stargate. The Jaffa at the Alpha Site found out about it and everything else, and it all got added to the stuff that was already being circulated."
Daniel looked down at the table uncomfortably. He was already well aware that the Jaffa knew all about the things he'd done. He had spent hours talking with them, trying to make them see that he was nothing more than a man.
"And?" Jack asked.
"And, as of now, we've officially got a major wildfire going. News of this new and immensely powerful ally of the Tau'ri and rebel Jaffa is growing by leaps and bounds, and it's igniting the spirit of the rebel Jaffa to new heights. The Tok'ra have never seen anything like it before." Jacob looked at all of them. "We had a major incident two days ago."
"What?" Daniel asked, almost afraid to find out.
"There was an uprising among the Jaffa in the service of Aker, a minor System Lord. He's dead."
Sam's mouth fell open. "His own Jaffa killed him?"
"They didn't just kill him, Sam. They tore him to pieces. There wasn't enough left of the symbiote to put in a teacup."
"My God," Daniel whispered, utterly stunned. "Why?"
"Aker had just mounted a battle against another System Lord," Jacob explained. "When things got too hot, he fled, leaving his Jaffa to die. Normally, the Jaffa would have accepted this as the will of their god, but things are changing since they heard about you. Not only are you being hailed as a godlike being, every Jaffa who has been told about you has also been told that you are a trusted friend to all Jaffa who rebel against the Goa'uld, that you treat them with absolute respect, value their lives greatly, and will courageously fight at their side no matter what the danger. That's something no Goa'uld can claim."
Daniel lowered his head into his hands. "Crap," he muttered, realizing that his attempts to minimize his image in the minds of the Jaffa had seriously backfired.
"When Aker ran like a coward with no regard for the lives of his Jaffa, it was the last straw for many of them. They killed him in your name," Jacob finished.
Daniel was starting to feel physically ill. This was not what he wanted. He didn't want Jaffa slaughtering Goa'uld in his name.
"Whoa, wait a second," Jack said. "In Daniel's name? You mean all the Jaffa know Daniel's identity?"
A chill passed through the archeologist and all of his teammates, as well as Hammond.
"Do they, Dad?" Sam asked in a scared voice.
"That's the one piece of good news I have," Jacob replied. "It seems that someone has given Daniel an alias. Very few Jaffa know his real name."
"Alias? What alias?" Daniel questioned.
"You're being called Dan'yar."
"Dan'yar, huh?" Jack mused. "Kind of has a nice ring to it."
"Well, that alias is probably the only thing saving him and the rest of you from a whole lot of trouble. Not surprisingly, all of the System Lords have found out about this mysterious Dan'yar and are trying to learn more about him."
"Crap." This time it was Jack who had spoken the curse.
"I agree. All we can hope is that they don't find out the truth. If they do, Daniel is going to be instantly catapulted to the top of the Goa'ulds' Most Wanted list."
Jack groaned. "Oh, this is so not good."
"The biggest fear is that Anubis will find out. We can't get a Tok'ra operative close to him, so we're in the dark as to how much he knows, though there is no doubt that he's heard of Dan'yar."
"What are we going to do?" Sam asked.
"Nothing for now. The Tok'ra have placed as many spies as they can afford among the ranks of the most important System Lords and are keeping their ears to the ground. Hopefully, if someone does learn of Daniel's identity, we'll find out in time to get him to safety."
"Where in the hell would he be safe with every Goa'uld in the galaxy after him?" Jack wanted to know.
"That's a good question," Jacob admitted. "Perhaps with the Asgard or the Nox?"
"I'm not going to hide," Daniel stated.
"Daniel, you may have no choice," Sam told him.
Daniel's eyes met hers. "For how long, Sam? Until all the Goa'uld are defeated? That could take years. We might not even see that happen in our lifetimes. I can't just go disappear among the Asgard or the Nox for the rest of my life."
"Better that than being dead," Jack snapped. "Or, worse, being made a Goa'uld."
Dead silence fell over everyone.
"I'm also here about the weapon we've been developing," Jacob said after a moment. "We've got a working prototype, but it's only seventy percent effective at counteracting the reanimation technology."
"Seventy percent?" Sam repeated. "We have to be able to do better than that."
"I agree. Unfortunately, we're having trouble increasing its effectiveness. The truth is that this prototype should have been completed weeks ago. There have been a number of delays in its development, one of which is that I've got a lot fewer Tok'ra working with me on the project than I'm supposed to have because our numbers are spread thinner than ever due to this stuff with Daniel and the Jaffa."
"So, it's my fault," Daniel muttered.
Jacob looked at him with a fatherly expression. "No, Daniel. This isn't your fault. None of us could have anticipated that this was going to happen. You asked the Jaffa not to tell anyone about you, but it happened anyway. And, after that incident with the Stargate, I doubt that anyone could have stopped the word from spreading. It happened. Now, we just have to deal with it."
"Dad, maybe I can help with the prototype," Sam suggested. "Perhaps you just need a new pair of eyes looking at the thing."
Jacob smiled. "I'd welcome your help, Sam."
An hour later, the astrophysicist was quickly gathering what she thought she'd need, trying to keep her mind focused on it and not on what they'd learned about the possible danger to Daniel. It wasn't easy, though. The threat was very real and very high. If the Goa'uld did learn the true identity of "Dan'yar," would they consider breaking the Asgard treaty and attack Earth to get him? Anubis had already attacked Earth twice. The knowledge of Daniel's abilities could be enough to drive some other Goa'uld into chancing the wrath of the Asgard. For the sake of Earth, Daniel would probably have no choice but to leave the planet.
"Need some help?" asked a quiet voice from the doorway. Sam turned to see the object of her thoughts standing there.
"Um . . . yeah. Thanks."
Daniel came into the room. "Tell me what to do."
"Uh, well, you can pack some of these things in that crate." Sam gestured at the equipment on her worktable.
Daniel immediately got busy carefully packing stuff in the crate, his long-fingered hands handling each item with the same care he showed toward his precious artifacts. Sam found herself watching him. All at once, a sharp pain seared through her chest at the thought of him dead at the hands of the Goa'uld.
She must have made some small noise because Daniel looked up at her. He quickly stood.
"Sam? What's wrong?"
She looked into his eyes. "I'm afraid that the Goa'uld are going to find out about you."
Daniel covered the distance between them. He wanted to wrap his arms around her but chose instead to take her hand. "I am, too," he admitted. His eyes fell to the floor. "It might be best if I left Earth now. My presence here is a danger to everyone."
Sam gripped his hand painfully. "No! You can't leave now. We don't know for sure that they'll find out, and, if they do, it might not be for weeks or even months. In that time anything could happen. We might find a way to defeat the Goa'uld. We're so close to having a weapon that will defeat Anubis' armies. You can't leave, Daniel. We need you." She paused for a long moment. "I need you."
Daniel's eyes caught hers in an intense gaze. "I love you, Sam," he said, his voice as intense as his gaze. "I will do anything to protect you. That includes leaving and never seeing you again."
"Daniel, please," Sam begged. "Please promise me that you'll still be here when I get back."
Daniel stared into her eyes for a breathless moment. "I promise, Sam." Not able to contain himself any longer, he wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. Sam held onto him tightly, soaking in the feeling of him being close to her and wondering if this would be one of the last hugs they'd ever share.
After a moment, they drew away from each other and resumed gathering and packing equipment. Soon, everything was ready to go. Two men came and took the crate to the gate room. Sam then turned her attention to packing several changes of clothes since she had no idea how long she'd be gone. Daniel gave her privacy for that, for which she was glad. She needed to be in complete control of her emotions before she got to the gate room, and being in Daniel's presence would make that impossible.
Her father was waiting for her in the gate room when she arrived. Seeing her face, he frowned.
"You okay, kiddo?"
Sam nodded. "Yeah, Dad. I'm fine."
Jacob looked at her sympathetically. "I'm worried about him, too, you know."
Not surprised that her dad had guessed the reason for her distress, Sam gave him a weak smile.
The rest of SG-1 came in to wish them goodbye. Sam's eyes went straight to Daniel. The archeologist returned her gaze. Within the man's eyes, Jacob saw something that confirmed a guess he had made not all that long ago about the feelings the archeologist had for Sam. One part of Jacob was delighted by the development since he couldn't think of anyone he'd rather see with his daughter than this man. Another part was deeply worried. What would it do to Sam if something happened to Daniel or if he was forced to leave Earth?
Jacob turned to his daughter to see if he could detect the same thing there, but she was now looking at Jack, who had come up to them.
"So, how long are you going to be gone, Carter?" the colonel asked.
"I don't know, sir," Sam replied. "There's no way to tell yet."
"Well, try not to make it too long. I'm beginning to forget what it's like to go on missions. We are SG-1, after all."
Sam smiled faintly. "I'll try to be as quick as I can, sir."
The Stargate activated, and everyone turned to it.
"We'll keep in touch," Jacob said. "As soon as we have a fully functional prototype, we're going to get busy manufacturing it. That's where the SGC is going to be a big help. You've got a lot more resources for that than the Tok'ra do."
"Don't worry, Jacob. We'll have those things cranking off the assembly line in no time," Jack said.
"Take care, Sam," Daniel said quietly.
"You too, Daniel," she responded. Then she turned and, along with her father, walked through the Stargate.
Anubis sat brooding on his throne. The more time that passed, the more he heard about this mysterious ally of the Tau'ri and the rapidly growing Jaffa rebellion. Since first hearing about the man, he had been attempting to learn more about this Dan'yar, turning most of his attention to it. The information he had managed to get was most disturbing. The power Dan'yar possessed was like that of an ascended being. Yet how could he be one of the Ascended? If one of them so blatantly defied the rules of the Ancients, they would be punished. They would not be permitted to continue.
Anubis had never quite understood the motivations of the Ancients and the reason for their insistence on not interfering in the affairs of mortals. Deep down inside he had wondered if they had some sort of ultimate plan. Now, Anubis was wondering if Dan'yar was part of that plan. Could he be one of the Ascended after all, perhaps even one of the Ancients themselves?
Anubis knew that, if the Ascended chose to actively work against the Goa'uld, that would be the end for all of them, including himself. Though they could not destroy him, they could defeat him.
There was, however, another possibility. This Dan'yar might simply be a mortal who had somehow developed extraordinary power. If that was the case, he must be eliminated. He was far too dangerous to be allowed to live.
Recently, another concern had come to Anubis' attention. There was a rumor that the Tau'ri and the Tok'ra were developing a weapon that could destroy his drones. This was an even bigger threat than Dan'yar, one that he must eliminate quickly.
Anubis' armies had just gained a major victory against the System Lord Olokun. There was a chance that there were some rebel Jaffa among those taken prisoner, or maybe even a Tok'ra operative. If so, they might be able to give him the information he needed about this new weapon . . . and perhaps about Dan'yar as well.
To be continued.
