• Summary: Missing scene to "Fire and Water". Teal’c had never really felt the death of a comrade until Daniel Jackson died.
• PG [A] [D] [Hc] [M]

Teal’c had never really felt the death of a comrade until Daniel Jackson died.

There had been, of course, some losses from the ranks of Apophis, some of them men Teal’c himself had trained. Not many--most planets they went to didn’t have the capability to strike back against them. But a few Jaffa had died under him in the service of their god. Teal’c regretted their deaths, but he knew them only as soldiers, not as men. Not as friends.

The memory was still fresh as he stumbled down the ramp from the Stargate, of having seen Daniel Jackson burn to his death, screaming horribly. It would not go away, as if it had seared itself into his mind. There was no escape from it, nor from knowing he had failed one of his teammates and thus lost a friend. He had few enough among the Tauri, or indeed, in the universe. And Daniel Jackson had been...exceedingly unique. Not a warrior, though he did try for the sake of the team, but a scholar, as different from Teal’c as night was from day. And yet this scholar’s gentleness and wisdom and good humor--and pain for the wife he’d lost--had been just as different from the dry scholars Teal’c had known in his old life. This one was worth learning from, and eventually even calling friend.

It was difficult to comprehend he was gone so quickly, and Teal’c found himself strangely shaken by the knowledge. Even General Hammond’s question as to Daniel Jackson’s fate left him struggling to answer.

O’Neill had taken it upon himself, as he did so many things. "Daniel’s dead, sir." His voice gave no sign he was announcing the death of one of those most closest to him. In other circumstances, Teal’c would have admired his control.

"Shock," Dr. Frasier called it, and quickly had them taken to the infirmary. But they were not injured, not in the way a physician would be of help--did she not know that? How could a doctor tend a wound to the soul, a wound that could never heal?

Shock was perhaps not a bad thing. It blunted the sharpest edge of grief.

He was not the only one so injured, of course. As the "shock" wore off, allowing him to think more clearly, Teal’c’s attention turned outward from his own loss to those of his two other teammates’. They had known Daniel Jackson even longer than he.

Captain Carter sat on the other side of the room, trembling on the edge of the bed and in tears. She was strong, a true warrior as well as a scholar, earning Teal’c’s admiration over time, but this had deeply shaken her. He was grateful when Dr. Frasier gave her something to allow her to sleep. It was the one remedy, however temporary, for their pain.

O’Neill sat on a bed next to Teal’c, as silent and still as Captain Carter was visibly upset. Teal’c was unaccustomed to seeing him so; he had already learned it was O’Neill’s way to make light of difficulties in order to overcome them. Some blows, however, were too great to defeat in such fashion. Teal’c understood that burden. A good leader always felt responsible for each of those under his command. Regardless how a loss occurred, he would perceive it at least partially as his fault.

But there was more to it than that. Daniel Jackson had become a brother to O’Neill, much as the eldest son looked after the younger. Or, sometimes, the younger looked after the older. That bond had made both men stronger, and now it had been torn away. O’Neill had already retreated into himself to mourn the loss. Teal’c just hoped he would emerge again afterwards to rejoin them.

One of Dr. Frasier’s assistants came over and began fumbling with his arm and some sort of equipment Teal’c had seen before but did not understand. Did the man not know the magnitude of what they had suffered, and that their injuries were within, not without?

Teal’c pulled his arm away impatiently. "I do not wish this done."

O’Neill spoke up behind him, not sounding like himself. "Relax, Teal’c, they’re just trying to take your blood pressure."

He would have obeyed that voice, reluctantly, but Dr. Frasier came over then. "That’s all right, that can wait for now. Teal’c, you can go change if you want to."

Teal’c nodded to her, just barely. Finally. He needed time to meditate and accept this loss. It was the way of the warrior to mourn quickly and go on.

Then again, perhaps his place was with his teammates--his friends. Teal’c stopped in the doorway of the infirmary, looking back with a frown. Captain Carter was lying down, her eyes closed and her face wet, nearly asleep. Dr. Frasier was examining O’Neill, shining a light in his eyes before O’Neill pulled back violently, arguing with her without his usual force or spirit. No, they would be together later, but for now his friends would seek their own ways to mourn.

But, Teal’c thought as he turned away and walked stiffly to his quarters, he doubted this time any of them would be able to quickly accept this loss or go on.

The Tauri ultimately treated death much the same way they did on Chulak. While the people of Earth seemed to hold life in greater esteem than most peoples Teal’c had encountered, their rituals of death sent their dead into the Afterlife with similar honor and ceremony.

It had been Colonel Makepeace who had explained to Teal’c what all the parts of the funeral ceremony would be and what role Teal’c would have. He had tried to ask O’Neill later about the symbolism of accepting the folded banner of the nation, but O’Neill’s face had twisted and there had seemed to be something lodged in his throat. He’d waved the Jaffa off without an explanation, but Teal’c believed he understood.

So they stood in the gateroom now, his teammates in their most formal uniforms and he in the civilian dress Captain Carter had deemed most suitable. Captain Carter no longer shed tears, but there was a sadness in her eyes Teal’c felt in his heart. This had not simply been the loss of a squadmate. Teal’c would never have understood that as a member of the Serpent Guard.

O’Neill stood to give a speech. Teal’c had not seen his commander until the man had walked into the gateroom for the funeral. He, too, appeared past his initial grief, no longer withdrawn into himself, but of all the Tauri, he was the one Teal’c knew best and best understood. His voice, controlled once more, had the same manner to it as when he had once told Teal’c about his son, and how the child had died. It had been a pain too great for words, or even expression. That made O’Neill seem a hard man to many, but how could they not see the strength it took to continue to function when the loss was so great? As a father himself, Teal’c had understood then. As a friend of Daniel Jackson, he also understood now.

"Daniel Jackson...made this place...happen. As a member of SG-1...he was our voice...our conscience. He was a very courageous man. He was a...good...man. For those of us lucky enough to know him, he was also a friend."

Teal’c silently concurred with the broken tribute.

The banner--flag, Colonel Makepeace had called it--was folded, and O’Neill solemnly gave it to Teal’c, who respectfully folded it to his heart and received O’Neill’s salute. The Jaffa still did not understand why he was the one so favored; while Daniel Jackson did not seem to have close relatives, surely this memorial symbol belonged to SG-1 as a team? Teal’c would have to see to it that it found some place of respect where all who had known Daniel Jackson could remember him.

There was no body to bury, something which deeply bothered Teal’c but did not seem to matter that much to his teammates. According to the beliefs of his people, until the body was properly laid to rest, the soul was not free to depart. But they could not go back to the planet. Teal’c felt that strongly, and the Tauri did not seem to share his beliefs, anyway. A circle of greenery called a "wreath" symbolized the departing soul and was released into the Stargate.

General Hammond spoke the parting words.

"We commend Daniel Jackson’s spirit to the universe he opened up for us, and pledge to continue our journey of discovery in his memory. May he rest in peace."

A great leader of his people and one Teal’c had much respect for, General Hammond, too, was speaking of Daniel Jackson as a friend and one whom he personally respected. It seemed Daniel Jackson would be missed by many. Teal’c would have appreciated sharing that information with his absent friend. For one so confident of his intellect, the archaeologist had been surprisingly uncertain about his social stature. In that, they were much the same. Teal’c was an outsider as well and had often shared that isolation pleasurably with Daniel Jackson, sharing his knowledge of the Go’auld and their history, listening to the young man’s theories in turn. He would miss those conversations. Far more deeply, more painfully, he would miss the man.

The least he could do to honor his friend’s memory would be to find Sha’re, and that Teal’c privately vowed as he watched the wreath sink into the gate. It finally disappeared completely, and with it Teal’c released Daniel Jackson from his heart, saying his personal farewell.

The funeral was over. Captain Carter went to speak to General Hammond and the distant family of Daniel Jackson. The archaeologist had none close...none of blood, anyway.

O’Neill, however, Teal’c saw sharply turn and leave the room, speaking to no one. The Jaffa began to follow. Perhaps O’Neill would at least talk to him.

"Teal’c?"

Perhaps later. He stopped and turned. "Captain Carter," he inclined his head in respectful acknowledgment.

She gave him a wan smile. "The colonel is holding a, well, a party at his house for Daniel. If you’d like to go, you’re welcome to come with me."

"Is it not custom to have a ‘party’ when the one being honored can be present?"

Captain Carter almost smiled again and then she blinked hard as if she would cry, but in the end she only touched his arm in the way she often seemed to. "Usually. But this kind of party is special. It’s more for those who are left behind."

"I see. I would be honored to attend this party with you, Captain Carter."

She did smile then. "Good. I’ll be ready in a half-hour. I’ll meet you topside."

He bowed his head and watched her leave. A party. It seemed strange to him, but perhaps it would do them good, particularly O’Neill. His commander and friend appeared as though he could very much use a celebration.

The funeral attendees had mostly left the gateroom, but General Hammond was approaching Teal’c, and he tilted his head back up to respectfully meet his superior’s gaze.

"Teal’c. I think Dr. Jackson would have liked this funeral, don’t you?"

"I do," Teal’c answered. "He would have been most pleased by your speech, General Hammond."

The man’s lips pressed together. "It’s never easy to bury a friend, is it?"

He did not say that he had never really buried a friend before, not the way General Hammond meant. And the burying part... "Especially when there is nothing to bury," he answered.

"Oh, yes, Jack told me about your concerns with that. I’m sorry, Teal’c, I would have done everything possible to bring Dr. Jackson’s body back, but it seems we’d be risking more lives to do so, and I just can’t allow that." Neither of them mentioned there would have been little of Daniel Jackson to bring back, anyway.

Still, Teal’c was surprised O’Neill would have known about his concerns about the lack of a body, let alone shared them with General Hammond. It seemed he was still looking after his team even in his grief. Knowing O’Neill, perhaps that shouldn’t have been a surprise. To General Hammond, Teal’c merely said, "I understand." And he did. They could not go back to the planet. He knew that.

"Good. Well, I suppose you know about the party at Jack’s place."

"Captain Carter has informed me of it."

"You have a ride there?"

"I shall go with Captain Carter."

"Good," General Hammond repeated, then hesitated. "Teal’c...Jack’s taking this awfully hard. I’d like to ask if you’d just...well, keep an eye on him for a while, as a personal favor." He looked as if he might say more, but when he didn’t, Teal’c nodded once.

"No favor is needed, General Hammond. I, too, am concerned about O’Neill."

The man nodded with a sober smile, then also left the gateroom.

Behind Teal’c, the event horizon destabilized and the Gate shut down, leaving the room in near-perfect peace. Teal’c stood a minute longer before the great Chappai, alone with his thoughts and memories, before he turned and walked away to change garments in preparation for meeting Captain Carter.

The trip to O’Neill’s home passed in silence.

Whenever they went anywhere outside the SGC together, Captain Carter usually spent the trip explaining the things they saw on the way and what would happen where they were going. Some of the information Teal’c already knew, but he appreciated her efforts and enjoyed listening. There was still much he had to learn about his adopted home.

Neither of them seemed to have much interest in such trivialities on that somber day, however. Teal’c was aware of the familiar route to O’Neill’s home, but other than that did not take note of anything else on their way there.

O’Neill’s home suited their leader. Small by the standards of the Tauri, somewhat unkempt-looking as a result of their frequent missions, it was nevertheless comfortable and friendly. "No white couches or rugs," O’Neill had unnecessarily noted once to Teal’c, "a place where you can kick back and put your feet up." He had then demonstrated. The Jaffa had followed his example, finding the position extremely awkward, but he had resigned himself to the ways of his host. In time he’d learned O’Neill had meant him to make himself comfortable, and O’Neill had learned Teal’c was most comfortable sitting straight in a chair. They had acquired much information about each other in his time with the Tauri.

Now the small house was full of people, some of them overflowing into the backyard. Captain Carter left her vehicle as close to the house as she was able with all the other vehicles around, then gave Teal’c a small smile and led the way inside.

It seemed one primarily talked and ate and drank at a party for the dead, the latter two making the Jaffa’s eyebrows rise. At a "wake," the name of such a party, Captain Carter explained it was customary to feast in honor of the departed, unlike the ten-day mourning fasts on Chulak. Teal’c swallowed his distaste. For all their similar appearances, his people and the Tauri still had many differences.

O’Neill greeted them upon their entrance, smiling for the first time since their aborted, fateful mission. Teal’c’s eyebrows rose. Perhaps wakes did fulfill the function of raising the spirits of those in mourning. O’Neill almost seemed to be enjoying himself. Captain Carter accepted his offer of a drink, and Teal’c watched him pour, the alcoholic beverage bubbling in the glass.

Bubbles...

Fire.

That scream.

Teal’c mentally shook himself out of the memory. Fire had consumed Daniel Jackson before they could do anything to save him. But where had there been bubbles? And why did they remind him of Daniel Jackson’s death?

O’Neill seemed caught up in the same memory. Even as Teal’c watched, the bubbles overflowed the glass and O’Neill didn’t even realize. And then his smile disappeared, and he rushed out of the room.

Captain Carter glanced at Teal’c, but he stood impassive, uncertain how to respond. Something was wrong, but was it the sudden death of the archaeologist, or something more?

Leaving Captain Carter to her drink and the odd traditions of the wake, Teal’c slipped out after O’Neill. General Hammond, after all, had requested him to keep watch over his commander.

O’Neill was outside, playing the game he had once introduced Teal’c to as "hockey." Even as his favorite sport, it was an odd pursuit when he was the host of a party, one remembering the loss of a close friend, but it was not Teal’c’s place to judge. The Jaffa sat on the porch railing and silently kept watch.

The game did not last long. The net soon collapsed under the force of O’Neill’s shots, and finally he wheeled away from it in disgust. Teal’c could see the building frustration, and was unsurprised when O’Neill suddenly swung the hockey stick, shattering the window of the nearest car.

No, the wake had had no therapeutic effect, at least not where its host was concerned. Grief had many forms. It had simply collected in O’Neill below the surface, eventually requiring a release. As through a window on General Hammond’s car.

O’Neill never seemed to react to things the way the other Tauri did.

Teal’c shifted minutely, prepared to intercede should O’Neill’s anger threaten any more automobiles--or himself. But General Hammond, talking to Captain Carter nearby, hurried over to speak to him. Teal’c was just close enough to hear.

"What’s on your mind, Colonel?"

It was a moment before O’Neill replied. "Retirement, actually."

It should have been a surprise, but it wasn’t. Teal’c had pledged his help to the Tauri, but it had really been SG-1 he had given his loyalty to. It often seemed to him O’Neill felt the same way, returning to active duty to lead his team rather than a team. It was a distinction Teal’c would not have understood the year before, and now it seemed so natural. If O’Neill also left, however, Teal’c would have to reconsider his place with the Tauri and the SGC. There was much to think about for the future.

"You don’t mean that," General Hammond answered.

"I think I do." Teal’c could have predicted O’Neill’s answer with precision.

"Well, I can’t let you do that. I’ve got an assignment for SG-1. Dr. Jackson’s apartment needs to be closed by Stargate personnel. National Security aside, you’re probably the closest thing he had to a family. It’s not an order, it’s...a request."

Teal’c cocked his head, awaiting O’Neill’s reply. What General Hammond asked was appropriate and Teal’c approved. Those who knew and valued the owner would be the proper caretakers of his possessions.

"Yes, sir," O’Neill answered hollowly. Perhaps the request brought more pain than honor?

General Hammond did not seem to notice, smiling at O’Neill. "Why don’t you come join the others in the back?"

O’Neill also smiled, an expression that made Teal’c wince inside. Could not General Hammond see the artificiality of O’Neill’s reaction? Teal’c could not help but think the angry game of hockey had been a healthier response. But all SG-1’s leader said was, "Yes, sir," in a voice as bleak as it was meant to sound cheerful. And O’Neill followed General Hammond back to the party.

Teal’c decided on the spot that wakes were not as helpful as some seemed to believe. How could play-acting for the benefit of others help one heal?

Shaking his head once, the Jaffa kept mental track of his friend as he himself returned to the house, greeting those who greeted him and listening to the conversations.

Was this celebrating? Perhaps it helped those who were there, to share their memories? Most of the people Teal’c did not recognize, but it was a significant witness to the man Daniel Jackson had been that there would be so many to mourn his passing.

Avoiding the food, he eventually ended up outside again.

O’Neill sat alone on the porch rail, staring away from the house and the people gathered there, looking at nothing in particular Teal’c could see. The Jaffa hesitated, then went to join him. O’Neill gave him an uninterested glance before returning to watching the distant trees and mountains, saying nothing.

What was there to say, after all?

Captain Carter seemed to take over hosting duties in O’Neill’s absence. Teal’c could hear her sometimes behind them or in the house, offering the guests food and beverages. Twice her footsteps stopped behind them, silent for a minute before going on. She also understood, and Teal’c considered again how worthy of respect his team members were. He had been fortunate to meet them and wise to join their cause. Despite the tremendous loss of Daniel Jackson, Teal’c still hoped there would be a team for him to remain with.

Time passed slowly, silently. The shadows in the yard grew long, the sky darkened, and the voices quieted, then finally disappeared altogether. Teal’c and O’Neill watched as the vehicles slowly left, one after the other, their lights visible until the end of the street where they turned. And Captain Carter eventually joined them, also climbing up to sit on what had become a less-than-comfortable railing but from which Teal’c hadn’t moved.

They sat together and watched the single sun of earth go down.

Captain Carter finally stirred. "I guess we should clean up," she offered hesitantly.

"I guess we should," O’Neill agreed.

And still they did not move. For the first time, Teal’c had some understanding of the human way of saying one thing and doing another.

The moment passed. Finally, O’Neill sighed, and seemingly on that signal, they climbed down from the railing as one and rubbed for a moment at cramped and aching muscles before heading into the house.

Clean-up did not last long, consisting mostly of throwing soiled plates and glasses into large bags for later disposal. That done and the remaining food stored in the cooling appliance, they ended up sitting or, in O’Neill’s case, reclining in the living room.

Teal’c spoke first. "I do not believe Daniel Jackson knew so many cared for him."

Captain Carter smiled. "I think you’re right, Teal’c. He’d probably be embarrassed to know how many lives he touched."

"Hammond asked me if we’d be willing to close up Daniel’s apartment for him. I said yes." O’Neill’s voice was unusually subdued.

"Of course, sir," Captain Carter softly agreed. And paused. "What are they going to do with his classified--"

"Remember the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark?" O’Neill asked in a way that Teal’c was still just starting to recognize: cynically. O’Neill seemed as full of such pessimism as he was of optimism, a paradox Teal’c did not even pretend to understand.

Nor did he understand the reference but deemed it was not a good thing from Captain Carter’s grimace. He would have to ask her later; O’Neill seemed too troubled to ask anything of those last two days.

Teal’c tilted his head. "If Daniel Jackson’s home is as his office, we shall need several days to do this task."

The comment had its desired effect. Captain Carter giggled, and then, amazingly, even O’Neill smiled a little. The idea of Tauri humor was still very foreign to him, but Teal’c was learning.

Captain Carter sat back on the sofa, still smiling. "That’s right--you remember when his office started to smell, and we couldn’t figure out what it was until you found that decaying sandwich behind a pile of books?" she asked O’Neill, whose smile grew at the memory.

"Oh, yeah. I thought we were gonna have to evacuate the level."

"Daniel Jackson explained to me it was an experiment to test the growth level of certain bacteria," Teal’c interjected.

This time he’d been serious, but his statement only served to send his two teammates into a further fit of laughter. Sometimes he doubted he would ever understand humans.

But he was glad of the result.

O’Neill put his feet up on the coffee table. "Or there was the time..."

Teal’c made himself comfortable. Perhaps this was what a wake was really meant to be.

Daniel Jackson would have turned red at the story O’Neill was sharing, but he would have approved.

It did not seem right that the first visit Teal’c was paying to Daniel Jackson’s apartment be after the man’s death. The archaeologist himself seemed to stay more at the base than at his home, and somehow Teal’c had always ended up at O’Neill’s, anyway, when they were able to leave the SGC. Yet there he was now, keeping O’Neill’s word they would perform this last service for their friend.

The small home was much as he had imagined it would be. The artifacts and historical records that had been Daniel Jackson’s passion filled the shelves lining his rooms and the several stacks of boxes littering the apartment. Books, the repository of those records, were more numerous than Teal’c could count. It would not be easy to pack away the life of one who was so eager to amass knowledge.

Listening to O’Neill and Captain Carter talking about Daniel Jackson’s numerous journals, the Jaffa wandered over to a table in one corner of the room holding a clay board with figurines. There, he sat, studying the board and the memories it brought back.

"This is a game from Ancient Egypt." He picked up a piece, turning it gently. "It is called the Jackal and the Hound. It belonged to a Pharaoh’s daughter. Daniel Jackson and I once played. He said it made him feel as though he were ‘touching history’."

Captain Carter suddenly jumped away from the aquarium with a gasp.

Even as he rose to see what was the matter and O’Neill went to calm her down, Teal’c knew what she’d seen, what his eyes were also drawn to. The bubbles in the aquarium. She was remembering the bubbles, and Daniel Jackson’s death.

Death?

"Bubbles, rising?" O’Neill’s voice interrupted the...memory?

So, the memory was not his alone. Unexpected anger stirred to life in Teal’c at the thought. Something was definitely wrong, something more than their young archaeologist’s untimely death. "That is correct. I have experienced it as well," he said.

They both turned to stare at him, Captain Carter stunned, O’Neill already thinking intently.

Five minutes later, they were on their way to the SGC.

Captain Carter had seemed more certain than O’Neill that Daniel Jackson was truly dead, and normally Teal’c would have agreed with her. O’Neill had a way of disbelieving that which he did not want to believe. But then there were the shared memories, and the unshakable feeling something was wrong.

O’Neill’s jaw was set as he drove, and Teal’c’s own hand had curled into a tight fist on his leg. If Daniel Jackson were alive, then somehow their memories had also been manipulated to give them false knowledge of his death. The thought sickened Teal’c’s stomach, and even more so the possibility that they had left their teammate behind on the planet, alone, possibly injured. They had to learn the truth.

More importantly, whether he was dead or alive, they had to find Daniel Jackson.

By the time Captain Carter was willing to undergo something called "hypnosis," Teal’c did not need her retrieved memory to know Daniel Jackson was not dead. Relief vied with horror at the realization they had truly left the young archaeologist behind.

The knowledge had grown during Dr. Frasier’s examination; during their subsequent racing to the gateroom when the gate activation siren sounded, all three of them expecting to see Daniel Jackson return; during the revelation they had been on the planet far longer than they’d thought. The pain O’Neill had been struck with upon recommending a return to the planet had just made Teal’c even more certain. And yet the memory of their team member’s death remained as firm as before. It was a...distressing contradiction.

If Teal’c was troubled, O’Neill was outright incensed. With the potential for action, the warrior Teal’c knew returned, willing to risk his own life for the safety of one under his command, furious something had dared bring harm to his team. Even as he consoled Captain Carter that they had left Daniel Jackson unintentionally, a determination shone in his eyes that Teal’c had rarely before seen.

"We’re going back," he announced, and Teal’c believed him.

It was not difficult to be loyal to a team that shared such loyalty for any of its own.

Even General Hammond dared not disagree with such force of will. Sometimes, in the privacy of his own thoughts, Teal’c thought O’Neill would have made a good System Lord. Without a Goa’uld, of course.

Ten minutes after that, fully armed, they went back through the Stargate to bring Daniel Jackson home.

They almost stepped on the wreath as they came out of the gate.

Already wilting, it lay on the Stargate platform where it must have dropped after coming through the wormhole. Captain Carter gave it an ill look before O’Neill sharply kicked it aside. Then, on alert for whatever monster had taken Daniel Jackson and tampered with their minds, they set off.

It did not take long to reach the ocean, Teal’c’s memories strengthening with every step. The alien being had come up out of the water. Daniel Jackson had attempted to communicate with it, and then they had all been rendered unconscious. When they had awoken, it was with the memory of Daniel Jackson’s death. A death that, apparently, never happened.

The water before them started to churn, something in it approaching, and Teal’c tightened his grip on his staff weapon. It would bring him great pleasure to destroy the being who had taken Daniel Jackson and entered their minds to make them forget. The pain the alien had caused could never be repaid.

And then the being stood before them, the same fish-like creature Teal’c now remembered clearly. He only awaited O’Neill’s signal to act.

Another figure burst out of the water behind the fish alien, and started swimming toward them with a yell of "Don’t shoot!"

Daniel Jackson. Alive.

Few sights had so gladdened Teal’c heart, and Captain Carter and O’Neill looked as though they did not know whether to be surprised or joyful. Teal’c did, allowing himself a minute smile.

The archaeologist hurried out of the water, looking tired but well to Teal’c’s eyes. And then proceeded to ignore all of them, addressing himself to the creature.

"Nem, you have your answer, now let us go."

Teal’c did not lower his weapon, aimed straight at the alien. He would not leave again without Daniel Jackson no matter what the fish creature said.

It looked at them all, then answered in a raspy voice, "You may go."

"I’m sorry I couldn’t give you the answer you wanted."

Teal’c frowned, not understanding, taking his lead from O’Neill who also stood silently, listening and watching.

"I am sorry, also."

"We can still become friends, your people and-and mine," Daniel Jackson offered.

The capacity of the archaeologist to forgive was one of the things Teal’c most honored him for. He seemed to bear no grudge, even against the being who had held him captive and, from appearances, mistreated him. Nor had he even against the Jaffa who had chosen his wife for Apophis’ bride.

Captain Carter spoke. "That’s why we were here. We meant no harm."

"Perhaps in time," the being answered. Teal’c doubted the idea pleased the fish creature any more than it did himself.

"Right," Daniel said, voice dropping. Whatever it was the being Nem had put him through, it was beginning to show in the young man’s fatigue and dispiritedness.

"And in time, Daniel, you will find what fate Sha’re."

Teal’c’s eyebrows did rise at that. That Daniel Jackson had shared the fate of his wife indicated a level of trust Teal’c would not have thought. The reminder, however, was one Daniel Jackson perhaps did not need in addition to his depleted state. He fell silent, watching with them as the creature Nem returned to the ocean and disappeared from sight.

O’Neill shook his head and sighed, and the moment of darkness passed. Teal’c’s own expression softened as O’Neill and Captain Carter moved closer to begin the ritual of "teasing" that Teal’c had also observed several times in the past. It was an accepted form of affection he was unskilled at, merely listening as O’Neill’s referred to something called "sushi," then mentioned Daniel Jackson’s apartment was no more. Teal’c was just about to offer that it was not so when Captain Carter brought up the memorial service. Although their words did not seem to be intended to cheer Daniel Jackson, the archaeologist still reacted with less distress than Teal’c would have expected. Perhaps reacting to the joy in his friends’ voices and looks.

He did not comprehend the ritual, thus not joining in, but Teal’c understood the emotion. O’Neill was talking again as they walked back toward the gate, almost childlike in his pleasure, and Captain Carter could not seem to stop smiling. New life had returned to the members of the team. Teal’c kept silent, merely watching the friend whom he’d thought lost but who was returned to them again.

Thus it was he who reacted first when Daniel Jackson suddenly swayed mid-step. Teal’c instantly took his arm and did not let go even as the man regained his balance.

"Daniel Jackson, are you well?"

The other two had converged on them almost at once, and the youngest team member waved them all off. "I’m okay. I think it’s just Nem’s machine catching up to me."

"Machine?" O’Neill asked just before Captain Carter would have. The anger had returned to his voice.

"Yeah, uh, this memory-enhancing device. It’s no big deal, Jack--"

"Sure, that’s why you look like something the cat dragged in. Or should I say, the fish." O’Neill’s expression was hardening again, and Teal’c wondered if Nem would have been allowed to leave unharmed had he still been there.

"I volunteered to use the device. He was looking for his mate, and I had the information somewhere in my memory. I just couldn’t remember it."

"So you let him sift through your mind?!" O’Neill seemed to have forgetten that only a short time before they hadn’t even known if Daniel Jackson was alive or dead, his not-inconsiderable fury now aimed at the archaeologist. "Did it ever occur to you that might be, oh, I don’t know, dangerous?"

Daniel Jackson was becoming similarly upset. "It wasn’t like I had a lot of choice! For all I knew, you all left thinking I was dead and I was on my own, and this was the only way out!" Without warning, he wobbled again, only Teal’c’s steady grip keeping him on his feet.

The anger washed out of O’Neill’s face as if he’d been the one taken off-guard by dizziness. He jumped to Daniel Jackson’s other side with a murmur Teal’c could not quite hear. "All right, just take it easy. Let’s get you back to Doc Frasier." The new tone of his voice reminded the Jaffa of the way his mate talked to Rya’c when their son was tired or ill.

Daniel Jackson had not finished, arguing even as they approached the gate, Teal’c and O’Neill at his two sides and Captain Carter looking back at him with regular, worried glances as she led the way. "I’m okay, I’m just tired. It’s been a long...however long it’s been."

"Three days," O’Neill answered quietly. "And we did leave thinking you were dead."

Daniel Jackson sighed something Teal’c did not recognize but got the essence of. "I’m sorry," he added earnestly.

"Nothing for you to be sorry about, except maybe that mind-thingy," O’Neill said without hesitation. "We’ll talk about that one later."

"It is good to have you back, Daniel Jackson," Teal’c finally said.

"I guess it’s just been a long few days for all of us," Captain Carter added, half-turning.

"Yeah," both O’Neill and Daniel Jackson answered as one.

They reached the Stargate, and Captain Carter dialed home, signaling they were the ones returning. Teal’c and O’Neill went through with Daniel Jackson still between them, Captain Carter following just behind them.

The rigors of gate travel did not usually affect them anymore, but with Daniel Jackson’s weakened state, Teal’c found himself supporting much of the archaeologist's weight as they emerged. O’Neill must have had the same experience, for he quickly called for medical assistance.

"Jack, I’m--"

"Shut up, Daniel," O’Neill ordered without heat. A half-minute later, he and Teal’c were helping Daniel Jackson up onto a portable bed, the archaeologist still insisting he was just tired. Teal’c noticed him wince as he laid down and did not wholly believe his words, O’Neill even less so. But there was unusual patience in O’Neill’s voice as he said, "A couple hours ago, we thought you were dead. Humor us."

At that, Daniel Jackson did, indeed, "shut up" and allow himself to be wheeled off.

General Hammond was waiting with both relief and concern for a report, which Captain Carter was attempting to briefly summarize. As he went to join them, O’Neill flicked his eyes from Teal’c to the disappearing stretcher and back. Teal’c understood, following Daniel Jackson out of the gateroom.

They were all unwilling to lose him now.

By the time O’Neill and Captain Carter appeared in the infirmary, both still in their gear, Dr. Frasier had pronounced Daniel Jackson apparently out of danger and simply in need of sleep. Nor had he wasted any time in following her directions. O’Neill’s momentum into the room slowed as he caught sight of the sleeper, an odd expression flickering across his face. It was with great care that he eased himself onto the corner of the bed by Daniel Jackson’s feet. Captain Carter came over to stand next to Teal’c at the foot of the bed as they watched the resurrected archaeologist sleep.

Teal’c was suddenly reminded of a few months before, when Daniel Jackson had accidentally been exposed to a toxin in a plant on one of the planets they were visiting. The fever had struck rapidly, and Dr. Frasier had feared for his life. In the two days until he began to recover, it had been much like this, one of them always there with their teammate. Captain Carter had sat and held Daniel Jackson’s hand while Teal’c had kept silent watch at the foot of his bed, as now. O’Neill had shown little reaction, only patting the younger man’s shoulder before he’d left the room when Teal’c had come to relieve him. It was later that Teal’c saw the office O’Neill had subsequently demolished in his helpless rage. It was not unlike the damage Daniel Jackson had done to his beloved library and records when it seemed that they would be unable to help the rapidly aging and dying O’Neill on the planet of Pelops’ people.

It was a bond, a brotherhood--with apologies to Captain Carter--that he had felt developing in himself ever since his abdication to the Tauri. And now they not only had Daniel Jackson back, but indeed the whole team. One look at the peace on Captain Carter’s face and the satisfaction and fading worry on O’Neill’s and any stranger would have known that.

With a smile of contentment, Teal’c stood guard over, and with, his reunited team.

Note: Published in Seventh Chevron 4

© June 2004 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.