Teal'c stood in the doorway to the cafeteria and surveyed the nearly deserted room until he spotted a man sitting alone near the back.
Daniel Jackson. He raised an eyebrow in bemusement as it suddenly occurred to him that this man was, in some ways, as much of an outsider as he was here.
"Hey, Teal'c. In or out, already, huh?" Colonel Jack O'Neill said from behind him.
Teal'c stepped further into the room and watched as O'Neill also scanned the cafeteria, frowning when he saw Jackson sitting at one of the tables.
"Come on." O'Neill gave him a light tap on the arm before heading over to where the young anthropologist was sitting.
Teal'c followed behind the colonel and proceeded to take the seat to the right of Daniel Jackson while O'Neill sat directly across from the younger man, turning the chair around so he could rest his arms on the back of it.
"Daniel."
"Yes, Jack?" The anthropologist picked up the mug in front of him and took a deep drink.
"Don't tell me you worked here all night and didn't get any sleep again."
"Ok." Another deep sip of coffee.
Teal'c watched as O'Neill attempted to coerce a promise from his friend to get some sleep, without success.
"Jack, I know I can't stay awake forever. It's just that..." Daniel's voice trailed off.
"Sha're?"
"Sha're."
Teal'c was reminded of that day on Chulak....
Apophis turning to his queen and lifting her veil while saying,
"Behold your queen."
"Sha're." Daniel Jackson whispering as he looked up, then leaping to his feet and rushing towards her pleading, "Sha're. It's me." Then being flung across the room by Apophis' ribbon weapon.
The Jaffa warrior looked over at Jackson who was staring down at his cup and blinking rapidly. Daniel abruptly got up and went to the coffee pot to add fresh hot coffee to his nearly empty mug.
"Colonel O'Neill?" A young soldier stood beside the table.
Teal'c looked up and frowned very slightly. He had not noticed her approaching the table. He should not have been so careless.
"Yes."
"The general would like to see you, sir."
"Right. Thank you." Colonel O'Neill stood up and returned the soldier's salute. He waited until Jackson returned to the table and said, "Get some sleep, Daniel. I mean it. You're no good to me if you're exhausted."
"Ok. Ok. Ok. I'll get some sleep, Mom," Daniel groused as he got up to follow Jack out of the room.
"Very funny."
"I thought so."
"You would."
"Hey, Teal'c. You coming?" Daniel Jackson called back when he realized that Teal'c hadn't followed them.
"I will accompany you to your quarters."
"Did Jack put you up to this?" Daniel asked with a slight frown on his face.
At Teal'c raised eyebrow, Daniel answered his own question. "No."
The two men walked in awkward silence for several minutes, each lost in his own thoughts.
As they approached Jackson's temporary quarters, Teal'c studied the man beside him out of the corner of his eye. Aware of the scrutiny, Daniel turned to look at Teal'c before asking, "Something on your mind?"
At the puzzled frown he received, Daniel rephrased the question. "Is there something troubling you? A question you want to ask about something?" he added with an unreadable expression on his face.
"Where are you from?"
"Earth. Chicago, if you want to be specific..."
"Your words mean nothing. Where are you from?"
"Uh...excuse me...this is where we're from." As the man drew a symbol in the dirt.
"I do not have a question I would like to ask at the present time, Daniel Jackson."
"If you're sure..." Daniel's voice trailed off into a yawn.
"I am sure."
"Ok, well, I'll see you later then." Daniel gave him an impenetrable expression and went into his quarters.
Teal'c stood outside the door for several minutes, debating with himself before finally walking away.
Teal'c knelt in meditation in his quarters as he allowed the echoes of the last several days to wash over him.
"They've taken on the roles of our ancient gods, what does that tell you?"
"How much would I remember if you chose me?
"No, Teal'c is right. To them we are nothing. Less than nothing."
"Something of the host must survive?"
"At least it's going well."
"That's fantastic. If we can reverse what's happened in the major then there's still a chance for Sha're"
"Behold your queen!"
"Sha're...Sha're, it's me."
"Kneel before your queen!"
"How much would I remember if you chose me?
"They've taken on the roles of our ancient gods, what does that tell you?"
He studied the women in the room carefully. His eyes stopping on each one as he tried to make his decision. His eyes finally rested on a woman with long, dark, curly hair with her back to him.
"You." He pointed to her and the guards dragged her out of the room, screaming.
"Something of the host must survive?"
"Sha're...Sha're, it's me."
The Jaffa’s eyes flew open and he looked around the room. Glancing at the clock on the wall he realized that it was 2:00 a.m. He knew he should get some sleep, even though meditation was more restful and allowed him to go longer periods without rest than his teammates, his body still required sleep to function at peak efficiency. There was just one problem. He had something he had to do. Something that could be put off no longer. To do so would be a betrayal of the trust he had been given by the members of SG1.
Leaving his room, Teal’c quietly went in search of the person he need to see, heading toward the place he was most likely to be found.
Teal’c paused in front of the door to Daniel Jackson’s office before knocking softly. He heard a thump, followed by a muffled voice, before he heard:
“Come in.”
As he pushed the door open, the warrior braced himself for what he was about to say.
“Oh, Teal’c…it’s you,” Jackson said with a sigh of relief. “I thought you were Jack coming to drag me to my quarters.” He chuckled at the thought before trailing off nervously as he noticed that his guest had not moved beyond his initial steps into the room. Daniel glanced around his cluttered office, realizing that he had nowhere for Teal’c to sit.
“Hold on a sec,” he stammered as he jumped up from his chair and moved around quickly to the chair in front of the desk, picking up a pile of books and some scrolls and placing them on the desk. His hands hovered for a moment over the pile as if willing it not to topple, then turned to his teammate and motioned for him to take a seat.
Teal’c walked over to the chair, but did not sit down. Rather, he stood in front of the desk and gazed impassively at the archeologist. "I fear that there is something we must discuss, Daniel Jackson."
He looks like a kid that’s been called into the principal’s office for doing something wrong, Daniel thought to himself. He suddenly realized why Teal’c was there and he frowned and stared at the papers on his desk. Not yet. I’m not ready for this yet. Damn, why couldn’t he just leave it alone. Everything was going so well. Another couple of days and I might have been able to forget what you did. Damn it, damn it, damn it.
"Teal'c, I'm glad you stopped by, I have something I've been meaning to have you take a look at," Daniel said quickly as he turned to search through the piles of manuscripts on the table behind his desk. "Now, where did I….ah, here it is."
“Daniel Jackson, we must talk.”
"We are talking Teal'c," Daniel responded, hoping to avoid the topic that everyone seemed to want to discuss with him lately. Even Jack, of all people, had been bringing it up, trying to get him to admit how he was feeling. No one seemed to believe that he was doing fine as long as he didn't think about the fact that…
Damn it. Daniel sighed angrily and looked up at the other man.
“Why now, Teal’c? Why tonight?”
“There are things that must be said now before it is too late if there is ever to be trust between us.”
“Trust? What are you talking about Teal’c. You’re a member of SG1. Jack would never have let you be on his team if he didn’t trust you.” Don’t ask for my trust. I don’t know you. I know that you were the one. Why? Why did you do it?
The Jaffa warrior looked at the papers on the desk before looking up again into Daniel Jackson eyes. “I have come to ask for your forgiveness.”
“What are you talking about Teal’c. There is nothing to forgive. You haven’t done anything to me.” Lies all lies. Why did you do it? Why did you take her away from me? Why her? There were others there, why not them?
“I have done you a great injustice, Daniel Jackson. I was the one who chose your wife, Sha’re, to be Aphophis’ queen.”
"Behold your queen!"
"Sha're...Sha're, it's me."
"Kneel before your queen!"
Jackson glared at Teal’c for a minute before turning around to regain control of his emotions. He clenched his hands into fists then unclenched one to pick up his cup of coffee. He stared down into the black liquid trying not to listen to Teal’c words of remorse and regret.
“Words cannot express the sorrow I feel at the wrong I have done to you, Daniel Jackson. I knew what was happening was wrong, but did nothing to stop it.”
“Could you have stopped it?” Daniel turned around quickly, his eyes flashing angrily at the thought.
“No, but I should have tried.”
“Why?”
“I know that the Goa’uld take by force. They care nothing for those they hurt, only that their needs, their desires are met.”
“No! Why her? Why Sha’re, what did she do that would make you pick her?”
He studied the women in the room carefully. His eyes stopping on each one as he tried to make his decision. His eyes finally rested on a woman with long, dark, curly hair with her back to him.
"You." He pointed to her and the guards dragged her out of the room, screaming.
“She had her back to the door. She sat apart from the others. She made the choice for me.”
Daniel stared at the man in front of him as the anger drained away now that he had his answer. He sat down quickly as he felt the strength leave his knees. He broke down and, for the first time since his return from Chulak, he gave vent to his emotions.
Teal’c gazed at the man in front of him and offered the only comfort he could.
“I know that I can never repay you for the wrong that I have done, but I pledge my life to returning your wife to you. I will not stop searching with you until we have found your wife and returned her safely to your home. This I swear to you, Daniel Jackson.”
Daniel looked up at Teal’c and nodded, too full of emotions to trust himself to talk just yet, and motioned for Teal’c to sit down. The Jaffa warrior sat and waited patiently for the scholar to speak. Neither of them noticed Jack, who had been standing outside the door to Daniel's office, slowly pull the door a little more closed and walk away with a relieved smile on his face.
The end.
© June 27,1999 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.