"Daniel?"
I’m trying not to laugh. I knew it would happen.
"Yeah?"
He’s distracted. Got more important things on his mind.
"Shoes."
I don’t need to turn around to know that there’s a look of consternation on his face. For a moment he doesn’t know what I’m talking about, then I hear the soft slap of his bare feet as he moves back towards the temple.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
How long does it take a grown man to put his shoes on anyway? We’ve been standing at the temple gate for more than ten minutes. I sigh. Bet he’s trying to translate some more of those Zen...things. I look at my watch again.
"OK kids, hold position here while I go round up Daniel. He’s probably trying to figure out how to get his socks on over his boots..."
Carter’s smirking. I pretend not to see it.
"Yes, sir."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Taking a wild guess, I start looking in the place I last saw his boots.
Found him. Well, that wasn’t too hard...
"Ready to go, Grasshopper?"
Uh-oh... He’s sitting there staring at nothing...just in like he was in that padded cell. Bare feet and all. Wish he wouldn’t do that. Scares me.
"Danny?"
He blinks. Knows I’m here.
"Oh God, I’m a monster."
What?
"Um...?"
What’s he on about?
"When did I get to be so callous, Jack?"
I have no idea what he’s talking about. Maybe...
"You made the right call. If we’d taken the kid back with us, Apophis would have blown up Earth to get to him - treaty or no treaty. He’ll be safe with them. Safe from Apophis... and Maybourne’s cronies too."
Been making tough decisions again, haven’t you Daniel?
"I know. Its not that..."
Oh. This could take a while. So I settle on the ground in front of him. Hey look, I can do the monk thing too.
"What then?"
He gestures vaguely towards the doors.
"Out there...I knew what was going to happen...and I was glad...glad that she was going to..."
Ah. The ‘Bye’ thing... I haven't heard that level of smug satisfaction in his voice since Nurti was dragged back through the wormhole by her snaky friends. ‘Boy is she gonna get it!’
"And you have a problem with this because...?"
Actually, *I* have a problem with that. Being that close to half a dozen people getting fried should have made him sick to his stomach. Would have done, not that long ago. Maybe he’s right...?
"They’re dead Jack! I didn’t even try to persuade them to drop their weapons...I just wanted them dead!"
So did I.
"They were Jaffa, Daniel. Working for Apophis. They wanted the kid, and would have killed us to get him! Just like they killed that monk...guy...who was unarmed, in case you hadn’t noticed. Do you think we would have escaped in one piece without *her* help?"
We wouldn’t have.
"Then why do I feel like a murderer?"
Oh, Hell. Sometimes you just have to take him by the hand and lead him through the dark places...
"You’re not a murderer, Daniel."
He isn’t. He’s killed, yes, but he’s not a murderer.
"You sure about that, Jack?"
His voice has gone very quiet and he isn’t looking at me. I still don’t get it.
"Killing in self defence, or in the defence of another, is not murder."
Technically.
"What about the Goa’uld on Chulak? They were just defenceless children..."
Oops. He’s got a point there…
"They may have been young, but they weren’t defenceless. As I recall, Teal’c said that the one that got Kawalsky was too young to take a host, but it got him anyway. As far as I’m concerned, the only good Goa’uld is a dead Goa’uld!"
He looks a bit shocked by that, but nods slightly. Starts hugging himself.
"And then there was Apophis..."
Huh?
"What about him?"
Come on Daniel, out with it.
"When he was in the infirmary I tried to get him to tell me where Sha’re was. He wouldn’t tell me...just kept going on about how much he loved Amaunet..."
Damn, that must have hurt.
"...so I threatened to kill him where he lay."
Holy...! I didn’t know that! He didn’t tell me that! God, he must have been desperate. What am I thinking...Daniel’s love for Sha’re was...still is...legendary within the halls of the SGC. Of course he was desperate. I try and keep my voice calm, reasonable.
"Would you have?"
Suddenly, I’m not as sure of the answer to that as I would have been.
"I don’t know...I think maybe... But Sam came to get me then. I guess I’ll never know."
Damn.
"And now?"
He thinks it over.
"Probably not...now that I’ve met the host... Not murder, anyway..."
Good.
"You’re not a murderer, Daniel. You didn’t do anything..."
He really isn’t.
"You’re *so* right!"
I am.
"They were Jaffa, Daniel!"
Repeating myself. Not a convincing argument.
"Jack, the Jaffa are just slaves! Teal’c and Bra’tac can’t be the only ones who believe that the Goa’uld are false gods. We should be trying to win the Jaffa over to our side every chance we get."
Chance would be a fine thing.
"Maybe you’re right, but *these* guys tried to cut us down while we were unarmed! We’re only alive because your glowing lady friend helped us out. And taking out the Jaffa was a sound military strategy too!"
It was.
"What do you mean?"
Ha! Now I’ve got him!
"Think about it. What if she’d just knocked them out for a while? They would have told Apophis that we were here, and that the aliens were here. He’d probably assume we were here for the kid and would have brought his ships to Earth. Lots of ships. This way, he’s never going to know what really happened. He won’t know we were here. He won’t know the aliens were here. All he will know is that the Harcesis *isn’t* here."
He thinks it over.
"Good point."
I think I’m getting through to him.
"It *was* necessary, Daniel."
Absolutely necessary.
"Do you really think so?"
Definitely.
"‘Here no bull can hide’, remember?"
He nods, and visibly relaxes. Got him...hook, line and sinker.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I let him think about it for a moment, then change the subject.
"Nice looking kid though...just like his Mom."
She was. He is.
"Beautiful..."
Daniel would make a great Dad.
"Yeah."
He’s still not moving, but he’s stopped looking so worried. Just looks kinda wistful. I get to my feet. Time to go.
"Now, if you don’t hurry up and get your boots on, I’m gonna have to hit you over the head with a baseball bat and get Teal'c to carry you home."
At last, a glimmer of a smile. Reaching for his socks. Finally!
"You don’t have a baseball bat, Jack."
He’s got his socks on and is tugging at his boots.
"So? I’ll improvise... and I do have a Teal’c."
That gets a small grin. Tying his laces now.
"True..."
At last he stands up, ready to move out.
"Does this mean we can leave now... ‘Shoeless’ Dan Jackson?"
He stares at me like I’ve gone insane, then groans and rolls his eyes. Realises he’s earned himself yet another nickname.
"‘Shoeless’ Dan?!"
The look on his face is priceless. His tone incredulous. Then...a huge grin lights up his whole face. Haven’t seen that in a quite a while. Nice.
"That’s almost as good as ‘Plant Boy’, Jack."
Now he’s teasing me.
"I try..."
Was kinda hoping he’d forgotten that one, though.
"You’re never going to let me live this down are you?"
The huge grin I’m wearing says it all. Nope. Not a chance in Hell. Two nicknames in one mission. Sweet!
"Let’s go home Danny."
~ fin ~
© January 19, 2001 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.