Some people are born to be heroes. You know the ones. They're team captain at whatever sport they choose, they're athletic and good looking and confident. They're the people you want at your party. The people you want to be noticed by when you're growing up. They excel at whatever they do. But when the chips are down the most unlikely people surprise you.
If someone had told me three years ago that my best friend would be an awkward, accident prone scientist who didn't know one end of a hockey game from another I'd have laughed. Well actually that's not true. Three years ago I was just about ready to blow my brains out. I'd lost my son. My marriage was all but over. I was suicidally depressed, had alienated myself from all my friends and colleagues and could barely see beyond the end of each day.
The Stargate Program changed all that of course. Daniel blundered into my life, trailing paperwork and Kleenex and life could never be the same. For some inexplicable reason we became friends. Well OK, he saved my life and got us home after that first mission, and like I said to the General, that kinda makes a guy grow on you. But it was something more. On paper Daniel looks like a disaster waiting to happen. He's the kid who's bag you'd toss from the school bus, just because he wouldn't retaliate. He's the dweeb who got straight A's throughout school. The one who always knew the answers. He's the kid you'd have done anything to avoid having on your team come sports period; the one who never had a date; who spent his free time in the library. The guy you'd target to be the butt of each and every practical joke, destined for a life on the peripheries of society because they'll never fit in or be a team player.
Appearances can be deceptive.
I knew the moment I heard him yell my name that he was in trouble. It wasn't supposed to end like this, watching him bleed to death on the floor of an alien spacecraft, flesh still smoldering from the staff blast. He was right of course. He was dead anyway. I had no choice. I had to leave him. We all fully expected to die on the other ship. But we should've died together. As a team. I watched the light fading from his eyes even as he told me to go, unable to say anything, not goodbye, not I'm sorry... but he knew. I saw that when I touched his cheek. I knew his eyes followed me as I left him to die alone, afraid, in pain.
" Sir? Sir we're here." Sam's touch brings me back to the present with a jolt. Her eyes are red. She's in pain too. Daniel was like a brother to her. They'd spend hours in his lab talking, exploring theories, stretching beyond the mere limits of Earth to solve impossibly complex problems, existing on candy bars and enthusiasm and coffee. I don't think I'll ever drink coffee again. They spent time off base together too, going to the theatre or art galleries or museums, working their way around every ethnic restaurant in the State.
" What ? " I must be getting old. Or tired. It takes a few minutes for what she's said to register.
" We're at the Mountain Colonel." Teal'c and Bra'tac are already out of the vehicle, talking quietly.
" Thanks Carter." I follow them down, acknowledging the security guards' greetings and handshakes, emotions in turmoil. Of course I'm glad we made it. Sam and Teal'c and Bra'tac and the rest of the world. Most of them will never know how close they came to the brink of oblivion last night. Was it really only last night? It feels like a lifetime ago I remember the Orbitor retrieving us, the crew of the Endeavour carefully maneuvering our crippled Death Gliders into the cargo hold, the pain of re-entry, the reception at Kennedy and the endless trip to the Mountain of course, but in some ways it's unreal.
We stand in silence in the elevator. Sam stifles a sob, unable to hold it any longer. I hit the stop button, too raw myself to face anyone else at the moment. She turns away, regulating her breathing. Forcing her military training to the fore; but the wound is still there. A huge, gaping wound that will never heal. Daniel is gone. He'll never irritate us with some spiel about a long, lost civilisation or trip over his feet or blunder in where angels fear to tread again. Dammit. She's going to set me off if I'm not careful. Not yet O'Neill. Later. In the privacy of your own home you can scream and howl and let it out. For now you keep a tight lid on it and get through the next few hours. Slow minutes pass and her breathing calms a little. I know she's angry with herself for this 'loss of face ', Daniel would have his arms around her right now, telling her to let it out, to never deny her humanity. She wouldn't take that off me so I wait with the others until her breathing settles.
" You OK Carter? " I ask, aware they'll be wondering what we're up to. She nods, turning back to face us, her face expressionless. " Then let's do it."
It looks like every SG unit in the Programme, and then some, are in the Embarkation Room. The applause and genuine praise from our colleagues lifts us. They alone have some idea of the destruction the Earth faced. Bra'tac has to go back, I can see Teal'c wants to go with him. He's not one for saying much is Teal'c but we know him well enough to see he's in pain too. He watched over Daniel like a benevolent giant, quietly protective, often bemused by Danny's ways, but always vigilant. I know he'll continue Daniel's search for Shau'ri, even if it takes him a lifetime. His way of making amends.
" It wasn't a bad day " I muse aloud, relieved beyond measure that we accomplished what we set out to do. " Not bad at all." The Earth is safe for now and we survived despite the odds. But Daniel...
" SG1, there's someone who wants to see you..." Hammond's smiling. He's smiling. In that instant we know that somehow he's done it again. Daniel's alive. His middle name should have been Lazarus! I can feel my jaw dropping. How could he possibly have survived?
" Daniel." That one word from Sam says it all. He's standing before us, exhausted, pale and looking as if he's about to burst into tears. He must've thought we were dead. That he was all alone. He looks like hell. He's alive. The fact sinks in slowly. Without giving a damn who sees I grab him in a bear hug. I want to ask him how he did it. He used the sarcophagus, obviously, but how did he manage to crawl all that way? He must've dragged himself, inch by agonizing inch... I ruffle his hair, " Space monkey." He grins, his relief so obvious it hurts. And then Sam's hugging him and Teal'c's clasping his hands and everyone wants to talk at once.
Some people are born to be heroes. And then some people surprise
you. Daniel was willing to lay down his life to watch our backs on that
ship. He made me leave him so we stood a better chance of saving the
Earth and gave us some slight chance of saving ourselves. By getting
back
himself he managed to convince Hammond to send the Endeavour up and
saved
our lives again. This quiet, awkward, clumsy geek who I love as a
brother
showed everyone his true colors today. And I'm proud to call him my
friend.
© August 21,1999 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.