The end of another relatively quiet day at the SGC. Most of the day’s activity had consisted of several of the SG teams coming and going to and from one planet or another. SG-1 was among the few teams that wasn’t scheduled to head out on a mission that day and now they were on their way out for the night.
“Daniel! Wait up!” Colonel Jack O’Neill called as he hurried through the corridor, trying to catch up to his friend.
Dr. Daniel Jackson turned to face the source of the sound, slowing his pace to allow the older man to catch him. “Hey, Jack. How’s it going?” Daniel smiled as Jack fell into step beside him.
“Things are going great. How are you, Danny? What’s on your agenda for the evening?” Jack asked casually as the two stepped into the elevator for the ride to the surface.
"I’m fine, I guess. I’m a little tired though. It’s been a long couple of days. That mysterious activation Tuesday and yesterday SG-5 came through under fire. Today was thankfully a relatively quiet day. Tonight, I’m thinking of taking Sarah out for a quiet dinner and then taking the evening to relax and wind myself down a little. I could sure use it.”
“I hear that. I think I’ll take Sam out to a movie tonight. It might do us good to get out.”
“Yeah. Well, our journey to the surface is over. Let’s head to the lot.” Daniel joked as they stepped out into the parking lot and headed to their cars.
“Very funny. Anyway, goodnight, Daniel. Go home and get some rest. Tell Sarah I said hello and I’ll see you back here in the morning.”
“I will. Night, Jack. See you tomorrow.”
* * * * *
As Daniel arrived home and pulled into his driveway, he was extremely glad to be home and away from the hectic environment that he was in everyday. When he walked in the door, he left the stresses of his job behind him as he saw his girlfriend sitting on the couch watching television.
“Hey, Daniel. How was your day?” Sarah asked as she stood to greet him with a kiss.
“It was good. Actually, it was quiet around there today. I was thinking. How would you like to go out for dinner tonight? I know we haven’t had a chance to get out much lately and this is the perfect opportunity.”
“I think that’s the best idea I’ve heard in a very long time. Let’s get ready and we’ll go.”
A half hour later, Daniel and Sarah were sitting in a Chinese restaurant waiting to place their orders for dinner. They were both really enjoying themselves because this was a very rare moment for them to simply relax and forget about the world for a short time.
"Now, this is nice. We really should do this kind of thing more often.” Daniel smiled.
“I know. This was a great idea you had. You know, Daniel, right now you seem more relaxed than I’ve seen you in weeks.” Sarah agreed as they finished off their dinner.
“Yeah. You always seem to have a calming effect on me. It’s just when I’m around you all my stress seems to disappear for a while.”
* * * * *
Once they had arrived back home, Daniel and Sarah decided to watch a movie on television and simply relax. It had been a long time since they were able to spend time together like this so they intended to fully enjoy the opportunity.
Unfortunately for Daniel, the movie that they had decided on happened to be about a woman who fled with her young child to escape a relationship with an abusive husband. This subject was very touchy with Daniel because of his personal experience with it when he was younger. It was something that he didn’t like talking about so he kept his emotions and distress inside where Sarah wouldn’t see and inquire of it.
An hour later, the movie ended, much to Daniel’s relief, and he and Sarah turned on the news for background noise but really they were enjoying each other’s company. Sarah was resting in Daniel’s arms with her head on his shoulder.
“Are you all right? You seem a little quiet tonight and that’s not really normal for you.” Sarah asked.
“Yeah. I’m okay. It’s just that I’m a little tired because it’s been a while since I’ve had a quiet day and a chance to relax like this and it’s probably just catching up with me.” Daniel said tiredly, though he was only half telling the truth.
“Well, I have an idea. Why don’t we go back and turn this on in the bedroom and go to bed so you can try and get some sleep.”
“That’s an idea. Let’s do that and maybe we can both get some rest.”
A short time later, they were ready for bed and Sarah turned the television on and then laid down beside Daniel and put her arms around him, letting his head rest on her shoulder.
“Feel better now?” Sarah whispered.
“Yeah, a little. I always feel better when I get to relax with you like this. Right now, though, the thing I need the most is to at least try to get some sleep.” Daniel yawned, feeling extremely fatigued.
“I agree. Now close your eyes and try to relax.”
At Sarah’s urging, Daniel rested his head more heavily on her shoulder and closed his eyes. He just wanted to sleep and put the memories he was having out of his thoughts. Sarah put her arms around Daniel then and began gently running her fingers through his hair in a way that she knew never failed to soothe and relax him. It didn’t take long for her to achieve her desired effect and soon Daniel’s eyes became very heavy and the comforting pull of sleep tugged at him irresistibly. A few minutes later, Daniel felt his consciousness slip pleasantly away from him as his breathing evened out and he sank into a seemingly comfortable sleep.
Soon after Daniel had drifted off, the worries and bad memories that were weighing on his conscious mind caught up with him as he slept. In his dreams, he was assaulted by the horrifying past that he thought he had put behind him years ago.
Daniel was nine years old, living in one of many foster homes he would stay in after the deaths of his parents years before. At first, he thought this was somewhere that he could feel safe but it didn’t take long to discover just how wrong he was. His foster mother was very good to him and tried her very best to protect and care for him. The problem was her husband, the man he was forced to think of as his foster father. A man who was given to drugs and drinking, making him dangerously violent. Daniel was terrified of the man because he had seen what he did to his own wife.
One day, he came home from an evening at the bar, drunker than anyone had ever seen him. When his wife questioned him about his whereabouts that day, he became belligerent and began to savagely beat her. As the screams resounded around him, Daniel decided that he was tired of this and stepped in, grabbing the man’s arm in an attempt to stop the violence. This aggravated him all the more and he grabbed Daniel by the shirt and threw him violently against a wall just as the wail of police and ambulance sirens was heard in the distance. The last thought that went through Daniel’s mind as he lost consciousness was that he had finally succeeded in stopping the abuse and he and his foster mother were finally safe.
* * * * *
Daniel’s eyes snapped open and he sat up as he woke from his nightmare, sweat pouring from him as he took deep breaths and tried to calm himself. It had been a long time since he’d had a nightmare that had shaken him up this much.
“Where did that come from? I thought I had finally put my past behind me. Good thing Sarah forgot to turn the television off because there’s no way I’ll be going back to sleep tonight. No point in even trying since I have to get up for work in an hour and a half anyway.” Daniel thought as he settled down next to where Sarah still slept and watched television until it was time for him to get up for work.
An hour later, Daniel had gotten up, showered, and was now sitting in his kitchen drinking a cup of coffee. He was trying to forget about the nightmare he had the night before and trying to wake himself up because now that the shock had worn off he was beginning to feel tired again. After a few minutes, Daniel heard someone behind him and jumped a mile in the air when Sarah wrapped her arms around him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay? You’re up early.” Sarah apologized.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking about something when you came up on me and I didn’t realize you were up. Sorry I reacted like that. I’m up early this morning because I couldn’t sleep.” Daniel said quietly as he readjusted his glasses on his nose.
“Do you want some breakfast? I can make you something.”
“Actually, I’m not really hungry right now. I was really thinking about going to the base a little early this morning. SG-10 brought something back yesterday right before I left to come home and I really need to get started on translating it so we can figure out what it means.”
“Okay. Have a good day. Tonight when you get home I’ll make something special for dinner.”
“Sounds good. See you tonight. I love you so much, Sarah.” Daniel smiled as he kissed her goodbye.
“I love you too.” Sarah whispered as Daniel got in his car and drove toward Cheyenne Mountain.
As Daniel drove the twisting roads toward the base, the one thing that he was thinking was how in the world he was going to manage to muddle through this day.
When Daniel arrived at the SGC, deep inside Cheyenne Mountain, the first stop he made was the commissary to get another cup of coffee in order to keep himself awake while he worked on his business for the day. Once he had his supply of caffeine, he made his way to his office to start work.
Once Daniel was in his office, he sat down at his desk with the things that SG-10 had brought back the previous day that General Hammond wanted him to translate. Taking another sip of his coffee, he set to work. Daniel tried hard to concentrate but all he could think about was the nightmare he’d had the previous night.
“I have got to get this thing out of my mind for now and not think about it. If I keep letting this thing bother me like this, I’m never going to get any work done. It doesn’t really help that I’m so tired. Maybe if I just take a break for a minute and finish my coffee so I can think more clearly.” Daniel thought as he finished his coffee hoping to wake himself up sufficiently.
The caffeine in his system seemed to be sufficient for about an hour, but then as the rush began to wear off, Daniel felt exhaustion begin to creep up on him. He moved his materials out of the way, rested his head in his arms on the desk. In moments, the long night took it’s toll on Daniel and his eyes began to close as he dozed off at his desk.
* * * * *
At about 7:30, Jack came in to the base, having arrived early which was extremely rare for him, and strolled through the base to see if anyone else was around this early. Coming down the hallway, he noticed the light on in Daniel’s office and laughed to himself.
“I guess Daniel really can’t stay away from this place. I shouldn’t really be surprised that he’s here this early.”
Jack approached Daniel’s office and opened the door. Peeking inside, he noticed that Daniel had fallen asleep over his desk and that he was looking very restless. As he quietly got closer, it became very obvious to him that his friend was having some sort of nightmare. Jack walked over and knelt down beside Daniel, shaking his shoulder gently.
“Daniel. Hey, wake up, Danny. You’re dreaming.” Jack whispered. Upon hearing a friendly voice, Daniel’s eyes snapped open and if Jack hadn’t steadied him, he would have fallen out of his chair.
“Jack? Oh, I guess I must have dozed off while I was working on these translations. What time is it?” Daniel asked, confused.
“It’s 0745, Daniel. How long have you been here?”
“I got here about 0600, I guess. I didn’t sleep that well last night and I guess I was tired. Sorry about overreacting like that but when you came in I didn’t hear you and you startled me.”
“Yeah. I understand. Sorry I scared you. Have you eaten anything this morning?” Jack asked.
“Actually, no. Sarah offered to make me breakfast this morning before I came here but I turned her down because I wasn’t hungry.” Daniel admitted honestly as his stomach growled making him regret his earlier decision to skip breakfast.
“That’s it. You’re taking a break from this and coming with me to the commissary. You need something to eat and it seems to me that you could use with another cup of coffee too.”
“I don’t have much of a choice in the matter, do I?”
“Nope. Good guess. Now let’s go.” Jack smiled as Daniel laughed and followed him out of the office.
* * * * *
A short time later, Jack and Daniel were sitting in the commissary having breakfast. Jack decided that he was going to try to get Daniel to open up about whatever was bothering him because it wasn’t often that he was this shaken up about anything.
“Hey, Daniel? Is something bothering you? You just seem, I don’t know, a little off keel this morning.”
“I just had a nightmare last night and it just shook me up a little that’s all. I’m really okay.” Daniel whispered as he took a sip of coffee.
“Seems to me it was bothering you earlier when I found you sleeping in your office, too.” Jack observed as he was sprayed by the coffee that Daniel abruptly spit out in shock.
“What? Sorry about that.”
“I was saying before you decided to shower me with your coffee, when I found you sleeping in your office earlier you seemed extremely restless and it was obvious to me that you must have been having a nightmare. That’s the only reason I woke you up in the first place. You wanna tell me about what happened?”
“Not really. All I can say is that it was a dark moment from my past that I thought I had buried and that I have to deal with on my own. I really do appreciate your concern though, Jack. I need to get back to work. I’ll see you later.” Daniel said as he refilled his coffee mug and quickly retreated to the sanctuary of his office, leaving Jack in the commissary, frustrated and confused.
“Damn it. I hate it when he gets all cryptic like that. Why can’t he just tell me what the hell’s going on with him. Doesn’t he realize that I’m a concerned friend who wants to help him?” Jack grumbled angrily to himself as he deposited his garbage in the trashcan and walked off, searching the depths of his mind for a solution to Daniel’s predicament that he knew nothing about. He was so distracted, in fact, that he didn’t realize that he wasn’t watching where he was going until he plowed into General Hammond.
“What’s the rush, Colonel?” Hammond asked succinctly.
“Sorry about that, sir. I was really needing to discuss something with Teal’c. Have you seen him?” Jack asked quickly, his haste becoming apparent in his voice.
“Teal’c was seen going into his quarters the last I heard. You should probably check there first. Is something wrong, Jack?”
“No, sir. I just need to get Teal’c to do a favor for me.” Jack said as he took off down the hall in search of Teal’c, leaving Hammond wondering what exactly was going on with the members of his front team.
* * * * *
When Jack arrived at Teal’c’s quarters, he opened the door quietly and slipped inside. He paused momentarily before making his presence known to make sure that he wasn’t disturbing his friend in any manner.
“Teal’c.” Jack said quietly after a moment.
“Good morning, O’Neill.” Teal’c greeted him with a smile.
“I’m
glad that I’m not bothering you because I really need your help to brainstorm
on something. Do you have some time?”
“Indeed. How may I be of
assistance?”
“Well, there’s something going on with Daniel this morning. He seems distracted and really jumpy. It’s really concerning me and I was wondering if you had talked to him and he might have mentioned to you what was going on.”
“I regret to inform you that I lack knowledge in this matter, O’Neill. I have not spoken to Daniel Jackson since yesterday afternoon. Perhaps the reason he has not informed you of the matter at hand is because it is disturbing for him to speak of. I suggest that you offer quiet support but do not push the issue.”
“That’s a good idea. I should have thought of that but I guess I needed to hear it from someone else to put things in perspective. Thanks Teal’c. I’m going to try to get some work done. I’ll be in my office if anyone needs me.”
“Indeed. I have an idea that may shed some light on this situation. I shall seek you out later.” Teal’c said as Jack headed for his office.
As soon as Jack had left, Teal’c decided to perform Kelnoreem to try and pick up on what was happening with his friend. What Jack had said about his observations of Daniel’s behavior concerned Teal’c, though the Jaffa was not normally open about such things so he had kept it quiet. Teal’c was very protective of all of his friends, especially Daniel, and as he entered Kelnoreem, he silently hoped that he would pick up something that would be able to help the situation. Whatever the situation was.
Thirty minutes into his Kelnoreem, Teal’c arrived at the answer he was seeking. He saw very clearly the reason that his friend was troubled and it disturbed him greatly. Teal’c opened his eyes and sat for a moment gasping, trying to catch his breath.
“There is a very good reason that Daniel Jackson has appeared so disturbed. I must speak to O’Neill.” Teal’c thought as he left his quarters and went in search of Jack.
* * * * *
At the same time, Daniel was back in his office, having finally finished with the translations he had been working on all morning. He was now thinking back on his earlier conversation with Jack in the commissary and how he had ran out so abruptly when the subject became too much. This fact filled him with a sense of guilt that he couldn’t seem to shake.
“I should never have run out on Jack like that this morning. He’s my friend, after all, and he was only trying to help me. I guess I should have tried to tell him what’s been on my mind all day. I at least owe him an apology for the way I acted. I need to go and talk to Jack.” Daniel thought to himself as he straightened up his office and wandered out into the corridor, deep in thought and looking for his best friend.
Meanwhile, General Hammond was in his office, replaying in his mind the hastened conversation that he’d had with Jack in the hall earlier. It concerned him that Jack had seemed visibly upset about something and he sensed it was related to something more than his haste to locate Teal’c.
“I wonder what in the world was up with Jack this morning. It’s not like him to seem so upset. Actually, all of SG-1 have been acting strange these past couple of days. Maybe all of the high stress is affecting them. They do have some downtime coming, so maybe I should give them a few days.”
With this thought, Hammond began rummaging through his desk, looking for the paperwork that he needed to fill out before he sent the team on downtime. As he found what he was seeking, he fervently hoped that some time away from the SGC would be just what the weary members of SG-1 needed.
* * * * *
Jack was sitting in his office going through some of the clutter on his desk when he heard a knock on the door. Wondering who it was, he looked up just as the door cracked open a slit.
“Come in.” Jack called.
“O’Neill. I must speak to you regarding the matter we discussed earlier.”
“What’ve you got, Teal’c?”
“I have narrowed it down to something from Daniel Jackson’s childhood. In all of the images that I have received, I have seen a young child and have been able to confirm that the child is indeed Daniel Jackson. I also see a man and a woman and pick up on much violence and fear. That is all I know so far.” Teal’c reported solemnly.
“Well, it’s more than we had to go on a little while ago. Thanks a lot, Teal’c. Maybe I can give this some more thought and finally pin down an idea of what’s going on and figure out some way to help Daniel.”
“It is my hope that you are able to succeed in this task, O’Neill. Please inform me if I may be of any assistance.” Teal’c said as another knock came on the door.
“Am I interrupting?” Daniel asked quietly.
“No, of course not. Come on in, Daniel.” Jack smiled as Daniel walked into the office and sat down.
“Good morning, Daniel Jackson.”
“Hey, Teal’c. Jack, if you don’t mind I need to talk to you in private for a minute.”
“Sure. Teal’c, do you mind giving us a minute?”
“I do not. I shall return to my quarters.” Teal’c nodded to his friends and retreated from the room.
“What’s on your mind, Danny?” Jack asked.
“I wanted to apologize to you for the way I behaved earlier. You were just being a concerned friend looking out for me and I really had no right. I hope you can forgive me for that.” Daniel said quietly.
“Daniel, there’s nothing to forgive. It was obvious that you didn’t want to talk about it so I shouldn’t have pushed the issue. If anyone needs to be apologizing, it’s me.”
“Well, let’s forget the whole thing ever happened. So, what have you been up to?”
“Not much. Trying to find the top of my desk. Actually that’s what I was doing when Teal’c walked in.” Jack admitted with slight embarrassment as the phone on the desk rang. “O’Neill. Yes, sir. I understand. You’re right, I think that’s exactly what my team needs. Thank you, sir.”
“What was that about?” Daniel asked, curious.
“That was Hammond. He thought the four of us were feeling the pressure lately and that we could use some time off so he placed our unit on stand down for the next three days so we can get some rest. He wants us off the base ASAP.”
“Good. I was planning on going for a drive this evening anyway. I just need to clear my head.”
“Well, scrub that idea, Danny. I have an idea that’ll work better for you. Come home with me for a few hours. We can get some pizza and I can stop by the store and get a few six packs of beer. That should help you clear your thoughts from your mind. I always say that beer is the best medicine.” Jack insisted.
“Normally, I would tell you that sounded ridiculous but actually tonight, that sounds like a pretty nice idea. I just need to call Sarah and tell her what’s going on so she doesn’t wait on me to eat dinner. Besides, I have a feeling that this is another one of those situations that I don’t have a choice.” Daniel grinned.
“Now you’re getting the hang of it.”
“Can I use your phone to call Sarah?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
* * * * *
Sarah was watching the news in the living room when the telephone rang. She was getting a little concerned that she hadn’t heard from Daniel.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Sarah. It’s me.” Daniel said.
“Oh, Daniel. I was getting concerned when I didn’t hear from you. What’s going on?” Sarah asked.
“Well, we got three days off and this evening Jack wants me to come to his house for beer and pizza. Kind of a male bonding, stress relief kind of thing. I just didn’t want you to wait supper on me.”
“Okay. I understand. Have a good time. Tell Jack I said hello.” Sarah laughed brightly at Daniel’s enthusiasm.
“I’ll be home later this evening. Love you.”
“I love you too.”
* * * * *
“So, is everything on?” Jack asked as Daniel hung up the receiver.
“Yeah. I just had to let Sarah know what I was going to be up to so she wouldn’t get worried. She said to tell you hi by the way. Before we head out, I think we need to let Sam and Teal’c know that we’ve got some downtime.” Daniel suggested.
“Good idea. Let’s split up. You tell Teal’c what’s going on and I’ll go tell Carter. We’ll meet at the elevator in 15 minutes.”
“Right.”
Daniel went to Teal’c’s quarters and knocked quietly on the door. He waited for a moment before entering the room to find Teal’c just beginning to light his meditation candles.
“Teal’c.”
“How may I assist you, Daniel Jackson?” Teal’c asked, looking up at his friend.
“I just wanted to let you know that we’re on stand down for the next three days so you’re free to do whatever you want.” Daniel informed him.
“I believe I shall travel to Chulak and surprise Ry’ac. It has been a long time since I was able to do so. Thank you, Daniel Jackson.”
“No problem. Have a good time. Tell Bra’tac and Ry’ac that I said hello.”
“Indeed.” Teal’c acknowledged as Daniel left him to his business and went to wait for Jack by the elevator.
* * * * *
At the same time, Jack walked into Sam’s lab and, as expected, found her fooling with her instruments and scientific doohickeys. He knocked on the wall lightly as he entered as to avoid startling her.
“Carter. Whatcha doing?”
“Oh, sir. I was just working on an experiment I’ve been trying to finish for a couple of days now. Is there something I can help you with?” Sam asked quickly.
“I just wanted to let you know that Hammond has given us some downtime. We’re on stand down for the next three days effective immediately. Daniel and I are on our way out.” Jack smiled.
“Good. That’ll give me some time to get these calibrations right without having to rush through it. Thanks for letting me know sir.”
“You’re welcome. I’m going to go meet up with Daniel and he and I are going to have pizza and beer at my place. I’ll leave you to your experiment or whatever. See you in a few days.”
“Okay. Have fun, sir.” Sam smiled as Jack left her to her work.
* * * * *
Jack arrived at the elevator to the surface to find Daniel already waiting there. He smiled as he walked over to his friend and clapped him on the back.
“Hey. Did you let Teal’c know what’s up?”
“Yeah, I did. He said that he’s going to go to Chulak for a few days and surprise Ry’ac since he hasn’t had a chance to get back there in a while. What’s Sam going to do?” Daniel asked.“She’s going to stay here and finish some experiment and play with her doohickeys, what else.” Jack’s comment caused both of them to laugh as the elevator doors closed and they slowly rose toward the surface.
Once they were topside and in the parking lot, Jack and Daniel were trying to work out their means of transportation. This was an issue since they were going to the same place.
“So you wanna ride with me, Danny, or do you want to follow in your own car?”
“Actually, I think I need to drive my own car since I really don’t want to leave it here. Besides, Sarah’s expecting me to come home later and it’ll take less time for me to drive straight from your place rather than you having to drive me back over here to pick up my car.”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll go pick up some beer and meet you at my place in about thirty minutes.” Jack said as he got in his car, Daniel not far behind in his own, as the two men headed to Jack’s house for an evening of relaxing.
* * * * *
A short time later, Jack and Daniel were sitting in Jack’s living room, the beer chilling in the refrigerator, and they were waiting for their pizza to arrive. Jack realized that this was probably just what Daniel needed because he seemed at ease and more relaxed than he had earlier.
“It looks like this is just what the doctor ordered for you, Daniel. Seems like you feel better than you did earlier.”
“Yeah. I do feel a little better. I guess I just needed to get a break from the SGC for a little while. I really appreciate you inviting me over this evening, Jack.” Daniel said as they heard the doorbell ring, signaling the arrival of their dinner.
“Hold that thought for a minute. Let’s eat!” Jack said as he went to answer the door, returning a few moments later with a steaming hot pizza and placing it on the table in the living room.
As Jack and Daniel sat eating the pizza and drinking beer, the thing that was on Jack’s mind was how he could try to work out what had Daniel so distracted and jumpy. It was then that he noticed that his friend was on his third beer in thirty minutes.
“Hey, Danny. Why don’t you take it easy there. Save some for me.” Jack cautioned with a touch of humor as he grabbed another bottle of beer for himself.
“Why? You sure were right about one thing, Jack. This is a better way to clear my mind than what I had in mind. I feel so much better. Hey, watch me go!” Daniel announced, his voice slurring, as he grabbed a slice of pizza and stuffed half of it in his mouth at one time. “Wahoo!!! I did it!!! Yeah!!!”
“All right, Daniel. That’s enough. No more beer for you tonight. You’re drunk.” Jack insisted as he took the beer out of Daniel’s hand.
“Jack. I’m not drunk. I just need to finish my beer and I’ll be fine. I need to stop thinking about my nightmares of shuffling through foster care when I was young.” Daniel slurred as he slumped over on the couch, unconscious.
“So that’s what’s been bothering him. I guess he’s been having nightmares about something that happened to him when he was in foster care.” Jack thought. “Come on. I need to get you home. You’re in no shape to drive.”
With considerable effort, Jack finally managed to wrangle Daniel into his truck and headed for his house. As he drove through town, with Daniel passed out in the passenger seat, his head sagging against the window, Jack was very concerned for his friend. It was very rare for Daniel to get drunk and he knew that something serious had to be going on for him to get himself into this condition. Just as Jack pulled the truck into Daniel’s house, Daniel finally began to come around.
“Jack? Where are we?” Daniel mumbled groggily.
“We’re at your house, Danny. You had too many beers and you passed out. I knew that you weren’t in any shape to drive home so I brought you.” Jack explained.
“My car?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll bring it by tomorrow. Either that or you can come pick your car up in the morning when you’re feeling better.”
Then Jack helped Daniel out of the truck and lead him to the front door, holding his arm to keep him upright and walking in a straight line. He rang the doorbell and waited for Sarah to answer it.
“Hey, Sarah.” Jack said casually as soon as she came to the door.
“Hi, Jack. What brings you by this late?” Sarah asked just as she noticed Daniel’s dazed form. “Daniel?!? What happened?”
“He’s okay. He just needs a good night’s sleep. He had a few too many beers tonight.”
“Oh dear. Bring him inside, Jack.”
“Jack. I don’t feel so good.” Daniel whispered as he passed out once more and collapsed.
“Daniel? Oh, great.” Jack sighed as he caught his friend as he fell into his arms.
“Let’s get him into bed.” Sarah giggled as Jack hoisted Daniel over his shoulder and carried him to the bedroom and laid him on his bed, helping her get him comfortable.
“There we go. He’ll probably be out for days.” Jack teased lightly as he followed Sarah out of the room, closing the door quietly.
“Thanks for helping me, Jack. It looks like you and Daniel had quite a time tonight. He’ll probably have a killer headache in the morning though.”
“Of course he will. Well, it’s really late so I’m going to head home and get out of your hair. Tell Daniel I’ll bring his car back tomorrow afternoon.”
“All right. I will. I appreciate you bringing him home, Jack.” Sarah smiled as she walked him to the door and watched the truck pull into the dark.
* * * * *
After Jack was gone, Sarah turned and walked back into the house and made her way to the bedroom where Daniel rested. She changed into her pajamas and sat on the bed beside him, stroking his hair gently.
“You just need to sleep this off, Daniel. I’ll be here to take care of you in the morning.” Sarah whispered.
Sarah lay beside Daniel for a long time, keeping watch over him and whispering to him softly. Finally, she rested her head on the pillow beside his, placed her arm around him and closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Because of his exhaustion, as the effects of the alcohol wore off, Daniel continued to sleep. As his mind recovered, he became trapped in another nightmare from his past. This dream was even more horrifying than the previous one. This time, Daniel dreamed of the time that his foster father had killed his foster mother and nearly killed him as well.
It had been a year after the last terrifying incident and Daniel’s foster mother had opted to keep him with her and they tried to get on with their lives. For the year that his foster father was in jail, this had been what happened. Things were going great and Daniel felt safe and happy. Until the day that his foster father had been released from jail.
That day had been much like any other. Daniel was sitting in the kitchen with his foster mother, eating the lunch that she had prepared for him. After lunch, they were planning on going to the park so Daniel could feed and watch the ducks. Just as they were getting ready to leave, his foster father kicked down the back door and came after them with a gun. Daniel had been in his bedroom when he heard the gun go off in the living room and his foster mother scream. When he went to see what had happened, he saw the man standing over his foster mother’s body, a crazed expression in his eyes. When he saw Daniel standing in the doorway, he came after him. Daniel dove through the man’s legs, rolled to his feet and took off out the door and across the street to a neighbor’s house where the police were called.
When the police came, one squad car went over to the house and arrested Daniel’s foster father and another came to the neighbor’s to talk to him. The man who had murdered his foster mother was taken to jail and would never get out to harm anyone again. Six months later, he was executed for his crimes. Daniel was sent back to the group home that he had come from and eventually found a different, safer foster family but he would never forget what he had seen that day.
* * * * *
“NO!” Daniel cried out as he sat straight up in bed and wrapped his arms around himself.
“Daniel? Are you okay? What’s the matter?” Sarah asked, suddenly very frightened for Daniel.
“I had a nightmare, that’s all.”
“What was it about? Maybe I can help.”
“I just had to relive one of the most horrifying moments of my life. I had a dream about one of the foster families I was in where my foster father murdered my foster mother right in front of my eyes. I don’t know why I’m even thinking about this lately. I thought I buried that memory years ago. It was so real that it was like I had to stand there and watch it happen all over again.” Daniel said as he broke down and cried.
“Come here.” Sarah whispered as she pulled Daniel into her arms and rocked him gently. “It’s okay. It wasn’t real and it’s all over now. Maybe now that you talked to me about what happened in the past, you can come to terms with it and finally put it behind you for good. I’m going to be here for you. It’s okay to cry. You need to get through this.”
“How could I have just stood there and let that happen? I let him kill her. I didn’t do a thing.” Daniel sobbed as Sarah pulled him even closer.
“You were just a child, Daniel. There was nothing that you could have done. You were lucky that you weren’t killed that day as well. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Sarah said, trying to calm him.
Daniel cried in Sarah’s arms for the better part of an hour, until he simply had no tears left to cry. Even then, he remained in Sarah’s arms, drawing comfort from her embrace. Sarah rocked him slowly and gently, whispering comforting words to him in an attempt to soothe him while he cried himself into exhaustion. She knew that soon it would get the better of him and he would soon fall asleep again. So she continued to comfort Daniel until eventually his breathing became deep and peaceful, signifying that he had dozed off.
“It’s going to be okay, love. Hopefully now you can put your past behind you and leave it there. I hate seeing you so upset. I’m going to help you cope with this thing.” Sarah whispered quietly. She didn’t go back to sleep that night. Instead, she stayed up by Daniel’s side, watching him sleep and rubbing his shoulder gently. At about 6:30, Sarah got up, went into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. After the night he’d had, she knew Daniel would need some when he did awaken.
* * * * *
Jack awoke in his bedroom feeling extremely tired even though he had been sleeping for seven hours. He had slept very poorly and had spent hours tossing and turning. Jack was really worried about Daniel and the state he had been in when he drove him home last night. He hoped with all his heart that Sarah had managed to get through to him because it disturbed him greatly to see his best friend so upset.
“I need to find a way to get Danny’s car back to him today like I promised. Good thing I did have to drive him home last night because this’ll give me the perfect excuse to check on him. I think I’ll call Carter and see if she’ll come over and follow me to Daniel’s so she can run me back here.”
Jack went to the telephone and called Sam’s number. He knew she was an early riser so he didn’t have to worry about waking her up at 7:00 in the morning. He hoped that she would be able to help him.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Sam. It’s Jack. I’m not bothering you, am I?” Jack asked casually.
“No, sir. I was just having some breakfast. Is something wrong?” Sam said with a smile in her voice at recognition of who was calling.
“Nothing’s wrong. I need to ask you a huge favor though.”
“Sure. What is it?”
“Well, I need you to come over here in a little while and follow me over to Daniel’s place this morning.”
“Okay. But can I know why?” Sam asked curiously.
“You remember last night when I told you Daniel was coming to my house for a drink. I ended up having to carry him home because he got drunk and passed out. He came to long enough to walk up the sidewalk and passed out again when I got him to the front door. So I have to take him his car because it’s still here. I need you to follow me over there if you don’t mind because I have to have someone to drive me back to my house. I’d really appreciate it if you’d help me out.” Jack explained.
“I don’t mind at all, sir. Just let me finish my breakfast and grab a shower and then I’ll be right over to pick you up. Is that all right?”
“That’s fine. No rush, Carter. Judging by the amount of alcohol he had last night, I’d guess that Daniel isn’t even awake yet. Just come when you can.”
“Okay. I’ll see you soon, sir.” Sam acknowledged as she hung up and finished her breakfast.
* * * * *
An hour later, Daniel slowly awoke with a splitting headache. It didn’t help matters that he was confused because he wasn’t where he remembered being before. He looked around a moment and realized that somehow he was at home, back in his own bed.
“How in the world did I get home? The last thing I remember is having beer and pizza at Jack’s house. What time is it anyway?” Daniel took a hazy look at his watch. “Whoa. 8:30! I guess Jack must have brought me home last night because I don’t remember driving. But if I didn’t drive, where is my car.”
A few moments later, realization came through the searing pain in Daniel’s head and he remembered coming home and he also remembered his nightmare and breaking down in Sarah’s arms.
“Oh, God. I need to go and talk to Sarah. She has got to think I’m the weakest person in the world.” Daniel moaned to himself as he got out of bed and walked slowly into the kitchen.
Sarah was sitting at the kitchen table having a cup of coffee when Daniel walked in. She looked up at him and smiled, pushing the chair back for him to sit.
“Good morning. How are you feeling?” Sarah said quietly.
“I feel like there’s an raging bull in my head trying to bash its way out. Can I have some aspirin and a cup of coffee?” Daniel asked, his head pounding with the effort.
“Of course. Here you go.” Sarah smiled gently, placing three aspirin in Daniel’s hand and pouring him a cup of steaming hot coffee. “Is something else wrong?”
“Not really. It’s just that I feel like you must think I’m weak after my little breakdown last night. I shouldn’t have broken down like that. If I hadn’t been drinking, that never would have happened. I wouldn’t have let my guard down the way I did.”
“I do not think you’re weak at all. You had every right to be upset. Actually, I think it’s a good thing that you let your guard down. I don’t blame you for crying. I would have too. I can’t imagine having gone through what you’ve been through.”
“You’re very understanding. That’s one of the reason I love you so much.” Daniel said as he leaned over and kissed Sarah on the lips.
* * * * *
Jack was sitting on his couch, flipping absently through the television channels, when he heard the doorbell ring. He hurried across the living room to answer the door. Opening it, he saw Sam standing there, smiling casually at him.
“Hey, Carter. Thanks for coming so quick.” Jack greeted her, moving from the door to let her enter.
“Good morning, sir. It wasn’t a problem. I don’t mind helping you take Daniel’s car back. I didn’t have any plans this morning other than watching television. I actually appreciate the opportunity to get out of the house for a while.” Sam said.
“Why don’t we head on over to take the car back. I’ll drive Daniel’s car and you follow behind me. Then when we get there we can let Sarah know that we brought the car back and then you can bring me back here and stay and visit a while.”
“Sounds like a plan to me, sir.”
A few minutes later, Jack and Sam were heading to Daniel’s to take his car back to him from where he’d had to leave it at Jack’s the night before.
* * * * *
A short time later, Daniel was sitting on the couch with Sarah, flipping through television channels and just relaxing. After taking some aspirin and having a couple cups of coffee, Daniel was beginning to feel a little better, though he was glad that they were on downtime and he didn’t have to go in to the base that day because he still wasn’t functioning as well as he normally did.
“Feel better?” Sarah asked.
“Yeah. I do feel better. I don’t have a headache anymore. Thanks for taking such good care of me.” Daniel smiled, pulling Sarah into a tight hug.
“Well, that’s my job. I’m just glad that you think I do it so well. Nothing like good old fashioned job security.” Sarah joked, causing both of them to laugh as the doorbell rang, followed by the sound of someone knocking.
“I wonder who that could be?”
“It is a little early for having company. I think since you do your job so well, I’ll fulfill mine and go answer the door.” Daniel laughed, sticking his tongue out at Sarah as he opened the front door. “Oh, hey Jack. Hi, Sam.”
“Hey, Daniel. Carter and I brought your car back to you.”
“Yeah. He called me this morning and asked me to follow him over here.” Sam added, smiling.
“So, how are you feeling? I was a little concerned about you last night.” Jack asked, his overprotective tone causing Daniel to smile.
“I do feel a lot better. I think Sarah should talk to Janet about a job. She makes a damn good nurse. You guys want to come in for a minute?” Daniel quipped playfully as he lead his friends into the living room.
“Good morning, Jack, Sam.” Sarah smiled, getting up and giving them a hug.
“Hey, Sarah. I hear you’ve been taking good care of this guy. He says you make a pretty fine nurse.” Jack grinned.
“Well, I do try. I guess that’s what love does to you.”
“I appreciate you bringing my car by Jack. When I woke up this morning, I wondered where my car was because I couldn’t remember where I left it. Then I remembered the last place I recalled being at the time was your house and that you hauled me back here last night. Sorry about passing out in your living room.” Daniel said, slightly embarrassed.
“Ah, don’t worry about it. That’s what friends do for each other. I know that you’d have run me home if it was me in your position.”
“You’re right about that. Hey, do you guys want a cup of coffee or something?”
“Yeah, I’d like that.” Jack said.
“Yes, thank you.” Sam smiled and took a seat on the couch beside Sarah.
A few minutes later, they were all sitting in the living room having coffee and enjoying each other’s company. Jack was glad to see that Daniel appeared to be feeling better than he had the night before and it seemed to him that whatever those nightmares were that had been haunting his friend last night weren’t much of an issue anymore. As Jack O’Neill sat among friends, he knew for a fact that Daniel Jackson was a very strong man and he figured that maybe, just maybe, his best friend was going to be all right after all. At least, he hoped that he would.
April 3, 2005 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.