Archive of Our Own ^beta

“A wilderness retreat?” asked Daniel with an incredulous arc of his eyebrows.

“Yes, Daniel a wilderness retreat and don’t say it like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like it’s something you might find on the sole of your shoe.”

“I did not!”

“You did too!”

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

“Not!”

“Did!” said Jack and flicked a paperclip across the table at him. Daniel just glared at him and looked about to launch another volley.

“Gentlemen.” Hammond instantly cut off the two men before the argument could gather momentum. “This is a good opportunity for SG-1 to do some team building and decompress from the run on recently strenuous missions.” No one missed the General’s polite euphemism for the almost weekly instances of mortal danger SG-1 has been racking up lately.

“What is this retreat?” asked Teal’c.

“Well, we go out into the woods and camp out under the stars, chill out get back to nature. That kind of thing.” Jack said, with barely hidden annoyance directed at Daniel.

“Do we not camp out in the woods with great frequency when on missions?” asked Teal’c.

“Thank you!” said Daniel with a gesture back to Teal’c.

“This is different from mission,.” said Jack.

“How?” asked Daniel. “How is; sitting out in the woods, getting eaten by mosquitoes, digging latrines and sleeping in tents any different than what we do on a mission?”

“There won’t be a mission,” said Jack feebly.

“With due respect General our recent schedule of missions is to blame for the backlog in my department.”

“And mine,” said Sam.

“I was hoping to use this time to make a dent in the piles of folders in my office, not to mention catching up with a few personal projects that I’ve been forced to put on the back burner of late.” Sam made ‘me too’ motions though she dare not speak out like Daniel.

“I understand your workload Doctor, but that’s precisely why the Colonel and I have arranged this trip. Doctor Frasier has voiced concerns about both yours and Major Carter’s well being.”

“What?” Both scientists asked in shock.

“You’re both on the road to burnout city,” said Jack cutting straight to the point. “Neither of you have lives outside the base, despite orders to find one.” Jack gave Sam a pointed look. “When we get leave, you don’t.” This was a directed to both of them. “You’re not eating properly.” Jack held up his finger at the protests. “Aht! Caffeine and blue jello are not food groups unto themselves.”

Daniel and Sam sported identical sucked lemon faces.

“So,” said Jack with barely disguised glee. “Since you two refuse to relax and have fun; away from work.” This was said with pointed looks at an increasingly mutinous Sam and Daniel. “We’ve been forced to organize some mandatory fun.”

“Isn’t that an oxymoron?” said Daniel. Jack grinned and knew he had won.

“So it’s settled then, don’t worry about bringing anything but yourselves. Teal’c and I will take care of everything.”

“I’ll leave it to you, then Colonel.” said Hammond taking his cue to leave.

“Yes, sir,” said Jack and turned back to his two teammates. “Let me spell this out for you right now, there will be no work whatsoever on this trip. That means, and this is an evolving list by the way, no books, no computers, no gadgets, no archeological tools, no scientific journals, and no…” Jack paused for breath.

“No fun of any kind,” muttered Daniel as he and Sam made a hasty retreat.

“Hey!” cried Jack after them. “I’ll pick you both up at the front gate at 0500 tomorrow and if you aren’t there Teal’c and I will hunt you down.”

“Are you quite certain this is the wisest course of action, O’Neill?” asked Teal’c rising from his seat.

“It’s the best I have Teal’c,” said Jack with a sigh. “They have to let go of whatever happened on that planet and we have to help them.”

“And if they do not succumb to your plans O’Neill?”

“We might lose them,” said Jack. “And I refuse to accept that as a possibility.”

“Indeed.”

************************************

Jack checked the hallway and signaled to Teal’; this was where all the priests were so this was where Daniel was. He had to be. Jack closed his eyes taking deep breaths to dispel images of them being too late, it wasn’t too late there was no way he was leaving here without Daniel, not this time. Teal’c came up helping Carter, she was weak and still in shock but looking better then when they found her. Then he heard it; the scream. It wasn’t a short yell. It was a long blood curdling, bone chilling, heart stopping scream and Jack knew, without a doubt that it was Daniel.

***************************************

Sam tapped on the door jam to Daniel’s office. “Hey,” she said.

Daniel smiled slightly leaning into a grimace. “Hey Sam.”

“So have you figured out the Colonel’s master plan yet?”

“Besides his continuing mission to avoid his own backlog of paperwork you mean?”

Sam smiled. “Besides that.”

“He wants us to talk about it.”

“He’s worried, and since he got the okay for this trip so is everyone else.”

“We agreed to not let it control us,” said Daniel.

“But clearly it is, maybe…”

“Maybe what, Sam? Maybe, if we were open and talked about it, it would all go away? You know it doesn’t work like that.”

“If we told the Colonel, he could see why we don’t want to discuss it. He’d understand.”

“I know he would, but he’d also blame himself for it, feel guilty about what happened even more than he already does. I can’t lay that on him and I won’t.” Daniel folded his arms across his chest, pulling himself further away from Sam and further inside himself.

“Don’t do this Daniel, don’t shut me out. I was there too…”

“But it didn’t happen to you!” Daniel cried turning away.

“No! I just had to stand by and watch my best friend being dragged away, knowing he was sacrificing himself for me,” said Sam quietly. “And don’t fool yourself Daniel that was just as bad.”

**************************************************

Jack pried open the door to the dungeon and shone his flashlight into the room, this was the last one, they had to be here or…no he wouldn’t allow those thoughts they were here somewhere. Then the light played over a blonde head huddled in the corner.

“Carter!” called Jack and the head lifted scared blue eyes that stared back at him in the light. It took a second, but recognition dawned in them.

“Sir?” It was a whisper or a croak barely audibly over the moans of other victims in the room. But Jack heard it with its tone of fear and hope almost depleted. Jack turned back to call to Teal’c who was up the hall.

“I’ve got Carter.” he said and they both pushed the door open all the way. “Sam,” Jack called. “Where’s Daniel?” Sam blinked, still hardly believing her eyes, she looked down at her hands where she held what looked like a rag. Jack took it from her though she seemed reluctant to give it up. It was damp to touch, and when he shone his light on it Jack almost lost his self control. It was Daniel’s bandana still wet with blood.

**************************************************

Jack finished strapping the last of the equipment to the bed of his truck and turned to his teammates looking bleary eyed and grumpy in the pre-dawn hour.

“Okay, kids,” he said with false cheer. “It’s a three hour drive to the reserve, and then we’ve got a little hike before we make camp for the night. Buck up, this is supposed to be fun.” He was met with one impassive Jaffa and two pairs of annoyed blue eyes boring into his forehead. “Get in,” he said with a sigh.

The drive was quiet. What conversation there was, was stilted and mainly carried on by Jack giving a running commentary of their journey and the sights out of the window. The time passed at a crawl.

Jack parked the truck and they busied themselves with gathering the equipment for the hike and subsequent camp. The activity was reassuringly familiar despite the more terrestrial locale. A second truck parked as they were ready to hit the trail, from the armory strapped to the back they looked to be hunters and Jack hoped he’d picked a spot far enough away from them so they wouldn’t be disturbed.

**************************************************

Tucker pulled the truck up at the edge of the hiking trails.

“That them?” he asked gesturing to SG-1 unloading their gear.

“Looks like,” said Ryan glancing at a file in his hands. “Just like the man said.”

“They don’t look like much,” said Tucker running a meaty hand through his salty brown hair.

“I dunno, the big guy might be an issue.” Ryan frowned, his gaunt face becoming more pinched.

“Nah, guy that size purely gym muscle, he’ll probably go down after the first hit.”

“The man said not to underestimate them.”

“The man is a weasel; I just hope he keeps his end. Let’s get to it; we can’t let them get too far ahead in case they changed their plans after we got our intel.”

Ryan nodded and they both got out of the truck.

**************************************************

Daniel wasn’t pleased with his teammates right now, but Jack, who was excelling at being obnoxious and peppy, was drawing ahead on the list of who he’d kill first in the event they turned to cannibalism. They’d been hiking for hours now with no end in sight and even though they’d packed a lunch it didn’t look like Jack was quite ready to call it quits. Daniel was loath to admit how tired he was, it had been too long since he’d done this kind of physical activity, and he was forced to consider Jack’s comments about his physical condition to heart, he shouldn’t be this tired after only a few hours.

“Almost there,” said Jack from up ahead.

“Where are we going anyway?” asked Daniel.

Jack glanced back in surprise, it was the first time anyone beside himself had spoken since they’d set off from the truck. Just then they broke through the trees to a good sized clearing.

“Here,” said Jack as Daniel walked up to stand beside him. Daniel stared at the sight before him, completely taken back. Directly in front of them was a huge pool sporting bright clear water churned white by the continuous flow of a ten foot water fall directly ahead of them.

“Wow,” said Sam as she and Teal’c joined them in the clearing. Jack allowed himself to share a grin with Teal’c before launching himself back into the fray.

“I figure we can have nice long lunch here let the heat fade a bit and make it to our camping spot by nightfall.”

Daniel slowly allowed himself to relax in the early afternoon sunshine. The four friends ate well on a picnic lunch, which was not made of MRE’s for the first time in longer than he could remember. Jack and Teal’c had taken off their shirts and were currently paddling in the pool. Daniel had stripped down to his undershirt and lay comfortably next to Sam on a blanket, he was consciously full for the first time in weeks and it surprised him to realize he’d been avoiding food since their last mission. He glanced at Sam her body relaxed and peaceful as she too dozed from their exuberant meal. Her arms were stretched above her head and he had sudden flash of Sam chained to a wall of a much darker place. He shook himself from the image.

Daniel knew why they were here what the purpose was eventually and everyone else did too. It was there under Jack’s too big smile, clouding Teal’c’s eyes and causing Sam’s gaze to flick from his whenever he caught her looking at him. This couldn’t last this illusion of peace they’d conjured together. There was the rub, that if they let go of the fantasy they might have to deal with the reality of what happened and all things considered Daniel would rather have the illusion.

Jack was glad to see his two friends relax into the situation, even if it was only to sleep with the sun on their faces. His mood was marred only slightly by the fact that Daniel had been careful to keep his undershirt, the thin cotton all that stood between them and a reminder of why they were really here.

**************************************************

Ryan and Tucker had hiked passed SG-1 in their clearing and arrived a few hours ahead of them at their intended campsite.

Teal’c heard the two men pass but thought nothing of it as Jack chose that moment to give a really good splash in the waters they were wading in.

“I will have my revenge O’Neill.”

Jack stepped out of the pool drenched from head to toe, earning a quirked eyebrow from Daniel as he walked up the shore to their discarded bags.

“I could have told you challenging Teal’c in a splash fight wasn’t your best idea Jack,” he said with a small smile. Jack threw him a mutinous look and then shook off the excess water all over his sunbathing teammates. “Hey!” cried Daniel but his smile grew a little.

“I believe you should take your own advice, Doctor Jackson.” said Jack with a grin.

“And what advice would that be?”

“O’Neill refers to your inference on provoking someone in a better position to retaliate an attack,” said Teal’c stepping out of the pool himself.

“Right,” said Jack. “What he said.”

“When do I do that?” asked Daniel indignantly.

“Err, every time we meet a goa’uld,” said Jack, “Face it Daniel you like to provoke the bastards.”

“Why shouldn’t I push a few buttons? They’re going to get to the hitting anyway, my way I get to make them look like idiots even if it’s only for a second.” Daniel shrugged.

“Could you lay off for a while? My grey is turning white and I didn’t even have any grey when I met you.”

“If you had white hair you wouldn’t need that uncomfortable wig when you play Santa at Cassie’s Christmas party every year,” said Daniel with a quirking smile at least until he was spluttering after Jack splashed him from the bank. “Jack!” Daniel cried and got up to chase him.

Jack, Teal’c and Daniel dried off and then the whole team collected their gear and set off once more. They reached their destination just as the sun was coming down over the mountains and all four paused in their set up of camp to watch it set.

Camp went up in minutes, with an ease born of practice and more practice. Teal’c and Jack set up the tents - two large professional hikers’ tents- according to Jack. They were much more spacious and ‘snazzy’ than the regular two man ‘pup tents’ they shared off world. Sam and Daniel gathered firewood and got their evening meal prepared.

**************************************************

“What are you doing?” asked Ryan. Tucker looked up his hand holding steady on the head of a very large snake.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” he asked pressing the snake’s jaws into a covered jar.

“I thought we wanted it to bite one of ‘em?” asked Ryan.

“We do,” said Tucker, “But we don’t want it to kill them. I drain the poison now and it’ll only make ‘em sick.”

“Right,” said Ryan, with a smile. “I knew you were the man for the job.”

**************************************************

Teal’c felt uneasy about not keeping watch, but they’d set up the flood lights in case of animals large or small and as Jack had said this was earth and the need to watch for other hostiles was generally mute. But still Teal’c felt uneasy as he climbed into his tent with Sam.

Daniel slept fitfully his back itched as it healed and he never had slept well on his stomach. Jack watched him nearby and wished there was a way he could help, but for that to happened Daniel had to talk to him and tell him where it hurt. Jack grimaced the easy money wasn’t on Daniel’s shoulder being the worst of it.

**************************************************

Daniel wrenched at his bindings but the chains held him fast. He was hanging arms up from the ceiling. The air was thick with sweat and fear mixed with the unforgettable stench of scorched flesh. He’d been a fool; he knew that now played right into their hands when he offered himself in Sam’s place. It was what they’d wanted all along.

The iron had been heating long before Daniel had been brought here from the dungeon and he was glad that Sam at least would be spared this. They brought it in front of him glowing red from the fire somewhere behind him. It was a brand; they were going to brand him and he would be sacrificed the next day to their god. They braced him roughly between two large sweat-soaked bodies and when the brand was applied to his right shoulder it took a second before the pain hit and then it hit hard. He screamed and struggled, but they held him fast and soon they were holding him up.

**************************************************

Daniel started, jerking up from his dream. He glanced to the next sleeping bag and found it empty. Then he felt it, something brushing by his leg something long and…and he was moving fast! He yanked his legs out of the bag and threw himself out of the tent, the snake sensing it was being attacked lashed out and struck him on the back of his thigh as it disappeared through the tent flap.

Daniel cried out and fell flat on his face much to the surprise of Jack and Teal’c who were up and fixing breakfast. Daniel was up on his butt and scooting away as the snake slithered out of the tent flicking a perturbed look at the three men who stared at it in shock.

“Bit me,” said Daniel as he closed his eyes in an attempt to calm himself and his racing heart.

“Damn,” said Jack following Daniel’s hand to his right leg. “Teal’c, grab my bag I have a first aid kit and get my washing up bag too. Hey Daniel, stay with me okay? I’m going to have to clean this and then I’m going to wrap it up to stop the spread of the venom.”

Daniel nodded biting his lip as Jack’s fingers probed the bite. “I didn’t even get coffee,” he choked.

“Sorry Danny. No coffee, no food or drink until we get this taken care of.”

“What’s going on?” asked Sam as she stumbled from her own tent. Teal’c handed Jack the items he’d asked for.

“Daniel decided to get friendly with the local wildlife, and it decided he looked good enough to eat.”

“What!”

“Daniel Jackson has been bitten by a snake,” said Teal’c gravely.

“Oh my God!”

“Carter, grab my cell phone out of my bag and see if you can get a signal while Teal’c and I try and get this under control.” Jack washed the wound with soap and water and dried it as carefully as he could before pulling a long elastic bandage from the first aid kit. “I’m not gonna lie to you Daniel this is going to hurt like a sonofabitch but it will buy us some time.” Daniel sucked his breath through his teeth and nodded. “Okay T, let’s get him sitting against this rock and then you can hold him while I bandage this.”

Teal’c nodded. “I will hold you steady Daniel Jackson.”

Daniel fought the urge to struggle as large hands firmly gripped his shoulders. Jack expertly wound the bandage until it was firmly holding the leg but not cutting off the blood.

“Okay, try not to move it now that will only spread the venom faster.”

Daniel nodded sweat soaked his brow; he was relieved when Teal’c released him to begin piling sleeping bags behind him to guard against the hardness of the rock.

“There’s no signal,” said Sam walking back over with the phone. “We need to get to higher ground.”

“Daniel can’t be moved if we want to keep the venom still.”

“Should we not return to the truck O’Neill and convey Daniel Jackson to medical personnel.”

“He’d never make it over this terrain.” Jack looked back at Daniel, his eyes were hooded and his face was flushed. “Okay, Sam you’re better off heading back to the truck. You can use the radio and call for help from there. Give Teal’c the cell he can try for higher ground and if he can’t we can both rig something up to carry Daniel back down the trail without jostling him too much.”

Sam and Teal’c nodded and set about gathering what they needed for their respective journeys.

“I will return by nightfall, O’Neill whether I can garner a signal or not.”

“I’ll leave a light on,” said Jack.

“It’ll probably take me the rest of the day to get back to the truck,” said Sam. “But when I get there I’ll find a way to signal you.”

“Get my bag,” said Jack, “In the back pocket there’s a flare gun. There are two flares one red, one green. When you get to the truck send up the red flare and use the green one to let us know when help has arrived. If Teal’c is successful we can contact you via the medi-evac helicopter. If you don’t hear from us by nightfall assume Teal’c gave up and came back.” Sam nodded and stuffed the flare gun into her pack. “Good luck.”

Sam gave Daniel a worried look as he tried his best to give her a reassuring smile. “You too, sir.”

**************************************************

Ryan smacked Tucker on the arm as the two men observed the scene through a long range scope.

“Whatcha put it in Jackson’s tent for? He’s the one we’re after.”

“I didn’t know it was his tent; it was dark,” said Tucker defensively. “Besides he’ll be easier to handle now and we’re down to one spare. That’s not a bad run.”

Ryan nodded conceding the point. “Let’s give the other two an hour before we move in on them,” he said checking his watch. Tucker just nodded and put his eye back to the scope.

“What does The Man want with this guy anyway?”

“Didn’t say; but I heard rumblings a few years ago.”

“Oh yeah, rumblings about what?”

“Aliens,” said Ryan with mock mysticism. “Apparently this guy is an icon of the ‘aliens are among us’ wrap and The Man is a fan.”

“No shit? You and me have worked for some whack jobs but aliens?”

“Tuck this isn’t about aliens, the guy’s a genius linguist protected deeply by the Air Force. The aliens are a cover to throw the scent off his real value.”

“Damn that’s good.”

“Yep. The man is actually using some brain-cells on this one. They’ll pay big for Jackson and whatever his real work is.”

“Who are They?”

“Anyone with enough money.”

**************************************************

Jack eased Daniel’s T-shirt up over his head and helped him lie on his front.

“You don’t have to do this.” said Daniel cringing as Jack peeled off the gauze.

“Janet read me the riot act about you keeping up with this,” said Jack flinching along with his friend. “And being as you’ve already been snake bit I don’t intend to let her add an infection to the list of things that happened to Daniel while camping.” Jack let out a low whistle as he took in the extent of the burn. “Do you know what it is?” he asked quietly futzing with the medical supplies.

“It’s a brand.”

“I meant the symbol have you seen it?”

“Yeah, I had Janet take a Polaroid for my collection.” Daniel rolled his eyes.

“Daniel.”

Daniel sighed. “I saw it before…they err showed it to me.”

“Right,” said Jack and began to clean the wound. “What does Warner say about a skin graft?”

“It might take a few tries because it’s so deep.”

“So that symbol it’s not a gate is it?”

“No,” Daniel sighed, he was tired and nauseous not only from the wound, and the bite, but because he hadn’t been able to eat or drink since the night before.

“What is it then?”

Daniel looked up sharply; that wasn’t Jack. Jack was up in a flash pointing his side-arm at the large man who’d just walked out of the woods in front of them.

“Drop it,” said the man brandishing his own weapon.

“I don’t think so,” said Jack.

“Oh, I think so.”

Jack turned to see a second man had emerged behind them and was current holding his own gun to Daniel’s head. Jack leaned down and placed his gun on the ground.

“Kick it over to me,” said Tucker. “Good. Now kneel down, with your hands behind your head.” Jack scowled but did as he was told.

Daniel’s breathing was becoming erratic and he was only able to gasp a little air into his lungs before they felt like they would explode.

“Daniel.” Jack turned to his friend’s stricken face.

“Don’t move,” said Tucker. “Ryan, help him.”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Just keep him calm while I get this one sorted.” Tucker snapped a couple of zip ties around Jack’s wrists and ankles while his attention was on Daniel.

“Okay,” said Ryan. “You gotta calm down now kid, we’re not here to hurt you, okay? Take some slow deep breaths or you’re gonna pass out and you don’t want that. None of us do.”

“He’s got a snake bite,” said Jack through clenched teeth, “We’ve got help coming, just take what you came for and leave before they come back.”

“You mean that hot blonde?” asked Tucker with a smile. “She’s not coming back and neither is your other friend, probably got lost wandering these hills.”

Jack scowled at him but kept his attention on Daniel.

Daniel closed his eyes in an effort to ignore what was going on around him, he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t relax he couldn’t catch his breath when this stranger with a gun in his face was telling him ridiculous things about passing out. Of course he wanted to pass out, then he couldn’t bare witness to whatever horrible purpose they had in mind. But there was Jack kneeling with his hands behind his back yelling at him as his vision blurred, telling him to breath, so maybe that was a good thing after all.

Ryan knelt down by Daniel’s side and pulled a small box out of his jacket pocket.

“I was kind of hoping to not have to use this just yet, but if you won’t relax, I guess it’s the best option.”

“What is it?” asked Jack.

“Anti-venom and sedatives.” said Ryan.

“Sonofa…”

Tucker cuffed Jack around the head. “Language!” he scolded. “Especially to the man who’s going to save your friend’s life.”

“That you put in danger!” said Jack.

Ryan pulled out a bottle and syringe. He filled the needle to half way and glanced up at Tucker. “This means you’ll have to carry him back to the truck,” he said as he swabbed Daniel’s bicep.

“Yeah, well unconscious is better than dead.”

“You said the snake wouldn’t have enough venom to kill,” said Ryan sticking the needle in.

“I bled that thing dry, and a healthy person would have been fine for over a day on that dose. But this guy looks like he’s been through the spin cycle a couple of times and even with this efficient ‘first aid,’” said Tucker complete with air quotes, “I doubt if he’d have lasted 12 hours.”

Daniel missed the conversation in his concerted efforts to breathe and the only thing he registered was a sharp pain in his arm as his lungs unclenched and he sighed into light sleep.

Jack relaxed a fraction when Daniel started breathing normally, he’d already ascertained from the conversation that his ailing friend was the target of these two thugs, and not the unlikely but preferable robbery he’d thought it was to begin with.

“So what are you guys?” asked Jack. “You NID, or NSA? Or are you just one of those kidnap for hire folks I hear the market is flooded with these days?”

The two men ignored him believing Jack to be subdued. Jack tested his bonds; they were right.

“How long is he gonna be out?” asked Tucker.

“A couple of hours maybe, then he’ll be real dopey.”

“We’ll have to carry him out of here then; when the anti-venom has had a chance to work.” Tucker sat down his gun still trained on Jack but his eyes on Daniel. “Jesus, he’s supposed to be some high value government golden boy, but looks like a stiff wind would take him out. This how you treat your prize pets down in Cheyenne?” he asked Jack. “What is this; a brand?” asked Tucker almost disbelievingly. “Jesus and I thought marine hazing was rough.”

“Where do you get off, criticizing how I treat my friends, when you’re the one who’s poisoned him and drugged him?” asked Jack angrily. Tucker continued to stare thoughtfully at Daniel.

“I’m half pleased to do this one.” said Tucker, “He’ll probably get better treatment as someone’s pet than with you.”

Jack might have been stunned that this thug was actually being sympathetic to Daniel after being in his company for just over fifteen minutes, and for twelve of those minutes Daniel had been unconscious. But then again, thought Jack looking over at his sleeping friend he does tend to inspire protective instincts all over the galaxy.

“Look would you at least cover him up with a sleeping bag or something he’s not going to get any better if you let him freeze without a shirt on.”

Ryan looked at Daniel who was shivering. He grudgingly threw a sleeping bag on top of Daniel. Jack leaned back while their attention was on Daniel and he was just about able to pull out the knife he kept in his boot. Now all he had to do was cut himself free without either of them seeing it.

**************************************************

Teal’c sat watching the play by play from the ridge. He’d noticed a recent set of tracks on his way up the hill and followed them to where the two men currently holding his friends had spent the night watching their camp. Teal’c was highly disturbed to find that these were the same men who had passed them by the previous day at the pool.

Teal’c’s view from above told him everything he needed to know about these…men. After trying and failing to procure the illusive signal he decided to make his way back to the camp and help his friends dispatch their attackers.

**************************************************

Daniel watched as they examined Sam and knew their decision; it would be her and he would be left here and eventually Jack would come and break him out. Of that he had no doubt. Jack would come but it would be too late, for one of them.

He knew the ritual; he’d spoken in length about this culture’s belief system with the village elders. He and Sam had fascinated them with their relationship - equals but unrelated by blood. It was as strange to them as their coloring, hair and skin much lighter than those of the natives. Daniel had tried gamely to explain different races to them but it was difficult. The differences weren’t great and the elders weren’t bothered by them, at least until he’d tried to explain their jobs.

“Major Carter studies science and math in an effort to understand the universe. From the smallest dust to the most immense field of stars, it is her journey to see what will be.”

“And you Daniel Jackson? You are a man of people yes?”

Daniel smiled and nodded. “I study the past, and the present where people exist and once did. I seek to understand a culture not just how it is now but how it came to be through events and beliefs.”

“You study the dead.”

“To a certain extent, yes.”

It shouldn’t have been such a shock when the guards jumped out and began beating him, but it was. He came to in the dungeon with Sam holding his bandana to a cut on his forehead.

It would be Sam; he thought again and knew he couldn’t let them take her. They would choose her because she was life, and he was death.

He protested for the ‘honor’ and when he saw their faces, he knew that was what they’d wanted all along.

**************************************************

Daniel lay still where he’d fallen for about an hour and then he groaned.

“Ow,” he said and sat up looking at the situation confusedly.

“Daniel?”

Daniel blinked and looked around; there was a blurry Jack with his hands and feet bound together. Oh, no, he thought, who had captured them now? Then another less familiar blurry figure stood in front of him and the day fell back into place. “Oh,” surprised that he couldn’t muster the thoughts to say anything else. His brain felt like it was wrapped in cotton wool.

The blurry face in front of him grinned. “I don’t blame you kid, I wouldn’t want to wake up and see my face either.” A hand grazed his forehead and then fingers gripped his wrist. “Fever’s down and pulse is stronger.”

“Can we move him?” asked another and Daniel turned to look up at yet another blurry figure. He blinked hard as if that would clear his vision and the cotton wool as well.

“Not yet, give it another hour and then you can carry him out.”

“What’s going on? Who are you?” asked Daniel he had a vague sense that these men didn’t have his best interest in mind, despite the aid they seemed to be rendering. “Where are my friends?” he asked suddenly panicked, looking around the campsite for a face he actually recognized and then he remembered Jack. “Jack?” he called and saw his friend looking on with a worried look on his blurry face. “What’s going on? Why are you tied up?” Then he noticed his own hands were bound. “Why am I tied up?”

“Daniel!” Jack’s voice snapped Daniel back to himself and he took a deep breath.

“I thought you said it would make him dopey?” said Tucker looking freaked by Daniel’s out burst.

“It did.” said Jack only half joking. “Daniel, listen you were bit by a snake remember?” He could see his friend thinking and then he nodded. “Okay, then Heckle and Jeckle here came upon us with guns…” Daniel remembered and nodded again.

“Daniel.” That was the littler blur and Daniel scowled. The man had no right to call him by his first name. “Let me put it this way; you are someone who’s very important, someone worth a lot to a lot of people. We are here to take you to those people.”

“Because I’m Ouroboros,” said Daniel dully.

“What?”

Ryan just shrugged.

“I was tricked. I didn’t mean to volunteer, but they were choosing Sam; I didn’t know. If I hadn’t offered myself in her place they wouldn’t have taken me. But they knew I would. They wanted me because I am Ouroboros; ‘The tail devourer’.” Daniel was talking almost without breathing staring at a spot in a far away place.

“Has he cracked?” asked Tucker looking part pissed part worried.

“It’s the fever, maybe or an infection in the brand.”

“I am a life sustained by death that brings life. They thought I would kill myself for them and be reborn; immortal as a snake that eats its own tail.”

“He isn’t making any sense Ryan and, nonsense means, no money.”

Daniel sat up and the sleeping bag slipped from his shoulders to reveal the brand. He turned to Jack blue eyes boring into brown. “Ouroboros Jack. They thought I could save their village from dying out.”

Daniel had captured both men’s attention with his little show and neither of them noticed the large shape of Teal’c looming up on them until it was too late. “Hey Teal’c,” said Daniel with an ironic smile and promptly passed out again.

**************************************************

Sam emerged from the woods leading the S and R team into the camp a few hours after nightfall. Jack and Teal’c sat by a cozy fire, with Daniel sleeping peacefully between them. Ryan and Tucker lay trussed up and gagged a few feet away.

“You want some s’mores, Major?” asked Jack offering her a marshmallow nicely toasted.

Epilogue

Daniel held a hand mirror and looked at the reflection of the faded circle in his back. It was the best they could do. Jack had told him to have a Stargate tattooed there instead, but somehow that wasn’t Daniel’s style. No, he’d live with it, like he always did.

“Come on Daniel,” said Jack from the doorway, “Time to go home."

“In a minute.” Daniel pulled a shirt on over his head, but hesitated.

“Stop messing about and come on. Teal’c’s getting hungry.”

“If I hadn’t volunteered,” he said with a frown.

“Daniel we’ve been through this; there was no way you could have known.” Jack stepped into the room and faced his friend.

“But I should have!”

“Daniel, this wasn’t your fault. It was mine; I shouldn’t have left you and Carter alone.”

“I told you it was safe, you trusted me and I was so wrong. I should have let them pretend to choose Sam.”

“You know this story, they played you; played on your friendship with Carter, with all of us. None of us would have or could have stood by and let the other be tortured, not when we can take their place.”

“If I’d realized they would have let us go.”

“No, they would have killed you both or left you in the dungeon to rot.” Daniel shook his head. “Don’t do this to yourself, shoulda, woulda coulda never makes anything any different. You know that Daniel stop blaming yourself for a foregone conclusion. You had no more choice in what happened than Carter did and she’s going nuts because she thinks it’s her fault.”

“But there was no way she could have done anything,” said Daniel quick to defend his friend.

“Yeah, and she’s not the only one,” said Jack.

Daniel quirked a smile. “I hate you.”

“Right backatcha, now scoot before Teal’c order’s without us. I do not want to pick anchovies off a Hawaiian pizza again.”

Fin