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Daniel sat on the edge of the double bed and gazed around the small bedroom. He hadn't intended to crash at Jack's house, but there he was. Oh, who was he kidding? It wasn't as though he'd consciously thought out anything that he'd done since they'd returned through the Stargate. While living on Abydos, he'd dreamt of being back on Earth, but the reality of what had happened to bring him home was the stuff of nightmares.
Home? Daniel blinked in surprise. Earth wasn't his home anymore, Abydos was. Wasn't it? That was where he'd chosen to stay with Sha're, where his adopted family waited for their return. Earth was just the planet where he'd been born, the place from which he'd come. It wasn't his 'home.' He'd never in his life felt as accepted for himself as he had on Abydos, so why should he suddenly feel like he'd truly come home?
He hadn't felt that way at the Mountain. The military had made it clear that he didn't fit, that they didn't have a clue as to what to do with him. And that General, what was his name? Hammond? He'd certainly seemed pissed off at him, though Daniel was a little confused as to exactly why. So why should he feel like he was home now?
Daniel shook his head and sighed. The adrenaline that he'd been running on for the last 30 hours was fading and exhaustion was beginning to set in. All he wanted to do was crawl under the covers, go to sleep and wake up to find that this had all been a terrible nightmare. He'd be back on Abydos and Sha're would be asleep beside him. Jack wouldn't have come through the 'gate and they wouldn't have shared a beer and conversation in his living room.
That thought sent a pang through Daniel. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed the wisecracking Colonel until he'd seen Jack in the gate room on Abydos. He shook his head. Must be the beer talking. He'd only had the one, but he never had had much of a tolerance for alcohol.
Still, he'd missed Jack and had felt an unaccountable thrill when he'd seen him standing there in all his glory on Abydos. He'd also felt a bit silly when Jack had ignored him and headed straight for Skaara. If he were honest, he'd admit that he'd been hurt and, yes, a bit jealous, too. Though given all he knew about Jack, he should have known that his first priority would be to check on the boy who'd helped him begin healing the wound left by his own son's death. And hadn't Daniel felt like a jerk of the first magnitude once he'd realized that Jack was just as concerned about him?
He still didn't know what he was going to do now that he was back on Earth. His jumbled thoughts refused to sort themselves into any kind of order beyond the imperative to rescue Sha're. How he was going to accomplish that, he had no idea, other than to attach himself to Jack. Jack was just as determined to rescue Skaara and Daniel was going to make certain that when that happened that he, Daniel, would be right there beside him. When Jack said he was going to do something, Jack did it. He'd trust Jack with his life. Hell, he'd already done that. It wasn't even a stretch for Daniel to trust him to find Sha're.
He was so completely lost in his thoughts as he sat on the bed that he didn't notice the bedroom door slowly swing open. A gentle hand on his shoulder startled him.
"Whoa! Easy there, Daniel." Jack's voice was soft.
"Jack?" Daniel blinked and gazed up at his friend. "Was there something you needed?"
He smiled slightly. "I was going to ask you the same thing. You came in here over an hour ago to get some sleep and you're still sitting on the bed. It works better if you actually get undressed and lay down, ya know?"
"Guess I kind of got lost in my thoughts." He hung his head and stared at the floor. "It's hard to stop thinking about everything, Jack."
"I know, Danny. But try, okay? At least for a few hours. We've got a meeting with Hammond in the morning and you need to be sharp." He raised an eyebrow and met Daniel's startled gaze. "I'm going to do my damnedest to fight to go through the Stargate and find them. Hammond's no fool. I know he was angry, but I don't really think he was angry with you. You just happened to be in his line of sight. Anyway, I'm pretty sure that I can convince the brass that the best choice is to open the 'gate and send me through it. If you want to come along, then you need to be thinking clearly enough to do your own convincing."
"You want that? I mean, me coming with you?" Daniel's eyes widened and he searched Jack's face for an answer.
"Yeah, I want you to come with. You're a good man, Daniel Jackson, and a good friend. Sha're and Skaara didn't deserve what happened and they need the best out there looking for them. I figure between my military experience and your knowledge, we've got things covered." He shrugged.
Daniel smiled slightly. He'd known that Jack wasn't the jerk he sometimes pretended to be, but a compliment from him was a rare thing indeed. "What about Captain Doctor Carter? Won't she want to go, too? And Major Kawalsky?"
"I didn't say we'd be the only ones going. Just that we both need to go and we both have abilities to contribute."
"Thanks, Jack." He took a slow deep breath and then released it. "For everything."
"Don't mention it." Jack waved a hand in the air and turned away as if embarrassed. "By the way, I figured you'd want to wear something other than that jumpsuit tomorrow, so I, uh, thought these might work for you. If they don't, just let me know in the morning and we can raid the rest of my closet and see if we can find something else." He gestured to a stack of folded clothes sitting on the foot of the bed.
"Oh man, thanks for that," he said and smiled. "I feel ridiculous in this thing, like a...a kid playing dress up or something."
Jack chuckled. "Yeah, well, no one would mistake you for an airman, that's for sure. You slouch too much, for one thing. But it was the best they could do on short notice."
"I know and I'm not complaining."
Jack turned away and walked to the door. He paused with his hand on the knob and glanced back over his shoulder. "Think you can get some sleep, Daniel?"
He nodded. "Yeah, Jack," he said softly. "I think I'll be able to do that now." He watched his friend close the door behind him and smiled.
Sha're and Skaara were missing and he still wasn't sure where he'd fit into things at the Mountain, but his heart was lighter knowing that he had Jack in his corner. Maybe things would work out after all. He yawned and put his glasses on the dresser. The morning would come all too soon. He should strip and get under the covers, but he was just too tired to bother. He listed to the side and was fast asleep before his head hit the pillow.