Author's Notes: Hope you enjoy...this one promises to be rather longer than most of mine have been. Which may be a good or a bad thing! *grin*
DISCLAIMER: All characters and property of Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM/UA, World Gekko Corp. and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.
It was a world..as similar and as different as the dozens of other worlds they had visited through the Stargate. The desert sands, the scruffy trees, the monumental ruins themselves could belong to countless other planets they had come across in the past few years.
The only difference was...this world was Earth.
Dr. Daniel Jackson smiled to himself there in the bright sunlight, wondering when his perceptions had so changed that his so-called home world would become one of many, no longer the singular miracle it had once seemed. Daniel felt a vague sense of gratitude that he alone in this academic grouping truly understood how close Earth had come to sharing the fate of many of those other worlds on the other side of the 'gate.
Daniel could see his companion and team leader, Colonel Jack O'Neill, standing at the back of the small crowd, trying unsuccessfully not to look bored by all the hoopla centered around the discovery of an unknown, at least in the experience of the archeological community of Earth, example of ancient writing. Daniel knew that his friend was more than a little intolerant of the bluff and bluster surrounding them, especially considering the fact that Daniel had been forced to come here under an assumed persona, complete with the necessity to speak a foreign language, because two of the men involved in the discovery had also been instrumental in getting Daniel discredited among his peers nearly four years ago.
Daniel had followed the discovery of the writing through television and internet reports, and had shamelessly used his unique status as a valued member of Stargate Command to gain access to reports less public. After scrutinizing photographs for several days...and nights...Daniel had confirmed his initial impressions that the writing was Goa'uld in origin. Again Daniel found himself in the unique position of being the only living expert on Earth when it came to the language of Earth's greatest enemies, another fact that could never become generally known.
Jack had, quite surprisingly, supported Daniel's decision to come to Egypt; had initiated it in fact, by insisting to General Hammond that Daniel had to get a firsthand look at the writings. General Hammond hadn't so much as questioned Jack's request, personally seeing to the necessary arrangements, providing the necessary clearances and identities required to get Daniel into this elite gathering.
Daniel was still a little dazed by it all; it had taken some very upper-level maneuvering to get him here, and he couldn't entirely comprehend exactly how he had managed to earn such trust.
From his vantage point at the back of the group of stuffed shirts, Jack could make an educated guess concerning the thoughts behind his friend's expression. He knew Daniel well enough by now to know that he would probably never fully comprehend how valuable he was to SGC; it simply wasn't in the younger man's character to conceive of his multitude of talents and contributions, not to mention his intrinsic courage and commitment, as worthy of any extraordinary merit. Thanks to the denigration of his former peers, among other things, Jack knew that Daniel found it difficult to accept the admiration and respect of his new peers. Jack was more than a little relieved that, over time, and at least with them, Daniel had come out of that reticence to a very large extent.
Jack couldn't read his friend's expression as clearly as he would have liked, partly due to the beard Daniel had grown as part of this new persona provided by the CIA...along with the blessings of the real Cultural Attache to the Canadian government. Jack had teased the younger man mercilessly about the new look, but had to admit that with the shorter hair and the beard the man he'd traveled here with bore little resemblance to the shaggy, and hopelessly geeky, scientist he'd met nearly four years ago.
Daniel had grown, and Jack knew it wasn't just a matter of getting older. Life had taught his friend more than a few hard lessons, and Daniel was a very apt pupil. Jack knew that a lot of the credit for his team's strength rested on Daniel's shoulders; although Daniel, in his usual self-effacing way, would never fully grasp how vital his presence had become to the team. Jack remembered once referring to Daniel as the voice and conscience of SG1 and that hadn't changed, but the intervening years had brought with them the realization that Daniel was also the empathetic soul of their group; always taking that extra step, always offering the hand of friendship, always feeling the successes and the losses with such an unrestrained depth that Jack often wondered how Daniel could function so effectively and still maintain an even keel.
Watching Daniel as he listened intently to the posturing windbag who'd found the writing they'd come here to see--one of the two who could possibly recognize Daniel, Jack realized that even without the extra precautions these men would never see the long- haired theorist they'd laughed off the stage so long ago.
That man no longer existed.
Watching his former colleague at the makeshift podium, Daniel couldn't help but feel a twinge of impatience at the stodgy man's self-important speech. Association with a certain Air Force Colonel had rubbed off on Daniel to the extent that he found the academic blustering of his former peers designed more to foster that same self-importance than to advance knowledge. Association with SGC and all the wonders he'd encountered in his time there had taught Daniel that increasing knowledge was the only true motivation; something he'd always known, but had rarely been allowed to exercise in academia.
Finally, it seemed like the speaker was winding down and they would get their first look at the wall that contained the writing. Daniel felt rather than saw Jack fall into step beside him as they moved into the dig site. A portion of Daniel's brain randomly and automatically deciphered the purely Earth-bound hieroglyphs they passed; it had become second nature to Daniel to interpret things on the fly and he'd had more than a little practice at it. As the small group finally arrived at the central chamber, a sheet that had been dramatically draped over the opposite wall was dropped.
Daniel felt his jaw drop a little and was aware of Jack's eyes watching him behind the ever-present sunglasses. Long acquaintance with Jack's protective nature had taught Daniel to expect, and occasionally even welcome, the vigilance Jack extended toward those he considered his family--SG1. Although at times Daniel found this particular tendency to be a bit stifling, he had adjusted to it; coming to accept that he rather enjoyed the feeling of belonging. Daniel shook his head, acknowledging his friend's worried expression, but Daniel knew that this was neither the time nor the place for him to share with Jack the fact that they were all in very deep trouble.