DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable 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 purposes 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. Not to be archived without permission of the author(s).
"I do not need a wheelchair." Daniel sat on the edge of the bed, arms crossed, his irritated frown adding years to his age.
Nurse Adams merely shook her head. "Hospital policy, Dr. Jackson. Ride or stay. Your choice."
"Oh for crying out loud, Daniel. Just get in. You can do all the walking you want to when we get to the warehouse."
His annoyance at the wheelchair gone, he slid quickly into its leather seat, pulled his feet onto the footrests, and commanded. "Move it, Jack!"
Jack shook his head as he kicked the locks loose and shoved on the handlebars, "Whatever. We're outta here."
"Where's Sam?"
"Not sure. Said she had some errands to run but that she'd meet us at the warehouse. Teal'c's already there, standing guard. Wouldn't want to be the thief who tried to get past him. And before you ask, it's about a twenty minute drive."
"Captain Benjamin?"
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
Simmons' brow was creased in confusion. "Sir, I just looked at the inventory list from the estate raid. I understand that there were some maps retrieved?"
"Yes?"
"Well, sir, I understand that no one has done anything with them. As far as finding the tomb, I mean."
Benjamin nodded. "That's correct, Lieutenant. They were useless. One map was a modern map of Egypt, with all the known tombs marked. The other was a map of the same area from ancient times. Of course, it doesn't even come close to matching the modern, satellite drawn one. Like I said. Useless."
"I'd like to look at the old one, sir. If I may."
"Waste of time, Lieutenant. Don't you already have an assignment?"
"Yes, sir. But maps are a hobby of mine and ..." Her words trailed off at the older officer's glare. "Right. Assignment. Yes, sir."
She started to walk away but was halted by Benjamin's sharp command. "Wait!" Turning she met his eye, wondering if she was in for a lecture on following orders. Instead, he frowned. "Why the interest in the old map? It's very distorted."
"Yes, sir, but the topography may give us some clues to the location on the satellite map."
"Topography?"
"Yes, sir. They may not have had satellites, sir, but they knew mountains when they saw them and they also knew how far it was from the mountains to the nearest water, possibly even to the sea. If it was drawn by traders or for that matter slavers. Anyone who would depend on a seaport to further their wealth."
The captain's eyes widened, then he smiled. "The map's in the vault. Consider it your new assignment."
Daniel stared blindly out the window as the city passed by. Every now and then he glanced over his shoulder, then looked back out the window.
"They're still there, Daniel."
The younger man's head shot around to face Jack, as he replied sheepishly. "I know, but I can't help being a little paranoid. Those journals have been in someone else's hands for years. I've only had them a few days, and I'm really afraid they're gonna disappear."
"They're not."
"Damn straight." Daniel looked thoughtful. "Any idea how that McIntosh person got assigned to the SGC? And what about Barkley? And the mystery man?"
"YES! I won the bet."
"What?"
"Sam bet you were asleep when Teal'c brought us up to date on the SGC fiasco, I said you were faking. She owes me fifty bucks."
"I thought it was twenty-five."
"Would've been if you hadn't picked up on the twenty-five."
"Dammit, Jack! Hang the bet ... what about the SGC problem? Two infiltrators?"
Jack's grin faded. "Yeah. Hammond is not happy. He's ordered a three month stoppage of transfers in or out. And all personnel who've come on board since McIntosh are having their records reviewed. The security team who did the initial approvals have been suspended from duty pending investigation of their loyalties." He deliberately ignored the query about the mystery man. He could think of no good reason to tell Daniel that the man had gone to ground. The NID had queries out, but the blue-eyed businessman wannabe had simply vanished.
"That may be too little, too late."
Jack shrugged. "Could be, but we're working on probably the most secret project since the bomb was developed during World War II. The infiltrations should never have occurred in the first place. Believe me when I say that some careers have been destroyed because of this mess." The car slid to a stop, and Jack put it in park. "We're here."
Daniel's eyes widened at the size of the warehouse. "Is all this..."
"No. There was a lot of stuff, but not that much. Come on." Jack climbed easily from the car and watched with concern as the young archaeologist stood stiffly.
Daniel had eyes only for the warehouse doors, and made a beeline in that direction. Teal'c stood at the entrance, watching with silent amusement as the younger man changed from 'Daniel Jackson, recently released from a bout with pneumonia' to 'Daniel Jackson, archaeologist on a mission'. "It is good to see you well, Daniel Jackson."
"Thanks, Teal'c. Through these doors?"
The Jaffa's lip curled slightly as he replied. "It is."
Jack clapped a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Let's go look at your artifacts, Danny-boy."
"Artifacts, Jack. Not ro.. Oh. You said artifacts."
Jack grinned broadly as he shoved the younger man through the open door. Teal'c followed, equally intent on watching Daniel's reactions. The colonel frowned as they got inside. "Carter's not back?"
"No, O'Neill. Major Carter has been delayed. She said not to start the party without her."
"Right."
Daniel was oblivious to the conversation around him. He'd homed in on a small statue of Ra, and was already waxing poetic about the writings on the pedestal. Putting it down carefully, he was then off like a shot to look at a scroll, carefully secured on a stand, obviously designed to hold it. From there, Jack felt he was watching a tennis match, as the young archaeologist bounced from item to item, often passing closer artifacts to review ones farther away, then returning to examine what he'd missed.
"Have I missed anything?" Sam's voice startled Jack out of his amused surveillance of the youngest member of the team.
"Nope. You got 'em?"
Grinning from ear to ear, she held up a carefully wrapped package. "Yes, sir. And it turned out much better than we'd hoped for."
"Terrific. Teal'c, would you care to reign in Mr. Impulsive and escort him to the back of the warehouse?"
"I will guide Daniel Jackson to the correct area, O'Neill."
Jack cocked his head, mildly confused. "No questions about the Mr. Impulsive comment?"
Teal'c's eyebrows arched high, and he nodded toward the effusive image of Daniel Jackson. "No."
It took longer than Jack had planned for Teal'c to retrieve Daniel. "Shoulda gone myself."
"Ya think?" Sam grinned at her frustrated CO.
"Funny, Carter. But--"
"Jack, you wouldn't believe the ... oh, hi Sam, when'd you get here?... There're three complete sets of funerary jars, and ... Oh!" Daniel's words stopped abruptly as he spotted the items behind the grinning SG-1 members. "This is, these are, I remember ... Oh, my." He moved forward and tentatively reached out to touch, as if he were afraid he was dreaming. "My mother's jewelry box, and the jewelry's still here." His eyes filled with tears as he touched each item. "And my father's portable desk."
He moved quickly to touch the smooth mahogany surface. "I never thought I'd see any of these things again. I was five. No one tells five-year-olds anything." His fingers found a latch and a 'secret' compartment sprang open. His brow furrowed in disappointment as he found it empty. "Oh. I'd hoped..."
"It was not empty, Daniel Jackson."
"Huh?"
Teal'c continued quietly. "The inner spaces of drawers did not match the outer dimensions. After much searching I was able to locate a concealed compartment."
"What..." Daniel cleared his throat. "What was in there?"
"Some old rolls of film." Jack replied quickly.
Daniel's disappointment was obvious. "Oh. Not much good after thirty years, I guess."
Sam smiled broadly. "Well, actually ... open it." She thrust the package toward him.
Daniel stared for a moment, the tore open the wrappings. Inside lay a photo album embossed with the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx and inside that was a wonderland of old photos. Some clear, some not, but all precious to Daniel.
"I took the undeveloped film over to the photo lab at NID headquarters, Daniel, and with their state of the art equipment, we were able to develop about ninety percent of the pictures at least to some degree."
"This is... this is... Oh my..." Daniel's voice choked up as he turned page after page of old photos. These were not the excavation and site photos he'd expected. These were family photos. Images of his parents, and of himself as a child, taken in the Middle East, somewhere. "I..I don't know what to say. Thanks just doesn't seem to be enough."
Teal'c summed up the feelings of the rest of the team. "Thanks is sufficient among friends, Daniel Jackson. You would have done the same for us."