Author's Notes: As always, I want to thank my beta readers for listening to me babble. Thank you ladies, your input and encouragement is forever invaluable. Also, thanks to those who read the stories and send comments. It's greatly appreciated!
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.
Daniel Jackson was finally alone, if only for a few minutes.
An airman stood outside the guest quarters waiting to escort Daniel to the debriefing with Jack O'Neill and the Air Force people. "They will all just have wait." Daniel muttered as he dropped to sit on the bed and leaned back against the wall.
The room looked more like a detention cell than guest quarters, but from what he remembered of his first visits, the Air Force didn't spend alot on amenities. Daniel preferred the house he shared with Sha're on Abydos.
Abydos. Sha're.
It didn't seem real. One moment he was with Sha're on Abydos. Happier than he had ever been in his life. The next moment it was all ripped away as though it had never existed and here he was back on Earth. Closing his eyes in the silence, the past year seemed more like a dream.
He looked down at himself and almost laughed. No, the past year was not a dream. He still wore the Abydonian robes that Sha're had made for him using techniques and designs that had not been used on Earth for thousands of years. Just that morning Sha're had repaired a rip in the material...
Daniel's breath caught. Just that morning. Barely a full day had passed since the arrival of Jack O'Neill and his team through the Stargate. Even less time since Ra had returned, taking Sha're away from him. His vision blurred as he again saw the faces of the dead and wounded people in the Gateroom. Just what the hell had he been thinking when he uncovered the Abydos Gate?
Four months back, he had finally figured out the symbols in the map room. Excitedly, he and Skaara argued to uncover the Stargate so they could try the addresses. The Gate had been quiet since O'Neill's return to Earth and Ra was destroyed, so what harm could there be?
"God, Jackson, you have so screwed up." Daniel moaned to himself. They had uncovered the Stargate only to find that the addresses no longer worked. Then three months later came the message from Jack in the form of a tissue box. Daniel had figured that someday, Jack's superiors would find out what had really happened. Sha're had been terrified that he would come and take Daniel away. In that, she had been right.
What had Jack said? "You're coming back with us this time, Daniel. I've got orders." So even if Ra had not come back, Daniel would probably have been forced to leave his home. His life would still have been ripped apart. "Only then it would have been by so-called friends instead of an unknown enemy," Daniel reflected bitterly.
Had Ra really come back? The Abydonians in the Gateroom thought so. If it was Ra, would they really be safe by burying the Stargate? A year ago Ra had come in a ship. But this time Ra used the Stargate to return and steal Sha're from him. That is, if it was really Ra. How could it be? Ra was dead. Then who had come through the Stargate? Where did they come from? Most important of all, where had Sha're been taken?
Sha're. The tears he had been holding back since saying good-bye on Abydos came as he thought of Sha're. Was she dead? What if the military refused to let him search for her? They controlled the Stargate and could deny him access to it. He had to be allowed to on the rescue team. Even if he wasn't allowed back to Abydos, he had to find Sha're and return her to her family. At least then he would know she was safe. But he couldn't imagine life now without his wife.
"You are in no position to demand anything, Dr. Jackson." General Hammond had told him angrily. "He's right you know." the voice in Daniel's mind taunted him. "This is all your fault. *You* removed the coverstone. *You* were not there to protect Sha're."
If not for his removing the coverstone, he and Sha're would still be safely on Abydos. He could hear her laughter as she teased him. He could feel her body pressed against his, the smell of her hair as it gently brushed his face, the taste of her lips. Daniel wrapped his arms around his knees and rested his head on his forearms as he sobbed quietly.
He tried to ignore the knock at the door. "Daniel?" Jack's voice broke through the dark thoughts. "Daniel. It's time for the debriefing."
The door opened and Jack O'Neill walked into the small room. Daniel didn't look up as Jack pulled a chair around and sat in it so that his arms rested on the back of the chair. "Daniel?" he said softly. "I'm sorry about Sha're. I'm sorry about what happened on Abydos. But now we have to work together to find both Sha're and Skaara."
"How? Did Ferretti see the symbols? Can we dial the same address?" Daniel looked up, wiping a hand across his face, hoping Jack didn't notice the tears and decided he didn't care. If Jack did notice, he didn't say anything.
"We think he did and if so, Captain Carter says she can dial the address given the information from the Abydos map room. It's our best chance at finding whoever did this." Jack stood up. "Come on, let's not keep the General waiting. You might want to change clothes." He smiled slightly, nodding at the military issue clothes setting on the bed.
Daniel pulled himself up. Jack was right, as he had been on Abydos. Working with the people here was his best chance of finding Sha're. He moved to pick up the clothes and looked up to see Jack watching him carefully.
"Daniel. We will find her. You can trust me on that. I can't promise that I can get you both back to Abydos, but we'll deal with that later. Just trust me, we will find them." With that, Jack turned and left the room quickly, leaving Daniel to stare after him.
He wanted to believe Jack. oh how he wanted to believe the older man. After all, Colonel Jack O'Neill had been the one to falsify the military reports and told everyone they had destroyed the Gate on Abydos. He had given Daniel and Sha're the year together. He didn't have to and had risked alot to do so. But he had and for that alone, Daniel wanted to trust him that they would find Sha're.
Sighing, he picked up the clothes and quickly changed out of the Abydonian clothes. He felt strange being dressed in Earth clothes again. He hoped it would only be temporary. Very temporary.
"Soon, my love." Daniel whispered as he headed for the door.