Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone for kind comments and honest opinions.... Brenda, you are my angel on this one... *grin*
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).
Daniel was falling....
It was a sensation that was becoming irritatingly familiar. Memories flashed by at breakneck speed, clashing and intertwining into nightmare...
Daniel was assailed by waves of strong emotion as he passed by, falling ever downward into that dark prison of his soul; guilt, anger, hurt, betrayal...
All the large and terrifying nightmares of his life seemed to conspire against him, pulling him at him...
A part of Daniel was aware that there was something subtly different this time. He knew that his body was far weaker than it had been the first time, but it was something more than that. Perhaps he had been holding those walls in place too long, trying to protect his friends....
**His friends...what an amazing concept...except for his brief time on Abydos and the distant memory of belonging he'd had with his parents, Daniel had never known such acceptance...struggled daily to be worthy of their esteem...
The rock-solid presence was there now, chasing away the self-doubt. Daniel anchored himself to that discernable 'Jack-ness', holding to it as if it were his last hope...
It embarrassed him slightly to need that support; he'd felt so completely adrift lately...
A rueful 'laugh' echoed through the bond they had created, 'That's what friends do...'
Daniel was shocked to hear the open admission from Jack, for all they'd been through the words had never been said...had never needed to be....
Here, it seemed, all the barriers were down...and all the rules had gone out the window....
Daniel felt himself slipping away from Jack...only to feel himself supported by another steady strength. Teal'c? A feeling of calm touched Daniel's exhausted spirit...an affectionate respect for the non-warrior who nonetheless met conflict with courage and passion...
All too swiftly that presence slipped away. Daniel couldn't seem to keep his friends in focus...so tired...
A gentler touch grabbed onto him; holding him, keeping him from the darkness. Sam? Sam knew this pain...knew what it was to become lost in a flood of memory...
**He'd rejected her...feared her...feared for her...
The hard-edged sweetness that was Sam forgave him, had never blamed him. Understood...
Daniel felt a surge of strength. Jack again. Comfort flowed; a steady, surprisingly gentle strength....
A profound sadness swept over Daniel, a heart-stopping ache that never went away. Daniel 'shared' a surge of grief and regret for all that his steadfast friend had lost...opening himself to take some of that pain away....
With an amused exasperation that was all too familiar to them all, Jack reminded Daniel that he was the one they were 'here' to help, but Daniel would not, could not, bear to leave that pain unattended. Extending his heart and mind a little wider, Daniel accepted into himself as much of Jack's hurt as he could bear....
It was hard...
Daniel had shared this with Jack before, remembered the physical ache of it when he'd awakened after that first experience. He tried to take more, but Jack stopped him with a mental nudge; a reminder that time was short. A deeper, subtler contact spoke of respect and gratitude for Daniel's willingness to put others before himself...
Teal'c rejoined them then and together the team encircled Daniel's flagging spirit, guarding against any and all threats to their young friend.
Daniel felt as if he were at the center of a protective shield which met and deflected all it came into contact with; the team worked as it always had, each using their own unique abilities to confront and defeat anything that would threaten one of its members...
When the demons came, Nirrti's evil gift, they fought their way through them together, helping to keep Daniel grounded, not allowing him to sink back into the darkness...
Frightening images assailed them all; Nirrti's centuries long thirst for blood, for pain...
**Her plan to keep all her planets under watch, hoping to someday exact her revenge on the Tau'ri who had brought about her downfall...
**Planting the Kray'toc on the young human; knowing that he would be the one who would first figure out that this was her world...buying time to put a plan into place...
**Watching the two Tau'ri at the campsite...seeing the value these humans placed on friendship, forming a plan based on that weakness...
**Abducting the young one, playing with him, laying out her plan and watching his agony as he fought so futilely against the inevitable...
**Forcing him into her mind, enjoying his disgust; proud that he hated her darkness and allowing him to feel so much of it...
The team reeled under the weight of everything that Daniel had gone through at Nirrti's hands; taking the burden and sharing it, accepting it and making it their own. A lesson learned from Daniel, who had done it for them so many times....