Title: Alternate Reality: A HORROR STORY! 

Author: Debi C 

Feedback: dcole6@satx.rr.com 

Author Website: For Gen: http://www.crashtomcat.bravepages.com/debic/debicindex.html 

Rating: R, 3 jalapenos, and red violet light saber alert. 

Pairing: Jack and Daniel, Jack and Daniel. (Confused yet?) 

Category: Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, and pre-slash, Angst, Smarm. 

Status: finished 

Season/Spoilers: Season 5. Stargate (the movie), Hathor, Out Of Mind and Into The Fire. Also brief mentions of Fire and Water, Forever And A Day, The Light. 

Series: Guilty! Sequel to 1) Alternate Reality: A LOVE STORY and 2) Alternate Reality: A TRAGIC STORY. (you can find both of these at the slash website.) 

Archive: Alpha Gate, Area 52, TheBoy. The Cartouche, Anyone else please ask. 

Synopsis: Jack and Daniel take a wrong turn out of the Stargate and wind up on in an alternate SGC, but things aren't as similar, or as simple as one might think. 

Notes: Series originally inspired in part by the Stargate Novels of Devlin and Emmerich and a terrible imagination. But boy howdy, have things changed. Aided and a-beta'd by CelticAngel, Devra and Joag 

Warnings: Some bad language. VERY Intense situations, Violence, some off screen non-consensual sex and abuse. The boys are in deep dodo in this one, folks. 

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of The SciFi Channel, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I do not own the characters and indeed am only playing with them for a little while. The song, Love Is All is from the Columbia CD Marc Anthony, sung by the artist Marc Anthony and written by Annie Roman. I am not making any money from this and you can't get blood out of an artifact, so there's very little point in suing me. No copyright infringement whatsoever is intended. The story is for entertainment purposes only. At least I hope it's entertaining. The original characters, situations and story are mine. Please check with me first if you want to archive or link to this story.

Title: Alternate Reality: A HORROR STORY
Author: Debi C


Love Is All 
by Marc Anthony 

When you hold me like this
so many memories fill my eyes
the first time we kissed
the times we nearly said good-bye
but still here we are
tested and tried and still true
and stronger than we ever knew

Chorus:

Love is all
the laughter and the tears that fall
the mundane and the magical
love is all
all is love
the careless word, the healing touch
the getting and the giving of
all is love

there's a me you've always known
the me that's a stranger still
the you that feels like home
and the you that never will
but still here we lie
tender and trusting and true
with everything that we've been through

Repeat Chorus

All the glory
all the pain
all the passion
that turns to ashes
only to rise again

Chapter 1

In another universe, a tenth chevron was being activated. Security Forces double timed it into the Gateroom armed with M-16s and armor piercing bullets. Major General George Hammond strode to the observation area outside his office briefing room. Major Samantha Carter and Teal'c were right behind him. 

Master Sergeant Walter Davis had been monitoring the aberration in the dialing sequence and had closed the iris as per SOP. He glanced up at his commanding officer. "It's SG-1's code, Sir with two incoming travelers."

Hammond looked down at the computer technician and gave the order. "It's about damn time! Well, Sergeant, open the iris."

A brief heart beat later; two figures emerged from the wormhole. One was practically carrying the other down the ramp. As soon as he saw them, Hammond relaxed, recognizing the familiar shape of this second in command and their premier civilian consultant. 

"Welcome, home men...and where the hell have you two been?" Then George Hammond stopped. He reached for the microphone by his right hand and shouted into the device. "Medical Team to the Gateroom....ASAP!"

*******

The Stargate thunked and ground its chevron gyrations to completion. The familiar kawhoosh vomited itself into the embarkation chamber. After the matter flux wave settled itself, two figures emerged from the optical pool.

Daniel Jackson stepped closer to Jack O'Neill as the two travelers cleared the event horizon. The chamber was in darkness; there was no one in sight. "Jack?"

"Yeah, Danny, I know what you mean." The special ops trained Colonel flicked the safety catch off his P-90. "Stay behind me."

"But where is everyone?" Jackson had also drawn his 9-Millimeter pistol and made sure it was ready.

"I don't know, Toto, but I'm willing to bet that we're not in Kansas anymore." Jack quickly led his companion off the bare metal ramp and onto the concrete floor. From there, they headed to the questionable cover of some upright military lockers that were bolted along the wall. Once safely in the shadows, Daniel started examining the engraved labels that identified their contents. 

"Jack,"

"Yeah," O'Neill replied absentmindedly. He was trying to determine a risk assessment of their immediate circumstances. 

"Jack?"

"What?" He said impatiently.

"These labels...they're written in Goa'uld."

"What?"

They're written in Goa'uld, Jack."

"Oh, that can't be good."

Daniel looked at him. "Ya think?"

The heavy blast door began to open, the pneumatics squealing in protest as if they hadn't been properly serviced in a long while. Jack and Daniel huddled behind the locker trying to squeeze in behind it out of sight.

The familiar clanking of Jaffa armor preceded the column into the room. As the squad of familiar looking masks marched in, they got their initial look at the Goa'uld. Jack felt his heart twist in his chest. The host was a very familiar tall, slender, blond woman. She had shoulder length hair and was dressed in an ornate, metallic costume of a familiar blue that reminded him of a mission over four years ago. His first instinct was to jump out and mow her captors down. But, he held himself and Daniel tightly against the wall instead. 

Perhaps she heard them, or perhaps it was a Goa'uldish sixth sense, but as Samantha Carter turned to peer in their direction...her eyes flashed.

*******

When medical help arrived in the Gateroom, Doctor Fraiser was in the forefront. She knew that Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson were long overdue and presumed in trouble; but she had no idea what waited for her.

As she ran into the room, Janet could see the two men still on the metal grid ramp, surrounded by the fully armed Security Forces and Teal'c. Jackson was down, O'Neill bending solicitously over him. They were both out of uniform. The Colonel appeared to be wearing a suit of Jaffa armor. Daniel was naked from the waist up, wearing an Egyptian-style kilt. As she approached them, O'Neill raised his head to look at her. Her breath caught in her throat. He had a gold brand on his forehead.

Seeing her hesitance, O'Neill stood up and backed away. "Doctor Fraiser, thank God! You've got to help him...help Daniel. I'm afraid he's dying!"

Teal'c had his staff weapon trained on the doppelganger. As O'Neill backed away from the unconscious man, the big warrior nodded for her to go on.

As she knelt beside her patient, Janet noted the heavy kohl eyeliner, the ornate golden necklace and the shoulder-length, blond hair. These were quite obviously not the O'Neill and Jackson that they knew. She looked up at the familiar stranger. "What's wrong with him?"

O'Neill shook his head sadly. "Physical abuse, sexual abuse, drugs and sarcophagus addiction." He started to take a step towards his Daniel and the doctor.

Teal'c stepped forward interposing himself between O'Neill and Fraiser, placing his staff weapon against the older man's chest. "What false god do you serve?" He asked knowingly.

The man looked up at him sadly. "We serve the false Goddess Hathor. I am her First Prime,' he pointed to Daniel. "And he is her Beloved."

*******

Jack and Daniel scrunched farther back into the shadows hoping that this Sam, the Goa'uld, couldn't see them in the shadows.

She continued to peer suspiciously in their direction but finally turned and continued to the DHD that was centered in the room. A Jaffa stepped forward and entered the seven symbols. The Stargate reactivated and the wormhole formed. The Goa'uld that had been Samantha Carter, and her entourage entered the slipstream and were gone.

Jack and Daniel relaxed back against the wall. "What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know, Jack, but I'd say that we're in another alternate universe...again."

Jack looked at his friend in amazement. "Jeez Daniel, do ya think?"

"Well, Jack, I certainly hope so, I'd hate to think that this was ours."

"So what happened to the glowy Daniel fixing the Stargate?"

Daniel shook his head. "I don't know." He admitted. "Of course, if he is me, he can only do what he was told. I wouldn't have the first idea of how to fix the gate if it was malfunctioning. 
Even their Sam didn't know how."

O'Neill nodded. "Well, one of us better learn how, or we're screwed, big time."

*******

At the SGC, while Fraiser was testing and treating the Beloved Daniel, General Hammond was interrogating the First Prime of Hathor in his briefing room. Teal'c was in the room providing security and watching this Jack O'Neill with profound pity.

"So what you're saying is that Hathor came to your SGC and successfully took it over?"

"Yes, Sir," O'Neill replied steadily. "The women tried to fight back, but she won in the end. We men were all helpless against her. She made me and the rest of the men Jaffa, and put a larva in me as soon as she hatched her first clutch from her mating with Daniel. When it reached maturity, she implanted Carter and some of the other women...the ones who survived anyhow."

"And Doctor Jackson?"

"Well, the effect of her pheromones wore off after a year or so. Now, she's been keeping him drugged up. When he gets too out of control, she kills him then puts him into the sarcophagus." At Hammond's curious look, he explained further. "Whenever he gets a chance he tries to overthrow her or kill her. She's killed him four or five times now, puts him in that thing, and then he's pretty pliable for a while. He's addicted to it, but he keeps trying. Daniel can be pretty stubborn."

Hammond glanced at Teal'c for confirmation, the big man nodded knowingly. "She will keep him until he is no longer able to perform his function."

"I don't understand; why don't you lead a rebellion?" Hammond asked.

Jack looked over at Teal'c. "He understands. As long as I behave, I have some power. I've managed to save a few lives: Cassie, your granddaughters."

"My granddaughters?"

Jack nodded. "I couldn't stop Davis though. He's in charge of NID now. I think he killed Maybourne, but he brought Kinsey in, and blended him with a symbiote. He'll win the presidency next time. Then, we'll have a Goa'uld in the White House."

There was a tapping on the door. Doctor Fraiser entered at the General's call. "Sir, Daniel's awake. He's asking for the Colonel, well, for his Jack."

"How is he, Doctor?" Hammond looked at her questioningly.

She shook her head. "He's in pretty bad shape, Sir. He's acutely addicted to several drugs, not to mention the Sarcophagus. I'm keeping him sedated but he keeps fighting the tranquilizers."

"Sir, General Hammond, I've got to go to him." O'Neill looked pleadingly at him. "He doesn't know where he is. I pulled him out of that damned machine a little early so we could make our escape before Hathor knew what was going on. It was part of my duties as First Prime, to care for him. He...he trusts me to help him."

*******

After the group cleared out of the gate room, Jack and Daniel relaxed momentarily, looking at each other in the gloom of the unlit area.

Jack shook his head; "I don't get it...how could this have happened?"

"It almost happened to us, remember?" Daniel commented softly, "We've had several foothold incidents."

"Yeah, but we didn't lose the base to any of them..."

"Exactly, we didn't...but this SGC obviously did." Daniel spoke softly.

"So, what happened? Is this a new threat that we didn't face, or is it one we did, but lost in this reality?" Jack wondered aloud.

"Well, there was only one Goa'uld that actually got the upper hand in our SGC...and it wasn't by force of arms."

Jack nodded, "Hathor. She came very close even in our SGC."

"Yes, if it hadn't been for the women..." Daniel let the thought trail out.

"And the leader of our rescuers was..."

"Sam." He nodded his head towards the now quiescent Stargate. "Sam, who is now a Goa'uld." 

"So, if Hathor won the war and took over the SGC, where is she now?"

"Jack, I really don't care." The blue eyes turned to him. "My question is where are we? The us that belongs in this universe?"

*******

"Please, you've got to let me go to him." Jack looked pleadingly at General Hammond. "I'm the one that did this to him. I can't let him die alone."

Hammond looked over at the petite doctor. "Doctor Fraiser?"

"He is having a hard time, General." She nodded. "As I said, I've got him sedated but he keeps fighting through the meds. It certainly wouldn't hurt to have him there."

Hammond looked at Teal'c. "Please escort Colonel, er... Mister O'Neill to the infirmary, and stay with him."

The big man nodded solemnly, and motioned for Jack to lead the way. Doctor Fraiser fell in behind the two of them. As they passed through the hallways, Jack was very aware of the looks he was getting from this SGC's personnel. Some were seeing their worst nightmares in his very presence, others grimly remembering their past experience, and the new people looking only confused. He led the way unerringly into the clinic, passing by the nurse's station and on into the isolation ward. 

Teal's stopped at the doorway and put a hand out to halt Fraiser. "Let them be, Doctor. He will do him no harm."

"How do you know?" she asked looking up at his somber visage.

"It is O'Neill and Danieljackson after all Doctor Fraiser. That much did not change."

Jack quickly went to the bed where his friend lay, struggling against his addictions and the 
drugs. He was restrained by padded nylon straps to keep him from injuring himself. The older man came forward and grasped the younger man's hand in his own. "Danny, Danny, it's me Jack. I'm here, buddy. You're safe."

Daniel turned his head, seeking his friend. He was red faced and sweating profusely. "Jack? Jack, you're here?"

"Sure, Danny, I'm here, you're safe." O'Neil gently lay his other hand on his companion's forehead. 

"Never safe, not from her, you know that! Jack...please, do it now. I can't..."

O'Neill bent close over the younger man, so that he could be seen clearly. "Danny, we're safe. She's not here; she can't get to you now." He stroked the younger man's feverish face gently. "We're safe for now."

"Where? Jack, where can we be safe? She'll know, she'll find us." Daniel struggled against the restraints and tried to sit up in the bed, O'Neill held him down gently. 

"Daniel, you've got to trust me. I can't explain now, but I will, I promise."

Daniel allowed himself to be pushed back down. "Please, Jack. Please, you promised that you'd end it. I can't take anymore. I can't live like this and she won't let me die." The younger man was almost sobbing in his hysterics.

"I know, love, I know." Jack shook his head and slid his hands down the younger man's arms so that he held the two hands in his own. "I tried to get us away before. I remember, but she found us. But not this time, we're safe here now, for a little while at least. Rest, and grow strong for me, for us."

*******

"Well," Jack began, "we really need a better place to hide than here in plain sight."

"Where should we go?"

"Level twenty-six, that's all storage rooms. It should be the safest place to lay low." He glanced at Daniel, "unless you know of a better place."

"No," the younger man chewed on his bottom lip in thought. "though, I would like to try to get to my office sometime soon. There might be something there to explain all of this."

"Daniel, if it is Hathor, I can't see you having any time to keep a journal."

The younger man glared at him over his glasses. "But maybe from before -- something to tell us what happened here to change the outcome of it."

"Well, maybe later tonight...if they even care about night and day." Jack replied. "Come on, let's get undercover for now."

The halls of the SGC were dark and deserted at the lower levels and the two men made it safely to the twenty-sixth floor. Exploration showed that there were several storage units that were still in use as such and were unlocked. Jack selected the one furthest back from the main hall. They borrowed some linen from another of the rooms and decided to lay low until the skeleton evening shift came on duty, if there was such a thing in this nightmare they had stumbled into.

Finally, the lights appeared to dim throughout the halls of the SGC. Even here, it seemed, they were responsive to the call of night and day on the human body. They decided to hit Daniel's office first, to determine what they could about the present circumstances of this command and its personnel.

The trip was relatively easy; they only saw one group of Jaffa on the way and they easily avoided them. After the squad had passed by their hiding place, Jack and Daniel exchanged glances. They had recognized Master Sergeant Davis and several of his technicians. It seemed that whoever had taken over the SGC had used its personnel to build their army. Unable to discuss it, O'Neill wondered how much control over his people that the usurper had. And what of General Hammond? Had his commanding officer also been Jaffa-ed or was he dead. He shook his head and brought his thoughts back to the present. Daniel and he were in a bad situation, and if he didn't keep his wits about him they would be finding out just what the phrase a fate worse than death really meant. 

The young archaeologist was a few steps ahead of him when Jack heard the footsteps coming down the intersecting hall. He hurried his speed and managed to grab on to Daniel's collar. He snatched him back into the shadows and up against the wall, pressing them both flat with his body and slapping his hand across the other man's mouth to silence any surprise noises.

As they desperately tried to be one with the shadows, a large cadre of Jaffa led by Makepeace, the Marine Colonel, marched by. The Officer was wearing the armor that denoted him as First Prime. His squad was also made up of familiar faces, mostly those of other Marines. But in the center, in the position of power, was a small red haired woman. Jack looked over at Daniel. In the dimness of the light, he could see his friend's face go completely white as if someone had just punched him in the gut. 

After the squad had passed, and he was able to risk it, Jack removed his hand from his friend's mouth. "Daniel?" he murmured softly in the younger man's ear, "Daniel, are you all right?"

At first Daniel didn't react. Finally he spoke in a low flat voice. "Hathor, The Mistress of Heaven, The Lady of the Stars, The gold that is Hathor and The Golden One", the younger man murmured to himself, then he looked at Jack. "Hathor...Queen of the Gods. Jack, we are so fucked."

Chapter 2

Jack looked at Daniel steadily, trying to impart confidence that he himself didn't feel. "Calm down, Danny-boy. We beat her the first time; we'll do it again."

The younger man looked at him as if he had forgotten what color blue was. "No, Jack. We didn't beat her, Sam, and Janet and Teal'c beat her. We barely made it out alive." He shook his head. "I don't remember a lot, but what I do has colored my nightmares for years."

Jack remained pressed intimately alongside Daniel where they were against the wall. He cocked his head to one side and commented softly. "So, let's find out what happened to our heroes, shall we."

Jackson took a deep steadying breath, and nodded. "Okay," he tried a game grin and got a sorry smile. "On with the plan then..."

"Well, lets say at least, on to your office." Jack did manage the smirk successfully. "Only, this time, I'll lead. You stay right behind me."

For once Daniel didn't argue.

*******

Doctor Fraiser finally agreed to the presence of O'Neill in the clinic. It was the only way that Daniel seemed to rest quietly. The Doctor was trying to wean him off drug dependence and the results of being in a Goa'uld sarcophagus too many times. Luckily, the device had healed him of his primary drug addiction and his physical injuries. However, the mental stress was clearly visible in his night terrors and his extreme emotional dependence on the older man.

Teal'c remained with the two men as guard. This Jack O'Neill would not leave his Daniel and the younger man desperately needed the older man's support. Doctor Fraiser, while not enamored with the idea of the extra people cluttering up her clinic, was grateful of the security. Though in her heart she wasn't worried about the strange Jack O'Neill, her head told her to err to the side of caution with the man. He was not, after all, the same person that she knew. This man had seen things that she couldn't even begin to imagine. 

After several hours an evening shift Security Forces Sergeant came to replace Teal'c. By then, Jack had changed into a utility jumpsuit and was sound asleep on the neighboring bed. He too had needed some respite from his suffering, and though he refused a sedative; the man had gratefully accepted the offer of a place just to lie down.

The next morning, Sam Carter arrived and relieved the Security Forces Sergeant. She settled into the chair next to Daniel's bed and watched him sleep with concern. She could tell that he was Daniel Jackson but she could also see that this man was much different from her own Daniel. He looked much older, much more careworn and frail. She could only imagine what had been done to him in the clutches of Hathor. Sam had a need to touch, to comfort. It was nearly her undoing. As she leaned over the bed, hand extended, Daniel woke up. 

The blue eyes opened slowly at first, then he recognized her. His entire demeanor changed immediately to one of obvious fear. He violently moved to the far side of the bed, struggling against the restraints and the safety bars. If he had not been tied to the bed, she knew that he would have toppled out onto the floor.

She spoke softly to him, trying to reassure him. "Daniel, it's okay. It's only me, Sam."

Suddenly, Carter felt herself being lifted, spun around, and slammed up against the hard wall. Sam found herself looking up into the enraged eyes of Jack O'Neill, her arms pinned above her head and his knee jammed between her legs. "Don't you ever touch him!" A voice rasped in her ear, 

She fought to keep the tremor out of her voice. "Please, Sir, let me go." She said steadily, her voice belying her fear. "Colonel, you know I would never hurt him."

The anger slowly cleared from the brown eyes and as he released her, they both heard the metallic sound of the bolt being released on an M-16 rifle. A male voice spoke in a loud clear command voice. "Stand down!"

O'Neill let her go carefully and turned slowly around to face a very large SF Sergeant holding the rifle. Its muzzle was only a few inches from his face. 

"Step back over here, Colonel." The man indicated the direction with a jerk of his head. "Now, and no quick moves either."

"Sergeant, it's all right." Carter spoke softly. "It was my fault. You can put your weapon down."

"No, Ma'am. Begging your pardon, but I can't." The man guided O'Neill backward with the barrel of his rifle. "He may not be our O'Neill, but he is an O'Neill, and that makes him a very dangerous man."

Jack had backed into Daniel's bed; he could feel the frame jerking against him as the younger man still tried to free himself from his restraints. He knew he had to calm the younger man down or he'd lose him to madness again. "Sergeant, I don't know you, but you obviously know me. I'm going to turn around to help my friend. I'm sorry about scaring the Major, but I had to get her away from Daniel."

"What the hell is going on in here, Sergeant?" General Hammond's voice demanded from behind the soldier. He, Teal'c and Doctor Fraiser were standing in the rooms doorway. They had come to check on their guests and found the drama being played out before them.

The man didn't waiver with his gaze or his rifle, but he did answer his Commanding Officer. "Sir, I'd been sent down here to relieve the previous shift. When I arrived, the airman was gone and this man had Major Carter up against the wall with hostile intent. I took what action I deemed necessary."

"Very well, Sergeant. You may disengage now, but stand ready."

The SF lowered his weapon and stepped back. As he did so, O'Neill turned and leaned over the bed, talking softly to Daniel trying to calm his panic. He slowly placed his hand on Daniel's arm that was closest to him. In a few moments, the younger man had recognized his companion and slid closer to him. O'Neill put his hands on the frightened man, working around the bindings and murmuring calmingly to him. Daniel lay back on the bed and finally relaxed. Teal'c moved in and stood next to the pair. General Hammond motioned Carter to his side, out of immediate danger of being attacked again.

Doctor Fraiser went to the other side of the bed and tried to calm Daniel as he tried to get closer to his protector. As she reached to touch him, Daniel shifted again, moving farther away from her hands. "Daniel, it's me, Janet. I'm not going to hurt you."

But Daniel only had eyes for Jack. He watched fearfully as Teal'c reached for his friend to move the older man away from him and against the wall where he had slammed Carter. Daniel pulled against the bed's restraints. "No, don't hurt him." Daniel managed to moan out. "Please, don't hurt him. It was my fault;" he looked over at Hammond. "Don't hurt him..."

The General moved smoothly over to the frightened man and slowly gently grasped his hand. "I won't let anyone hurt him, son, just calm down. But I can't let him hurt anyone else. Do you understand?"

Jackson nodded, taking a quavering breath. "He was protecting me. I woke up and I saw her bending over me. I was afraid. He was just.... after the last time, he..."

As he was talking, Fraiser touched him on the arm and Daniel jumped again. He stared at her small strong hand as it encircled his wrist to check his pulse. She continued on with a deft, gentle exam, noting the abrasions on his wrists from the restraints. "What happened last time, Daniel?" She asked him softly, as a way to keep his attention.

"Hathor was displeased with me, so she sent her to punish me."

"She sent Major Carter?" 

"No, not Major Carter, Sam's gone. She's only the host." He shook his head, as if trying to clear it. " Hathor sent her daughter, Harsomtus, to punish me." He looked fearfully at Carter as she stood beside Hammond. The General prevented her from getting closer to Daniel. "She...she used the ribbon device on me, Jack tried to stop her...so she killed him instead." He turned to gaze at the man standing against the wall. "But, she knew then, and she...she told Hathor..."

Hammond made no move to come closer, but his voice carried concern and caring. "What did she tell Hathor, Son?"

"That I care about Jack...more than we're supposed to, more than we should," Daniel looked down to the bed. "She started using us against each other, so that we would do what she said." He sighed, then lay back on the pillow. "I love him...and I'm the reason he stays."

*******

Jack and Daniel had finally made it safely to Daniel's office. It had obviously not been used in quite a while. Dust lay heavily on the desk and the shelves filled with the valuable books and artifacts. Daniel grimaced as he pulled down several leather bound journals. "Well, it looks like you're right, Jack. Nobody has been doing anything here for some time."

O'Neill nodded unhappily as he picked up a ceramic bowl and blew the dust off of it. He'd been afraid of this. If Daniel, any Daniel, let his collection get this neglected, it could only mean that he'd been prevented from caring for it. He looked at his friend, watching him as he moved around the desk and sat down on the stool.

Daniel leafed through one of the books then paused. "This seems to be the last entry here, Jack." The agile fingers traced down the lined page. He began to read. "Hathor is very jealous of my time. She doesn't want me to come here anymore. She says she can tell me everything I need to know about the Goa'uld dynasties of ancient Egypt. How Ra and she conquered and then ruled the Taur'i and made them great." He made a face at the thought. "She doesn't understand that I want to know more about them, not to worship them, but to find a weakness to use against them."

"Jeez, Daniel. Why didn't he just announce this to her. Hey, Hathor, how do we kick your ass?"

"Well..." the scholar smiled up at him. "It's written in old English. It's a fair bet to think that she couldn't read it."

Jack made an Ahh face and nodded. Daniel lay the journal down and picked up a green military issue ledger. "Jack, look at this. What do you think?"

"Hum," He took the volume and thumbed it open. "It's my writing, but it's in code. I guess I didn't trust it to not get found either."

"Wonder why it's in here?" Daniel murmured absentmindedly as he looked over Jack's shoulder.

"Probably cause no one came here...after...she found out about Daniel."

"Found out?"

"Yeah, about his plotting to overthrow her." Jack continued to scan the pages. There was a lot more here than he wanted to read aloud.

"Does it say if she ever found out about them?"

"Them? Them who?" He looked up at the other man.

Daniel looked at him almost shyly. "About their relationship?"

Well, so much for that little secret. "Yeah, she found out. She was pretty upset." 

"What happened?" 

"According to his log here, it was several weeks before he got back to the journal entries. It says... "I was called into the queen's chamber. There she had Daniel under her hand device. She was killing him again, and I couldn't stand it. I could smell his flesh burning. I tried to talk her out of it, but she only turned the damned thing on me. It hurt like a son of a bitch, but there wasn't anything I could do. The last thing I saw was Daniel trying to grab her hand." Jack glanced up at Daniel, then continued reading. "I woke up in the sarcophagus. I guess she killed me instead this time. I was surprised that she didn't leave me dead, but later I found out why. I am now her key to Daniel. She threatens me; he does what she wants. I don't think she even really cares about us anymore. We're just tools to be used against each other now. She threatens Daniel, I do her dirty work; she threatens me..." Jack paused and took a deep breath, " he mates with her. When we don't serve her well enough or long enough she punishes or kills one of us. After we perform to her standards, she puts us in that damned, fucking box." Jack closed the book but recited the rest. "I'm damned and Daniel, Daniel is just fucked." He shook his head and looked at the younger man.

Daniel averted his eyes, but Jack caught the gleam of moisture on his cheek. He put down the book and wrapped the younger man in his arms in a hug.

Daniel murmured into Jack's neck. "What are we going to do?"

"We'll think of something, Danny." He felt the other man's arms wrap around his waist, "We've got to."

*******

After much discussion, General Hammond, Doctor Fraiser, and Teal'c agreed that O'Neill and Jackson should not be separated after all. The younger man needed him as a lifeline in his struggle to successfully fight off his malady. They were moved to the isolation/observation ward where they could be secured and guarded. It was not a perfect solution, but after O'Neill's performance in the clinic, they could not be left in such an open area.

O'Neill knew that what privacy they had been allowed earlier was now forfeit, but it was made up for by more freedom of movement and lack of direct supervision. In other words, they would be left free but watched. When Doctor Fraiser entered to treat or check on Daniel, Jack had to clear the immediate area. More often than not he was herded to a corner by Teal'c. The SGC's resident Jaffa was the only one who could possibly stop him from doing whatever he wanted to anyone who entered their room.

It also meant that Jack was also left to do most of the support work for Daniel. But as he'd been responsible for the man's care for several years, it didn't bother him in the least. Two hospital beds were brought in and pushed close together. Daniel was dozing fitfully, and Jack settled himself cross-legged on the other. He hadn't been able to Kel-nor-reem successfully since their arrival in this new universe and he needed to. His symbiote was demanding his attention. 

He wondered if the larva Goa'uld could sense how much he hated it. That he hated the very idea that his continued existence depended upon the snake in his pouch. Jack kept trying to tell himself that there was a little of Daniel in it...that it couldn't be all bad. He had heard rumors of a group of Goa'uld that were against the typical system lord behavior. They called themselves the Tok'ra, or Against Ra. Maybe they could find them when they got back to their own universe...if they got back. 

After several hours of meditation, Daniel's movements disturbed him. The younger man was struggling in his sleep, fighting against someone. Jack was sure it was Hathor, no mystery there. Though she had managed to beat the man into submission, Daniel was far from broken. He hated her with a single-minded fury. She had not only destroyed the SGC and the lives of everyone there, but the bitch goddess had also flaunted her power to Apophis and Ammonet, displaying Daniel as her personal plaything. The fact that Daniel's wife was privy to his degradation was no small issue to him. Hathor had to kill him that night, to keep him from murdering her in their bed. It had been the first time she'd gone that far and had shown her a way to keep Daniel weak and compliant.

It had also been the first time that Jack had realized how much he cared about his friend, how important Daniel's survival was to him. After she had killed him, Hathor had commanded her First Prime to see to his friend. When he had to carry the younger man's broken, bloodied body to the sarcophagus, it had nearly destroyed him. And when Daniel had awakened, dazed and disoriented, Jack had cared for him, helping him to recover mentally and emotionally. Their feelings of friendship had begun to deepen into affection, and then later, into the intense emotions of love and intimacy. 

He got down from his bed and crossed over to where the younger man lay, struggling with his nightmares. He gently put a hand on the feverish brow, and spoke softly. "Daniel...Danny, wake up, love." He stroked the overheated face, trying to wake him from his torment. "Danny, we're safe. Remember? We went through the Stargate." 

A disembodied voice came through the loudspeaker. It was Doctor Fraiser. "Good morning, Mister O'Neill. How are you two doing?"

Jack turned and looked up at the viewing window. She and Teal'c were looking down at them. "He's getting worse, Doctor. I can't wake him up."

"Actually, Mister O'Neill, I expected this. His body has to readjust itself. There's nothing I can do to help him." 

Jack looked up at her in frustration. "Are you sure?"

Janet felt for the man. "Yes, Sir. I am. We went through this with our own Daniel. He was addicted to a sarcophagus also. It changes the body at the cellular structure. Either his body can adjust back to normal or not. All I could do is give him more drugs, and that's contraindicated." She thought for a moment, turned spoke to Teal'c then keyed the mike again. "I'll come down and do a quick exam. I do want to take every precaution."

O'Neill had to nod. He understood, he just didn't like it. "Thank you, Doctor. He's just suffered so much...it's hard to see any more."

Teal'c and the Doctor entered the room; the big man then escorted O'Neill to the far corner of the room away from the Doctor and her patient.

As the two Jaffa watched Doctor Fraiser perform her tests, Teal'c spoke softly to Jack. "Danieljackson is strong, O'Neill. He will persevere."

"I hope you're right, Teal'c." Jack shook his head sadly. "Hathor's really done a number on him."

*******

Daniel was back in their hidey-hole looking through the journals, trying to find something to key on that would assist them in getting back to their own universe. The problem was the Daniel Jackson who belonged here wasn't making a whole lot of sense in these last entries. He was sure that it was the result of the abuse, addiction. Finally, it appeared the man had simply lost touch with reality for periods of time. Taking into account his own trips into nutzo-land, as Jack had once referred to it, it wasn't a total surprise to him. Part of the reason he stayed as grounded as he did was due to the close relationship he shared with his teammates; Jack the realist, Sam the pragmatist, and Teal'c the steadfast. Without their support and thrown into this world of nightmares come to life, he couldn't blame his alter ego for losing his mind and his grasp on what was happening around him. What he mainly discovered was that this Daniel was used mercilessly as a breeding animal. Whatever had attracted Hathor originally had maintained its appeal apparently even after he had started his lapses. Luckily, Daniel wasn't sure of the mating habits of a Goa'uld Queen anymore. His own memories of his experience with Hathor were thankfully long buried in that part of his subconscious that allowed him to forget the entire horrible incident.

Then he heard a noise outside the supply room door. Daniel ducked behind some boxes that they'd left in place to serve as cover. As he crouched in the small space, he could hear several voices as they moved containers to get to the items they required. Daniel held his breath, hoping that he hadn't left anything suspicious out.

It appeared as if he would pass unnoticed until a worker spotted something out of place and a comment was made to a senior guard. He heard more voices, then an exclamation. Their makeshift camp had been discovered.

Daniel looked around, seeking an escaper route, but the room had only the one doorway. He was effectively as trapped as any rat could be.

As the Jaffa began to search the area, Daniel grabbed his notes and folded them into a flat rectangle. He pulled off his left boot, slid the paper under the innersole and then pulled the footwear back on. He hurriedly laced it up again to be finished just in time for the large box he was hiding behind to get tossed sideways revealing him. Two Jaffas grabbed him unceremoniously and drug him forward towards their leader. Daniel looked up into the face of Lou Ferretti.

"Hello, Daniel." The officer said to him sadly. "I had hoped you'd been smart enough to get out of here by now."

"Lou?" He said, surprised by the unhappiness evident in the man who stood sadly looking at him.

"I thought for sure that O'Neill had taken you and run for it." Lou frowned, shaking his head. "When Hathor found out about you two and then killed you again...."

"Lou," Daniel protested. "I'm not who you think I am."

"Sure, Daniel, I don't blame you. I wouldn't want to be who you are either, but our Queen wants you...and O'Neill. Now, because I've found you, Hammond, Fraiser and Teal'c will live a little longer."

"Well, I guess that's a good thing," he commented cautiously.

"It's good for them." The Jaffa officer shook his head sadly. "But not too good for you." Ferretti looked around, "Where is O'Neill?"

"I don't know," he admitted. It was the truth. "He left me here. He never came back."

"How long ago?"

"A week."

"Now, Daniel, you're either confused again or you're lying," Lou said in a calm cajoling voice. "You've only been missing for two days. You were in the sarcophagus until last Tuesday, then O'Neill took you out too early, and the two of you disappeared. Hathor was furious." He looked at the younger man sadly. "Are you sure you don't know where he is? It would go a lot easier on you if you told me. That way I could use it to help your position."

"How's that?" Daniel asked suspiciously.

"I could tell her that your lover betrayed you, and you've learned how good your position is as her Beloved." Lou looked at him hopefully. "We both know it's a lie, but it might keep you alive a little longer this time."

"Lou, listen carefully to me." Daniel decided to try the truth. "I'm not your Daniel Jackson. I'm from an alternate universe. I'm here accidentally. I'm just trying to get home. I'm not her Beloved. She'll know, she'll think you're trying to trick her." He looked pleadingly at Ferretti. "Lou, you've go to believe me...please."

Ferretti only shook his head. "Sorry, Daniel...nice try, but it just won't work."

As Ferretti turned his back on him to lead the squad out of the supply closet, Daniel jerked away from the two men who held him. Once free, he made a dash past the ex-Major and tried to slip through the open door. He knew that even if they shot him in the back and killed him, it would be a better alternative to being taken before Hathor.

Daniel had almost made it to the opening, but the zat blast hit him and he fell, striking his head on the doorframe. His last conscious thought was that Jack was going to be very pissed.

*******

O'Neill was headed back to their hiding place on the twenty-sixth floor when he once again heard the sounds of marching through the halls of the SGC. He had left his Daniel studying this Daniel's Journals, looking for some hint of how this happened, how to fix it, but most importantly how to get back home. He had gone scrounging, looking for some things that his friend had said he needed. The list had included a laptop, floppy discs, a notebook, or journal, a pen or pencil and anything caffeinated or chocolate. He'd been only partially successful this time: no laptop, coffee, or chocolate. Just some pads, pencils and energy bars. He knew this would not do for long. 

Upon hearing the tread of marching feet, Jack ducked back into a niche that was surrounded by equipment lockers. He couldn't afford to get caught; besides his own fate and that of Daniel, they had the future of this universe hanging in the balance. 

As he watched the Jaffa phalanx march by, O'Neill tried to determine who was making up the opposition and serving as Hathor's goons. When he saw Lou Ferretti at the head of the column, he cringed. The one man who knew what he was capable of was Lou. Anyone else he had a chance of surprising and getting the upper hand on, but not his old team member. The man knew him too well from their working together for all these years. 

Jack recognized most of the other men as part of the Security Forces and Marine detachment assigned to the SGC. He also noted that the squad's ranks were slightly out of alignment and that puzzled him until he saw the reason. Several of the Jaffa were dragging a limp body along between them. The man was being supported by his upper arms, head lolling forward limply and bleeding from a vicious gash on the scalp. It was Daniel.

Chapter 3

He was on a picnic with Sara and Charlie. It was a bright warm, sunny summer day and they had settled under a large shade tree. He and his son were playing catch with a baseball. His wife was setting out the paper plates when she suddenly started to scream. 

O'Neill snapped up to a sitting position in his hospital bed. He had dreamt of screaming because someone was screaming. Daniel was in the throes of a nightmare and was fighting to get out of it. Jack slipped out of his bed and managed to wrap his arms around the other man. He started crooning comfortingly to Daniel; nonsense words and phrases, it didn't matter. Just the sound of his voice did it sometimes. The words didn't have to make any sense, just let Daniel know he was here. As the younger man began to settle, Jack eased into the bed with him, holding him up against his chest and rocking him like he had done for Charlie so many years before. Daniel tucked his head under Jack's chin and finally rested there, feeling safe in the arms of his lover.

After Daniel had quieted, O'Neill looked up at the viewing window. Teal'c was standing there watching them. 

Satisfied the crisis had passed; the big man keyed the microphone. "Do you need any assistance, O'Neill?"

Jack shook his head, stroking the younger man's long hair. "No, thanks, Teal'c. We've just got to ride this out, I guess. Your Doctor Fraiser says she can't do much for him now." He kissed Daniel on the forehead, trying to keep him calm in his dreams. 

"Yes, his addiction is very bad but the drugs could cause more complications." Teal'c agreed. "But, it is difficult to witness so much suffering in one that you care about."

"Yeah, especially now." Jack looked up at him questioningly. "You understand, about us?"

"Indeed, O'Neill, I do. There is no reason for you to restrain yourself in front of me. You should do what is necessary to keep him comfortable."

"I don't want to cause any problems for your Jack and Daniel...when they return." Jack looked down at the man sleeping in his arms. "I didn't realize that I'd put anyone else at risk by using the device on the Stargate, but I had to get him out of there. She was getting more and more vicious with him." He looked grim. "Our goddess," he spate the name out, " enjoys watching his suffering." 

"What occurred with Major Carter in your reality to make him respond so violently to her in ours?" 

"Carter was snaked about a year ago, and Hathor has used her to punish Daniel several times now. It makes it that much worse for him. He really cared for Carter, like the sister he never had." O'Neill shook his head, "It hurts him so much, like when she uses him in front of Apophis and Ammonet...and now me." 

"The false goddess was always known to be cruel." Teal'c acknowledged.

Daniel shifted in Jack's arms. "Easy, Danny. I've got you, we're safe." Jack cuddled him close to his chest. "Sleep now."

Teal'c bowed his head. "You should rest with him if you can. I will disturb you no more."

Jack nodded back. "Thank you, my friend." He lay down on the single bed, pulling his Daniel closer, then tilted the relaxed face up to him and kissed him chastely on the lips. "I love you, Danny. Don't worry, you're safe with me." The younger man sighed in his sleep. Jack kissed him gently again and then he relaxed and closed his own eyes for some much needed rest.

*******

Jack was following the group of Jaffa as closely as he dared. He wasn't sure where there were taking Daniel, but he didn't want to lose track of him. If he lost his friend, he wasn't sure that he could find him again.

The Jaffa, led by Ferretti, were headed towards the SGC's brig. O'Neill couldn't quite figure out why. It didn't seem to be a place to take one's Queen's Beloved. He had expected it to be the VIP quarters or the Command Section. This wasn't a good thing; it would be harder for him to get to Daniel there.

Finally, the Jaffa reached their destination, the security block. Jack ducked into the shadows and tried to become one with the wall. The group entered the cell area, and he lost sight of them and Daniel. He heard some voices but couldn't make out any words. Then he heard the metallic clang of metal doors hitting metal frames. As he peeked around a corner, he had to pull back quickly to avoid being seen by the squad as they marched out again, sans Daniel and Jaffa Ferretti.

After the group had left the area, Jack pulled his boot knife out of its sheath and carefully left the darkened corner he had taken shelter in. Moving silently to the doorway, he looked into the cellblock. There were four security cells at the SGC, which were normally used only during times of crisis such as when Carter had been snaked by Jolinar. Now, however there seemed to be several people incarcerated.

Ferretti stood outside one of the locked cells, watching the people inside. He saw Daniel, still unconscious, and Janet Fraiser who was bending over him, examining his injury.

"Well, Doc, what do you think?"

The brunette doctor turned to glare at the Jaffa. "I think that this man has been abused...again! Ferretti, how long do you think he can stand this? He's already addicted to the sarcophagus. If your Goddess keeps this up, all she's going to have left to service her is a broken shell!"

"Look, Doc, begging your pardon...but you haven't answered my question yet. Is that our Daniel Jackson?" He questioned insistently.

"Well, of course it is!" She replied in a furious tone. "Who else could it be?"

"I don't know, Doc." Ferretti replied sadly. "He said he was with someone else. I was just hoping..."

"As many times as he's been murdered then reanimated, I'm surprised that he even knows he IS Daniel Jackson." She shook her head in disgust. "And you claim to be his friend! You disgust me, Louis Ferretti." She spat out the name. "You and Jack O'Neill both."

"Well, we haven't found O'Neill yet, so I guess I'll be disgusting all by myself." He sighed and turned to go. "Just take care of him, okay Doc?"

The petite physician just glowered at him.

As Lou walked out the door, a strong arm wrapped itself around his throat and the point of a very sharp knife dug into the tender skin under his jaw. A familiar voice rasped out into his ear. "Don't make a sound, Ferretti. Or I swear I'll gut you like a fish! Do you understand?"

Lou nodded. He knew that voice and had no doubt of its veracity. "Jack?"

O'Neill relieved him of his Zat gun and guided him back into the cell area. He took Ferretti back to the cubicle that held Doctor Fraiser and Daniel. His friend was still unconscious on the cot in the back of the barred room; the woman was bending over him with a cloth, cleaning Daniel's head wound.

Jack shoved Ferretti up against the bars and spoke to her. "Doc, Janet...."

She turned around from her patient, and glared at him. "Oh, I was wondering when you would show up." She said coldly. "What have you done to this poor man now?"

Jack was confused, "What have I...You don't think I hurt him do you?" At her hostile look, he could tell that was exactly what she thought had happened.

"Look, Doc, I'm not your Jack O'Neill! I'm from another universe!" The woman continued to look at him coldly. "Look at me, damn it! I'm not a Jaffa! And I don't know what your Jack O'Neill is like, but I would never hurt my Daniel."

Fraiser left the bedside and crossed over to the cell door to look more closely at him. "You're from a what?"

"An alternate universe. I...we don't belong here. See...no tattoo." He gestured towards the unconscious man lying on the bunk. "I'm not a Jaffa, and he sure as hell isn't her Beloved." 

O'Neill started to search the helpless Ferretti, threatening him with his own zat gun, and finally producing the security key card. He swiped it through the electronic pad and opened the door to the cell.

The doctor was frankly staring at O'Neill. "Where did you come from?"

"I told you, Doc. We're from an alternate reality, a different universe entirely. Somehow we came through the wrong Stargate and wound up here." He glanced around, "who else is in here with you?"

"Well," she replied, still astounded at his revelation. "There's General Hammond and Teal'c of course."

"Teal'c is here?" 

"I am here, O'Neill," a deep familiar voice spoke from the darkened cell next to the doctor's. The big man came to the metal door and gripped the bars. 

"Teal'c, buddy." Jack glanced over in his direction. "Glad to see you're still around. Are you okay?"

"I am intact, O'Neill. I had grown concerned for you when Ferretti brought in Danieljackson. I feared you dead."

"Well, I can't answer for my double, but I'm still going strong."

The Jaffa looked at him curiously. "You say you are not our O'Neill. I do not understand what has happened."

"Look, I'm not totally sure I do either." O'Neill swiped the card through the sensor pad and opened the door to Teal'c's cell, letting the big man out. "All I know is that we keep going through the Stargate, and we keep winding up in the wrong damned place...and I gotta tell you, T, this is the wrongest one we've been in so far." He shoved Ferretti into the cell and slammed the door shut. "We need your help."

"So it would seem, O'Neill." Teal'c examined the man in front of him carefully. There was no gold filled tattoo on his forehead. Unconsciously his gaze drifted to the man's abdomen. 

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Jack looked at him in frustration. "Here!" He pulled his BDU shirt and black t-shirt out of his pants revealing a flat, unmarked stomach. "There! Is this proof enough? I do not have a snake in my belly. And how is Junior anyway?"

The Jaffa gave him a small sad smile. "My symbiote is fine, O'Neill. And I am happy to see that your account is fact. The implantation of your prim'ta was always a great annoyance to you."

"It was when it happened to me five years ago too, but thank goodness our women beat the snake and put me in a sarcophagus right away. I never carried one of the little bastards." He looked up at Teal'c. "No offense." He dropped his shirt.

"None taken." He looked at his old commander curiously. "But if you are not our O'Neill, what has happened to Danieljackson?" 

Jack gestured at Ferretti who had turned around and was looking at them through the bars. "He did."

*******

Daniel slowly came awake. He was lying on a comfortable bed secure and safe in Jack's arms. As he moved slightly, his protector opened his eyes to gaze fondly down at him.

"Hi there, you're awake." 

He nodded, confused at his surroundings. "Jack?"

"Yes, love?"

"Where are we?" He lifted his head to look around the strange room.

"We're safe, Danny. Just relax. You've been really sick. Scared me pretty good."

He could only nod sleepily. "What happened?"

"Just a minute," Jack loosened his hold on the other man for a moment to reach for something on the side of the bed. "Okay...look you're gonna be a little surprised, I think. Just bear with me here." At Daniel's nod the older man continued. "You're gonna see some things that might scare you, but I promise, nobody is gonna hurt you ever again. You've just got to trust me...okay?"

Mystified, he nodded. What did Jack have to say? Then he heard the sound of a door opening and closing. Jack shushed him again, and he lay back, relying on Jack to know what was going on and to keep him safe.

Doctor Fraiser came to the side of the bed that contained them both. Teal'c was right beside her in a protective stance. "Good morning, Jack, Daniel." Daniel jerked in surprise, almost dislodging himself from his partner's hold.

The calm voice spoke quietly in his ear, "Easy, I told you that you'd be surprised." He turned to look at his partner. Jack was smiling. "We're in a different reality, Danny. Carter's little device did it. It worked."

Daniel felt as if he were dreaming. "A different what?"

"We're in a different reality, an alternate universe, through the looking glass...like Alice." He stroked the younger man's face. "This last time, she made me take you to the sarcophagus; I couldn't take it anymore, Danny. Seeing her hurt you, over and over, making you suffer, making me watch...I had an idea. I went to Harsomtus's workroom and took the device. Siler agreed to help me, so we went to the Stargate and plugged it in. While he was finishing it, I went back, took you out of the sarcophagus early, and carried you to the Gateroom. Then, he and I managed to activate the thing, and I took us through it." Jack smiled down at the man in his arms. "I didn't know whether it would work or kill us, but I knew we had to get away...before she destroyed you."

"And we came here?"

"Yeah, we wound up in another SGC, but here, Danny, here they beat Hathor. She's dead and everything is the way it's supposed to be."

"No Hathor?"

"No, love, no Hathor, no Jaffa, no torture, and no pain." Jack turned so that they faced each other. "Only us, and safety, for now."

The blue eyes looked up trustingly at him and smiled. Jack thought his heart would explode in his chest. "God, Danny, I love you so much."

"Colonel, ah...Jack." Doctor Fraiser was waiting with medical business on her mind. 

He nodded and slipped out of the bed. Daniel never took his eyes off of him.

*******

Daniel slowly came awake. He was lying on an uncomfortable bed, and his head hurt abominably. He stared up at the ceiling, trying to place his location, and then he heard Jack's voice talking to someone. He tried to sit up but couldn't manage it quite yet. He grunted and put his hand to his forehead. It came away sticky with his own blood.

Jack appeared by his side, offering a supportive hand to him. "Danny? Are you okay?" 

"Head hurts, Jack. What happened?"

"Jaffa Ferretti and his goons found you in our hide out." Jack grimaced, "Thumped you and brought you here. I guess the good news is that we found Teal'c and Fraiser, and they're still good guys, though they're not too sure about me."

"Janet?"

"Yes, Daniel, I'm here. How do you feel?" Suddenly the Doctor was there, pushing Jack back out of her way.

"Head hurts." He replied as she tilted his head up to look at him.

"I'm not surprised." The Doctor replied dryly. "You probably have a concussion, and you need stitches but...well, I don't have much here to work with."

"That's okay. Look, Janet, Jack's telling the truth, we are from another reality."

"Yes, I saw that he's not a Jaffa." She said quietly. "But we have to get you two to someplace safe. There's no telling what Hathor would do to you two if she found you."

"Doc, I have some Tylenol." Jack's voice came from behind her. "Can he have it?"

She nodded, her eyes never leaving Daniel's pale face. "Certainly, it can't hurt him, but what he really needs is rest."

"Yeah, well, I don't see that happening in the near future." Jack appeared next to Janet. "Here ya go, buddy." Two pair of eyes watched Daniel swallow the tablets dry.

"He could rest here." The Doctor said, looking at O'Neill. "No one comes here except to feed us, or if they need us for something."

"Need you for something?"

"Yes, I am the only Doctor here. Occasionally a Jaffa gets hurt and I treat him."

Something seemed to occur to O'Neill. "Did you say Hammond is here?"

"Yes, but..." she glanced to one of the other cells, "he was taken out and questioned yesterday...probably because our O'Neill and Daniel had disappeared. He was brought back unconscious, and I haven't been allowed to see him." She was obviously upset over this, "He could be dead and I wouldn't even know it."

Jack held up the card, "well, let's go check on George." He put his hand on Daniel's knee, "You gonna be okay here, Danny?"

"Yes, go check on General Hammond. I'll lay down a little bit longer."

Fraiser nodded her approval, and Jack helped him back down. "Wait for me, Daniel, I'll be right back." He flashed a smile at the younger man. Daniel nodded and winced at the motion.

The two exited the cell and were joined by Teal'c. Crossing to the other room, Jack slid his keycard through the sensors and the door snicked open.

Hammond was lying flat on his back on his bunk. Fraiser went quickly to the General's side. She looked up at the other two men and shook her head. "He's barely alive...if I could have helped him it's too late now."

Jack exhaled a nervous breath he hadn't known he was holding. "Damn it, I'm sorry, George." He knelt next to the bunk and looked at his Commanding Officer. Hammond's pale face was marked with the telltale burn of a ribbon device. He'd been bleeding from the nose and ears, a sure sign of trauma to the brain. Then it occurred to him. "Wait just a damned minute. She has a sarcophagus!" He looked at Teal'c who had remained by the door. "That could fix him couldn't it?"

"Indeed, O'Neill, it could...if we could get him to it, it would heal him. General Hammond has not been exposed to it before. He would not suffer any ill effects from it."

"But how are we going to get him to it? Fraiser asked, doubtfully. "Hathor has it guarded by her most loyal Jaffa."

"Ferretti," O'Neill turned and walked to the still locked cell. "Ferretti, will you help us, and the General?"

"That's what I've been trying to say, Colonel. I want to help... you and the General." The ex Major replied quickly. 

"Then why did you do that to Daniel?" Jack asked stubbornly. 

"Colonel, I thought he was the Beloved. I was trying to save my men." He looked up at his old CO. "Since you two disappeared, she's been killing my men one a day until you two are found."

Jack frowned at the news. "Did I know this would happen?"

Ferretti shook his head. "No, Jack didn't know. But I have to ask one thing from you."

"What?"

"Don't leave us here like this, Colonel. Before you go back to wherever it is you belong, kill Hathor!"

Chapter 4

"Okay, Lou. I think I can handle that request." O'Neill nodded. "In fact, I'll probably enjoy doing it. The question is...how?"

"If you let me out of here, I can get you in." Ferretti promised eagerly.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Jack countered.

Ferretti nodded at Teal'c. "Ask him, he'll tell you. That's why I brought Daniel here to the Doc instead of to the Queen."

"You said yourself that you were going to turn him over to her." Jack said grimly.

"Well, I'd have to sooner or later, but if the Doc could help him, it would be one less time in that damned box for him." Lou looked at him. "And honestly, I thought he was our Daniel."

"Ferretti speaks the truth, O'Neill. He has done much to help those of us who depend on the good will of the guards. He has often brought medicines to assist Doctor Fraiser, and he is in no small part responsible for Danieljackson's survival."

"Well, he didn't do much to help this Daniel's survival if he was going to take him to Hathor." O'Neill groused. 

"As you know, being a Jaffa does not automatically make you loyal to the false god you serve to live." Teal's put in. "I served Apophis unwillingly for many years before I met you."

"Yeah, and it did you a lot of good...you wound up here."

"Jack?' O'Neill heard Daniel calling for him. He left Ferretti and crossed back over and into the cell where he'd left his friend.

"Daniel, are you all right?" He sat down on the edge of the narrow bunk, perching on his hip. He gently stroked the younger man's forehead. 

"Yeah, the headache is clearing a bit." He struggled to sit up. "What's going on?"

Jack reached over and helped him to sit up. "Well, actually, I'm trying to decide if I should trust Ferretti to help us kill Hathor. Do you have an opinion?" Jack looked frowningly at the deep cut on Daniel's forehead.

"About killing Hathor or trusting Lou?"

"Uh, either or...whatever."

"Yes, for one and maybe for the other."

"How about Fraiser and Teal'c?" Jack asked in a soft voice. 

Daniel leaned on him a moment, letting the dizziness pass. "Do we have a choice?"

Jack frowned at the question. He didn't like his answer. "No, not really. All I can do is base my decision on our versions."

Daniel nodded, "I trust your intuition, Jack."

Jack smiled at him, "Okay, then I guess it'll be a go."

"Did you see the General?"

Jack's smile faded. "Yeah, he's been ribboned. Looks pretty bad. Doc Fraiser says he's probably dying."

Daniel looked sadly at his friend. "There's nothing...?"

"Probably, if we could get him to the sarcophagus...but..." He left the rest unsaid.

"Well?"

"Well what? " Jack looked at him in amazement. "Daniel, there's only one way we're gonna get to that box, and you know it."

"Yes, but Jack...its..."

"Yeah, I know, but...first we have to kill Hathor before we can do anything," he looked over at Daniel's expression. It was one of tightly controlled fear. "And we have to figure out how to do that safely...'cause I really do want us to go home, Daniel, both of us." Jack helped him lay back down on the narrow bunk. "You get some more sleep. I'll wake you before anything happens."

Daniel nodded. His head still hurt and he knew that Jack would think of something.

*******

Doctor Fraiser pulled off her sterile gloves and put them back into her medical bag. Teal'c was standing just a few feet away, watching them both. He was here at the General insistence that no one be left alone with the other Daniel and Jack. She smiled at the sick man lying in front of her on the bed.

"Well, Daniel, all things considered, you're doing very well."

He weakly smiled his appreciation. "You sound like you know what you're talking about."

"Oh, yes. Our Daniel suffered from sarcophagus addiction several years ago." She patted him on the shoulder. "I'm quite familiar with your physiology under these circumstances. You'll have some residual weakness and some emotional swings, but you're over the worst of it."

"That's good. How did...."

"The same way you did, our Colonel O'Neill helped him through the withdrawal."

"So we're...close...in both universes."

"Yes, you are, they are, very close...best friends." She looked down at him. "Not quite so close as you are to your O'Neill."

"Well, this didn't just happen," Daniel said, wanting to be honest but unsure of her reception of their true relationship. 

"You're in very special circumstances from what I understand." She replied easily. "Your Mister O'Neill has filled us in. He and General Hammond are trying to figure out how to help you and your own reality."

"So, we can't stay here." He acknowledged, sadly. This reality seemed like such a paradise without the threat of Hathor hanging over their heads.

The Doctor looked at him regretfully. "Well, we do hope that our own Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson make it home. And if they do, you'll be subject to a problem that we've encountered before. When two duplicate people occupy the same reality the newcomer suffers a physical effect we call Entropic Cascade Failure. So, when they do come back, it will be in your best interest for you to return to your reality."

"So, sooner or later, we'll have to return to Hathor." He said glumly.

The door opened into the observation room and both of them turned to see General Hammond, Major Carter, and Jack O'Neill. The two officers stopped by the Doctor and Teal'c; Jack went straight to Daniel's bedside and took his hand.

"Hi there, how are you feeling?" He smiled down at the younger man.

"Pretty good, tired but good."

"He's doing very well, Mister O'Neill." The Doctor nodded at him. "I'd say he's over the worst of it. Now he just needs to recover his strength." She glanced over at the General and the Major. "I'd say that he could be released to one of the VIP rooms. It would give him more privacy than this fish bowl."

General Hammond nodded. "That's good news, Doctor." He looked at the two men. "Of course, you understand, I'll still have to have a guard in place at your door...but not inside."

O'Neill spoke for both of them, "Thank you General, we do appreciate your consideration and your hospitality."

"Just make sure it's not misplaced, young man." Hammond was looking at Daniel. "The Doctor says you still need plenty of rest." He glanced up a Jack. "I don't know if your Daniel Jackson has the same attitude as ours, but you'll have to watch him carefully."

"From what I've heard, General, your Daniel is a bit more dynamic than mine is. Danny's had a pretty rough time of it the last couple of years." He stroked the long, light brown hair off of his forehead.

"Well," Carter spoke up as if in his defense. "I've seen his test results and there's no indication of permanent damage. Evidently the sarcophagus kept him physically intact, if addicted." She smiled at the two men. "Once he's recovered completely, he should be as capable as our Daniel is."

"That would be wonderful, Sam." Daniel managed a shy smile. "I was afraid that I was developing some brain damage." He shook his head negatively. "I haven't been much good for anything these last couple of years." 

Jack gripped his hand firmly. "That's not true, Danny. Sure, you haven't been thinking as clearly, but you had plenty of reasons to be a little confused."

"You should be find, Daniel. As I said, all you need right now is lots of rest, and you can do that in a quiet room just as well as here."

"Thank you, Doctor...Janet, I really appreciate it."

*******

Several hours later, Daniel woke from his sleep into a nightmare. He could hear Jack talking with Teal's and Ferretti, weighing options and making decisions. He lay quietly on Janet's bunk listening.

"Okay, so who here can we trust," Jack was asking, "And it would be better if they had some clearance to move around freely."

"I'd trust Siler," Lou answered him. "He's Harsomtus's First Prime, but he's primarily loyal to Major Carter. I just wish we could get rid of the Gould."

"There are ways, Lou. Not a hundred percent safe, but ways." Jack hesitated. The problem is that you haven't made contact with a lot of our allies. They can help you. If we could hook you up with the Tok'ra, they can remove a snake and free the host.."

"But, Hathor says that nothing of the host survives."

"That's a lie, the host is still there, still fighting, and I'm willing to bet that Gould who's got Carter is having a hell of a fight on it's hands keeping control."

"But how do we get hold of these allies of yours?" Fraiser asked, "We can't use the Stargate. Hathor has control."

"Look, the first thing we have to do is kill Hathor. That'll free you to act here. Then we'll heal Hammond and get him back in charge. From then on, you can start eliminating the Gould's that she's planted here; Carter, Davis and whomever else you know."

"But how do we get to Hathor?" Lou asked worriedly. "Since Makepeace has become her First Prime...well, I'd trust him about as far as I can throw him."

"I can throw him a considerable distance, and you may trust that he will not interfere." Teal'c put in dryly.

Daniel had gotten to his feet and joined the group. "I have an idea how to get in to see Hathor."

Jack looked at him suspiciously. "Why do I think that I am so not gonna like this?"

The small group of Jaffa marched down the hallway that led to Hathor's throne room. In front was a medium sized Jaffa with a receding hairline in full armor but with his helmet retracted. Directly behind him were two others, taller and broader with the hawk visors fully formed and in place. Between them was a dazed looked young man, stripped to the waist, with a gash in his forehead being dragged at a fast pace.

Ferretti pushed the huge steel bombproof, double doors that guarded the throne room. At one time, it had been the Command Section of the SGC housing the office of Major General Hammond, the briefing room, and his administrative support personnel. Now it was the abode of the Goddess on Earth, Hathor. A large leather executive armchair served as the royal seat of power. Hathor was ensconced upon the chair, her royal robes of green velvet with jewels glimmering in her hair, on her arms, and around her throat. Next to her was her new First Prime. Robert Makepeace stood at attention, his new gold-filled tattoo gleaming in the florescent lighting of the office.

The three Jaffa and their captive approached the dais where Hathor was seated. Ferretti knelt down in front of her, head bowed in a gesture of obeisance. "My Lady."

Hathor looked down on him, then back behind him to where Daniel was barely standing, slumped over in the grip of the two guardian Jaffas. "I see that you have brought me a present, Louis." She purred.

"Yes, my Lady." Lou looked up at her with awe and worship on his face. "We found him in a storage closet. He was alone."

She got up from the chair and stepped down on the floor level. She went to where Daniel was standing. "Ah, my Beloved. We have missed you." She ran her hands across his naked chest. "We do not understand why you chose to leave us, my love."

"I went with Jack." He replied in an embarrassed tone.

"Ah, our ex-First Prime." She smiled kittenishly at him. "Do you find him more attractive than me?" She pressed her nails into his tender flesh.

"No...no...my Lady." Daniel replied, dropping his eyes. 

"Did he have his way with you?" She took hold of him on the shoulder with her nails.

"What?" He raised his eyes to hers for a moment, then dropped them again. "My Lady?"

Hathor raked her nails across his chest, bringing up welts and small drops of blood oozed from 
the scraped skin. Daniel cringed back from the attack. He was taken hold of and held up by the two Jaffa guards. She advanced on him again. "Did he take you?" Hathor reached out and grasped his face in a hard hand. "Did he use you? Are you despoiled by him?"

"No, no, my Queen...he didn't...."

She then pulled her hand back and slapped him full on the face, snapping his head around and dropping him to the floor. "You lie! I know that he is your paramour and you, you are his catamite." She turned and went back to the chair. As she was turning around to sit, she snapped to the guards. "Take him to our quarters, and prepare him for my pleasure." Hathor directed with an imperious sweep of her hand.

Ferretti looked from her to Makepeace, trying to gauge his reaction. "No, my Lady."

"What?" Hathor repeated, unable to believe what he had heard.

The Horus guard to the right of her Beloved took a step forward over Daniel. "He said, no."

Makepeace stepped forward in front of Hathor, pounding the end of his staff weapon on the floor, "Jaffa, Kree!"

The second Horus Guard pulled his zatniketel and fired it once. "Kree this, you sorry son of a bitch!". Makepeace fell down the stairs in front of the throne, catching Jack in the nimbus of a blast from his own weapon. Jack collapsed on to the floor, but didn't lose consciousness. Hathor turned and fled to the safety of their quarters. 

The other four Jaffa guards in the throne room started firing at the traitors. Ferretti went down first. Teal'c's grabbed Jack and the two made it to the shelter of the throne. In the ensuing firefight, as the two traded shots with them, Daniel staggered to his feet and followed her into her quarters behind the throne room.

There he saw her in an alcove, fumbling with a staff weapon. Even though she possessed the Goa'uld strength, the sheer size of the eight-foot staff was difficult for her to manage. As he ran forward to stop her, she saw him. As he got close, he saw too late she was wearing a ribbon device on her hand. Hathor turned the weapon on him and the jewel began to glow.

Jack and Teal'c had won, zatting the four guards unconscious. But the big Jaffa had taken a full zat blast and was uncoonscious. O'Neill immediately staggered to his feet and scanned the room for Daniel. 

He didn't see him. "Daniel? Daniel? Oh crap!"

Jack suddenly knew where Daniel had gone. He picked up his zat and headed into Hathor's quarters at a determined run.

As he entered the quarters of the Goa'uld goddess, the first thing he saw was Daniel held in the grip of her ribbon device. Then, the younger man fell, and he saw Hathor turn the device towards him. 

His limbs seemingly became frozen, unable to move or control them. As Jack fell to the carpeted floor, he landed so that his face was turned towards Daniel who was lying facing him with his eyes wide; conscious, frantic with fear for what was happening to them. 

With her two attackers helpless, Hathor turned her back on them, ignoring her victims. She continued in her search for a weapon in the closet, obviously looking for something in particular. 

Jack watched helplessly as he lay paralyzed from the ribbon device. Daniel somehow managed to get to his hands and knees and crawled over to where Jack lay helpless. He felt the younger man pulling on his boot, and find the hilt of his combat knife, pulling the knife free from its sheath. He then lurched to his feet, and stumbled towards her. 

As he got within striking range, the enraged Goa'uld turned on him. "You deceitful little beast! Do you think you can betray your goddess with impunity?"

"You're nothing but a parasite..." Making a last ditch effort, Daniel lunged forward with the razor sharp knife, taking her by surprise. 

She threw up her hand and activates the ribbon device. Daniel could feel it boring into his brain, but his forward momentum drove the knife deep into her right breast. Hathor screamed in pain and fury as the two of them went down in a heap. 

O'Neill lay helpless, watching the scenario with horror. He watched Daniel attack the false goddess and the two of them go down in a tangle. Then, moments later, he saw Hathor push Daniel off of her. She turned the ribbon device on the unconscious man again. 
As Jack was trying to move, to do something to help his friend, he saw his zat gun lying unnoticed on the floor against the wall. 

Hathor was saying something, whispering to Daniel as the ribbon device burned into him. He writhed in agony under her onslaught, trapped like a fly in a web, powerless extricate himself. Jack unable to even crawl, drug himself across the floor to where the weapon was lying. He had to pick it up or Daniel didn't stand a chance. 

Finally Jack's fingertips reach the handle of the weapon and he pulled it to him. Wrapping his numb fingers around the grip, he rolled over. Hathor was standing over Daniel. He was contorted in agony as the ribbon device burns into his forehead. Jack could smell the burned flesh and see the blood running from his nose and ears. 

He managed to turn over, pointing the weapon at the woman. O'Neill wanted to yell, scream imprecations and call curses down from heaven, but in the end, he only had time to pull the trigger mechanism, once then twice.

Hathor turned at the last moment to see him shoot her. Her face was a paroxysm of rage as her whole body glowed in a aura of light. Then she fell across Daniel Jackson's body to lie still and dead.

Chapter 5

Jack lay his head down on the carpeted floor. He hurt, and hurt badly. How had Daniel managed to get up after being ribboned? It must have been the rage, the sheer adrenaline rush that had given the younger man the strength. Or maybe it was just hate.

He heard a noise behind him and his survival instincts took over. Jack rolled over, bringing the gun to bear on the doorway. 

It was Ferretti, on his feet and leaning heavily on the door. "Jack?"

O'Neill dropped his hand back to the floor, the zatniketel suddenly very heavy.

Ferretti looked beyond him to the body of Hathor. "Is she dead?"

He nodded, instantly regretting the action. Then a thought hit him like a blow. "Daniel?" Jack rolled back over on his belly and managed to get to his hands and knees. He crawled over to the dead body of Hathor and tried to push her off Daniel. Lou staggered over and helped him to uncover the unconscious man. As Lou pulled the body away, Jack felt for a pulse on his friend. He finally found one, but it was very faint. 

Ferretti came back and knelt beside the injured, lifeless man. He looked at Jack. "We need to get him to the sarcophagus."

Jack looked at him, "Do you know where it is?"

Ferretti shook his head. 

"I do." An unsteady voice spoke from the doorway. It was Makepeace.

O'Neill pointed the Zat at the Marine Colonel. "Why should I trust you?"

"I know where the sarcophagus is. And if you were our O'Neill, you'd know too." Makepeace took a step into the room. "Who the hell are you, anyway?"

"I'm, Danny and me, we're from a different reality." He looked down at his unconscious friend. "In ours, we beat Hathor before she took over the SGC. Somehow, we got sent here through the Stargate." He shook his head. "I don't know how or why, but believe me, I never was a Jaffa and he, well, she basically raped him. Then she escaped."

Makepeace nodded. "Okay. Say I believe you." He gestured to the body several feet away. "Is she really dead?"

"Unless someone is stupid enough to put her in a damned sarcophagus she is. I zatted her twice."

The marine stepped over to where Hathor lay. He looked down at her, dropped to one knee, then pulled the knife out of her chest. He grasped her red hair, pulled her head back and slit her throat; the blood poured out onto the blue carpeted floor. Makepeace continued to put pressure on the hilt and, with a crunching sound, severed the vertebrae and the spinal cord. Once he had the head separated, the man threw it over in the corner. He stood up, stared down at the decapitated corpse for a moment, wiped the blade off on the corpse's clothes and turned away. He walked back to where Jack was crouched over Daniel and handed it back to him, hilt first. "She's dead now."

O'Neill took the knife from Makepeace with a nod. "Where's the sarcophagus?"

"In your old office." The big man knelt down by Daniel's unmoving form and started to pick him up. Jack moved the zat until it pointed at him.

"If you shoot me with that thing now, it will kill him." Makepeace said quietly, watching his shaking hand with the weapon. "Come on, let's take him and get him whole again."

O'Neill sighed and nodded. The Marine picked up Daniel and Lou helped Jack get to his feet. 

Makepeace led the way carrying the comatose Jackson. Ferretti supported O'Neill as they followed him to the next office down the hallway. 

When they reached it, Lou opened the door with his security card and pushed it open. Inside in the middle of what Jack knew to be his office was the royal sarcophagus. All the other furniture had been removed except one armchair and one desk chair. Makepeace indicated a knob in the shape of a jackal's head with the nod of his head. "Push that button."

Lou deposited Jack in the large armchair and pushed the icon. Slowly the heavy lid divided and ground open to reveal a lighted interior. Makepeace slowly and carefully lowered the limp body into the machine. Once he had Daniel in the apparatus, he hit the icon once again and the lid closed over Daniel. 

Jack looked at Makepeace, "He hates that thing."

The other man nodded. "I know, but there was no choice. He was dead."

"But he was breathing..."

"I know Jack; he died on the way here. I felt him go." Makepeace put his hand on the older man's shoulder. "The sarcophagus will revive him. I've seen it work before."

Jack put his head in his hands for a second then pushed them back through his hair. He took a shaky breath. And looked up at the two men. "How long until..."

Makepeace looked at him and shrugged. "Depends, I'd say an hour or so. Don't worry, he's been in it lots of time." He shook his head. "Hathor used to get her jollies out of torturing him to death on a regular basis. He was pretty badly addicted to it, well, our Daniel was anyway."

O'Neill sighed. "Mine had a run in with it too; Doc Fraiser got him straightened out. I hope this works." He looked worriedly.

"It will, don't worry." Ferretti put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "These things work miracles."

Jack looked up at him. "Yeah, right."

"Look," the smaller man said. "I want to bring the General up here."

Makepeace looked at him in amazement. "General Hammond's here?"

"Sure, he's been in security all this time." Lou nodded. "Hathor's been pumping him for information. But, he's in pretty bad shape."

O'Neill looked over at the two men. "He was dying, Lou. Doc didn't think he'd live much longer."

"I didn't even know he was still alive." Makepeace shook his head. "We need him, Lou. We need a leader, one that hasn't been screwed with."

"But...he's dying."

"Then, he's next in the sarcophagus." The ex-colonel stated with finality. "Where is he?"

"He's down in the cell area, with Doc Fraiser." Ferretti said, looking at O'Neill.

"You two go on," Jack waved them on. "I'll stay here. It'll take two of you to get him here anyway." He glanced at the sarcophagus. "I'm not leaving, not alone."

The two men looked at him, then glanced at each other. Ferretti shrugged, "Okay, Jack, we'll be back. O'Neill didn't look away from the ornate machine that held his friend.

*******

Teal'c escorted Jack and Daniel to the VIP room assigned to them. Once he was sure they were comfortable, he assured them that he or someone else would bring them a meal from the dining hall. Then he closed the door behind himself and they heard it lock.

Jack and Daniel looked at each other for a moment, and then Jack reached for the younger man. As they kissed, Daniel leaned into him and wrapped his arms around Jack's waist and pulled their bodies closer together. When they needed to come up for air, Daniel leaned into Jack, resting his head on the familiar shoulder.

"Jack..."

"Yes, love?"

"Our first time, with no worry about being found out, no fear of consequences, and no concerns about where she is."

"Yeah, Danny, and the first time you're normal, not strung out from that damned machine."

He looked at the Jaffa. "What difference does that make?"

"It's the first time I'm really sure you know what you're doing and with whom."

"I always knew that. I always knew you were my lifeline, my only reason for going on in the nightmare." Daniel kissed him again, softly. "That if anyone could get us out of that hellhole, it was you."

"I didn't want you to love me because you were grateful. I wanted you to love me because I was me and you were you."

"No problem there, Jack." He sighed and laid his head back on the supporting shoulder. "I've known you were you for a long time." He indicated the double bed against the wall. "Come on and I'll prove it to you."

"No."

"No?" Daniel looked at him in confusion. "NO? Why no? Why not?"

"Because." Jack answered gently. "Because you were dead...again, and you were sick because I pulled you out too early." He stroked the smooth, unmarked throat. "And because it's too soon. You need to rest, you heard Doctor Fraiser. She only just released us because they couldn't guard us, well me, properly in the infirmary, and she knew you wouldn't like the observation room. It was too public." He kissed his lover again. "And she really likes our counterparts and didn't want us to embarrass them."

"Why did they have to guard you so...well?" The younger man asked him curiously.

"See my point exactly. You don't know why, you can't remember." He shook his head, then paused before explaining. "I did something really dumb. Their Major Carter and your counterpart must be really close here..."

"Like Sam and I were before..."

"Yeah, like that. Well, she was worried about you and came to visit. I guess I was dozing, or I would have, should have warned her." He sighed. "She touched you, you yelled, I jumped her, I suddenly had an M-16 in my face. It could have gotten really ugly."

"But they knew..."

"I don't think they had us figured out yet, Danny. If it hadn't been for Teal'c, well, I would have been in the brig, and you would have been alone." He shrugged. "But they didn't, I wasn't and you weren't."

"They know now?"

"Yeah, they know now...so Doctor Fraiser let us come here." Jack pushed back and released Daniel. "But if we do what we want to do now, that would get you back in the clinic and me, well, either way I wouldn't be happy." 

A knock on the door broke them up, and after a moment Teal'c came in carrying a tray. "I am going to go and perform my kel-no-reem. You may give the empty tray to the guard outside. I am sorry that you must be secured."

"That's all right, my friend." Jack replied gratefully, "I understand completely, and so does Daniel."

"Then, I wish you a peaceful night." Teal'c nodded to them and left them alone with hot food and their privacy.

*******

Jack had lost track of time. He might have even just drifted off, when he heard the grinding of the heavy mechanical lid as it rumbled open. Slowly, stiffly, he got up from the chair and crossed to the box. As he looked down into the interior, Daniel opened his eyes and gazed up.

"Jack?"

O'Neill reached in and offered him his hand. "Come on, Danny boy. Seeing you lying in there gives me the willies."

Daniel took his hand and clambered out. "What happened? Why was I in there? You know..."

Jack wrapped his arm around his friend and helped him out of the sarcophagus. "Not much choice..." He looked the younger man over, inspecting him. The broad chest was unmarked and there were no apparent signs of injury. "You died...again."

Daniel looked at him with wide eyes. "Oh." Still in close contact with Jack, as he got out he reached over and gave the other man a hug. "I'm okay, Jack. I feel fine."

Jack smiled at him and returned the embrace, "Yeah, yeah you do."

A noise came from the door into the hallway. Makepeace, and Teal'c came in, carrying General Hammond on a make shift litter. Ferretti and Fraiser followed closely. Lowering the stretcher, the two big men picked up the General and laid him carefully in the now empty sarcophagus. The heavy lid closed again.

Fraiser stared at the large box shaped mechanism. "I've heard of this thing, but I've never seen it."

Jack glanced from it to Daniel then to the petite physician. "It can be a miracle or a curse."

"What will he remember when he wakes up?"

Daniel answered. "He should remember everything he's seen, but nothing that occurred while he was unconscious."

"Will it cure us?" Ferretti asked hopefully.

"Yeah, it should." O'Neill answered. "Take out your symbiote and use it. It closed my pouch, so I've been told." He grimaced. "I don't remember much from when she took control of me; I seem to have blanked it out."

Ferretti looked at him. "I wish I could blank out the last four years of my life."

"Well, I can't promise that, but it will definitely get better."

Several hours later, Jack and Daniel had been checked over by Doctor Fraiser and pronounced as good as could be expected. For someone who hadn't had the proper tools of her trade she did a creditable job of poking and prodding.

They had finally been released to rest in one of the VIP suites. Jack collapsed on the bed, 

Daniel headed into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He looked out the doorway. "You don't mind if I shower first do you?" 

Jack waved a hand at him. He wanted a nice long soak anyway. He could wait. But after thirty minutes were up, and he could still hear the shower running, he thought he'd better check on his friend.

Going over to the bathroom door, he tapped on the wood. There was no answer, so he pushed the door open carefully. He could see Daniel was still in the tub with the showerhead pointed at shoulder level. But the man was standing at the back of the bathtub with his forehead pressed up against the tile and his arms wrapped around his torso. "Daniel? Danny?"

There was no answer. Jack entered the small room approaching the steaming shower. He could see by the red color of Daniel's skin that he had the water up too hot, and that he had been in there far too long. Jack pulled the clear shower curtain back slowly, making enough noise that it wouldn't startle him, but there was no reaction. O'Neill reached in slowly and put his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Daniel, it's time to come out, buddy."

"No," the answer was muffled and hoarse. "I have to get the blood off."

O'Neill immediately knew what was wrong, and to his way of figuring, it was overdue. "Danny, it's gone now. You're clean."

"No, I can't get it off me." Daniel complained, rubbing his hands together in the steaming water running off his hair. 

Jack grasped his shoulder, and turned his friend around to face him. "Let me see," he demanded. He pulled the hands towards him and took them one in each of his. He made a great show of looking at the tops and bottoms of the water-wrinkled hands, even examining the nails and cuticles. "Hum. Yeah, I see it." Jack got in the shower with Daniel still wearing his t-shirt and trousers. He turned the water to a cooler temperature. Then he picked up the bar soap from the floor of the tub and lathered his own hands. Taking one of the other man's hands in his, he soaped it carefully getting between the fingers, under the nails and scrubbing the knuckles. He continued the scrubbing motions up Daniel's arms, across his chest, and turned the young man around. Jack proceeded to wash his shoulders, down the back, the ass, and down the long legs careful to not miss an inch. He turned the young man around and went to work on the feet, careful to lift them up and soap the soles and toes also. Then back up the front of the legs, to the groin area. Jack took a deep breath and lightly soaped the shriveled genitals. Moving quickly, he went on to the flat belly, and the now unmarked chest. Going up the throat to Daniel's face he used only soft touches careful of the reddened skin. Finally, Jack lathered the short brown hair. He turned Daniel back under the water and sprayed him down rinsing off all his carefully applied soap. 

Jack moved his friend back to the back of the tub. He pulled his own sopping clothes off and did a quick cleaning job on himself. Finishing his shower, he turned off the water and grabbed a towel. After a speedy drying of his own body, he wrapped the towel around his waist. Jack then turned to Daniel again and led him out of the shower. A quick wipe down and then he piloted his friend to the double bed, pulled back the covers and parked him there. 

"Danny," Jack tilted his face until the blue eyes met his. "I'm gonna get us some food. I know there's some around here somewhere. So stay put, okay? Go to sleep if you want to. I'll be right back."

Daniel nodded, amazingly appearing to understand his direct order. Jack pushed him down into the bed and pulled the sheet up over his nude body. 

Rummaging in the cabinets, he found a robe to cover himself until he could find some dry clothes. Then he headed to the dining hall. There were some cooks on duty and he ordered two bowls of what appeared to be a casserole, some bread, and some juice in bottles. Well, even Jaffa have to eat, he supposed.

On the way back to their room, O'Neill ran into Ferretti who was carrying their packs and clothing that had been left behind. "Great, Lou. You are a lifesaver!"

"Hey, got to keep the heroes happy. When General Hammond gets out of the box, we'll start going in ourselves and see if the de-jaffaing works. If it does, there's gonna be a party to end all parties...then the real work starts." 

Jack nodded. "Hopefully, you can recall the goulded personnel and either kill them or...maybe even save them."

"Save them? That would be great, but...how?" 

Jack grimaced. "That's a little complicated, but right now, I've got to get back to Danny. He's having a hard time with this; I don't want to leave him alone too long."

Lou nodded. "I understand...go on back to him. He needs you right now."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't know how it is in your world, but our Jack kept his Daniel alive and sane these last few years. If they hadn't...well, you know been so close, he would have been dead a long time ago."

"Lou, are you saying...that they were uh-are lovers?"

"Look, Jack, I don't know if they ever actually consummated it, 'cause of her. But, they're in love, yeah." Ferretti looked at him knowingly. "I'd say that's why they ran, to get Daniel away from her." He shook his head. "She'd killed him again, ripped his throat out in front of a bunch of us. Then she made Jack carry him back to the sarcophagus. It was horrible."

O'Neill could only close his eyes and exhale. He could imagine how he would feel doing the same thing, and he and Daniel weren't even lovers. "Thanks for telling me, Lou. Look I've got to get back..."

"Yeah, listen, take good care of him. We'll figure something out. Siler, and Harsomtus, they're due back tomorrow. Maybe he'll have some ideas."

Jack nodded. "Oh... you should probably burn the body."

"I think Makepeace has some plans. Don't worry about that."

"Thanks, Lou."

"Oh no. Thank you." Lou saluted and left O'Neill to his thoughts.

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Go to: AR: A Horror Story, Chapters 6-epilogue