Fortune and Glory

"So," Jack said one night, "when you were a kid, what were you most scared of?"

Daniel stopped poking at the fire with a stick, and arched his eyebrows at the colonel. "What brought this on?"

Jack shrugged. "Just wondering. A little team bonding, you know." He paused, then shuddered. "I was scared of bugs. Nasty, creepy-crawly things. I fell in a nest of beetles once when I was seven and man, the nightmares I had after that..."

"I was always scared of zombies," Sam interrupted. They all stared at her, and she shrugged. "Mark told me that when it gets dark out, the zombies come out to eat the smart girls because their brains taste better. I didn't go outside at night for years."

"What about you, Teal'c?" Jack asked, looking up at the Jaffa as he slowly paced around the camp perimeter.

"I feared failing my god," he rumbled in response. "I have not feared this for many decades. I fail to see the relevance."

"It's a...human ritual," Daniel offered after a moment. "We talk to each other about experiences and fears, and the personal history helps us get to know each other better and become more comfortable in each other's presence."

Teal'c inclined his head. "I feel no discomfort from being with SG-1, nor anyone else at the SGC."

"Oh, well, that's good," Daniel replied, unsure of what exactly to say.

Sam resumed cleaning her M16, not quite sure what to say either. Jack checked the MREs to see if they were done, and doled out the day's rations. They all ate in silence until Jack suddenly looked up. "Wait a minute. Daniel, you didn't tell us what your childhood fear was."

Daniel hesitated. "It's nothing."

Sure, like that would deter O'Neill. "Come on, it can't be too bad. You're an archaeologist, so...small spaces maybe?"

Daniel tossed the rest of his MRE into the fire. "Nope. Snakes."

The other two humans gaped at him, and Teal'c only looked slightly confused. "What are you, Indiana Jones?" Jack demanded in disbelief.

"Actually it was my nickname in college," Daniel confessed, looking embarrassed. "Nowadays I tend to leave the whip at home though."

"I do not understand this 'Indiana Jones'," Teal'c said with a frown, totally lost on the movie reference.

Jack started trying to explain, then stopped. "Daniel...you don't seriously have a whip at home, do you?"

"Good night," Daniel replied instead, ducking into the tent.

Sam stifled a laugh and Jack stared at the tent. "Danny boy, we are having a long talk when we get back to Earth."