Jack was sitting quietly talking to Teal'c when one of the Tok'Ra came running into the room, wide-eyed and out-of-breath.

"They have reached a decision," he told them, breathlessly.

Jack leapt to his feet. "About time! Tell Carter! She's on the surface with Martouf!" He barked at the panting man as he and Teal'c trotted from the room and down the winding corridors to the High Council chamber.

Skidding to a stop inside the room they were in time to hear the broadcast from the ship above them.

"Your Chosen spoke well. He was passionate. We were impressed by him. You chose well. We are impressed by you..."

Jack rolled his eyes and looked at Teal'c and saw the concern still in the dark eyes. Reaching out he gripped his upper arm and gave him a tight squeeze. Teal 'c looked at him then gave a faint smile, returning his attention to the announcement.

"We are convinced of your importance in this Universe. You my go free."

A cheer rang from all in the room and Jack was even caught pumping his fist in the air and giving a relieved sigh.

"So impressed were we with your Chosen that we have agreed that his race, the Tau'ri, may also go free..."

Teal'c and Jack both smiled at each other. "Way to go, Danny!" Jack whispered as Sam scurried to a stop beside him.

"Good news?" she asked, picking up the vibe of the room. Jack smiled at her and nodded. She blew out her captured breath as he slapped his arm across the backs of her shoulders, beaming widely at their team-mates achievements.

"We regret that your Chosen did not survive the tests however and you ..."

- The whole room fell silent. Every eye shifting onto the three people in the center of the room - "... may recover the body..."

Sam gasped as the realization of what was being said hit her. Teal'c's head tilted to the side slowly, as he processed the revelation. Jack was the only one to speak, numbly: "No!"

"Please stand by for the recovery of your Chosen's body.."

The SG-1 members all looked at each other, unable to believe what had happened. Jack adamantly shook his head as he poked the air with his finger. "No! No! This *isn't* happening!" He yelled, looking up as the bright light began to permeate the ceiling. He looked at Teal'c - the Jaffa's head was back, his eyes filled with tears as his large lips quivered uncontrollably while he watched the light grow in intensity above him - the light that would soon return his dead lover to him. Hot tears dripped from the corner of his eyes as the light above them continued to gain in brilliance until they were forced to look away. Jack was aware of Sam's sobs as her father moved in to comfort her.

"No!" The colonel shook his head. "No, this is not happening! It .. can't.." He looked around and saw it clearly - this *was* happening and there was nothing they could do about it. Nothing! Hot, angry tears sprung to his eyes, blurring his vision and blinding him in his grief. "NO!!!"

He twirled on the spot and stepped across to Martouf, pinning him against the wall roughly. The Tok'ra member gasped as the air was squeezed from his lungs. "DO SOMETHING!" Jack yelled through clenched teeth.

"I cannot.." Martouf gasped for air. "Tok'Ra don't have a sarcophagus..."

"You damn snake heads!" Jack thumped him against the wall again.

Sam cried out pitifully. "Colonel!" She and her father ran to where Jack had Martouf by the front of his top, his fist screwing up the clothing until they were choking the Tok'Ra. "Do something!" Jack demanded again, slamming him into the rock wall once more.

"Jack!" Jacob stepped up to him, gripping his arm and trying to make him release the choking man.

"Why didn't you send one of your own!" Jack hissed angrily, slamming him again and again in blind fury. He was only vaguely aware of Sam's tearful cries as she tried to pull from him the suffocating Tok'Ra. More Tok'Ra came over to help Jacob, but no one could make the enraged man release the grip.

"Jack! For Christ's sake, it's not his fault!" Jacob pleaded with him as Martouf's face grew red while his lips turned purple.

"The hell it isn't!" Jack spat. "It's his fault and your fault and her fault.." Jack said, indicating with a jut of his chin towards the High Council.

"O'Neill, this is not going to bring Daniel back!" Teal'c said through the hysteria.

Jack looked at him then shook his head before he glanced up at the light which was almost reaching the floor in the center of the room. Shaking his head angrily he pressed against Martouf again. "It's going to make me feel a whole lot better though!"

Jacob watched as Jack pressed his forearm into Martouf's neck now, completely cutting off the Tok'Ra's airway. "Jack, listen! Be reasonable. No one wanted this to happen!"

"You didn't send one of your people though, did you!" The Colonel spat. One large, warm hand now gripped Jack's wrist and the colonel looked up to meet Teal'c's red eyes.

"I cannot allow you to harm Martouf," the stoic Jaffa said, squeezing the wrist in a gentle request for Jack to release him.

"He sent Daniel to be killed!" Jack snarled.

"I know!" Teal'c yelled, his voice thick and raspy with tears and pain. Jack looked at him and saw the heartache in the dark eyes.

Trying to control his tears, Jack said, "They killed him!!"

"They did not. The Rectog's tests killed..." Teal'c faltered on that word. He stopped talking, his hand gripped Jack's wrist tightly now as he started to shake uncontrollable. Concerned for his devastated friend Jack dropped Martouf, leaving the gasping man to fall to the floor seeking air while he wrapped his arms around his shaking friend. Sam bit her lips together as she tried to gain control of her wayward feelings, trying to be the good soldier even though her heart was breaking. Jack seemed to sense this and reached out blindly for her. She allowed him to gather her into the hug and all three friends cried until the hum of the ray indicated the Rectog's were returning Daniel's body. They pulled apart and turned to the white column of light.

The metallic sounding voice spoke again. "We regret this. He was a honorable Chosen."

"Then fix him!" Jack looked up and screamed at them. "Fix what you've done!"

"We cannot. He died well. He is honorable!"

"He is not honorable, he is dead!" Martouf yelled huskily from the corner of the room.

"We regret that."

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Jack said, waiting for the lights to finally blink out so that they could go to the body.

"We will now leave you to deal with your loss."

The light went out and everyone looked at Daniel's body, lying lifeless on the black floor, his silver suit stretched over his twisted torso. Both Jack and Teal'c ran to him, and Teal'c fell to his knees, his head back as his eyes filled with tears once more. Scooping up the body, he threw off the helmet and pressing his face against Daniel's warm throat. Jack sank to his knees on the other side of the limp body as he threaded his fingers through the long hair. He looked around at everyone watching - but not offering to help.

"You bastards," he muttered under his breath. Sam stepped away from her father now and came over to the others. Jack reached his hand up and she took it, letting him guide her to the floor where she joined them in grieving for their dead friend. She kept staring at Daniel's closed eyes, expecting that any minute he'd cough and regain consciousness. To settle that in her own mind she picked up his arm, carefully peeled off a silver glove and gripped his wrist. His body was still warm but she felt no pulse. Moving her hand she buried it between Teal'c's face and Daniel's throat, but again there was no pulse - no matter how hard she mentally pleaded for there to be one. Tears stung the back of her nose now and sprung to her eyes, falling down her cheeks as she cried softly, her trembling hand gripping Daniel's shoulder, wanting to remain in touch with him somehow.

There was silence in the room, only the sounds of Teal'c's soft breaths could be heard. Jack reached across for Sam, and gently cradled her in his arms as she started to shake with tears. He brushed the side of her head with his mouth as he tried desperately to comfort her as he, too, cried for his dead friend. Slowly the others in the room left, leaving the remaining members of SG-1 to grieve the loss in privacy.

"It was an honorable death," Teal'c whispered after a few moments and Jack nodded and said, Sam's hair catching on his lips as he spoke, "Danny saved a lot of lives. You.. we.. we all should be very proud of him..." Sam started to cry more, her hand gripping up the silver suit into a tight fist as she sobbed uncontrollably against Jack's chest now.

Teal'c gently laid his lover on the floor and shifted back. Sam and Jack watched in silence as he performed some kind of Last Rites over the body. Passing his hands across Daniel's stomach then chest, Teal'c murmured words that neither of the others could make out, then he passed his hands over Daniel's face, hovering over the closed eyes. Jack swallowed as he watched Teal'c cup the dead man's face in his hands and lean down to kiss his lips gently. Biting his lips together, Jack turned his face away, burying it into Sam's hair as Teal'c took a few moments to caress Daniel's face.

"I am performing Huk'tell..." The Jaffa explained solemnly. Jack looked back at him while Sam hadn't shifted her eyes during the ritual, even her hand still gripped up the silver suit on Daniel's shoulder. Without being asked, Teal'c went on to explain. "It is the ritual one performs when their spouse dies."

Sam looked out from under Jack's arm around her now. "Spouse?"

"Daniel was my partner, CaptainCarter."

Sam was surprised that the Jaffa admitted it so openly then realized that it was because it didn't matter anymore. She looked up at Jack who was shaking his head in anger.

She lowered her eyes. "Teal'c.. I'm sorry.. I'm not sure what to say.. or.. do..."

They all turned around as Martouf and Jacob entered the chamber once more.

"Move away from the body," Jacob said. Teal'c's arms tightened around Daniel.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked, getting to her feet and wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Lantesh would like to check the body for any forms of a bomb," her father explained.

"They wouldn't..!" Jack said, getting to his feet as well.

"I'm sorry, Jack. We just *don't* know!" Jacob said, watching as the guards had a hard time getting Teal'c to surrender the body, even with raised Zats pointed at his head. Jack and Sam exchanged long glances, both recalling the incident with Cassie all too vividly. The colonel sighed despondently as he went over to Teal'c, putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Teal'c, hand him over.."

"I will not, O'Neill."

Squatting beside him Jack tilted his face to look at Daniel's peaceful expression. Teal'c's dark thumb tenderly brushed the skin by his slightly parted lips as he stared down at the handsome face. Looking at the stricken Jaffa Jack said, in a gentle voice, "They're not going to hurt him, they just want to check..."

Teal'c blinked and looked him straight in his eyes. "I cannot leave him..."

Jack nodded empathetically and patted Teal'c's firm shoulder. "I know, but you 'have' to. I can make it an Order...?"

Teal'c looked down at his lover and carefully cupped the back of his head as he lowered it to the floor. Picking up Daniel's arms, he laid them onto the body then he touched his hand to his cheek once more before rising to his feet, shooting a look at Martouf that promised he'd snap him in two if he so much as hurt the anthropologist. Martouf saw the look and bowed his head respectfully. Teal'c and Jack stepped back one step but were not willing to go further and both kept an eagle eye on the Tok'ra's actions.

All heads turned when the High Council entered the room. With her lofty voice she spoke to Jack. "We are grateful for all that Daniel Jackson has done for us. We wish to give him Tok'ra Burial Rites." Jack blinked and looked at Teal'c.

"He will not require such a thing," the Jaffa said definitely. The High Priestess lowered her face respectfully before stepping out of the room again.

"He will be buried with full Military protocol..." Jack mumbled.

"He will not."

The colonel frowned and looked at his friend. "No?"

"He will be returned to Abydos. To the home of his wife and family..." Teal'c said stoically, grasping his hands together behind his back. Suddenly Martouf looked up as the rings dropped down over him and Daniel's body.

"What the..?" Jack stepped towards the rings but the two men were gone. "Jacob.."

"Trust us," came the metallic response from the Tok'Ra inside Jacob, Selmak.

"So help me God, Jacob. Return him now or I'll kill you!"

"Colonel!" Sam was alarmed at his anger but fearful of it too, having seen the results of it unleashed onto Martouf.

"You must trust us!" The Tok'ra said again.

Stepping forward menacingly, Teal'c said, "I do not trust you. Return him or I will kill you with my bare hands!" Sam's eyes widened in fear for her father's safety.

"Come!" Selmak ordered, moving the three of them into the rings. Just as they were about to be transported out they heard the High Council run back into the room, demanding to know what was happening.