Note: This is a sequel to an early story, Retribution, and will make a whole lot more sense if you've read that story first.

Disclaimer: Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

The Face of a Friend, Part 4
   

"Well...I suppose it's possible," Sam said, as Jack finished relaying the story to her and Teal'c a few moments later.

"But not likely," Jack said.

She shrugged.  "I just don't know.  I think we all want to believe that Daniel wouldn't do this, but..."

"Did he look crazy to you?" Jack asked Teal'c.  "When he zatted you?"

"He looked entirely sane," Teal'c said dispassionately.  "And acted with purpose."

"Zatarc?" Jack ventured.

"From what we know about the zatarcs, they tend to self-destruct once their mission is fulfilled," Sam said.

"He might still have a mission.  Whatever's happened, no one in the SGC is on to him yet.  They obviously don't know what he tried to do here on the planet," Jack said. 

"Or they are aware and are part of the plot," Teal'c intoned.

Jack rubbed his hand over his face wearily.  "I don't even want to go there, Teal'c.  I'm going to question him some more - see if I can find out what's going on."

Sam and Teal'c glanced at one another grimly.  

"I just said 'question', guys - I'm not going to break his thumbs," Jack said.  "Yet."

"We know that, sir," Sam said.  "It's just...he could be dangerous."

Jack thought a moment, tracing a pattern into the dirt with a small stick he'd picked up.  "Teal'c, you feeling well enough for us to leave you for a while?"

"I will be fine, O'Neill," he assured him.

"Then, Carter, I've got an assignment for you," Jack said.

Daniel couldn't help but feel relief when he saw Jack reappear.  He quickly cut the restraints around Daniel's legs and hauled him to his feet.

"Start walking," Jack said, pushing Daniel ahead.

Daniel craned his head around, looking behind Jack into the woods.  "Where are they?"  he asked.

Jack's face was emotionless.  "We're it, Daniel. Move." 

Daniel head snapped forward again so that Jack couldn't see the defeated expression on his face as he stumbled through the underbrush.   "Where are you taking me?" he asked.

"You didn't come back here alone, so I'm guessing that there's at least one SG team out there looking for us."

"Two," Daniel said.

"And before they find us, I'd like some answers.  So we'll keep moving for now," he said, giving Daniel a little push forward.

Great, Daniel thought, clenching his teeth together at the throbbing in his feet.  "So what do you want to know?"

"You say you've been impersonated by Pirelli for the past two weeks," Jack said as they walked.  "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I was driving home from the SGC and someone ran me into a ditch.  It was dark, and I couldn't see who it was.  I got out of the car to see if the other driver was okay, or if they'd just driven off, and someone grabbed me from behind and held some sort of cloth against my face.  When I came to, I was in a cabin whose doors and windows had been barred."

"Real convenient - so Pirelli just took your place?"

"We've been over that, Jack," Daniel said, his voice flat and tired.

"So how'd you get free?" Jack continued.

"He let me go - well, he didn't think I'd make it back as soon as I did, but he wanted me to come back to the SGC.  I can only assume he wanted me to take the blame for your..." Daniel stopped, his voice catching in his throat.

"I'd say the plan was pretty effective," Jack said.  "Makes a neat little alibi in any case."

"So they're both really gone?" Daniel said, mentally steeling himself for Jack's response.  To his surprise, Jack stopped, and whirled him around.  He stumbled backwards, his back coming up against a tree.

"It looks like my entire team is gone, one way or the other," Jack said, as he pulled out his knife.

Daniel's eyes grew wide.  "Jack, wait...."  he said, as Jack advanced toward him.  His protests were cut short as Jack reached out with the knife - and cut through the bonds around his wrists.  The plastic tie dropped away, bouncing off Daniel's boot before coming to rest on the ground.

"Just go," Jack said, turning his back on Daniel.  

"You're letting me go?" Daniel said.  "Why?"

"If you're smart, you'll go back to the Stargate and get the hell out of here - and stay gone.  Because if I find you again, I'll personally take you back to the SGC and see that you stand trial for everything that happened here."  Without turning, he snarled out again.  "Do you understand, Dr. Jackson?"  

"You still don't believe me - you think I would..." Daniel stopped.

"Just get out of here, Daniel," Jack said wearily, his shoulders slumping slightly.

Daniel stared at Jack's back for a few seconds before turning to walk away slowly.  Hearing his footsteps crunch in the dry leaves littering the forest floor, Jack risked a look over to where Sam was concealed in the underbrush, covering him with her rifle.  Once he was sure that Daniel was out of sight, he motioned for her to join him.

"So what do we do?" she asked him.

"We go find him before he makes it to the gate," Jack said, taking his own gun from Sam.

"What if he doesn't try to leave?" Sam said.

"Either way, we'll have our answer," Jack replied.

Daniel made sure he was out of Jack's hearing and sight before sitting down wearily, his back against a tree.  For a moment, he stared out into the dimness of the forest and the shadows that were growing longer as dusk fell.  Then he took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes roughly.

He was too late - too late to save them.  Not only that, Pirelli had done his work so well that he couldn't even convince Jack that he was who he said he was.

Pirelli, you really got your revenge, Daniel thought.  On Jack and on me.  He knew they would eventually find Jack, and convince him of the truth.  But it was too late for Sam and Teal'c.  SG-1, his team, was gone.  Jack was right on that score.  

And what if they never found Pirelli?  Who was next - killed by someone they thought they knew?

"Daniel?" Ferretti said, startling him.  "We've been looking all over for you.  Did you find SG-1?" he asked, a feeling of dread welling up in him at Daniel's ravaged look.

"I found Jack," Daniel said, as Ferretti knelt beside him.  "He's probably looking for you guys right now, so it shouldn't take you too long to meet up."

"Major Carter and Teal'c?" Ferretti asked, glancing over at the two men with him.

"I don't know what happened, but...Jack made it very clear that I was too late," Daniel said, climbing to his feet with a grimace.

Ferretti expelled a sigh as he stood.  "God, I'm sorry, Daniel.  I wish we could have been here sooner."

From the underbrush near Daniel, Jack and Sam listened silently.

"You did your best," Daniel said quietly.  "I'm the one that's ultimately responsible for this.  I thought whatever Pirelli ended up doing, he'd do to me," Daniel said, causing Jack and Sam to exchange a surprised look.  "I didn't realize that he would take this out on my team."

"We'll find him, Daniel - he'll pay for what he did to Major Carter and Teal'c.  And to you," Ferretti promised, as they turned to walk away.

"Yeah, well - none of that really matters now," Daniel said.   He turned once more to look back into the woods where he'd left Jack before turning to leave with SG-2.

Sam looked over at Jack once SG-2 was gone.  "What do you think, sir?"

Jack sighed.  "I think we may have made a big mistake, Major."  He stood up.  "Let's go get Teal'c."

General Hammond listened quietly as Ferretti relayed the information on their mission.  Beside him, Daniel stood like a statue, his arms wrapped tightly around him as he stared past General Hammond to a point on the far wall.  The rest of SG-2 had already left the gateroom, leaving them in relative quiet.

"I've instructed SG-3 to return once they've found Colonel O'Neill," Ferretti finished, looking over at Daniel before adding.  "I'm sorry we didn't bring them back, General."

"You did all you could, Major," Hammond said, nodding for him to leave.  Daniel almost flinched as General Hammond laid a hand on his shoulder, bringing his thoughts back to the present.  "There are no words, Dr. Jackson, that would serve to tell you how sorry I am that this happened."

Daniel nodded.  "I understand."

"If there's any blame to be laid, lay it to my charge," the General said quietly.  "I approached you about those original missions with SG-11, knowing full well that if you were successful, you'd make an enemy.  I underestimated that enemy, and I deeply regret that."

"We all underestimated him," Daniel said.  He turned as the chevrons began locking into place again.  

"That's probably SG-3," Hammond said, moving to the side.  "If you don't want to stay...."

"I'll stay," Daniel said.  He watched as the wormhole spun open, and the first of SG-3 came through - Major Griff and his 2IC.

"Where's Colonel O'Neill, Major Griff?" Hammond said.

"He's coming through with Sam and Teal'c," Griff said, coming to stand beside them.

Daniel closed his eyes briefly, and wished he'd taken General Hammond up on his offer.  The last thing he wanted to see right now was the bodies of his two friends.  He forced his eyes up to the Stargate, which hung open for a moment before Jack walked through, Sam and Teal'c on either side of him.  The other two members of SG-3 brought up the rear.  Jack's eyes locked with Daniel's as he started down the ramp.

A wave of absolute unqualified relief went through Daniel, soon replaced by a cold ache in the pit of his gut.  Jack had lied to him.  Pirelli had done his job so thoroughly that Jack had been afraid for Teal'c and Sam - and unwilling to trust him.  He wanted to join them at the bottom of the ramp, but his feet wouldn't move.

Sam was the first to come forward and offer an awkward hug.  "Daniel," she said warmly, squeezing him tightly before releasing him.  "Thanks for coming back for us."

"Indeed, Daniel Jackson.  We are sorry we had to deceive you," Teal'c said, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"But you had to be sure," Daniel finished.  He glanced over at Jack.

"We had to be sure," Jack said.  "So I hear that Pirelli is to blame for attacking my team?" Jack said as he turned to Hammond.

"He is, Jack.  We've got all the airports in the area watching for both Major Pirelli or Dr. Jackson, and road blocks on all highways.  We're going to catch that son of a bitch, Colonel. I only wish we'd been in time to prevent Teal'c from being attacked.  I'm glad you're all back safe."  Hammond looked at Teal'c's appearance with concern.  "And I think it's time you saw Dr. Fraiser," he said.  Teal'c gave him a nod and left with Sam.

Daniel started to leave as well, when General Hammond stopped him.  "That goes for you, too, Doctor."

"Okay," Daniel said without protest, starting to go toward the door.  

Jack fell in beside him, and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.  "Let's go," he said quietly to Daniel.

"Hop up here," Janet said, motioning to Daniel to get up on the bed.  She laid a hand on Daniel's forehead.  "You feel warm."

Daniel didn't answer her, only wearily reached down to untie his boot.  

Janet motioned for a nurse to take his blood pressure as she pulled up on his chin and shone a light in his eyes.  "Did you sustain any injuries while on the planet?" Janet asked.

"No, I brought them with me," he said, smothering a moan as he pulled off his first boot.

"What do you mean, brought them with you?" Jack asked loudly.

"You lied to me when I asked if you were fit to go along on that mission?" Janet joined in.

Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose.  "Please don't yell," he said weakly.  The last of the adrenaline he'd been running on ebbed away and he visibly slumped, clutching the edge of the bed.  He started to reach down for his other boot, and swayed alarmingly.

"Here - I'll get it," Jack said, untying the boot and jerking it off, wringing a cry from Daniel.  It didn't take long for Janet to zero in on the dampness on his black socks.  She gently began to cut them off, giving Daniel a dirty look as the full extent of the bandages on his feet - now marked with bright red splotches - became clear.

"Shit, Daniel - what happened?" Jack said.  He thought of the rocky terrain he'd forced Daniel to walk through while on the planet.  "Why didn't you say something?"

"You didn't exactly give me a chance," Daniel said.  "Not that I blame you."

Janet made short work of the other sock as well, and asked the nurses to bring a suture kit.  "Let's get these cleaned up," she said, motioning for Daniel to lay back on the bed, which he gratefully did.  The crisp tones of her voice indicating just how angry she was, despite the gentleness with which she was cutting away the bandages.

"Did Pirelli do this?" Jack demanded, as the extent of the cuts on Daniel's foot became clear.

"In a way," Daniel said, biting his lip as the rest of the bandages came away.  

"Story - now," Jack commanded, sitting down by his bedside.  

From the foot of the bed, as she started to wash away the blood from his feet, Janet's eyes bored into Daniel's.  "Right now," she agreed.

Daniel sighed.  "Pirelli held me captive in a cabin off Blue Canyon Road.  Well, after he zatted me....I guess I need to start at the beginning," Daniel said, once he saw Janet's glare and heard Jack's mumbled curse.  

"He zatted you?  That fact escaped the earlier telling, but please go on," Janet said.

"Can this wait?" Daniel said, grimacing.

"No!" they both replied.

"I think he just planned to delay me long enough so that he could go on this last mission.  He told me he was going to kill all of SG-1," Daniel said quietly.  "He zatted me, then rigged up what I thought was a bomb in the cabin.  When I came to, it was ticking, and there was no way to shut it off."

"There must have been a way, or you wouldn't be here," Jack said.

"No, it wasn't really a bomb," Daniel continued, biting back a cry as Janet gave him a shot in the bottom of his foot.  

"To numb it," she said, "you're going to need stitches.  A lot of stitches," she emphasized, as she prepared another syringe.

"Thanks for telling me," he mumbled.

"So it wasn't a bomb?" Jack prompted.

"No, it wasn't, but I didn't know that.  I thought it was going to explode and I was running to get away, and wasn't watching where I was going.  He'd spread broken glass all over the porch steps.  I didn't see it," he finished.

Jack felt his anger, which he thought couldn't get any stronger, start rising again.  Pirelli, you better hope I'm not the first person to find you, he thought.   "And you ripped your feet to shreds," he stated.  "After which, you proceeded to come back through the gate to find us."

"I'm sorry for not telling you," Daniel said.  "But I had to go through the gate.  This was all my fault - if I'd never crossed Pirelli in the firsst place, SG-1 would never have been put in danger, and Teal'c would have never been attacked..." 

"They're okay, Daniel.  Teal'c's recovering, and Sam and I were fine all along," Jack said.  

"But he could have killed you all," Daniel continued.

"He didn't want to kill us," Jack said.  "He wanted to discredit you.  Wanted us to lock you away somewhere forever, where you'd never be a part of the SGC again."

"He wanted to take away my team, like I'd taken away his," Daniel said a moment later.

"But you apparently outsmarted him again.  I should have listened to you," Jack said.  "Instead I got Pirelli sent off-base, where he cooked this whole thing up."

"You two can try to take the blame for this all you want," Janet said, reminding them of her presence.  "To me it sounds like he would have found some way to get back at you, Daniel - no matter what either of you did."

"I just wish he was in custody - they are going to find him, right?" Daniel said.

"Yes - they are," Jack said with finality.

Janet walked away for a moment to check on Teal'c, and Jack took the opportunity to speak.  "Daniel, listen - I'm sorry about what happened back there on the planet...."

"It's okay, Jack - a few stitches and I'll be fine.  You didn't know," Daniel said, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

"That's not what I meant," Jack said, his own eyes fastened on the floor.  "It's just....he knew things, Daniel.  Things I thought only you would know...."

"He did have access to my apartment, Jack.  I keep journals," Daniel leaned back a little, putting the heels of his hands to his eyes wearily.  "God, my apartment.  If it's anything like my office..."

"They're just things, Daniel," Jack said.

Daniel looked over at him.  "I know," he said.  "He took more than just things, Jack.  He took my identity.  If they don't find Pirelli, how will you ever be able to trust me again?  You'll always have that doubt in your mind - is it really Daniel?  He was able to fool you this time - what's going to prevent him from doing it again?"

"They're going to find him," Jack said, with all the confidence he could muster.  He looked up as General Hammond came to Daniel's bedside.

"News, I hope?" Jack said to him, as he sat down with them.

"They found the SUV at the airport.  It's been abandoned.  No one matching the description of Major Pirelli or Dr. Jackson was seen there, however."

"Oh, come on!" Jack said angrily.  "You gotta be kidding me."

"It gets worse," General Hammond said, showing them a file.  "I got this report from Area 51 just a few minutes ago.  Seems like the device that allowed Pirelli to impersonate Daniel wasn't the only thing taken."

"No," Daniel said, as he and Jack reached for the file simultaneously.

"He also took the device that would have allowed him to impersonate you, Colonel," General Hammond said.  "And when we did some checking, it turns out that someone matching your description did rent a plane from a local pilot - and he hasn't returned with it.  That's how he got away.  We didn't tell them to look for you."

Jack's mouth tightened into a thin line.  "So Pirelli's not only impersonating Daniel - he's impersonating me, too?"

General Hammond nodded.  "And he's still out there, Colonel."

Jack suddenly developed an interest in his boots as General Hammond tried to offer some comfort in the form of plans being made for further searches, agencies being notified, airports put on alert.  When he finally glanced back over at Daniel, he could only meet his eyes briefly before looking away.

He heard Daniel sigh as General Hammond continued, a weary sigh of resignation.  It wasn't over - not by a long shot.  Pirelli could still show up as Daniel anywhere he wanted and do anything he wanted.  He might not get back into the mountain - they'd find some way to prevent that - but it was a big world.

But that wasn't what made Jack's stomach churn with dread.  It was the knowledge that Daniel had thwarted Pirelli's shot at revenge.  He'd try again - Jack was sure of it.  And this time, he had the perfect way to succeed.  He could be the one person Daniel would trust without question, follow anywhere if he asked. 

He could be Jack.  And as he glanced back toward Daniel, he saw the same realization in his eyes.