"Let go of it Jack. You have nothing to feel guilty about."

"Bullshit!" Daniel steeled himself, refusing to cause Jack further damage by cringing at the angry tone as O'Neill jumped to his feet, pacing the room like a defendant waiting on the jury's verdict. "Have you looked in a mirror lately Daniel? I did that to you!"

"And now you're doing it to yourself."

Jack froze at the quiet words. Recognizing an opening when he saw one, Daniel pushed on, just as he had that night on Apakia. "I have to ask a favor of you Jack."

"God Daniel...Anything!" Jack slumped in the chair, so riddled with guilt, he couldn't meet Daniel's gaze.

The scientist's two words were softly pleading. "Forgive yourself."

"I can't." The words were so soft they almost didn't travel across the room to be heard. His elbows resting on his knees, his face buried in his hands, Jack appeared as dejected and helpless as some of the patients Daniel had seen during his short span at the mental facility. Pushing the blankets aside, Daniel wiggled and scooted his way to the edge of the bed, hoping Jack didn't notice how much the movement took out of him.

"What can I say to help you Jack?"

"Nothing." There were tears streaming down his face when he finally looked at Daniel. "Don't you understand...I-I damn near killed you. I almost beat you to death with my bare hands. How am I supposed to forgive myself for that?" He had lost control. He had changed from a thinking human being, becoming a animal feeding on revenge and in the process had almost destroyed the most precious thing in his life.

"That wasn't me with you in that room Jack. Hell in your mind you weren't even in that room!"

"I spent years in special forces! I've been trained to resist all types of mind control-"

"All types of known mind control Jack. I don't think your training covered anything you might encounter traveling across the galaxy."

His hand trembling with fatigue, Daniel reached out to Jack, wanting to help, needing to pull him back from the edge of the precipice before the man he knew was lost forever. Encouraged when O'Neill gripped the outstretched hand, Daniel continued. "I wasn't the one you were taking revenge on Jack...I was the reason for the revenge." He rushed on before Jack could interrupt and he was about to interrupt. "In your mind...in..in the nightmares, it was me Major Hai killed wasn't it?"

Jack took so long, Daniel wasn't sure he was going to answer at all then in a barely audible whisper came the answer, "Yes."

"It wasn't about anything but revenge Jack. Hell she could have had the codes anytime she wanted by simply making one of us a host. It was revenge pure and simple. Revenge against you! You ruined her plans for Chronos and got Earth accepted as a protected world. Take it as a compliment. You did your job!" He wasn't sure if Jack had done more than glance at the mission reports but it didn't matter. Daniel repeated Shelaya's explanation of the effects caused by the combination of Cha'cota root and Kamaka powder.

The scientist didn't think it necessary to tell Jack of Nurti' repeatedly using the ribbon device on him while they were alone, taking Daniel to the brink of death before stopping in an attempt to get the codes. The nightmare image of Jack dying at the hands of Apophis had kept him silent. Daniel's faith in his friend, his trust that Jack would always be there, would somehow find a way to get his team home had given him the strength to fight.

"With you Bannock used a hatred you'd buried so deep, you didn't even remember it....With me...he used my greatest fears."

"Getting the crap kicked out of you by someone you trusted." The linguist grinned, taking the wise crack as a good sign.

"Giving up the codes...Letting you down...Losing your friendship." The smile faded with the admission.

"Wh-wh-what!" Moving to sit on the bed, Jack slid an arm around the slumped shoulders as the younger man sagged against him. "You're my friend Daniel. Probably the best friend I've ever had or will have. There's nothing you could do to change that."

"Exactly my point." She may have accomplished nothing else but Nurti' had proven their friendship could withstand anything.

'You must forgive yourself O'Neill just as Daniel forgives you.' He could hear Shelaya's words as clearly as if she were in the room, feel her gentle touch as it stroked his hair. When? Oh well it really didn't matter. Staring into twinkling blue eyes, Jack knew he'd been had. A lightness settled over him as if the Rocky Mountains had been lifted from his chest to be replaced with a soft blanket of peacefulness.

"Damnit Daniel are you ever going to let me win an argument?"

"Only offword." The quiet answer and impish smile brought Jack's attention to how pale Daniel looked under the still garish cuts and bruises. Still weak, Daniel's late night excursion had drained his precious reserve of energy. Jack knew Daniel should be in the infirmary, had said he would take him back, but not right now. Daniel's head lolled against Jack's shoulder as the young man began to drift off again. Right now he would care for his friend. Daniel stirred looking slightly confused as standing, slipping an arm around his back and under his knees, the colonel lifted Daniel, gently situating him back on the bed.

"You know Janet's gonna have your ass on a silver platter for this little stunt don't you?"

"You'll protect me....You always do." A smile still curving Daniel's lips, his heavy eyelids slid wearily closed and he never heard Jack's soft chuckle as the soldier tucked the covers around his best friend.