O'Neill knew, Daniel's greatest fear wasn't seeing his own death...it was the aloneness. How many times had this young man reached out only to be rebuffed? And still he kept reaching., no doubt, hoping and praying, someday, someone would reach out to him, extending friendship, shattering the solitutde which surrounded him.

Jack started to reach out his hand, letting it fall back into his lap as he stared at Daniel's shoulders slouched in embarressment.

"Daniel...Look at me..." He inhaled deeply as a nightmare flash of deja vu flooded over him, remembering saying those same words before. Remembering, the pain glazed blue eyes turning to look at him one last time. "Danny..." The scientist slowly turned at the persistant tone, his eyes liquid and shining finally coming to focus on Jack.

"Ya gotta know Danny, I would never leave you," he vowed. "NEVER!"

The floppy hair shifted and fell across Daniel's eyes as he nodded. "I know that Jack. It' just..." He shook his head, unable to finish, his lower lip quivering slightly.

'He doesn't know where he stands with you.' The sudden thought smashed into Jack like a physical blow. His brown eyes widened in realization. 'He's never known where he belongs.'

"Daniel?" His voice softened. "Daniel..." he took a deep breath. This was going to be harder than he thought. "I saw you die."

The blue eyes grew even larger with shock as he slowly went on. "I couldn't help you." Jack closed his eyes against the memory of the lifeless pale face, cradled in his arms. "I couldn't help...and you...died." Although he now knew it had been nothing more than some twisted mind game, it didn't stop the guilt soaking into the core of the soldier's soul. "I'm so sorry."

Confusion furrowed Daniel's brow. "Why?" The one word was barely more than a murmur.

"Why what?"

"Why...why would my death be your greatest fear?" Daniel questioned, shaking his head in confused disbelief. "There's a million things more important than me," he whispered.

Jack shook his head, hearing the self doubt and embittered tone of worthlessness echoing in the kid's puzzled voice. "You're wrong Danny. So very wrong. Nothing, absolutely nothing is ever more important than a friend."

Daniel scowled then as the words slowly soaked in and registered. His eyes met Jack's, his face full of disbelief, his voice a soft whisper. "W-what?"

"I said nothing is ever more important than a friend Danny. Nothing!"

Stunned, a soft expression of hope formed on the gentle face. Jack watched as the myraid of emotions swirled through the blue eyes locked with his. He saw the hope momentarily replaced with fear. Fear that the young man had misinterpeted the meaning behind Jack's words. That small ember of hope returned as Daniel wrapped himself in courage to ask the question burning in his mind. "Am I Jack?"

"Are you what Daniel?" Jack asked patiently, trying to suppress the smile, welling inside him at the transformation his words had brought to the young man.

"A friend?" He whispered, the tone heartbreakingly hopeful.

The smile broke free as Jack nodded. "Yeah Space Monkey, you really are."

Jack well remembered the smile on Daniel's face when the team had been reunited after destroying Apophis' ships, it was one of his favorite memories, one he used to fight darker memories, but that smile was put to shame compared to the one now beaming at the colonel. Another wonderful memory to be safeguarded.