Followed by his team, O'Neill stepped from the event horizon, his scowl deepening with disgust as he glanced around their current destination. It was even worse than he'd imagined. The UAV had given every indication humanoid life no longer existed on PQM4215 and he could see why. Small groves of scrawny trees, tiny oasis' of shade were sprinkled among stones of all shapes, sizes and colors that made up the landscape.

"Crap! This must be the gravel pit of the universe," he muttered.

Judging by its present position, the bright orange sun had barely begun its journey across the sky, yet he could feel the desert fatigues already clinging to his skin in the moist heat. Hopefully, the building depicted in the pictures would hold nothing of interest and SG-1 would be back home in time for lunch.

Well, at least, he wouldn't spend this mission listening to Daniel sneeze and wheeze. If there was one thing the archaeologist wasn't allergic to, it was rocks.

While Carter and Teal'c set up the portable DHD, securing the unit out of sight behind several boulders, (the UAV data had been known to be wrong), Jack watched as Daniel, having determined and recorded the point of origin symbol, squatted a few feet away, closely examining several colorful objects. The kid amazed the older man. Rarely did he not find something fascinating about the most mundane things.

The colonel couldn't help comparing this version of the man to the Dr. Daniel Jackson, he'd left on Abydos, reporting him killed in action.

The civilian would never know how many nights, during his retirement, Jack had sat at his telescope thinking of the young scientist. Wondering if he'd done the right thing. Sincerely hoping Daniel's new life was a happy one. God knew if anyone deserved a good life it was Daniel Jackson.

Jack vividly remembered the day, General West had handed him the dossier file on one Dr. Daniel Jackson, informing O'Neill the archaeologist would be joining.his team on the mission to Abydos. If circumstances had been different, O'Neill might have felt some sympathy for the man who'd been orphaned as a small child, passed from foster home to foster home. He probably would have been impressed this kid had graduated college at an age when most people were just beginning, with three Ph.d's and more letters behind his name than the professors who taught him. However, appreciation for the linguist's many skills and the man himself had come much later. At that point the career soldier had no use and no patience for a skinny civilian geek. Truth be known, he had no use for anyone, including himself. O'Neill was certain having a civilian along on a military operation would be nothing but trouble. He'd probably get himself and everyone else killed. Jack was never so happy to be wrong.

O'Neill hadn't been thrilled by the circumstances which brought him before West's replacement, General Hammond, but he was glad to have the chance at learning Jackson's fate. Kawalsky's grin had reflected Jack's own relief when that empty Kleenex box slid down the ramp, the simple message 'Thanks. Send more please' written on the side.

The thrill of adventure as Jack had stepped from the watery flux into the Abydos gateroom had been mixed with apprehension at what they might discover. His happiness at seeing Daniel, healthy and whole was dampened by despair, knowing his orders were going to destroy the young man's world.

Feeling all eyes on him, embarrassed by the less than military composition of his emotions, the soldier had brushed past the scientist as if he wasn't there, instead releasing the joy he felt in the bear hug he had given Skaara. It had been an acceptable solution. They all knew how special the young Abydoian was to him. In his perepherial vision he had seen Daniel duck his head, wrapping his arms about himself in what the colonel now recognized as a gesture of emotional self protection.

Although he was probably healthier than he'd ever been in his life, the difference in Daniel hadn't been just physical. In the years since he'd unlocked the secret of the Stargate, the scientist had been to hell and back, surviving by sheer strength of will. In the process he had discovered friends who believed in him, stood by him with the same loyalty he had always shown others and made him feel not only needed, but wanted as well. With the help of those friends, he'd adopted as family, Daniel thrived on his home world just as he had on Abydos.

"What?"

"What?" Jack pulled himself from his musings, seeing Daniel glance about in confusion.

"What?" The linguist glanced around again. "What did I do?"

"What?"

"You were staring at me." Daniel rose to his feet, concern in his expression. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking about....the-the heat." O'Neill lied.

"Jack, I think these are the crystals used in the Stargate and DHD...." Jack stifled a grin as Daniel started off on a tangent of theorizing.

"All set, sir," Sam reported. She carefully lifted one of the crystals from Daniel's extended palm. "These look like the crystals used..."

"In the Stargate and DHD." Jack finished, waving a hand dismissively. "We'll make you two happy and take some back to be analyzed. Let's go see this building and get home before we all melt."

*****

"Oookay.....campers, any ideas?" O'Neill tilted his head back, looking toward the top of the pyramid. It worried him, for the building didn't look as old as some of those they'd come across on other worlds. Vines had pushed through the rocky terrain, flourishing in the humid atmosphere, clinging to the stone, almost obliterating the building from view.

"The entrance isn't covered, but doesn't seem to be working." Daniel ran his fingers over the hieroglyphics as, pushing aside some vines, Teal'c located the panel next to the door, and removed the cover plate.

"So, do we have any idea whose....temple.....or whatever this is?.....Any idea who might be sleeping inside?" Jack questioned as Carter watched over Teal'c's shoulder.

"There's a warning.....Essentially it says......anybody entering Maypel's domain without permission does so at risk of death," Daniel translated.

"Of course it does. You ever seen one of these where the Goa'uld says 'welcome friends, come on in, have a beer, let's split a pizza and watch a little hockey'?" The colonel quipped. "They always gotta be so damn melodramatic and go around threatening everybody.....Who's this Maypole anyway? Any relation to Maybourne?"

"Maypel," Daniel corrected with a shrug of his shoulders, "and I have no idea who he....or she is."

"Maypel was an Goa'uld underlord of no significance," Teal'c informed them, his eyes never leaving the wires he worked with. "It was said he was collecting weapons with plans to overthrow Sokar. This was never proven as Sokar, hearing the rumors, had him decapitated. His head was placed on display as a symbol to others who might give thought to defying the System Lord."

"Well, if this was one of Maypole's worlds, I can see why he wasn't happy. So, he was starting an arsenal so he could kick Sokar's ass and take his place?"

"No one believed there was an arsenal. It was said Sokar tortured Maypel for many weeks without results." Teal'c's eyebrow arched as at that moment the door slid open.

"Well, if he's dead, we don't have to worry about him being inside." Daniel poked his head through the entrance. "Whoooa!!....Jack!....I...think you oughta see this."

Their flashlights weren't necessary as the building was well lit, revealing neat stacks of staff weapons, zat guns, shock grenades, communication balls, the ring weapon Martouf and Graham had used in their assasination attempts. There were also several types of weapons the team had never seen before.

"Maybe the rumors were true." Jack quipped droolly.

"Evidently." Teal'c raised an eyebrow at O'Neill's statement of the obvious, his gaze following Daniel.

"What are these things?...." Jack held up a small oblong object. "The Goa'uld taking up football?"

"They are the equivilant to your C-4, O'Neill." As close an expression of alarm as Teal'c ever allowed to show crossed his face as gingerly taking the weapon, he placed it back in the pile. "They have not been used in many years. They were found to be highly unstable."

"Hey Sam, look at this!" Daniel's voice was filled with excitement as he called from the adjoining room. It contained several sophisticated computers and equipment similiar to those used in other Goa'uld strongholds, they'd encountered.

The young scientist was staring intently at a screen. "This seems to be some sort of battle plan, and if it is," setting his sunglasses aside, the archaeologist replaced them with his clear lenses. "I wonder what else might be on-"

"Excuse me!" Jack grabbed Daniel's wrist as the young man reached to change the monitor. "Am I wrong or is that one of those turny things Machello planted his little time bombs in?"

"Yeah, but there's no evidence he was here and...."

"And nothing Daniel! Did you enjoy bouncing off the padded walls at MacKenzie Land?" Jack's teasing grin faded seeing the color drain from Daniel's face as the all too recent memory surfaced. "Do us both a favor, huh, and don't touch those things until we get them checked out." Jack ruffled the younger man's hair in an attempt to lighten the mood. "We're gonna need a F.R.E.D. to transport this stuff back, anyway. Carter, Teal'c head back. Let Hammond know what we've found. Get protective wear and I would say a couple extra days' worth of provisions and gear. You know what we're gonna need." This was supposed to be a simple recon mission so they'd brought only enough supplies, and water for a few hours. "Danny and I'll start an inventory and prepare a campsite in that last grove of trees we passed."

"Yes, sir." Carter glanced around the temple longingly. Like Daniel her curiousity was aroused and her fingers itched to discover the hidden secrets of the equipment. "We'll be back A.S.A.P."

"Take your time." O'Neill called as they reached the door. "We'll have lunch ready.....Burgers and fries alright?"

"Don't forget the Diet Coke."

*****

"Daniel, can I ask you something?" Jack leaned back, using the boulder behind him to support his tired back. They'd just spent two hours counting staff weapons and zat guns.

"You just did and you can forget it if you're gonna ask me to make a quick trip to the nearest intersteller Burger King." Passing O'Neill the coffee, he took his own cup and backed away from the heat of the small fire. His attempt to find a comfortable spot on the rocky ground proved futile. Maybe he'd suggest they spend the night in the temple. At least the floor wouldn't be both hard and bumpy. He wiped at the sweat running down his cheeks. The trees provided little protection against the bright sunlight. "You're the one that promised burgers and fries."

Jack grinned. "Becoming a regular smartass aren't ya?"

Daniel's blue eyes widened with amusement. "Must be the company I've been keeping. What's your question?"

"Did you miss Earth at all, when you lived on Abydos?"

"Coffee....I missed real coffee." Daniel emphasized his answer with a sip from his cup, hoping his surprise at the question didn't show. "And hot showers....Indoor plumbing.....What'd you miss the most when you were stuck on Edora?"

"Hockey." Jack knew he sounded flippant, but he wasn't prepared for the question and it was the first thing that came to mind. After the debriefing, out of respect for his privacy, the members of SG-1 had never questioned him about the three and a half months he was trapped light years from home. "You guys.....I missed you guys."

Daniel hesitated, then, softly, "Believe it or not, I thought about you alot while I was on Abydos."

"Excuse me?" The colonel was ashamed to admit he'd been a total and complete ass during that first Abydos mission, treating the archaeologist with indifference and outright contempt. In return, Daniel had stepped in front of a staff weapon blast, dying in Jack's place.

"I wondered how you were doing...If everything had worked out for you.....If you'd gotten into trouble over the-the lies you told concerning my-my supposed death. That's why we uncovered the gate." The linguist stared into his metal cup. They rarely talked about his year on Abydos, and Jack had never asked why the gate had been reopened. "I was afraid if your little....subterfuge was discovered and you couldn't prove I stayed behind willingly....you'd really be in trouble."

O'Neill tried not to cringe at the guilt surging through him. That desire to help Jack if needed, that selflessness so much a part of of the linguist's nature, had cost Daniel his hard earned happiness. For Jack it had hit home just how special and unique an individual the anthropologist really was, seeing the young soldiers of Abydos listening as Daniel told them they must once again bury the Stargate. Apophis had just used the device to kill or capture several of their loved ones including Sha'uri and Skaara, yet the evil brought by the gate wasn't as important to those people as the good it brought when Daniel had stepped through. He had changed their lives for the better, just as he had O'Neill's.

Jack had no idea why he was thinking about that first mission so much lately. Yet he was. Yes he did. It was that damn dream he'd had several nights earlier. A dream in which the archaeologist had left the SGC and returned to his adopted home. O'Neill had awoken with a overwhelming sense of sadness and a touch of foreboding at the thought of never seeing his friend again. The loss of not being able to pick up the phone and call. Not having to stop by the cluttered office to drag the pre-occupied linguist off for dinner. Not having to listen to an hour long lecture on the importance of some obscure piece of pottery, seeing him duck his head in embarrassment when complimented or hearing Daniel's laughter at some stupid joke, the anthropologist found particularly funny.

"You ever think about going back if this ends?"

"Are you thinking about retiring, Jack?"

"Hell no!!! Once was enough. Retirement is for decrepit old geezers who don't mind boredom."

"Well, if you're not thinking about retirement....." He was stalling, hoping Jack would just drop the subject. "Am I being fired?"

"For cryin out loud, Daniel, do you have to analyze everything?!!" O'Neill threw his hands up in disgust. He didn't want to discuss the eerie premonition which still remained long after the dream faded. "Geesch, I just asked a simple question."

Daniel chewed on his lip, regarding his answer seriously. It was something he'd thought about quite alot when Sha'uri was alive. Laying in bed at night, alone, longing for the wife he'd known such a short time, Daniel wondered about life afterwards. It seemed since she'd been taken, all his concentration had been on getting her back, but what about afterwards. If they could rescue her, free her of the parasite controlling her body, what then? Physically, life on Earth would be much easier for her than what she'd previously known, but was it fair to keep her from that other life? To keep her from her father and family?

Then there had been Maybourne to consider and the questions and tests he would have insisted she undergo. Turning her into some kind of lab rat for his own purposes. With her death, those questions became academic.

"I honestly don't know," he shrugged. "I...The first time,....there was really nothing for me here....no future...no job or family...no..." his voice trailed off but he didn't need to complete the sentence for Jack. 'No one to give a damn or miss me.'

'I'd miss ya, Dannyboy.' The colonel wondered if Daniel really knew how many people cared about him. The linguist never seemed to realize his own worth. Deciding the conversation was getting too maudlin, Jack searched for a change of subject, finding it when Daniel glanced off in the distance, squinting against the bright sunlight.

"Where are your sunglasses?"

"I...think....I think I left them in the temple." The scientist admitted, looking every bit like a guilty little boy.

"Well get your ass back there and get em! How many times do I have to warn you about sunburning your eyes? Take my word for it, it's not fun!" Jack set about preparing lunch. "Daniel!"

"Yeah, I know," In a perfect imitation of Jack, he waved a hand, stopping the colonel's next comment. "Don't touch anything."

"Right....And, Daniel?"

"Yeeesss?" Daniel stopped, turning to give his commanding officer an exaggerated sigh.

"We'd miss you."

"Thanks." The scholar quickly ducked his head hiding the shy smile, Jack's words evoked.

*****

Was Jack thinking about Laira? Was that the reason for the strange conversation? Daniel suspected the soldier had developed a fairly serious relationship with the woman while stuck on Edora. An honorable man, O'Neill would never have deliberately misled her, but Daniel thought Jack, feeling he'd never see Earth again, had redirected his feelings for Sam. It was possible the man hadn't even acknowledged the emotions buried deep in his subconscious. Although, he'd never say anything, Daniel had been aware of the shared feelings, maybe even before Sam or Jack, knowing even if acknowledged the two officers would never act on those sentiments.

Lost in thought, the archaeologist heard the rattle of displaced pebbles only a moment before he crashed to his knees, a strangled cry escaping his lips. Groping frantically at the burning pain spreading through his back, Daniel's blurry gaze settled on a pair of legs.

"J-Jak!" The cry was cut short, Daniel's trembling hand never reaching the side arm as the man brought a heavy club crashing against the side of the linguist head, shattering the glass lenses, the frames landing in the dirt. Daniel never felt the knife jerked from his back, nor saw the man wipe the linguist's blood from the crystal blade on ragged trousers.

*****