Daniel looked around but whoever had left the clothes had taken his dirty ones and he had nothing else to wear. With no other option, sick at heart, he reluctantly dressed in the green outfit, he knew he was unworthy of wearing.

Dr. Frasier looked up as the young scientist stepped from the bathroom. Her gaze moved over him, the doctor in her assessing his condition. His slumped shoulders reflected defeat and overwhelming loss was written on his face. She glanced at her watch. It was well passed SG-1's arrival time. Janet made her way across the room to where the anthropologist stood, looking lost and out of place.

"Dr. Jackson?" When he turned to look at her, his expression broke her heart. The pain etched in his blue eyes tore at her. Chewing her lower lip, she motioned him into her office and closed the door. "Daniel, sit down. I have something to tell you." Janet couldn't, she wouldn't let him continue to suffer such pain. "There's something you need to hear."

'Here it comes' Daniel thought. 'She wants to warn me that General Hammond had decided I'm no longer part of the Stargate Program.' He was not going to be allowed to honor his lost teammates by continuing what they had started. It was to be his punishment for failing them. For allowing them to die. As if the knowledge that he was the very cause of their deaths wasn't enough

Running the tip of his tongue across his lips, he sat down, staring at her without a word, reminding her of a small child waiting to see what punishment would be handed down for forgetting to do his chores. Janet knelt by the chair, covering the hands clenched tightly in his lap with her own. "Daniel, they're alive."

Daniel stared at her as if she'd suddenly lost her mind, the words not registering. He shook his head in denial. "No...they're not."

"Daniel, listen to me...They're alive. They made it....They're here. Jack and Sam and Teal'c...they're alive and they're here on the base."

She watched as the words slowly took form in his grief stricken mind. His eyes widened, his lips parted and he suddenly gripped her hands tightly, staring hard into her face.

"Alive?" He whispered, afraid this was just his desire to have his friends back, playing tricks with his imagination.

Janet nodded as a smile came to his face. He suddenly took a deep breath and pushed to his feet. Daniel paced several steps, then suddenly turned to look down at her, his blue eyes bright and shimmering.

"Alive?" he repeated. She nodded again, watching the wonderful transformation sweep over the young man. "Where? How?"

Janet stood up. "I don't know. All I know is the shuttle found them and they're here...They're home."

"I gotta see them!" Daniel moved for the door. Turning back covering the short distance between them he gathered her in a swift joyous embrace. Lowering her feet to the floor, he stepped back to stare at her.

"Alive?" He questioned yet again and at her nod, his smile widened. It was the most beautiful word he'd ever heard...in any language. With a quick wave of his hand Daniel dashed for the elevator.

The ecstatic archaeologist ran out of the elevator, sliding to a halt in front of General Hammond. The older man smiled at his happy expression. "I take it you've heard the good news."

Daniel nodded vigorously. "It's true?" He asked yet again, needing reassurance, still not quite letting himself believe he'd actually heard Janet correctly.

"Yes son, it's true. They're due any minute." Hammond hesitated before suggesting, "Why don't you wait by the door and surprise them?"

"Surprise them?" Daniel's brow furrowed in puzzlement.

"They don't know you're here, Dr. Jackson."

"Then they still think-"

"You're dead," Hammond finished with a nod. "You know son, one of these days, you just might be," he admonished, remembering everyone's sorrow when the archaeologist was lost on Nem's water world and thought dead.

"But not today General. Not today!" Daniel grinned with a sloppy salute as he slipped into the room, taking a place behind the military personal who had gathered for the welcoming of SG-1

Daniel saw his friends enter, accompanied by Bra'tek. So he too had made it out alive. He was glad, happy Teal'c's old master would be around to fight another day.

His blue eyes drifted over his friends, drinking in the sight of them. He closed his eyes for a moment and gave thanks to the one who looked out for warriors and innocents, then opened them to just watch his friends in this, their moment of glory.

Hammond was talking with Bra'tek and Daniel's attention turned to Jack. What would the colonel say? How would he react? How would he accept the fact Daniel had survived and made it back without them? Would Jack believe he had run out on them, leaving them alone to fight a battle he had dragged them into? Would Jack be angry at him, pissed over the fact he had already accepted the scientist's death for the second time and now, Lazarus-like, Daniel had risen yet again?

Self doubt swamped Daniel. He felt nothing but overwhelming joy at the safe return of his teammates but how could he know that joy would be returned? How could he be sure they would be as happy to see him as was at seeing them? What if...

The door beside him opened for Bra'tek to leave and Daniel half turned to follow the old master from the room. He suddenly, couldn't face these people, these three people he considered his friends, unsure of his reception from them. With a surge of self-doubt and fear, he took a step toward the door.

"SG-1, there's someone here who'd like to see you." There was a self-satisfied tone in the general's voice as he spoke and turned toward the door.

With a deep breath, Daniel knew he couldn't run now. He slowly shouldered his way through the soldiers in front of him and stepped out into SG-1's line of sight. His expression was tentative, not knowing what to expect from these people he cared so much about. He breath caught and held as his teammates first saw him...alive and unharmed.

"Daniel!"

He heard Sam's soft exclamation of surprise in his name but his eyes were locked on Jack as he stopped and waited. Waited to see the older man's reaction. Daniel's expression was hopeful, anticipating, longing to be accepted but knowing he probably never would be. They had their own code, their own way of doing things and he didn't fit into that strict military slot.

Jack moved toward him. Suddenly, Daniel was gathered into a crushing bear hug and Jack was smiling and laughing, hugging him and ruffling his hair as if really checking to make sure he were truly here. Truly alive and in one piece.

"Space Monkey...Yeah!"

As the older man finally released him and stepped back, smiling, all of Daniel's fears and self doubt melted away as if they had never been. The overwhelming joy he felt was almost too much to contain and it reflected in his face and shimmering eyes as he returned Jack's smile with a dazzling one of his own.

Carter gave him a welcoming hug which he happily returned, as the ranks began to break up around them. Teal'c stepped closer relaying his own happiness in that simple regal nod of his head. The four team members stood, happily all talking at the same time as Jack laid his arms about their shoulders and drew them into a warm, wonderful circle of love.

'Friendship is Love without wings' Lord Byron.