Title: Resolutions
Author: Sazz
Status: Complete
Category: Epilogue for "Threshold," Sequel to my missing scene fic, "Choices"
Spoilers: Minor ones for Threshold, Enemies, Forever in a Day
Season/Sequel info: Season 5, a few days after the events in "Threshold"
Rating: PG
Content Warnings: None
Summary: Daniel and Teal'c resolve some issues in their complicated friendship
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. But if you ask, I'll probably say yes.
Author's Note: Sequel to ‘Choices’ – you probably should read that one first, or this won’t make any sense. Many appreciative thanks to Pough for beta-ing.
*****
Resolutions
Daniel saw the shadow pass over the words he was writing. A shadow that was the distinct shape of Jack's head. Daniel didn't look up, hoping if he ignored the shadow long enough, it would go away.
No such luck. The shadow, or rather, Jack apparently getting tired of being ignored, cleared his throat with a noisy rasp.
Daniel sighed and finally looked at his friend. "What's up, Jack?"
"Oh, not much," Jack perched on the edge of Daniel's desk to peer at what he was working on. "Wasn't that from about six missions ago?"
Daniel reached under his glasses to rub his tired eyes. "Actually seven. That's how far behind I am on these translations, what with being blown 10,000 light years from our solar system and trying to get Teal--" he abruptly cut off on the Jaffa's name.
Jack raised an eyebrow at that, looking at Daniel. "Well, you know, you can't catch up all in one day. Besides, I think you have a pretty good excuse. It's not every day that you help take out Apophis."
"Maybe, take out Apophis. I'm not going to believe he's really dead until I see a body. And even then, I might be tempted to put a stake in his heart, just to be on the safe side."
"He's a snake, not a vampire, Danny. And I knew we shouldn't have lent my ship to the Tok'ra. Next time I get one, remind me that no one but us gets to fly it. Now that you know how to pilot one of those babies, just think of the possibilities!" Jack grinned.
"Well, next time you find a Goa'uld mothership, I'll be happy to fly it for you, Jack," Daniel answered. "So, you bored or something, or is there a reason you're here?"
"Yes! I'm bored, and we still have four more days of being on stand-down. And yes, there's a reason I'm here. To bug you. And, to get your nose out of that book and get you to come back to my place and watch a game with me and Teal'c. Carter's busy, so it'll be just us guys. We'll grab some beers, a couple of pizzas with all the fixings. Come on, it'll be great."
"Sounds fun, but I really have to finish this." Daniel looked back down at his notes, picked up his pen and started to write again.
"Aht!" Jack snatched the pen out of Daniel's hand. At Daniel's startled and irritated glare at him, Jack continued, " Look Daniel, I really think you should come with us. Teal'c is starting to think you're avoiding him. I'm starting to think you're avoiding him."
"I'm not avoiding Teal'c--I... I've just been really busy...." Daniel looked at a place just over Jack's left shoulder--something that after hanging around Daniel for four years, Jack recognized as a dead give-away that he was lying.
"Yeah, right," Jack leaned forward to look Daniel in the eye. "Since we got Teal'c back to himself, you've hardly said three words to the guy. That, in itself, is an accomplishment for you. I can't get you to shut up half the time you're around people you don't like."
Jack paused and plucked at a thread on his sleeve, choosing his next words carefully. "Daniel, I know that Teal'c said something to you on the way home on the ship. Is that what's bugging you? You know he wasn't himself at the time-- whatever he said, he didn't mean it." He all too clearly remembered Daniel's shocked expression when he had finished speaking alone with Teal'c. Daniel had looked like someone had walked over his grave. Or Sha're's, most likely.
"Yes, I know that, Jack," Daniel said, his voice tinged with impatience, and waited for Jack to either leave or question him further. When Jack did neither and merely continued to stare at him, Daniel said, "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"
"Nope," Jack smirked. "You either come with us, or I'll sit here and bug you until you tell me what's going on with you."
Daniel pushed back his chair with a sigh. "Fine. I'll come with you. Anything's better than you lurking over my desk like a vulture, staring at me."
"A vulture?"
"Yeah, only more like Snoopy's impression," Daniel grumbled as he stood, arranged the papers on his cluttered desk.
"Snoopy?" Jack protested. "As in Charlie Brown? Are you insinuating that I resembe a dog?"
"No, but you are as persistant as one," Daniel said as he followed Jack out of his office.
*****
Daniel stepped out onto Jack's deck, rubbing the aching muscles at the back of his neck. He had fallen asleep on Jack's chair after more than his usual limit of beers and one slice of pizza too many. He'd woken up to find an afghan thrown over him and his neck stiff from the awkward position in which he had been sleeping. The house was darkened--Jack had gone to bed, and Teal'c was probably in the guestroom, doing his meditation.
Daniel walked to the edge of the deck and looked up at the stars. It was a warm, clear night, the full moon illuminating everything in a silvery blue glow.
Watching the night sky, Daniel remembered a simpler time when the stars were just stars. Nothing but the mystery of what was out there. No threats from parasitic alien races, no battles of morality over exploring other cultures and what the effect their mere arrival would have on those people's destinies. No guilt over opening the Stargate, putting their own planet at risk.
But then, if he had never opened the Stargate, he would never have met Sha're and had the happiest year in his life. Never found the family that was SG1 he had been fortunate enough to become a part of after nearly a lifetime of a solitude so complete, he couldn't have imagined allowing anyone to break into it. Anyone wanting to break into it.
He knew they were selfish thoughts, but then again, maybe in some grand scheme of the universe, Daniel wondered if he was meant to be the one to open the Stargate. Maybe the Goa'uld would have found them all on their own eventually, anyway.
Besides, what was done was done. There was never any turning back, was there? The fate of his world had been irrevocably changed. Daniel had opened the door to the universe. Changed countless lives. He knew his own existence paled in comparison, but it was still his life that he had to lead. Had to make sense of, when things far too often strayed beyond normal comprehension. He had often tried to imagine a life without the SGC, without his adopted family, but couldn't. Didn't want to, really. He could no longer think of SG1 as a team, they were his family. Jack, Sam, Teal'c.
Teal'c. Add another one to the guilt. Jack was right--Daniel had been avoiding Teal'c. Not because of what Teal'c had said to him on the ship. It was what he, had angrily said to Teal'c, in reaction.
When they had finally returned home and through the whole time of watching Teal'c endure the Rite of Malshuraan, he had found it impossible to think of the right words to say to Teal'c to help bring him back. Which was funny, really. Daniel could come up with retorts, proverbs and quotations to suit every occasion in 24 languages, but with Teal'c--nothing.
Jack even had to jump in and rescue him from just sitting there, staring at Teal'c, rendered speechless, his mind conjuring scenarios of 'what if Teal'c really had been engaging in the weirdest and most illogical subterfuge of all time'?
That doubt in his friend's loyalty was stupid now, Daniel realized, but sometimes your heart goes places your mind doesn't want to.
"For the first few months, I had a hard time even looking at you without feeling sick to my stomach. I felt guilty for having moments where I wanted to put a gun to your head and blow it off for what you did to Sha're, to Skaara and God knows how many others. I didn't want to trust you. Like they say, 'once a traitor, always a traitor.'"
Daniel's angry words replayed in his mind. He couldn't believe he had actually spoken them. Teal'c had only been trying to upset him back on the ship--lashing out from his pain and confusion and Daniel had fallen right into it. Said the things to Teal'c that he had sworn never to say. Things he found difficult to admit, even to himself.
"DanielJackson?"
Daniel jumped, startled by Teal'c's soft, mellifluous voice sounding in the darkness of the night and invading Daniel's troubled thoughts.
He turned in the direction of the voice to see Teal'c, seated cross-legged on the deck in the far corner, close against the house, hidden by the shadows.
"Teal'c. I... I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. I didn't mean to disturb your Kel No Reem - I'll leave you alone to--"
"It would please me if you stayed, DanielJackson. You seem to be troubled. Perhaps I may be of assistance."
"No, it's nothing to worry about, Teal'c. I just... couldn't sleep anymore and it's such a nice night out."
"It is indeed. Now that we have the opportunity to speak in private, I would like to ask for your forgiveness, DanielJackson."
"My forgiveness?" Daniel frowned at the Jaffa in confusion. "For what?"
"For the things that I said to you regarding Sha're and for my part in her fate and Skaara's, as well. I do not blame you for not wanting to trust me. For believing me to be a traitor. For wanting retribution."
Daniel felt his heart sink. Damn, he does remember what I told him. Daniel reluctantly moved closer to Teal'c and sat down across from him, imitating Teal'c's posture. Time to face the music.
"God, Teal'c, I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. What I said... my reaction... it... it wasn't called for. You had been tortured, brainwashed, and I... I should have known you better than that."
"You have no need to apologize for speaking the truth."
"But, it wasn't..." Daniel's voice trailed off as he looked down, trying to collect his thoughts.
"It was the truth you spoke, DanielJackson. Your words were spoken from the heart." Teal'c's dark eyes were fixed on Daniel's face, pale in the moonlight. "How could you not have anger toward me regarding Sha're? I did not expect you to forgive me for Sha're. Some actions are unforgivable."
"I did forgive you though, Teal'c," Daniel said in a soft voice, meeting the Jaffa's sorrowful gaze.
"And for that, I am immeasurably grateful. I have the greatest respect for your strength of character, DanielJackson. You are a man of much knowledge and wisdom, with the heart of a warrior. It pleases me greatly that you have now, in your heart, truly forgiven me for Sha're. Perhaps you and I can continue our brotherhood with no secrets in our hearts."
Daniel smiled slightly at this, his blue eyes bright. "And I have the greatest respect for you, Teal'c. I am honored to be your friend, your brother, with no more secrets in my heart."
Daniel hesitated for a moment, then reached his hand out to Teal'c.
Teal'c smiled in return, surprised by Daniel physically reaching out to him for the first time in their complicated friendship. Teal'c tightly clasped the younger man's hand in his larger one, raising it slightly in victory.
*****
~Finis~