Bishmal's Regret
 
 
 
 
by Travelling One
 
 
Email: travelling_one@yahoo.ca
Web: http://www.travellingone.com/
Season: 5
Summary: Offworld team adventure. A man's love for his pet may wreak havoc in ways SG-1 never anticipated.
 
Seasons greetings to all, whatever you may celebrate and wherever in the world you may be. Thanks for checking in after all this time. More stories may come; due to RL circumstances they're just taking longer these days.
 
December 2007
 
Instinct dictating, for really he knew this view as well as his own backyard by now, Jack surveyed the village from the verandah of the modatron, familiarizing himself yet again with the landscape. Not so much a village as a town, actually, with its high stone duplexes and walled fortress, grandiose towers and sturdy lookouts. Daniel and Carter were finally returning, casually strolling up the lane, deep in conversation. Jack whistled a nameless tune, his impatience simmering; he and Teal'c had wrongly chosen what had seemed like the least boring of two tasks, at the time. His pair of scientists strode up the steps, looking no more enthusiastic than he felt. They'd been gone nearly two hours. "Got anything?"
 
Daniel sucked in his lip, mentally adjusting his words to sound not quite so... trivial. "An eccentric man with a cat." He shrugged.
 
Jack stared for a moment, his expression blank. "Not quite what I meant." Behind him, he could almost hear Teal'c's eyebrow shift.
 
"He's serious, sir," Sam threw Daniel an inquiringly apologetic glance before continuing. Daniel had done all the work, translating many unproductive conversations; she'd just been along for the backup and company. "The villagers point to him as possibly knowing what became of the Goa'uld between forty and fifty years ago. All they know is they mysteriously vanished and never came back, and they don't know exactly why or how it happened."
 
"Most of these people were young children at the time, whose parents preferred to look to the future instead of dwelling on the past," Daniel added.
 
"But the cat man knows?"
 
"Possibly." Daniel confirmed hesitantly. At least five townsfolk had insinuated that, anyway. "And he supposedly speaks our language… not that the townspeople know what our language is."
 
"They just assumed we speak the languages of the Goa'uld, sir."
 
"So he's what, a historian?"
 
"No. They say some ancestors of his headed up an army that managed to scare off the Goa'uld or something." Daniel grinned wryly, then grew serious. "His parents died when he was young. He's lived alone ever since. Well, except for the cat." The casual tone was forced; Jack noticed Daniel's downward, distracted stare, a far-away look edging into the past. Too close to home?
 
"Scared off the Goa'uld," Jack repeated. "Uh huh."
 
"Right. I can see why you might have your doubts."
 
"Something happened here, sir. It probably wasn't as sudden or mysterious as they like to believe."
 
"And Catman knows some deep dark military secret. Fine; to the wizard we shall go. We good on this one?" Jack asked, his question geared mostly towards Daniel, but his gaze locked on Carter. "Teal'c and I can go talk to him - "
 
"No, Jack. We'll all go."
 
"Good. Got an address?"
 
"Fourth door on the trough side of the goat pavilion."
 
"Fourth, huh?"
 
"Apparently."
 
"Well, good then," Jack rubbed his hands in preparation. "Off we go. Got an address for the goat pavilion?"
 
_____
 
SG-1 slowed down to stare as they approached the dwelling. This was no rented room above some butcher shop.
 
Jack's voice rose with each note as they stepped through a gate in the high stone wall. "Dah dah dah dah," he hummed, then snapped his fingers, twice.
 
"Sort of."
 
"Sort of what?" Jack cocked his head at Daniel, who was still gaping at the large, dark stone house, its shingled roof drooping over the edge of the outer walls as if to hide them in secrecy or shame, not to guide the release of rainwater.
 
"Sort of reminds me of the Addams Family. I was just agreeing with you."
 
"Oh." Jack scowled and gave his head a quick shake. "Couldn't you have just said that?"
 
"Didn't I?" Daniel peered at him innocently.
 
"Quit it." Jack swatted him on the arm. "Hey!" Taking the six steps two at a time, he glared at Teal'c who was already knocking on the door.
 
"Is this not what we are here for?" Teal'c inquired solemnly.
 
"Well yeah, but I wasn't prepared."
 
The heavy steel door opened, and a short, balding man stood there, the cat on his shoulder nearly camouflaged by his brown work clothes and mid-length coat. A sort-of cat, anyway. A bit smaller then the normal house pet, with large tufted ears like a lynx, and wide green eyes outlined in thick lashes. About to say something, the man's attention froze when his gaze set upon Teal'c.
 
"Uh," Daniel broke the awkward silence, "forgive us for disturbing you. We're travellers from beyond the Chappa'ai-"
 
"I can see that." The tone was cold and unfriendly as it cut Daniel off.
 
"No, we're peaceful travellers. We know that your town, this country and maybe the whole planet, banished the Goa'uld decades ago, and the others who live nearby said you might know how that happened."
 
"If I do?" His stark glare remained on Teal'c.
 
"Don't be afraid. This is Teal'c; he gave up his allegiance to the Goa'uld in order to join us. He now serves with us in the fight against the Goa'uld, which is the reason we'd like to speak with you. My name is Daniel; this is Jack, and that's Sam."
 
The man's eyes finally turned from Teal'c to Carter. A woman.
 
The change in his demeanor was sudden. "Yes. Yes, come in. Come in and we'll talk." The man moved out of the way, the tall door towering above him, rendering him an unimposing figure. As SG-1 stepped through the doorway, even Teal'c had the sensation of being dwarfed.
 
"This is some place you have here," Jack nodded, his appreciation faux-genuine. "Live here alone?" That would definitely give him the creeps.
 
"Just myself and Sheba."
 
Sam smiled. "I like cats too. I took care of one named Shroedinger, for a while."
 
"He's gone?"
 
"I... yes. I gave him to a friend." Sam bit her lip, refusing to acknowledge the memory.
 
The man looked with regard at his own pet, now cradled in his arms and brushing its head on his cheek. "Sheba knows many things. She understands me. I often wish I could know what she is thinking, that she could just speak to me."
 
"I know what you mean."
 
"I thought you would."
 
"So..." Jack interrupted the bonding. "You have a name?"
 
"Bishmal."
 
"Bishmal," Jack now continued, noting unnervingly that the man's eyes were still locked eerily on Carter. "Got anything to tell us about what happened here to drive the Goa'uld away?"
 
Bishmal nodded. "Come." Sam. Beautiful. Still young. He'd be forever grateful to have such a companion.
 
____
 
Bishmal led them through a long, too dark hallway of thick stone, past large rooms with tarp-covered furniture. Rooms never used by the loner, in a house far too big for his solitary needs. A single sitting room on their right, this one evidently well-used with worn chair coverings and clutter on the table and floor, led to a short narrow stairwell. The team followed the man and cat down into a large chamber lit by several florescent panels embedded into the walls. Throughout the wide space were spread contraptions and furniture covered in tarpaulin and blankets. There were spirals of steel hanging from exposed beams, huge wheels leaning against the wall, machine parts, cranks, springs, levers, gears, doors, bins, and baskets of bits and parts. The smell was of oil and must.
 
"There are display manuals indicating all planet-wide enemy activity somewhere down here... or there were. The last time anything here was used, my parents... my parents were still alive."
 
"I'm sorry for your loss," Daniel spoke soothingly. "What happened to them?"
 
"My father was assassinated while visiting an ambassador in another nation. My mother… I found her dead on the floor of this room when I was barely a teenager. She'd been working down here; there was an accident. Only Sheba saw what happened. I have rarely been down here since."
 
"I'm sorry."
 
"It was a long time ago."
 
"And you think there'd still be records here of former Goa'uld activity?" Jack again sounded skeptical. This was a house, not a military base, not a library.
 
"Three of my mother's uncles worked down here; this was their clandestine base. They were in charge of transmissions and in constant contact with the governing bodies. I think they had a place to hide everything in case of infiltration."
 
"Bishmal, is it alright if we have a look around? We won't touch anything," Daniel assured him.
 
Bishmal nodded, then addressed Sam. "Come. I want you to see one of the transmission devices my mother adapted to allow her to communicate with Sheba. I always thought she was wasting her time, but you might understand it better than I… if you're interested."
 
"Are you kidding? Of course I am." Communicating with animals? What the hell went on here? Sam couldn't even begin to appreciate the implications of such a device, and she knew it.
 
As Jack and Teal'c meandered around the room, peeking under tarps and knowing nothing of what they were seeing, Daniel eagerly followed behind Sam and Bishmal. A communication device in the hands of a linguist; what this could mean for future translation work, or negotiations with alien races. Stopping at one narrow, waist-high bit of machinery, a metallic plant stand, Bishmal removed the protective covering. Dust flew into the air. Daniel frowned, trying not to cough; this had to have been covered longer than Sheba had been alive. She'd been Bishmal's mother's cat? That had to be at least thirty years ago. "How old is Sheba?" Daniel queried.
 
"She is advanced in her years. As I said, she lived while my mother still lived. I think my mother may have extended Sheba's life… by unnatural means."
 
Only his mother? Daniel frowned, glancing around the room. There was nothing that looked like a sarcophagus.
 
Bishmal sat the cat on a tiny platform, a metallic scale-like seat, and pointed to a similar base beside it, slightly higher. "You can read her thoughts. Press your palm there."
 
Tossing Daniel a dubious look, Sam did as suggested.
 
"Uh, Sam…"
 
The unvoiced hesitancy was too late. Sam's body shook with the shock of electrical current, too sudden and surprising to register until she was flat on the ground, face down on the floor. Disorientation raged through her, confusion jumbling her thoughts as she saw Daniel and the others rushing to her, past her, around her, but they seemed far away. She could hear their voices, see them bending low, distanced, separated, but nothing made sense.
 
"Sam!" Daniel bent down to his prone friend. "Sam! Can you hear me?"
 
"Carter!" Jack, kneeling, looked up in mixed concern and fury. "What the hell happened?" he growled at Bishmal.
 
"I don't know! It's been a long time since anyone's used this."
 
"And you tried it anyway?"
 
"A power surge?" Daniel peered up from his crouched position. Sam was rising, and he put his hand on her shoulder as she lifted herself to her hands and knees. "Slowly, Sam."
 
"Carter? You okay?"
 
Her eyes were wide, her expression confused. She pulled up one hand and ran it across her face.
 
Bishmal was at her side in a flash. Pulling her up by the arm, he ordered, "Stand up now. Stand up. You can do it."
 
Jack brazenly glared at the man. "Leave her - "
 
"O'Neill."
 
Jack and Daniel both turned to where Teal'c was gazing down at the cat as it sat motionless on the floor, its head cocked as if listening, one paw held up high, its green eyes wide with surprise. The most striking feature, however, was its mouth, open wide as if in confusion, or in preparation for speech. Without removing its eyes now from Jack's face, the cat hesitantly sauntered towards the leader of SG-1, standing up on its hind legs, its front paws catching themselves on Jack's leggings. It issued one long meow.
 
Daniel looked back to where Sam was being supported by Bishmal, her expression frightened and dazed. "Sam?" As he reached out to take her arm, Bishmal pushed him away with a thrust. Daniel's reaction was one of stunned shock. "Please leave her, Bishmal," he said firmly, warily. "We'll help her now."
 
"No."
 
Teal'c moved forward, that single word echoing like a warning, a signal of danger.
 
"Yes," charged Jack, shifting his position and causing the cat to tumble. "Do as he said."
 
"Go, Sheba!" Bishmal gave the still dazed Carter a light shove, as their two pairs of eyes met for the first time. "The dunsbary!" Whipping something out of his pocket, the man leapt around the machine and aimed the small object at the cat. "Go!"
 
With a slight hesitation Sam took off, stumbling after a few steps and falling to her knees.
 
"No!" In horror, Daniel flung himself in front of the cat as it jumped into a cluttered trunk, the silent laser blast shattering the concrete floor by the side of his foot. Daniel stumbled, then twisted around in shock. "Don't kill her!" Another blast hit the side of the trunk, searing the steel, the handle clattering noisily to the floor amidst a billow of hot smoke.
 
In a split second Bishmal found his coat collar clenched tightly in O'Neill's grasp, the weapon safely crunched in Teal'c's hand. "You nearly hit Daniel, you lying bastard. 'Sheba'? What the hell have you done to Carter?" Sam was standing once again, shying away from Teal'c.
 
"Jack." Daniel felt ill. "Jack." His CO ignoring him still, Daniel slipped over to where Jack's hands remained twisted in Bishmal's clothing, their faces inches apart. "Sam's in the cat."
 
For a brief instant Jack's strength wavered and Bishmal broke free from the grip. Jack let him go, turning his attention to his teammate. Teal'c's countenance was solemn, his attention half on a timid, frightened Carter, the other half on the man named Bishmal.
 
"Daniel?"
 
Daniel's glare pinned Bishmal but his words were meant for Jack. "This is another of Machello's body-switching devices, isn't it. Just smaller, a different version. Right?" This time, his query was aimed at Bishmal.
 
The man's jaw dropped. "You know of Machello?"
 
"He was one of your great-uncles, wasn't he?" This room was full of devices; it made sense now. The chamber went still; even the swirling dust made more sound than the breathing of three teammates.
 
"No. My grandfather."
 
"You son of a bitch," Jack spat, his scowl biting. "Get the cat, Daniel! We're putting them back together."
 
"You cannot. It is impossible." Bishmal crossed his arms, shaking his head.
 
"Yeah, yeah, we know. We also know how to make it work, you pathetic conniving little swine. Teal'c, bring Carter. Daniel! Get the damn cat."
 
Bishmal paled, before arguing. "It cannot undo what has been done. Sheba and Sam cannot exchange places."
 
"Not with each other. But they can exchange places with one of us, and then back into themselves. We've done it before." Daniel was trying hard to keep his voice calm, as he moved slowly towards the crate. Still one of the scariest experiences of his life, he'd be willing to do it again to save Sam. It should be quick and easy, this time.
 
Bishmal straightened up. Then, without warning, he dashed across the room towards Carter. Reaching her within seconds he grabbed her arm, as they disappeared in a flash of energy, the surge swirling layers of dust into the air around the newly vacated section of floor.
 
"No! Damn it! What the hell was that?" Jack shouted, all three men staring in horror at the new emptiness where their fourth teammate had stood only moments ago.
 
"They're still alive, right?" Daniel was gaping in shock, not willing to accept any alternative. Why hadn't he been quicker to react? Why hadn't he anticipated this, and stayed with Sam's body? "That was a transportation device, right?" He turned to his teammates in hopeful reassurance.
 
"We know no more than you, Daniel Jackson."
 
"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it."
 
"O'Neill."
 
"Damn it. What?" Jack snapped.
 
"We must operate under the belief that they have traveled to a nearby location. Bishmal ordered Sheba to the dunsbary."
 
"What the hell is that?"
 
"I do not know."
 
"Damn it. Could be their version of an afterlife, for all we know."
 
"I doubt that, Jack."
 
"Or the name of that transporter. Where the hell did that come from?" There were no rings, no controls that Bishmal had pressed; there was nothing to indicate how they had disappeared or any clues as to how SG-1 could follow. "He had something in his pocket." Jack had seen a device like that, in the hands of the rogue operatives working under Maybourne. He'd held it himself, and left it at the base of a DHD for Makepeace to find.
 
"My guess would be that 'dunsbary' is a place," Daniel insisted. "Their favourite place."
 
"Get the cat," Jack ordered Daniel, heading for the door. "Search this room for any records. Journals, diaries, address books. And don't touch anything! Teal'c, with me."
 
Daniel found himself alone in the equipment cellar, his two teammates embarking upon what he fervently hoped would not turn out to be a wild goose chase.
 
"Sam?" Daniel approached the trunk by the far wall. "They're gone, Sam. He won't hurt you now. Come on, come out. Please?"
 
From inside the box, the cat's head gingerly peeked out.
 
"It's alright. It's okay now. I'll take care of you. Come here." Daniel knelt on the floor, his arms reaching out.
 
Slowly, the animal slid out from the safety of its hiding place, and Daniel knew it could understand him. That had to be Sam in there, for it to trust him this way. "Sam. It'll be okay. Jack and Teal'c will find Sheba."
 
Sam crept up to Daniel's side, and sat down rigidly. Daniel remained where he was, and gently stroked her cheek. The cat leaned slightly sideways, resting its head on his arm.
 
"Hey. I know how scared you are. We'll figure this out. We know how to fix it this time, Sam."
 
She understood the words. Still in shock, the horror of finding herself in this body was not dissipating. No matter what Daniel was trying to say, there was no way he could understand what she was feeling, the terror coursing through her blood, the absolute, paralyzing nightmare of this situation. She looked up at him, needing to question, needing the reassurance, needing nothing Daniel could give. But she was terrified to leave his side.
 
Daniel knew how pathetic his attempts were to pacify her. All he could do was watch, as the cat stretched its paws onto his knee. Gently he scooped her up and stood.
 
Sam cradled herself against him, trying to nudge her head under his arm. In a horribly odd way, this felt safe. In her tragic smallness in this forbidding place, Daniel represented safety.
 
"Sam." Walking to an uncluttered spot in the room, Daniel slid down to the floor, his back resting against the grimy wall. "I'm sorry. You do understand me, don't you? Do you know what I'm saying?" The cat meowed, and curled into a tight ball on his lap. Daniel didn't know whether to brush the cat's fur, cuddle it, or leave it be. He figured, though, Sam was damn scared, even more than he had been in a dying man's body. This was far worse; she had no means of communication, wasn't even human. "Teal'c and Jack will find her. It'll be okay; as soon as they get back we'll switch you." As long as they found her in time; Daniel had no idea if Sam's knowledge - requiring the capacity of a human brain - would damage her mind the longer she remained inside this animal.
 
Sam could sense the disorientation. Although this was Daniel, his size was menacing. She could hear his words and understand them, but when she tried to speak, all that came out was the sound of a whining cat. The urge to stand up was overwhelming; the view from one foot off the floor made her head crazy. She snuggled into a ball and closed her eyes, hoping to block out the world, a world from a disturbing vantage point of terribly, terribly small. And terribly, alarmingly, traumatic. She trusted Daniel; she trusted her teammates. But there was still the very possible chance that something bad might happen to her real body before they could get it back, if it was even still alive. What if it got hit by some vehicle, a wagon or horse, in its uncomprehending state? What if it did something stupid and got itself killed, in its attempt to be a cat in a human body? No matter how intelligent Sheba might be, she'd spent her entire life as a pet. Even now she was probably trying to hide out under some contraption far too small to accommodate her.
 
No matter how hard she tried, Sam couldn't drive the negative thoughts from her mind. If only she could think like a cat, she might be able to lead Daniel to herself.
 
"Sam." Daniel stared in fascination and then horror as a single tear trickled slowly along the fur on his friend's face. He gathered the cat to his chest and held it close, that tiny lingering doubt, hope that he was wrong - in spite of no denial from Bishmal - gone, for he knew for certain this was no longer the real Sheba.
 
Sam dug her forehead into Daniel's shoulder and tried not to want to cry.
 
She barely noticed and hardly cared that he was rising, moving about the room. She knew the colonel had told him to search. She paid no attention to the shift of his body, or his arms, until they left her, until the warmth and comfort was no longer there. Lifting her head and looking up as best she could in that uncomfortable cat position, she saw deep pain and sorrow in her friend's eyes, and only then did she realize what she was sitting on, the cold metal under her causing the sudden chill. With a meowling cry she realized how far she seemed from the floor, a decent jump for a cat but frightening for a human adult not used to the downward plunge. And by the time she decided to try, it was too late.
 
Daniel's palm on the steel plate sent a shockwave coursing through her body, and Sam looked up with a shudder, the ceiling in direct view as she lay upon the floor.
 
Sitting up, Sam realized she was no longer twelve inches tall. Her eyes looked down upon olive fatigues; the hands that went to her face were large and strong. "Oh shit," she heard herself say, the familiar voice that of her friend. "Daniel! What the hell did you do?" Looking around for the cat, Sam found it beside her, its wide, knowing eyes looking deeply into her own. "Oh God, Daniel. What did you do?" She scooped the cat into her arms and hugged it to her body.
 
_____
 
"No luck." Jack strode purposefully into the basement, followed by Teal'c. "There are a dozen exits in this place; if they transported into another room they're long gone. For all we know, it sent them to their country house on the other side of the planet. I should've shot him when I had the chance." Jack stopped in front of Daniel, his friend sitting there in the corner of the floor with the cat cradled in his arms, stroking its fur. The animal seemed lethargic, in a dazed stupor. Could animals be depressed? Well. Maybe Sheba in Sam's body could tell them, but this was no four-legged pet there in Daniel's arms, it was Sam. The thought made Jack scowl to the depths of his anger. "I need you to talk to the townspeople, see if they know where the two might have gone. Go with Teal'c; I'll stay with… her." Jack couldn't bring himself to say Carter's name, not in reference to the little mini lynx on Daniel's lap.
 
"I can't. I'm not Daniel, sir."
 
A startled Jack was momentarily speechless, the surprise etched into his face. "Carter?"
 
Daniel's head nodded.
 
"Damn it! Daniel, what the hell did you do?" Camouflaged in his anger was the relief of having Carter back, but the brief moment dimmed intensely when he remembered nothing had been gained. "Crap."
 
"He did what you'd have done, sir. He did it for me." That was the voice of guilt.
 
"I would not." So, maybe.
 
"He saw me crying."
 
That caught Jack off guard, and he missed a beat. Damn. "We need him to talk to the townspeople, find out what the dunsbary is." Jack sighed. "Fine." He moved over to the machine and patted the metal plate. "Here, buddy. Daniel. Can he understand me, Carter?"
 
"Yes, sir. I was able to understand what you were saying. It was me in there."
 
"Good. Daniel, up here. Now. Put him here, Carter."
 
Alert now and sitting up, Daniel tensed, forcing his disorientation aside. He heard Jack's voice, saw the body tension. It seemed as though he could sense feelings more openly than ever before, and knew what Jack wanted. But if he switched places and they didn't get Sam's body back, Jack would be forever left in this body - or until it died, and the cat was already far too old. His brain might deteriorate even sooner, and Daniel would never forgive himself.
 
Daniel knew they needed him to talk to the locals, but that might be futile anyway, with Bishmal having been the loner that he was. He needed more time to think. Seeing Jack approaching, a fear flashed through his unnerved mind, and Daniel did the only thing he could think of. He ran.
 
"Hey! Daniel! Get back here!"
 
But the limber, agile cat was faster than either Jack or Teal'c, and could fit into smaller spaces, although it took him a moment to realize that. He scooted under some machinery, out the exit, up the stairs and down the halls, following the direction he thought they'd come, although it looked a hell of a lot different from this vantage point. This felt too odd; running fast, he slid on the marble floor tiles, bumping more than once into the stone walls. He'd better get the hang of this four-footedness before he knocked himself out.
 
The huge steel door was shut, but with running booted footsteps rapidly approaching, Daniel took a deep breath and did the cat thing, having no idea of the range of his motion or jumping ability; he leaped for the ledge below the open, barred window, and jumped through to the ground outside. By the time his teammates had the heavy door open, Daniel had safely slipped under a gate in the neighbouring stone fence.
 
"Damn it! Where the hell is he going?"
 
The voices drifted to Daniel as he looked around. He hated to run from the safety of his friends, but most of the chase had felt like pure instinct. Now that he had time to regroup, Daniel knew he needed time to think, time that Sheba in Sam might not have enough of. Sheba did not know how to care for a human body. What would she eat? How would she drink? How would the upright position and walking on two legs affect her balance? What if she tried to jump down from some high place, by force of habit?
 
Daniel found himself having difficulty focusing, concentrating. His train of thought kept wavering, and he realized it wasn't fear or adrenaline. His mind was not co-existing so well with this body; perhaps he would adapt in time… or maybe not. He, too, might not have all the time in the world, even if this cat did live for another few years.
 
Still, he needed time to think. Right now, a dunsbary meant nothing to him.
 
_____
 
Sam was fighting tears, again, although she would never show it in front of the colonel or Teal'c. If only her mind hadn't been so clouded; if only she'd been more alert and able to anticipate what Daniel was about to do. "I'm sorry, Colonel. I should never have let him put me on the machine."
 
Jack stared at Carter. How the hell could she be apologizing for no longer being a cat, for crying out loud? "Not your fault, Major."
 
"I should have seen it coming."
 
"No, Carter. You shouldn't have." Jack sighed. "He wouldn't have let you."
 
"Daniel Jackson knew what he was doing, Major Carter. No doubt he manipulated the event to his benefit, knowing well that you were not fully aware of his scheme."
 
Sam's eyes went red. "Still…"
 
"Still, we have to find him. Got any good cat information that might help us?"
 
Sam shook her head. "I was only myself in there … minus some vigilance. Things were fuzzy, as though I couldn't reason very well."
 
Jack's lips pulled into a tight, thin line. "Not good. He might wander into a street, or get stuck in some hole or something. Get eaten by a dog."
 
"I doubt dogs on any planet eat cats, sir."
 
"So torn to bits. You know Daniel; he'd probably stop to reason with a charging rottweiler."
 
"No, sir. If he feels as I did, he's scared to death of everything. It's incredibly humbling to be so small, with such large creatures all around; the vulnerability is overwhelming. He's more than likely to be hiding."
 
"From us? Why? Why did he run?"
 
"O'Neill. Were you not about to exchange your life with his?"
 
"Crap." Jack inwardly fumed, yet couldn't maintain his anger. He knew he'd have run too, if circumstances had been reversed. "Daniel!" He shouted into the stone wall and locked gate, too high to scale. "I won't force you to trade. Promise. Just come back."
 
But nothing happened, and no Daniel appeared.
 
______
 
Dunsbary. Dunsbary. The name meant nothing. It was not a word to be translated. If only he could get into the house again, search through Bishmal's papers, wherever they might be, like he should have done in the first place, he could perhaps lead his team to the dunsbary…
 
Right. What was he thinking.
 
Daniel heard Jack calling, but couldn't make out the words from this hiding place below the cover of the long stone trough. No. There was no way he'd go back and let Jack into this body. If Jack had been thinking straight, all he had to do was go up to the townspeople and say, "Dunsbary". Then Daniel could listen for the reply, and lead his team.
 
Senses were heightened, he knew that; still, he was unable to put them to full use, unable to get the hang of their functioning. So when the voices snuck up behind him, he was caught off guard. The sharp pull on his tail was painful, and he swung around with a cry. A pitiful cry; it sounded more like a cat meowing. Damn.
 
But the kids were laughing, grabbing at him as he tried to pull away, but they were still holding onto his tail. "Don't let it go!" they were shouting to each other in the language Daniel understood, three big monsters with an open sack. A sack they were trying to put over his head. "No!" he was crying, but all that came out was another loud meow.
 
Cats have claws, Daniel reminded himself, and tried to gain control of his own. Scooped up by the tail and one of his back legs, he clawed and squirmed and bit, and the hands dropped him with a screech. He fell, the sack engulfing him, the drawstring pulled tight to shut out the leftover daylight.
 
"Got him! Let's go!" The sack was swinging, and Daniel's balance was gone. Pitching and lurching and rolling, he kept up the meowing, the clawing, the frantic struggling to get free.
 
No, no, no. This body belongs to Sheba, and Sheba to Sam. It was only on loan, and he had to get it back healthy and safe.
 
"I can't hold onto this thing," he heard as the sack dropped and stopped, then suddenly something slammed down onto it. Meowing, Daniel jumped aside as the stick came down hard on his rump. He fell, and lay still, stunned.
 
"It stopped moving," said one of the voices.
 
"Is it dead? A dead cat can't catch no vermin in the cellar," another grumbled, and Daniel didn't move. He was not going to give them another reason to injure this body.
 
The drawstring loosened, and a small bit of light entered the bag. An eye appeared in the hole.
 
"It's still not moving." The hole enlarged, and with a sudden lunge, Daniel dashed out, just past the reaching grasp of the boy poking his head down to look.
 
"Get him! Get him!"
 
Without thinking or planning, Daniel ran down the lane, ran and ran, as stones slammed the ground beside and behind him, spraying dust and mud. He lunged and leapt up a tree as one small rock hit the back of his head and he nearly stumbled, digging his claws in deeper, noisy children getting their revenge or just enjoying the sport. Daniel climbed even higher, almost out of cat breath before he chanced looking down. A little ways below him was the top of the tall stone wall, right where it twisted and turned and continued on, the barrier to the backyard of another private house. The children were no longer in pursuit.
 
Only the short rest allowed him to realize he was hurting. That back leg was strained, or twisted, and his tail possibly broken. His head was throbbing, and so was his side. God, he thought, feeling the urge to cry. I'm so sorry, Sheba. Please be taking better care of Sam than I am of you.
 
If he could find his way back, there was only one thing to do in order to save this old body from further damage. He had to go back to that Addams Family house, or there might later be nothing for Sheba to return to. He wouldn't risk Sam's life any more than he already had; just what had he been thinking? Daniel realized maybe he hadn't been thinking at all. Maybe this was a consequence of having a smaller brain, a malfunctioning of thought processes that could have turned tragic. What did he know about living inside a cat? And what did Sheba know about living inside a human?
 
_____
 
"Daniel." Three teammates had gone around through Bishmal's front gate, the unlocked one, and though it had taken only one or two extra minutes, the ca… Daniel seemed to have disappeared. "Come on, Daniel. I'm sorry. Come back."
 
"Come on, Daniel." Sam called. "We're worried about you. Please; we won't make you do anything you don't want to do."
 
"This is useless. He won't come out."
 
"O'Neill. Did you not hear that?"
 
"What?"
 
"Sir - listen. A cat, crying."
 
Jack heard it too, that time, and his nerves set on edge. "Where's it coming from?"
 
Teal'c strode off towards the trough. There were children playing, throwing rocks. He'd seen a flash, movement, something running up ahead. "Stop!" he roared.
 
The children looked up in surprise, and took off at a run. A bag was swinging in one's grip, but the Jaffa believed it was empty. He slowed to a stop as his two teammates caught up.
 
"No luck?" The distress in Jack's voice couldn't be completely disguised. "Now what?"
 
"I saw movement in that direction, O'Neill. I believe it was an animal running."
 
"Sir, I'll go back to the house and look around."
 
"Right. Search the property, Dan… Carter." Crap. Getting used to calling Daniel's face with Daniel's voice by their astrophysicist's name would be one hell of a problem if this turned out to be permanent. "Maybe a dunsbary is their word for an outhouse or something." Not that Jack believed the two fugitives would still be anywhere nearby; they'd had plenty of time to meet at the dunsbary and take off to places unknown. His pitifully marginal hopes of finding Carter's body were growing ever dimmer.
 
_____
 
He couldn't get down.
 
Running up a tree in sheer panic was much easier than facing straight downwards at a 180º angle from a height of thirty feet and trying to walk down. If he could jump onto that wall, he'd be in the clear… but even that seemed a hell of a long way down - and far too narrow - for someone who'd never done this before. Not to mention his leg hurt. For sure he'd bounce on his head or something. Daniel meowed, unintentionally.
 
"Whoa."
 
"Daniel Jackson."
 
Daniel's heart fluttered. Shifting carefully on the branch, he twisted his little neck as far as he could without injuring himself further or risking the drop. There, behind him at the base of the tree, stood Teal'c and Jack, looking up in concern.
 
"Ya gotta be kidding."
 
"I do not believe he is able to descend."
 
"Careful, Daniel. Just jump. We'll catch you."
 
Daniel felt a massive relief surge through him, but the effect was fleeting. If he returned to his friends, what guarantee did he have that Jack wouldn't force him to trade bodies, just as before?
 
They were holding out their arms, calling to him gently. Daniel didn't know what to do.
 
"I know it's scary, pal. Just trust us, okay?"
 
Trust them. He'd love nothing better.
 
Daniel took a cat breath, then geared himself to jump.
 
Nope. Couldn't do it, and he heard himself meowing again. Geez, he wouldn't get used to that no matter how long he resided in here.
 
"Daniel Jackson. I will not allow you to fall, you have my word."
 
And Teal'c's word was as good as the gold tattoo on his forehead. One more breath and Daniel jumped… not into Teal'c's arms but onto the wall, nearly missing but then steadying himself as his balance wavered. Then he jumped down from the wall and ran, until the shadows of the house beyond sheltered him and the voices calling his name faded. Dismally he treaded around to the front of the house, hoping with tattered nerves that there'd be no watchdog, and no bully children. Hoping someone who saw him would know he belonged to Bishmal, and carry him home. He couldn't stay outdoors safely any longer, and back at the house he could hide from his teammates as long as necessary. Until he was guaranteed Jack wouldn't do anything stupid.
 
Daniel limped back down the lane, his cat heart thudding as he tried to stay alert, watching out for huge children, probably at least eight or nine years of age. Exhausted, losing concentration, he knew this couldn't be normal for a cat. While not knowing when this body had last eaten or slept, Daniel could only assume that this malaise was something more; his own spirit was finding coping too difficult.
 
Struggling now to shove his body back under Bishmal's gate, Daniel saw the emptiness of the yard, and the loneliness struck him adversely. So small and unable to speak, he felt vulnerable to the environment, to everything around him.
 
Speak. He couldn't speak. But maybe he could do something else.
 
Controlling those paws was difficult and immensely frustrating, especially when his mind seemed to keep shutting down for seconds at a time. But if his teammates ever returned, ever thought to look for him back here in the garden, he had to see this through.
 
His single-minded concentration again kept him from hearing the footsteps, so much quieter here on a lawn than on those stone paving tiles around the trough. So when the voice shattered his concentration, he fought the urge to run.
 
"Daniel?"
 
_____
 
"Colonel, I have him."
 
This time the relief intensified, and Jack closed his eyes for a moment before returning the radio call. "Where are you?"
 
"Back at the house. In the yard." Geez, still creepy to have Daniel's voice on that thing. Almost as creepy as looking at a cat stuck in a tree and calling it Daniel, knowing it understood him perfectly.
 
"Be there in five minutes. Teal'c, did you copy?"
 
Teal'c paused in his search for a way around the long high wall to the lane beyond. "I did."
 
"Let's get back there asap."
 
As they retraced their steps along the roadway, thankful there were no mushed animal guts lying along this horse and wagon route, they picked up speed. At least, now, all of his team would be back together…in some form or other. And Daniel was unharmed; that was something, anyway. In a strangely bizarre way, Jack was counting his blessings.
 
Returning through the front gate from which they had originally entered - and left - Jack caught a glimpse of Daniel; no, Carter; remember that's Carter, at the far end of the yard, crouching, her back to him. She turned around as he approached, her rueful smile using Daniel's face. There was the cat - Jack could see him now - rummaging in the soil of some bushes. Crap. Just don't tell me you're chasing a mouse.
 
"What's going on?" Jack was nearly afraid to ask.
 
"Sir," Carter nodded towards the base of the shrubs. "Have a look."
 
Jack could see the cat… Daniel… intently playing at something, but he still couldn't determine what was in the animal's - no, his friend's - mind. Jack, damn you. Quit it.
 
"Stand here, sir." Sam got up to trade spots with her CO, and then Jack saw it. Daniel was writing, sloppily, with two little cat paws, trying not to step in his handiwork and erase the whole thing. He was running out of soil.
 
'Duns-bary. AsK loCals. I Listen.'
 
The ensuing moment of silence forced home, in Jack's soul, the tragedy that was presently Daniel's life. "We can't speak the language, Daniel."
 
"But sir, they might just understand the name. If they respond in their own language, Daniel will understand the directions and lead the way. Or he can write what they said."
 
"You think that's his plan?"
 
"I sure hope so."
 
Jack nodded. "That right, Daniel?"
 
There was a faint meow as the cat plopped down onto the soil, lethargic and drained. Its eyes were closing.
 
"Come." Jack bent down, but the cat didn't budge. He reached out to pick it up, without any disagreement from his friend. "Sorry, buddy. Good plan, but you don't seem in any condition to lead us anywhere." Nor did he seem in any condition to run if Jack took him… to carry out his own original plan. "You know you have a bump on your head?" Jack inquired, scolding gently. Holding onto the cat, lightly stroking its fur while pretending not to, Jack carried him back into the house, along the halls, and down the stairs into the dusty, long unused room, Sam in Daniel's body, and Teal'c, following. "I'd have agreed, if I wasn't thinking you're about to go under on us." This time Daniel didn't object, or even move, when Jack placed him on the steel plate, and that worried him even more. "Carter, out of curiosity, did it bother you to be patted?"
 
Sam paused, thinking back. "No sir. I think it was comforting."
 
"Good." He gave the cat one more stroke under the ear.
 
Daniel knew he was losing it. He didn't know if a good long nap would rejuvenate him, but running around the town was no longer an option. As much as it hurt him to admit it, the only way out of this mess and to possibly find Sheba, was to give in to Jack. If this didn't work, if Jack's plan proved futile, in a few hours Jack would be facing the most dismal of their cat hours. And the thing was, the cat definitely needed sleep. Ironically Jack would be out of it, out of any retrieval mission, and that would dig at him mercilessly. He'd try to fight sleep, try to stay alert, using up whatever leftover adrenaline remained. Still, it was Daniel who had to speak to the people.
 
"Colonel - "
 
"I have to do this, Major. I trust Daniel to get us out of this."
 
"Yes sir."
 
Words. If Bishmal and Sheba were long gone - and who wouldn't want a pet cat who looked like Carter, who could maybe chat with him to some extent, keep him company in a semi-human way - and Jack was ultimately the last to inhabit this feline body, he knew he would be bestowing upon Daniel eternal guilt. If these were his final human moments, for he would let no other trade places with him, he had to make the most of them. "Daniel…just so you know, if this doesn't work, if we don't find them…although we will... I know what I'm doing. Don't blame yourself." Words. Daniel would never listen.
 
With a sudden sharp pain of electrical shock, like a triple zat blast without the ensuing unconsciousness, Daniel found himself looking up at two concerned faces.
 
"Daniel?"
 
Closing Jack's eyes, Daniel lay still for a moment, or a bit longer, hearing the voices reaching out to him, as he cleared away the mugginess of confusion and distortion. Finally he succumbed to their helping hands and sat up. "Do I look like Jack?" he asked, his own face looking at him from a crouched position. Yep, that was Jack's voice issuing from his lips.
 
"You do indeed," said the voice above him.
 
"Daniel, we can fix at least one of us," his own voice said.
 
"We can? I already switched with you, Sam."
 
"But I was a cat at the time. I'm guessing it's the same bodies that can't switch back; the colonel's palm isn't imprinted on the machine with yours."
 
"Guessing?"
 
"Hoping."
 
Teal'c helped Daniel to his feet, disconcerted at seeing his team leader's body so weakened. He guided Daniel to the metallic plate at the machine. Major Carter placed her palm on the other. "You know there's a third one of these," Daniel observed. That lower-level plate was partly obscured, the tarp hanging off its edge.
 
"Oh my God. What was Machello trying to accomplish?"
 
"I don't want to think about it."
 
Another sharp zap had Daniel back on the floor, where he lay with eyes closed for several minutes, until a cat pounced onto his chest, its head nudging his face.
 
"Just don't lick me," Daniel warned, opening his eyes and sitting up, taking the cat into his arms. "And by the way? When we get home, you're going to sit down and shut up and let me do a lot of talking. Or we can do that now, actually." The cat in his arms meowed loudly, and batted a paw at Daniel's nose.
 
"Yeah, later. I thought so."
 
"Daniel -" Sam in Jack was holding onto the machine, his - or rather, her - voice concerned. Yes, that was Sam. Daniel swallowed, knowing he might have to get used to this. Poor Sam; she'd be almost as screwed as Jack if they didn't find a way out of this, although she was at least human.
 
"I know. Time to go. Hang on to me, Jack, and get some sleep. Ah ah, now don't argue. That cat is worn out and neither of you are getting any younger, you know." Another mew and the animal settled down in Daniel's arms.
 
Jack knew Daniel was right, he could feel it. Crap; he'd been in this uncomfortable little furry contraption all of ten minutes and he'd had enough. From the instant he found himself sitting on the floor he'd despised this thing, this foreign body. It was way too small, and the muscles felt all wrong. And now Daniel's voice was apologizing for the sore leg and tail… so that's what was hurting back there. Better take stock of what all these body parts were and did and felt like, or he'd never make it up a tree if the need arose. Yeah, throbbing leg. The warmth of Daniel's arms was comforting and relaxing. Still, this body was wrong; getting used to this size and lack of human abilities was so not something he'd ever be able to do, or want to, and that fear and stress alone was enough to keep him from sleep. Not to mention that an extra pair of eyes might be useful in spotting Carter, and it was getting late. When darkness came, this particular set of eyes might prove handy. Daniel must've at least enjoyed the improved vision, if nothing else.
 
This height was almost nauseating, though, even for a pilot. It wasn't the height per se, but the sense of not being in control. Don't drop me, Daniel. Putting out his claws, he gripped Daniel's jacket tightly.
 
"I'm not going to let go of you, Jack. Relax."
 
Easy for you to say, he meowed. Damn, that's frustrating. How did Daniel stand it in here?
 
"And don't try to run off. It's too easy to get kidnapped." Catnapped? No, that didn't work.
 
SG-1 moved out, hoping this one final plan would prove fruitful.
 
_____
 
It didn't.
 
When asked about Dunsbary, the people either shook their heads, peered at them inquisitively as if needing a translation, or pointed to the cat and said something about Sheba being unusually meek with the strangers, rarely being seen away from Bishmal. Not even the children - who shied away at their approach and would not come within six feet - could offer any useful tips or hints. No clues for Daniel to follow, and the team was beginning to believe that dunsbary was just some personal nickname, similar to the coded language Machello had made up and no one else could read. This family seemed to thrive on mystery and secrecy.
 
Daniel took the cat back from Sam, who'd been protectively, but rigidly, holding on as he'd gone about questioning the villagers. She seemed relieved to let go.
 
Jack was relieved, too; Daniel's grip was a lot more relaxed than Carter's. She'd held him so gingerly he'd been tightly clutching at her vest to give him a sufficient sense of security. Not that he thought she'd ever drop him, but she didn't seem to know where to appropriately touch him. For crying out loud, I'm a cat, Carter.
 
Dejected and insanely worried, SG-1 returned to the empty Bishmal Addams house, taking up residence in the worn and dustless sitting room. Daniel sank into a chair, refusing to release the cat, which seemed content enough to stay put and be lugged around. "How are you doing, Sam?"
 
"I'm okay. Getting used to the aching knees, and using the, uh, male equipment was definitely an eye opener. But I'm sure I'm doing a lot better than the colonel."
 
"Yeah, squatting seemed to make him catty." Daniel leaned his head down to the cat's and whispered, "Sorry."
 
Sam snickered. Truth was, she was tired of being Colonel O'Neill. But being Daniel wouldn't have been any better, except for the knees. She desperately wanted her own body back, but it was looking more and more likely that she'd spend her remaining days as a man… and the colonel would die as he presently was. The thought weighed heavily on their minds, dismal in its ramifications. No one was able to tell them anything about the dunsbary; more than likely it was a secret place or code name known only by Sheba and Bishmal. No one could suggest any place the man might have gone. Neither the eccentric loner nor Sheba Carter were anywhere to be found.
 
"They might come home." The resignation in Daniel's voice was not masked by hope.
 
"Not while Bishmal thinks we're still here, Daniel. It could be weeks, or even months." Would the colonel last that long? Would they even be allowed to stay?
 
"Did Machello not use the stargate, Daniel Jackson? Perhaps Bishmal is no longer on this planet."
 
Daniel's face paled. "What if the dunsbary is the stargate?" He did not expect an answer, and no one tried to respond. In dismay, Daniel stared down at the little animal, too aware of the fragility of his friend's life.
 
Jack was asleep on Daniel's lap, no longer able to fight the exhaustion. And the ultimate truth was, if he were to die soon in Sheba's body, he'd rather be asleep when it happened.
 
_____
 
"I won't leave."
 
"I'm not suggesting that, Daniel."
 
God, Sam was sounding so much like Jack in more ways than just the sound of her voice. "Bishmal has food; I can take care of Jack while you sleep. There's no reason for me and Teal'c to go back."
 
"Just let them know what's happening."
 
"I want to stay with him."
 
"I can take care of him, Daniel."
 
"You need rest. You're not in your own body either; that has to be taking its toll."
 
"I can handle it. At least I'm not in Teal'c; I don't know that kelno'reem thing." Sam knew her attempt at humour fell flat; there was nothing she felt less like doing than joking.
 
"Sam… I need to stay here. Teal'c can go alone."
 
"That won't be necessary."
 
Three heads shot up at the sound of the unexpected voice; Bishmal's voice. Daniel's initial, momentary elation at the sight of the man walking up the stairs plummeted; if Bishmal was back, might that mean he'd lost his human pet? Had they both materialized downstairs, or was Bishmal alone?
 
"Bishmal!" Daniel stood up, almost disturbing the cat sleeping in his arms. "Sshh," he whispered. "Sssh. It's okay, go back to sleep." If Sheba was gone, he didn't want Jack to hear that just yet.
 
"Bishmal, where's - " SamJack's voice was quiet, tinged with fear.
 
Just then Sam, or Sheba, appeared, crawling slowly up to the top of the stairs, exhausted and dejected.
 
"Oh God." Sam was staring at her body, there on its hands and knees.
 
"She is Sheba. She can say only a few words, but seems too afraid to use her vocal chords. I only wanted her to talk. I only wanted to communicate with my Sheba." Bishmal, too, was drained; plopping himself down on a long padded bench, he looked close to tears. "I thought this would work. I was mistaken. She does not enjoy this body. I just wanted to love her."
 
"She's a cat, Bishmal," Daniel said with more gentleness than he was feeling.
 
The man nodded. "An intelligent animal. She understands me. But she is not at home in such a large organism." He looked dismally at Sheba, curling up on the floor, then addressed the cat in Daniel's arms. "You may have your body back."
 
"Sam's not in the cat, Bishmal. Jack is." Daniel nodded towards Jack's body. "That's Sam."
 
It took a moment, but Bishmal finally sighed in understanding. "Come, Sheba." He stood, making his way towards the stairs, stepping around Sam's body lying there with eyes half closed. "Come on down one more time." Sheba lethargically lifted herself to her hands and knees, and attempted to take the stairs headfirst.
 
"Stop." Teal'c was there, helping her to her feet. "Allow me to lead you."
 
SG-1 and Sheba, aided by Teal'c, made their way back to the cellar, back to the machine.
 
With the help of Bishmal and Teal'c, Sheba limped over on two legs and placed her palm on one of the metal plates. Her voice whispered one word. "Bishmal."
 
Bishmal kissed her. "Come. We'll put you back where you belong." He nodded to Daniel. "Place the animal here."
 
"Wait," Carter interrupted. "It won't work again between my body and the cat."
 
Bishmal disagreed. "It will. The device is sensitized both to one's molecular structure and personal electromagnetic energies. If either differs from the original imprint, they are read as unique individuals. And that," he nodded at the cat, "is no longer you."
 
"Let me go first, anyway. Then I can be in my own body and Sheba will be in the colonel, and the two can switch."
 
"No." Bishmal emphatically shook his head. "Please do not make Sheba keep trading. I don't know how much more she can go through."
 
"It's better his way, Sam." Daniel stroked the cat's head. "If it's too much for her, she might damage Jack." Whispering, he said, "See you in a minute, Jack." He placed the animal onto the second steel plate.
 
Jack awoke suddenly from a very strange dream, one that escaped him the moment his mind was conscious. Lying there with his head pounding and his eyes tightly shut, he realized he was not on Daniel's lap. Opening his eyes he shot up into a sitting position, a move that was far too swift. "Ow. Oh, crap."
 
"Jack?"
 
"Shut up, my head's caught in a vise." Oh, Crap! That was Carter's voice. "Who the hell am I now?" Jack finally forced open his eyes, and the breasts were a dead giveaway. "Oh."
 
He saw his own face smiling at him.
 
"Sir, Bishmal brought me back. You and I can switch now."
 
"What, no more SG-1 cats?"
 
"No, sir."
 
Jack saw himself smiling widely. "Oh, yeah," he pulled himself up using the nearby machine, Teal'c and Daniel each grabbing an arm. "Sweet. Gotta tell ya though, Carter; be prepared for one hell of a hangover."
 
"The cat's put me through some rough stuff, sir. I can handle it."
 
"Yeah. Sure you don't want to wait, oh, a day?"
 
"Absolutely."
 
"Good. Give me my body back."
 
_____
 
"I know your leg and tail hurt, Sheba. I'm really sorry." Daniel spoke softly to the cat, rubbing behind her ears. Sheba purred, and Daniel shifted away, leaving the cat to Bishmal.
 
Worn and slightly battered, now that all of SG-1 was back and relatively intact, they had calmed down and Jack was ready to forego the act of strangling Bishmal. The man looked pitiful, sitting there on the floor, Sheba cuddled up to his neck.
 
"She's happier this way, Bishmal," Daniel commented softly.
 
Bishmal nodded.
 
"She was meant to be a cat," Jack concluded. "You knew that."
 
This time Bishmal shook his head. "No, I was hoping she was my mother."
 
That was not what they'd been expecting, and SG-1 stood there, stunned.
 
"What?"
 
"I thought maybe my mother had been trying out that machine, hoping to communicate with Sheba. When I found her lying there, and Sheba sitting next to her…"
 
"Oh God," Daniel exclaimed.
 
"I suspected that's why Sheba had lived so long."
 
"You have been waiting all these years to know for certain?" Teal'c inquired, more a statement of understanding than a question.
 
Bishmal just nodded. "I didn't think I'd ever truly know. I'm sorry. Just go now."
 
"You can come with us - "
 
"No. Please, just answer one thing. What happened to my grandfather?"
 
Jack tossed a glance at Daniel. "He switched places with Daniel, without permission."
 
"But he came to see the right thing to do, too. He died with us at his side," Daniel reassured the man.
 
Bishmal nodded. "Safe, then. Sheba and I, we'll be together."
 
"You don't have to live so alone, Bishmal."
 
"Perhaps not."
 
"Bishmal," Sam began slowly, "if you don't mind me asking - what's the dunsbary?"
 
Bishmal wiped at his eyes, and hugged Sheba to him. "Duono upett ni siba bu'od ata ri yod'ew. Dunsbary."
 
"An acronym. 'Face of the land where time waits for us'," Daniel translated hesitantly.
 
"Close enough. My mother made it up to refer to the garden behind the temple sanctuary. She and I would go just before sunset to listen to the birds and watch the colours fade off the trees. I knew my mother would understand…but it meant nothing to Sheba. Time didn't wait at all."
 
"Bishmal, I know how you must have felt," Daniel said softly, "and why you needed to do what you did. But you have to know that taking Sam's body was wrong."
 
Bishmal sighed tiredly. "I did. And I didn't care. I would have accepted her as Sheba, had she been happy as a human; we've grown so very close. But now I no longer need any of this. I never want to come down here again."
 
"Uh, we can take this stuff off your hands, if you know what it all is and how to use it?" Jack suggested hopefully. May as well get something positive out of this mission.
 
Bishmal shook his head. "Not too much. But take what you wish. Does that mean you'll be staying for a while?"
 
"No. We'll send some people back for it, if that's okay."
 
Bishmal nodded slowly, snuggling into his cat. SG-1 left him whispering into Sheba's ear.
 
_____
 
"You know most of that stuff will be as useless as what they already have at Area 51."
 
Jack shrugged as the gate came into view. "Maybe. But this time Bishmal might be able to tell them something about it."
 
"I doubt it. He'd've just been a little kid when Machello invented all of that. He only agreed in order to have company for a while."
 
"He has his cat." Jack eyed Daniel warily. "Have to tell you, I don't envy a cat's life. But then, I don't have to tell you."
 
Daniel sighed, shaking his head. "No. But don't you find it ironic that the only one who truly should have gone through that was Bishmal? So he and Sheba could walk in each other's shoes… metaphorically speaking?"
 
"And not so metaphorically." They neared the gate, and Carter was already dialing in, Teal'c lending silent support at her side. "Daniel, what you did - "
 
"What you did," Daniel cut him off.
 
"Right."
 
"Yeah."
 
"So. About that 'shut up and let you yell at me' business…"
 
Daniel grinned. "It's good you're you and I can do that, hmm?"
 
"Oh, very." Jack locked his arm around Daniel's shoulder as they walked up the short trail to the stone steps holding the stargate in position. "As long as you don't pat me on the head."
 
"Really? I thought it was warm and comforting."
 
"On Carter's lap, maybe." Jack reached up to ruffle Daniel's hair, as he pulled away.
 
"You were never on Carter's lap."
 
"How about when Sheba brought her body back?"
 
"That was me and you were asleep."
 
"Pretending."
 
"Sure."
 
"Think Carter'll remember what my body felt like?"
 
"Jack!"
 
"I meant the knees and all."
 
"Oh. At the moment, I think hers are hurting more. She's hardly said a word, Jack." Daniel frowned in concern.
 
"She'll be okay after the headache and splinters are taken care of. So will we. Right?" Jack scanned Daniel with peripheral vision, keeping much of his attention on the major now stepping through the gate, Teal'c still at her side. Sure... she'd be okay.
 
"You chose to do it. So did I. Sam didn't."
 
"You didn't choose to be inside Machello, and you ended up okay. Unless that nagging is really a senility thing..."
 
"Jack. I'm fine." Daniel emphasized. "Point taken. So you think sh…"
 
The wormhole enveloped them.
 
back to homepage
 
comments
 
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of MGM, etc. I've written this story for entertainment purposes only.