Strength of Decision
by Travelling One
EMAIL: travelling_one@yahoo.ca
WEB: http://www.travellingone.com
RELATED EPISODES: minor references to Out of Mind; the Devil You Know; Absolute Power; Thor's Hammer
SUMMARY: O'Neill and Carter resort to sabotage to save Daniel's future.
DISCLAIMER: The theme and main characters have been borrowed from the Stargate SG-1 tv series, and are copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. This story has been written for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is an AU story. While I find it highly unlikely our guys would keep bumping into such similar versions of themselves out there in alternate universes, I ignored myself and wrote this anyway. So, AU characters are referred to with the number 2. Singular names belong to our own team members.
08/18/02
 
The room was lit solely by the filtered brightness of outside sunshine, and the streams of daylight pouring in from high windows picked up the dust particles swirling down in neat diagonal rows around the four of them. Each movement kicked up more clouds of dust, and Daniel wasn't the only one sneezing. The musty smell wasn't really so bad though, considering the length of time this place had apparently gone unused.
 
"Nice place," O'Neill commented.
 
"Filled with all sorts of highly developed technology, Sir." Sam added, looking around at the unidentified equipment. "Which is the reason we're here."
 
"Okay, let's gather some of this stuff up, and double on out of here," O'Neill's order was partly due to the fact that they weren't positive exactly how safe this planet was, out beyond these four concrete-like walls. Whatever this stuff was made of, it was certainly solid.
 
As they wandered the room, not even Sam seemed to have the tiniest inkling of what they may have been looking at. These bits of machinery were certainly technologically advanced, but whether or not they served any useful purpose to the SGC was beyond even Sam's guess. For all they knew, these could have been the town's printing presses.
 
"Uh …Jack?" Daniel's gaze was directed to the far end of the room, and the others turned in time to see …space …transforming? Shimmering…ah.
 
Taking cover behind some stumpy machinery, the foursome witnessed the sudden appearance, seemingly out of nowhere, of four humans…
 
…and they looked just like Sam, Teal'c, and Jack, dressed casually in earth tones. The fourth was unknown.
 
Oh for crying out loud. Enough of this meeting themselves business. More clones? Alternates? And where was Daniel, again? Why was he always the missing one? Maybe because he wasn't part of the military, maybe he had more of life's options available to him, maybe he was on a dig when the SGC had first come looking ….and what were they doing here, anyway? Slowly, Jack emerged from his shelter behind the machinery. The others moved out into the open as well, weapons aimed and ready.
 
The quartet ahead of them turned abruptly, staring straight into the eyes of the SG-1 team members. For a few moments, no one made a sound.
 
The silence and staring contest was finally broken by the second version of Colonel O'Neill. "Oops," was all he said.
 
Slowly, Jack lowered his weapon. "Oops?"
 
"Uh, yeah. We're usually careful not to run into alternate versions of ourselves. This is definitely a fluke." All four members of this team were looking over SG-1, expressions shifting, becoming unidentifiable, lingering momentarily upon Daniel. Wondering who he was, Jack thought?
 
"I take it you're from an alternate reality." Daniel stated his question confidently.
 
"So it would seem." The alternate O'Neill focussed on Dr. Jackson. The man couldn't seem to take his eyes off the archaeologist.
 
"What are you doing here?" Sam's curiosity was shared by the other three.
 
The alternate Carter spoke up. "When we find technology somewhere in our own galaxy, or should I say reality, we frequently check out the same planet in a variety of other universes. We bring back anything that would be beneficial to us."
 
"And I take it you've found this stuff," Jack motioned around them at the equipment, "beneficial?"
 
"Some of it."
 
"You know that you can't remain in a universe with versions of yourselves." Sam commented.
 
"We never stay long."
 
"Well," Jack abruptly broke in, "This stuff belongs to us. Our world, we get first dibs."
 
"Sure thing." Alternate O'Neill was certainly easy to reason with.
 
"Um …most of the other realities we've encountered are overrun by the Goa'uld… is your planet safe? Have you found technology to deal with them?" Daniel asked enthusiastically.
 
The alternate O'Neill looked uncomfortable, glancing at his other team members. "We have. Our world is free and safe, and living in peace."
 
"Then what are you doing here?" Sam inquired. "What are you still searching for?"
 
"We were…looking for something." O'Neill #2 was overly vague.
 
"Ah, let me guess. Bigger and better," Jack commented. "So. Can you tell us where we can find this technology that's been so useful to your Earth? Besides here, I mean? Or tell us what this stuff is. We're still trying to fight off the Goa'uld, you know. Well, no, you don't know. Now you know." Oh the Pentagon was going to love them for this one.
 
O'Neill2 shuffled, Carter2 looked at the floor, their Teal'c kept his gaze firmly upon Daniel, and the fourth member of the team, still silent, looked from one member of his team to the other. "No," was finally the response obtained from O'Neill2.
 
"No?" Huh? Jack couldn't believe his own counterpart wouldn't help them.
 
"Let me ask you something," Carter2 queried. "Have you guys been to Cimmeria? Abydos?" At the nods of four heads, she continued, waiting for an answer to each. "Raskon? Cartteheidle? O-she-a?" As expected, the final three responses were negative. Looking at Sam, she asked, "What about Joniphus?" At the blank stares, she said, "Then you haven't been host to a Tok'ra."
 
"Oh …yes, Jolinar - for a short while." Sam realized the names had been different, but the experience had likely been quite similar.
 
SG1 #2 wore expressions SG-1 couldn't interpret. Carter2 continued with the interrogation. "What about Hathor's ship? The memory devices, were those used on you?" Thinking back to both Hathor and Netu, nods and muffled affirmations indicated some shared horrors.
 
Looking at Jack, one more question. "Goa'uld?"
 
"For a few hours," he responded curtly.
 
"And you?" O'Neill2 directed his question at Daniel. "Have you ever had a snake in your head?"
 
"Uh …no, thank goodness."
 
More looks passed between the members of the alternates, but the questioning had ended.
 
"Our turn. Now that we've concluded our sweet little reminiscing, how about you tell us a few things. You've beaten the Goa'uld?" Jack asked.
 
"More or less. They stay away."
 
"Then how about telling us where to find some of this technology? Carter here can learn how to use it properly, if you teach her."
 
"We can't do that."
 
"Why not? Stop saying that and give us some explanations, for crying out loud. I mean, it's Earth you'd be saving - just one that belongs to us." Jack might be forced to concede to the arrogance of "less primitive" races, but he wasn't going to stand there and take this from …himself.
 
O'Neill2 responded by waving his hand at the stunned group. "Come with us. We'll show you."
 
"Show us? Hey… just how did you get here, anyway? I don't see a mirror."
 
"A mirror?" O'Neill2 looked questioningly at Jack.
 
"To step through."
 
"Oh …no," Carter2 began to explain. "Those were the primitive means of transport. Anyone who continued going to alternate realities eventually improved the technology. The displacement of protons and electrons occurs through these two electrically charged columns. We'll show you."
 
"We can't…" Sam began…
 
"…stay long. We know that." O'Neill2 concluded.
 
"Except for me …that is, if no Daniel Jackson exists in your world." Daniel honoured them with a semi-grin.
 
O'Neill2 looked uncomfortable again, eyes deadly serious and troubled. "Just come with us," he said softly. "For a short visit."
 
Jack tooked at his teammates. "What do you think?" He needed some input here from his respected team members.
 
"They seem sincere, O'Neill. I believe they may be able to help us in our quest."
 
"Then, I guess… if there are no objections, we'll follow the yellow brick …gray plaster floor tiles. Lead the way."
 
The group of eight positioned themselves between the two pillars at the far end of the room, Carter2 pressed some buttons on a hand device, and the electrical charge whizzed through them, transporting them to another room nearly identical to the one they'd already been standing in. SG-1 watched as Mr. We-Haven't-Been-Introduced-Yet sauntered to the Stargate and plugged in the coordinates for their Earth on the DHD. He looked military, and spoke about as often as Teal'c, it seemed.
 
The vortex swooshed open, and the occupants of the alternate SGC began their short trek towards the open wormhole.
 
"What about the iris signal?" Jack interrupted.
 
"The what?"
 
"The signal to let them know who's coming through?"
 
"Don't need one," O'Neill2 explained off-handedly. "As I said, our world's perfectly safe. We have no enemies who bother with us any more."
 
Jack lifted his eyebrows in a quick glance towards Daniel, who shrugged his shoulders. Would sure be handy to know how they had accomplished that. Oh yeah.
 
SG-1 found themselves exiting into a white room bright with sunlight streaming through the polished and gleaming wall-to-wall glass windows, skylights overhead. One glance outside told them it was spring or summer; colourful flowers were adorning the perimeter of the building, and gardens stretched over gentle walkways and stone paths.
 
"Wow," Sam breathed. "What a great place to work every day. Is this your SGC?"
 
The newcomers were approached by General Hammond's double. "Colonel? Why have you brought these people here?"
 
"They were searching for technology, Sir, and asked for our help. They want the coordinates to the planet where we found our samunovas," O'Neill2 explained to his CO.
 
Hammond looked him over with a frown. "And should we be sharing our technology, Jack?"
 
"Didn't say we would, Sir. I wanted them to come visit." Looking Hammond meaningfully in the eye, he deliberately stated, "This is their team - Jack, Sam, Tark'ov, and Daniel. If you get my drift, Sir."
 
General Hammond slowly nodded, then moved aside to let them pass.
 
"Whoa - Tark…what?"Jack asked.
 
O'Neill2 looked at Teal'c. "Tark'ov…?"
 
Teal'c spoke to him for the first time. "That was the name of my grandfather. My own parents chose to name me Teal'c."
 
Oh. Okay. But they did know Daniel…? Jack was certain he hadn't introduced Daniel by name.
 
SG-1 was given a hospitable tour of the facility. It wasn't too large, but very friendly. Most of the rooms looked out onto open gardens, and the bright daylight shining in contrasted with the drab underground grayness of their own Cheyenne Mountain complex.
 
"We built this place close to two years ago, now."
 
"Out in the open, for all to see. I guess your own people know about the Stargate? And you have no enemies… You've eliminated the Goa'uld?" Jack was more than ready for answers.
 
"We keep them at bay. We have a system of - plugs - shields, actually, in the Earth's atmosphere. Carter can tell you more about how they work."
 
"Well," she began, "they're really satellites orbiting Earth that detect any threat and dispose of it immediately. They can detect any life forms, both in space and on the planet, which we program in as a threat, and it sends them back to wherever they came from. The Goa'uld know this, and stay away. We have a kind of a treaty with them; they leave us alone, we leave them alone. It's worked so far."
 
Daniel felt an involuntary shudder course through him at the mention of orbitting satellites. That sounded way too familiar, although the technique seemed less ominous than those in the dream Shifu had plagued him with, and more like Thor's Hammer, in a way.
 
"So tell us how they work and where you found them."
 
"No."
 
Damn, these people were sounding like the Tollans.
 
"Look, if you could keep your world safe and use this technology properly, then so can we. Tell us how you managed that, we'll just follow your lead." No way was Jack giving up so easily.
 
"It's not so simple." O'Neill2 stopped, and the rest of his team hesitated. He looked at the floor, a far-away haze encompassing his features. He looked back up at SG1, and the four teammates thought they caught a glimmer of sorrow. "Come." Slowly, he turned, and with the slightest motion of his head towards his own team members, he led the newcomers off down a corridor.
 
Stopping at a white door, O'Neill2 knocked, entering before hearing a response. The other seven followed. Sam thought Carter2 had touched her arm gently, but perhaps that had been unintentional.
 
The room was small but bright, and plants lay charmingly along some window ledges. But all eyes were directed towards what was in the center of the room behind a large rattan desk… Daniel Jackson. In a wheelchair, immobile, his head supported between two headrests. O'Neill2 went over to him and knelt by his side.
 
"How're you doing? Anything I can get you?"he asked softly.
 
Daniel2 moved only his eyes, and his lips. When he spoke, his voice was barely audible. "No, thanks Jack." He eyed the familiar strangers. "What's going on?"
 
Looking briefly at the SG-1 team, O'Neill2 quietly responded, "We met our alternates on P1J-786. They wanted to learn of our technology."
 
Daniel2 gazed straight at Daniel, blue eyes filling with compassion, pain, understanding. "Give it to them."
 
"Uh-uh." O'Neill2 brushed his hand gently over Daniel2's cheek. "Won't happen."
 
The blue gaze shifted to his own former CO. "Let them decide," Daniel2 said quietly.
 
For a moment, the room was still and silent. The proverbial pin would have thundered.
 
"Um …mind if I ask, um … what happened to … you?" Daniel ventured. He wasn't sure whether to say you, or me.
 
As O'Neill2 slowly stood up, remaining beside his friend in the wheelchair, Carter2 quietly began the story. "Of all the technology we've found to outwit the Goa'uld, the only mechanisms that are truly effective are the satellites. Samunovas. But," she looked around, her eyes softening with painful memories, "they come with a consequence we hadn't anticipated. You've said you have all been recipients of the memory device?"
 
Three members of SG1 again nodded their heads. The only one who hadn't been exposed to one of these had been Teal'c.
 
"Well, those devices leave a trace of a chemical in the brain, called myta. We had no idea…" Carter2's voice trailed off, and she was taking specific interest in her boots.
 
"Go on," Jack urged gently.
 
Taking a moment to compose herself, Carter2 continued. "The satellites work off of a nuclear-type system using a substance that has a long-range and detrimental effect on myta, and therefore on anyone who has been exposed to it. It seems that Goa'ulds and symbiotes are immune to myta and have a nullifying effect upon it, so the Tok'ra symbiote I had harboured for a while, as well as the snake that the Colonel was implanted with, even temporarily …" she looked around, making sure they were all understanding completely what she was about to say, "… gave us a type of immunity by allowing us to absorb and negate the trace amounts of myta in our brains. Daniel, though, was unprotected…" Her forehead creased, voice breaking, and Carter2 was forced to stop speaking. Her features clouded over and she turned away.
 
"Oh God." Sam turned her gaze away from the man in the wheelchair, who looked so much like her best friend. Daniel watched as O'Neill2's hand gently stroked his Daniel's hair. There was definite affection between the two, and Daniel could sense the sincere friendship shared by the two men.
 
"So unless you want to implant your Daniel with a symbiote…" O'Neill2 faced Jack, knowing intuitively what the man's reaction to that comment would be, "…then keeping him off-world forever would be your only other choice, if you were to employ these samunovas."
 
"They have a third choice, Jack." Daniel2 focussed on the visitors. "You can save your Earth forever. We've had nearly two years of peace and freedom. It was worth it."
 
Jack glanced surreptitiously at his own Daniel, whose face was stunned and pale. Any time, any team, could one day find this knowledge, and Daniel would pay for it. Would probably say it was worth it, too. If Earth was ever to be safe from the Goa'ulds, Daniel was looking at his own future.
 
O'Neill2 touched his friend's arm, then moved back to the group. "At least he can still talk. He does translations, and identifies the occasional artifacts other teams bring back. All those worries about him on other planets, and we did this to him right here at home." He motioned to his three teammates. "Sam, Tark'ov, stay with Daniel for a while." He turned back to SG-1. "Well… you people probably shouldn't stay here much longer. Jonas and I will show you the way back." As O'Neill2 moved towards the door, he elaborated, "The energy powering the samunovas comes from a material we discovered on Jonas' planet. He came here to show us how to use it… and ended up staying."
 
Jack went over to the Daniel2 of this new world, sitting there alone in the center of this bright room, and knelt by his side. Looking him straight in the eye, he could see the sincerity in the crystal blue gaze, the compassion, the sacrifice. He spoke quietly."You're a good man. Pretty much the same as my Daniel." He touched the man's arm, leaving it there for a few moments before realizing that this Daniel couldn't feel the touch. Jack arose, glumly, solemnly heading back to his own team. He took Daniel's sleeve, holding on as his team exited the chamber. He needed to show their counterparts that their predicament and concern hadn't been lost on him. But even more so, he had to reassure himself that his Danny was still intact.
 
The group was directed back through the pleasant complex, through the Stargate, and back to the columns of the alternate P1J-786. O'Neill2 motioned Jack to privately follow him into a small connecting chamber.
 
"So do you have enough answers?" he questioned.
 
"Actually - not yet. Why do you still go out looking for more technology, when everything at home is hunky-dorey?" Jack asked him.
 
"We believe that out there somewhere is a means to counteract or neutralize the effect of the satellites' energies on myta. It won't help our Daniel, but in the future it might help those of other universes - yours," he added. "And…we're still hoping that somewhere we might find some means of repairing Daniel himself." The penetrating look begged of understanding, hope, despair. Jack nodded.
 
O'Neill2's gaze was steady, solemn. "Tell you what. I'll trade you. Your healthy Daniel, for ours."
 
Jack jumped, horrified and apalled at the suggestion. "No way in hell."
 
"You care about him."
 
"Damn right I do."
 
O'Neill2 smiled. "Good. I had to make sure…had to know for sure. And I wouldn't trade you ours, no matter how much I'd give to see him walk again. No matter how much I envy you for what you still have. Daniel needs us, we take good care of him. No one else would care as much as we do, not even you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
 
"Yes." Jack's voice was subdued.
 
"Be prepared to take care of yours. My Daniel paid the price of our ignorance, even though he says it was worth it, saving potential billions at the expense of one casualty. Most people of our world agree with him. Except…we were never in an actual danger situation on our Earth in the first place." His voice and eyes dropped. "We were so eager to test the technology. It took two days after activation for Daniel to completely fall apart. We were devastated." His voice drifted off, enveloped in unwanted memories.
 
Writing something down on a slip of paper, he handed it to Jack. "Here. I'm giving you the coordinates for the planet on which we discovered the samunovas, and the one where we get our power source. It's up to you what you do with them."
 
Jack took the paper from him gingerly, as if it were on fire.
 
Back with the others and ready to transport them through the energy field between the pillars, O'Neill2 slowly walked over to Daniel, stopping for a moment while looking straight into the earnest blue eyes, and gently touched his cheek. "I miss you," he murmured.
 
Then, taking a step back to where Jonas stood silently watching, he activated the palm device.
 
SG-1 found themselves back on P1J-786 of their own universe. There was silence for some moments, before Jack spoke. "Let's get some of this stuff back with us. Give Area 51 a field day or two. Daniel, help Teal'c, will ya?"
 
"'kay."
 
As the two men moved to carry a few of the smaller pieces of equipment towards the Stargate, Jack quietly handed the paper to Sam. "Soon as we get back, I want you to lock these coordinates out of our dialling system. Don't tell anyone, just do it." Jack had faith that he could trust his teammate.
 
Sam smiled. "Yes sir." She wouldn't ask, and therefore wouldn't be an informed accomplice. But she understood, and was entirely relieved.
 
Jack looked at Daniel, helping Teal'c. Healthy, strong. This wasn't Jack's decision to make …but he was making it anyway. Oh how the Pentagon would so love him for this one …if they ever found out.
 
_____
 
Jack was puttering around in avoidance of writing up the post-mission report. He wasn't sure just how much he was willing to divulge, and he sure as hell wasn't going to mention the note, or the Stargate addresses. Sam poked her head in the doorway.
 
"Colonel?"
 
"Come on in, Carter." He could sure use her help here, but he didn't want to involve her more than he already had.
 
"I wanted to lock out those coordinates you gave me, Sir, but I couldn't."
 
O'Neill sighed. Crap. It hadn't been an order, and he couldn't force her to do this, but he had really thought that out of concern for Daniel…
 
"…there's already a team on the first planet, Sir." Carter's voice cut off his negative thoughts.
 
Jack snapped out of his daydream, feeling as though he'd been slapped. "What?"
 
"The coordinates you gave me, Colonel. A team went there four days ago. They're due back tomorrow."
 
Jack stared in disbelief, a chill running up his spine. "They've probably found that technology, right?"
 
Sam gave a silent nod of her head. This was giving her a sick feeling inside, and she didn't know what to say.
 
"What do we do, Carter?"
 
"I think we'd better tell Daniel, sir."
 
"Do you think Hammond would understand if we told him what will happen to Daniel once we figure out how to use that stuff?"
 
"Colonel, you know that answer as well as I do. His first duty is to this country. As is ours," she added.
 
No, Jack thought. Mine is to my team.
 
_____
 
"Hey, Daniel."
 
"Hi Jack."
 
"How're you doing?"
 
Daniel looked up questioningly from his work. "Um …okay."
 
"Look, I wanted to talk to you. About the other …you know."
 
"Me?"
 
"Yeah. So how're you doing with that?"
 
"It's another reality, Jack. I was startled to see …myself, him, like that, and I could empathize with what he went through. But beyond that, well, I don't know."
 
"What about the knowledge that we might find that equipment one day?"
 
Daniel hesitated. He spoke only after several lingering, contemplative moments. "I guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it," he replied. "For now, I guess I'll just do my job and won't worry. But Jack?"
 
"What, Daniel?"
 
"If we ever do find those satellites, you know you'll have to use them."
 
No, Jack changed his mind. He wasn't up to telling Daniel right now. First, he'd go see if SG-10 was even bringing that equipment home with them.
 
_____
 
 
The wormhole spewed forth four excited teammates, brandishing strange machine parts, and pulling a cartful of more bits and pieces of equipment behind them.
 
"General Hammond, Sir, I think we may have stumbled on something extremely important here. The locals on that planet are wonderfully easy-going, they don't seem to worry at any mention of the Goa'uld, Sir, they don't seem afraid of them at all. They gave us these bits to play around with, and there's more where this came from. We thought Major Carter might want a look at them."
 
"Didn't the locals say what these are used for, Major?"
 
"Well, Sir, it seems these are the materials for what they describe as protective shields, that …uh, float around in space, or something. Theirs have been working for centuries, they just don't know what makes them tick. We figured Major Carter could work on it."
 
"Well done, SG-10. We'll debrief at 1530 hours."
 
Jack watched the return through the observation window, his unemotional stare a deceptive blanket, his stomach betraying itself. What he was feeling at that moment could not be dealt with in full view of his colleagues.
 
_____
 
"Daniel…"
 
"Hmm?" Daniel kept working under his desk lamp, bent over and involved.
 
Jack wasn't sure how to continue. Daniel, we have a problem here … Daniel, SG-10 just came back with the machine that will condemn you to a wheelchair for the rest of your life … But don't worry, I'm going to do something not so nice to the most important bits of it …Hell, Jack hadn't even reported the findings of yesterday's mission yet, and he'd been intentionally vague in the post-mission briefing. There was no reason for anyone to connect the evidence, to even suspect that he knew what that stuff was. Only his own team knew what they were up against here. Daniel, you have to promise not to tell…
 
"Sir?" Carter's head poked around Daniel's door. "Could I see you a moment?"
 
Jack walked out into the hall, stopping around the corner to talk to Sam. "We have a problem, Carter."
 
"Yes Sir. Uh, no Sir."
 
O'Neill's face scrunched up in confusion. "Not sure I quite got that, Major."
 
Carter glanced quickly along both directions of the hall before continuing in her lowest voice. "Seems we won't be able to power those devices, Sir, the second planet just got locked out of the system. And just in case, a return trip to that planet SG-10 just went to won't be possible either. Their gate no longer seems to be responding to the entered coordinates…."
 
"They've shut down their gate?" He lowered his surprised voice. "How'd you manage that?"
 
"I rearranged their coordinates to dial a planet with a buried gate. If no one checks too closely, we should be okay."
 
Jack realized what this meant, and knew the secret would forever stay between himself and this wonderful, dependable teammate. "You know this is Earth's best chance…"
 
"Yes, Sir. As you do." Sam's blue gaze intensified.
 
"Right."
 
As Daniel faithfully continued his work, oblivious to the dealings taking place just outside his office door, O'Neill and Carter continued to study each other's masked expressions. They knew what this meant, yes. For Earth, for the SGC, for themselves should their sabotage ever be discovered. They also knew what this meant for Daniel, and if they could keep him around for another month, another year, until some functioning samunova was discovered on some other planet, or that mysterious power source ever revealed, then neither threat of court martial nor of Goa'uld attack would keep them from it. For they had seen the alternative, and, for as long as they could help it, this was one piece of equipment the Stargate project was just going to have to do without.
 
"Major…" Jack gazed solemnly at his co-conspirator, speaking with quiet but firm authority, "I'm ordering you to lock out those coordinates, and to take your time with those machine parts. As much time as..."
 
A confused Carter interrupted, "But Sir, I already said…"
 
"I'm making it an order, Sam." For if they ever were questioned about this, Jack would make sure that Sam would take as little of the blame as possible, nor would she have to lie.
 
Sam watched grimly as Jack slowly saluted and turned away. He didn't look back as she kept her eyes on his retreating form, staring until he was long out of sight.
 
No. She had done this of her own free will, telling the colonel only after the fact. He hadn't known, and if questioned, that's the story she'd stick with.
 
Sam turned to leave, pausing for some moments to look through the doorway at Daniel, intent on his work, oblivious to his surroundings, forehead puckered, biting his bottom lip. She loved that look.
 
Finally, she felt, she'd given a gift that was worth something.
 
back home