DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and property of Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM/UA, World Gekko Corp. and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment purposes and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author. Not to be archived without permission of the author(s).
Teal'c sat cross-legged on the floor in front of Daniel's office. O'Neill had charged him with Daniel Jackson's safety. He would remain on guard until such time as the SGC commander relieved him of the charge. Off-world, Teal'c would have considered the assignment to be a challenge of the highest caliber, but he would have normally assumed his young friend to be safe within the confines of the SGC. Recent events, however, had allowed evil to reach within it's walls to lay hold of Daniel Jackson. It was indeed fortunate that the young man had taken no lasting physical harm, but the emotional toll had been high. Too high.
Daniel Jackson was what had once been known, according to O'Neill, as a gentleman scholar, and he was also the kindest, gentlest, most honorable individual Teal'c had ever met. That some, as yet unknown, person would wish to cause his young friend pain was incomprehensible to the Jaffa. He frowned as he realized his own emotions were almost out-of-control. Taking a shuddering breath, Teal'c relaxed his body and concentrated on achieving Kel-no-reem.
The journal slid unnoticed to the floor as Daniel's grip turned to watery Jell-O. A Goa'uld ribbon device. Oh God, his father had been writing about a Goa'uld device. "Jack!" Daniel glanced around, puzzled, then shrugged and headed for the door. Suddenly remembering the journal, he darted back to his chair, and retrieved the book from the floor. Flipping backwards through the pages in search of the passage he'd just read, he flung open the door, and promptly fell over Teal'c.
Alarmed the Jaffa bolted to his feet, barely managing to catch Daniel before he slammed headfirst into the wall. Setting the stunned man on his feet, Teal'c asked urgently. "Daniel Jackson, are you harmed?"
"I...I'm fine, Teal'c. Thanks, but, uh, why are you here?"
"Colonel O'Neill did not believe you should be left unguarded."
"Oh, he didn't, did he."
"That is correct. You appear to be displeased with this arrangement, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c was concerned by the hint of anger in his young friend's tone.
Daniel sighed and absently brushed at non-existent bangs. "Teal'c, I'm not really angry with you, but just let me run this by you. I've been going through the 'gate for three years with SG-1. I've been shot at by just about everything. I've k..killed, and I've even been killed. I've managed to handle all sorts of situations that most people, military included, can't even begin to imagine. Why do I need a guard?"
"Ah. You feel your manhood has been threatened."
Blue eyes widened impossibly wide. "What! No, that's not... Blast! Where's Jack?"
"I believe he had business with Major Carter and Major Harris."
"Fine. Thank you very much!" Daniel barely managed not to snap as he turned on his heels and headed for the elevator. Teal'c's eyes lit up with amusement as he followed his young friend down the hall.
Harris was on the phone as Daniel, trailed closely by Teal'c, arrived. Sam looked up puzzled as he flew through the door demanding, "Where's Colonel O'Neill?"
Sam looked startled at the tone in Daniel's voice. "Daniel?"
"What Sam? You think I need a baby-sitter, too?"
'Oops.' She pursed her lips as she quickly contemplated her next words. "Actually, no, but you might need a bodyguard."
"What?" Daniel looked startled at the unexpected response.
"Daniel, be realistic. First you get knocked unconscious on a mission. Then you get the tape. You have to admit that this thing with the tape has been a real mind-bending experience..."
"Sam..."
"Let me finish. Oh, yeah. Next comes the discovery that there are Stargate glyphs on the, uh, pillars."
"Sam..."
She held up a hand to silence him. "Next we're given reason to believe that the, uhm, accident might not have been an accident." She gulped as she attempted to hurry past the tragedy of his parents' deaths. "And you mysteriously get your father's journals sent to you. Here. At the SGC. Yes, Daniel, I'd say that you most definitely need a bodyguard."
He smiled wryly. "Are you finished?"
She crossed her arms over her chest, and braced for the worst. "Yes."
"My father had a Goa'uld ribbon device."
Her eyes widened in shock and her hands took on a life of their own as she started for the door. "The colonel's in with the general."
"Colonel, I understand your concern for Dr. Jackson, but I am not certain that a trip to Washington is warranted. Let Major Harris and the NID deal with it."
"Sir, with all due respect, I'm sure Major Harris is a fine officer, with the best of intentions." Jack mentally groaned as he heard himself. "But the NID doesn't have a stake in this, and neither does Major Harris. Daniel is only a victim to them. Actually, except for mental harassment, whoever sent the tape and the journals couldn't even be charged with a crime, yet. It's important to me...us to find out the answers."
"All the more reason to let the outside entity investigate, Colonel. SG-1 is just too close."
"Sir, these journals..." Jack found himself interrupted as the door opened to reveal Daniel.
Hammond frowned as the young man burst into the room. His glare was as much for the young major who stopped just shy of the door as it was for the scientist. "Join us, please, Major, Teal'c." Sam gulped and moved to stand nervously beside Jack. Teal'c stopped just behind them. The colonel spared a moment for his more militaristic teammates before returning his attention to his civilian. The one who was about to be chewed up and spit out by an obviously annoyed general. Not that said civilian noticed, of course.
The ranking officer's tone was glacial. "Dr. Jackson, I would have..."
"I'm really sorry to interrupt, General, but my father had a Goa'uld ribbon device."
The mention of a Goa'uld ribbon device in the elder Jackson's journal, with all the unspoken implications behind it, had stopped the dressing down of the young man before it even began. It had also served as the deciding factor in persuading Hammond to authorize the trip to Washington, one which, to Jack's relief, did not include Daniel.
The young archaeologist's fury at being ordered to stay behind rivaled anything his commanding officer had ever seen. Granny O'Neill had once again been proven right with her 'still waters run deep' line. As the argument heated up, Jack discretely shooed Sam and Teal'c from the room, and settled in to watch the verbal fray. To his complete amazement, Daniel won General Hammond's reluctant approval in record time. Granting Jack a beatific smile, Daniel darted from the office even faster than he'd arrived.
Jack, however, had remained behind, too stunned by this turn of events to say much... at first. When at last he found his voice, he'd argued for what seemed an eternity with the General, but in the end reason, and rank, had prevailed, and Jackson was, once and for all, included in Jack's road trip. Daniel, however, remained blissfully unaware of the contention between the two officers.
To Jack's relief, the trip from Colorado to DC had been decidedly uneventful, the most dangerous part of the journey being the collection of luggage at Washington National airport. They'd taken a cab to their hotel, where a suite consisting of two bedrooms, and a very small kitchen, looked inviting after the long flight.
Jack watched as Daniel dropped his hastily packed bag on one of the beds in the bedroom he'd chosen. To his infinite relief, the younger man appeared to have recovered from the shock of the tape, but O'Neill still wasn't happy about his presence in Washington. 'For heaven's sake, O'Neill, get a grip. We're on Earth, not off-world. Why should I be worried? Just because we've got a dead colonel, a killer colonel, and a Goa'uld ribbon device - gee, what could possibly go wrong?'
"Jack?"
"Yeah, Daniel?"
"You looked worried."
"Me worried? Nope. Just jet lag, Daniel. I'm used to quick trips through, uh, you know. Not long jet flights with movies. Let's see if Carter's ready."
"Sir, O'Neill, Carter and Jackson are on their way to Washington."
"Indeed. Why?"
"Our source was unable to determine that, sir, but," he hastily added before the man could display any temper, "I'm told that Jackson has been preoccupied reading some sort of journal that arrived earlier today."
"A journal? What kind of journal?"
"Unknown, sir. Our source could not get close enough to tell, Jackson was always being watched."
"How many men are at the airport?"
"Five, sir. We won't lose them."
The cold gray eyes lit up suddenly, as if on fire, and the young man took an involuntary step backwards. The voice was soft when he finally did speak. Caressing a large jar, he said. "No, you won't. Unlike Rogers here, you won't fail me."
The younger man's eyes never left the contents of the jar. "N..No, sir. Never."