Work Text:
Lies
by XFreak
x_freak@fastmail.fm
Daniel frowned as he walked along the length of the wharf, the form of his friend sitting on the end. As he neared the edge, he spotted Teal'c's shoes beside him, pants rolled up and bare feet kicking in the water.
"Daniel Jackson."
"Hey, Teal'c."
"Is my presence required at Stargate Command?"
"No." Hiking his pants up to avoid doing damage to himself, Daniel squatted next to his friend. "General Hammond told me you came to the surface and quite frankly, I got a little worried."
"Do not worry, Daniel Jackson. I am fine."
"Are you?" He took in the funky hat, the careless swishing of feet, and decided that he was getting really worried. Next thing you know, Teal'c would be smiling. Daniel pointed toward the water. "What are you doing, by the way?"
"Colonel O'Neill once told me he comes here when he needs to clear his head. I thought it might work for me as well."
"Is it working?"
"No."
Shrugging, Daniel removed his shoes, tucking his socks inside them, and rolled his pant legs up. He then sat down next to his friend and plopped his feet into the warm water. It felt good as it ran between his toes, prompting him to wiggle them. When he looked back over at Teal'c, he had to laugh as the Jaffa bent over to watch him and then arched a trademark brow.
"What are you doing?"
"I figured I'd join you."
"Did I not just tell you that it does not appear to be working?"
"Teamwork, Teal'c," Daniel said with a smile as he patted the bigger man on the back.
"Something I have failed at, I am afraid."
"I disagree." A certainty that he felt soul deep carried Daniel's words.
"How could you possibly think me worthy of SG-1 after all that has happened, Daniel Jackson?"
At a loss for words, Daniel looked down when a small fish bumped into the ball of his foot. "How could I not?"
"I do not blame you for not wanting to look at me. I find it difficult to look at myself."
"Teal'c, you can't beat yourself up about what happened. It wasn't your fault."
With as much conviction as Daniel had ever heard in his voice, Teal'c said, "I was weak and allowed my mind to be controlled. I fired upon you and the rest of SG-1. That is unforgivable."
"No, the only unforgivable thing is Apophis using mind control on you. The goa'uld have very advanced weapons at their disposal, as you well know. Your symbiote helped to hold you under Apophis' control even after he died."
"Yet again."
A long while passed as they swished their feet lazily, a companionable silence born of long friendship falling between them.
"Will you ever be able to trust me again?"
"I trust you now. Do you think I would have come out here alone if I thought I couldn't?"
"I do not know."
"Well, trust me then. I know your heart and it's the heart of a loyal warrior and friend."
"It is not my heart that troubles me, Daniel Jackson. It is the ease with which my mind was manipulated."
"Teal'c you're a Jaffa. You're wired to serve the goa'uld. You once believed Apophis was your god."
"Apophis was a false god." Teal'c said the words with nothing less than venom hissing them through his teeth.
"And he played on your sense of loyalty. He knew what your weakness was. He knew that your betrayal ate at you."
"Lies."
"I don't think so." Daniel looked out across the water, almost hypnotized by the shimmering of the sun against the ripples. "Apophis lied to you, made you lie to yourself. I've never lied to you and I'm not about to start now."
Teal'c lowered his head, watching his feet as they floated on the water. Daniel stood and picked up his shoes, his feet pattering against the wood as he left his friend to work out his demons and return to the team.
END