Title:  Endless

Author: Melrae
Rating: PG

Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Pairing: Pre-Slash Jack/Daniel
Email: melrae@pacifier.com

Archive: http://melrae.tripod.com

Spoilers: Up to season 6 episode Full Circle.
Disclaimer: I don't own them just wish I did. Please don't sue me.

Author's Notes: This fic was completely inspired by watching the Endless Night vid on http://www.angelq.net/vids.htm site. If you haven't seen this vid go watch it. It is a very good and moving video. This is my explanation for what happened to Jack between leaving Abydos and returning. It also supplies a possible theory on what happened to Daniel.

====================================================================

Jack's POV 

"I'm not sure that we can count on Daniel for anything anymore." Carter said at the debriefing two hours after I came through the Stargate from Abydos feeling the planet break apart around me as I left. It was such a strange experience and one I don't want to repeat again. I could feel the energy from the beam that Anubis used, feel the Stargate react, and feel Abydos breaking apart around me. It shook me to my core. I also knew that if Anubis had done that then Daniel finally lost one. My Danny wasn't coming back from this and I knew it.

I was standing outside in the woods not too far from the entrance of the mountain. It was far enough that no one would see the private pity party I was holding. While I waited to see if Carter could get a lock on Abydos tonight. I know I valued her tenacity of not giving up until a Tok'ra ship passed over and visually confirmed what I knew already. Abydos and all it's people were gone.

I knew everyone had worried about me when Daniel ascended. They were treating it like he had died but I knew better. Thanks to that handy mental upgrade courtesy of the Ancients I was able to sense things. Nothing major thankfully, otherwise I'd never be able to do this job. It just seemed to enhance my normal gut instincts, at least until Daniel Ascended. Then things went nuts. Out of the blue I'd feel Daniel right there beside me like nothing was wrong. Then almost as soon as I'd feel it, Danny's presence was gone. After a few times of that happening the breeze thing started up. Almost like Daniel was moving a hand through my hair. For once I was thankful for that mess with that database, if it weren't for that then I would have been going nuts.

I think that was why Thor and his people  took an interest in Earth. Not because we were finally getting close to a level to start dealing with them, not because we were dealing with the Goa'uld and kicking major ass, but because for all their talk about knowing so much about our brains mine was working better than they expected. They had told me that my mind should have totally shut down instead of trying to use that information to find help. So I think they wanted to make sure I wouldn't pull a Carrie on the planet.  I'm not worried about that, my mind just did what I normally do. Adapt to the situation to survive. I can handle that. Even if I thought Daniel could have handled all this 'meaning of life stuff' swirling around in his head better than me. At least when an idea would come to him he could spout it off I had to hide it behind the mask of an idiot. Cassie and Danny had me figured out though. They knew that more of that information stuck in my head than I ever let on. The unspoken agreement is that when I was alone with either one of them I wasn't allowed to play dumb. Thankfully I wasn't alone with them very often otherwise I might have slipped up at other times.

I'm stuck kinda wishing and hoping that through what ever means he was using to contact us that he knew how I really felt that last time I saw him not the anger stuff but the deep down in my heart stuff, the stuff that I never really knew was there until he was gone stuff.

After Daniel had left that first time and I had seen him off through that Stargate, God how I wish I could have just told him not to do it but it was go and live or stay and probably die. I think when Danny did the wind thing after I lost the chance yet again for my own mothership, Carter finally got a clue. She certainly stopped trying to nag me to admit Daniel was dead.

That's why I started accepting Jonas on the team. After the Baal incident Daniel had a few more words with me. Though he never showed up per se but I knew it was him no one else could project disappointment though just his presence like Danny. Always willing to give someone a second chance that's probably why I fell in love with him. I always thought I'd have more time though. I mean with Daniel you got the feeling that there was a revolving door to Hades. Daniel just never stayed dead. If it weren't a T.V. show I'd swear he was one of those immortals that do all that sword fighting, he certainly had enough swords around his place. I never knew if he could use them. There is still so much that I don't know about him. So much I will never know.

I know I shouldn't count him down just yet but this time it felt different. Just before Anubis (bad doggie) blasted the planet I felt a horrible burning tearing sensation in my heart where I always felt Daniel. I told him to cross the line. Oh God what if 'The Others' as Daniel called them decided that he had to die! I couldn't take that. Daniel just wanted to help people. He thought this ascending gig would help him do that better. 'What sort of enlightened beings are you that you've forgotten how to help people! You shouldn't punish Daniel for this you should be thanking him for showing you the way! He did nothing wrong! Anubis is your mess and he was trying to clean it up!' I shout out with my mind out to the vast expanse of space hoping they would hear me. Figuring though that it was a futile effort.

Higher Plane of Existence Ancients Capitol City:

The echoes of Jack O'Neill's cry reverberated through the tribunal chamber. Ascended beings stood around the room. In the center was a cell where Daniel was being contained. Daniel was still dressed in the robes from Abydos was standing facing the head of the tribunal his face showing nothing of what he was feeling inside.

"The evidence against you Daniel Jackson is overwhelming. You broke our highest law, we observe but we never interfere. You are guilty of this on multiple occasions. When your friend O'Neill was captured, when your friend Teal'c was dying, to the people of Abydos, again to O'Neill to send him to Abydos and it is simpler to just call the rest of that incident a mass breaking of our rules!" One of the Ascended beings leading the tribunal exclaimed.

"Your Honor, Anubis was one of us, an Ascended Being, he possesses knowledge and weapons that he could have only received while Ascended. He too is guilty of interfering in Mortal Affairs. He is somehow stuck between being Mortal and being Ascended. Is not  this reason enough to protect the Mortals from him? Jack is right, he is our mess and we need to clean it up. I do not regret for a moment any of my actions on Abydos except for the fact that I wasn't able to stop him." Daniel replied calmly explaining his reasons for crossing the line. He watched as the other Ascended beings on the tribunal committee  began to confer amongst themselves.

'Oh Jack how I wish you could hear me. I know you told me to cross the line but it was still my choice. I know you are probably blaming yourself for what happened. I didn't know until 'The Others' took me away from blasting Anubis that I could really feel you in my heart. My Heart, that's what you are to me. How could I not come to you when Baal held you prisoner? How could I not respond to you in those moments when you felt yourself responding to everyone's grief that I was actually dead and not Ascended. I felt you ripped away from me and then I was in this blasted cage. I can't escape it nor use any of my 'Ascended Powers' to do anything. I hate this. I wish that for one moment I felt brave enough to tell you why I stayed around you so much. It was that I love you. How I wished I could have said those three words just once to you even if it meant that you would hate me for the rest of your days. I would have at least said it.' Daniel's thoughts were interrupted as the other Ascended Beings turned back to him deliver their verdict.

"Daniel Jackson, it is the opinion of this Tribunal that you will have a say in choosing your punishment. Do you agree to this?" The leader of the Tribunal said to him.

"Yes, I agree."

"You have two choices. One we keep you confined until all those you once knew in life have died and you will be barred from Earth forever."

Daniel mentally gasped, never to see the SGC never to see the growth of humanity as they fight the Goa'uld. Never! Looked like he would be taking the second option.

"Your second choice is to return to human form now. You would be placed on another planet with a Stargate but with no memory of who you are or of your time being Ascended. Chance, fate and destiny would guide your path from that point on." The leader of the Tribunal said. "We will give you one hour to decide your fate."

"Yes, your honor." Daniel said as all the beings left the room leaving him alone. Alone both choices lead to that one fate. If he choose the first option he would fully have that sense of detachment that Oma wanted him to have but he still would interfere, he just could not stand aside while the Goa'uld took over. He would fight them but by then the task might be too great. If he chose the second option he again would be alone. With no memory of the war he had spent over 5 years fighting. Placed on a planet where no one knew him and he would know nothing. Hopefully his ability to learn anything would stay in place. Also if the planet had a Stargate then maybe an SGC team would find him and bring him back.

Chance, fate and destiny can have a helping hand sometimes. Daniel remembered a discussion with another graduate student when he was in Oxford. He told him the mind was akin to a very complex computer. It could and would remember everything the trick was being able to give your brain the correct commands to access the information. Also if one was mentally disciplined enough you could wall off certain memories consciously controlling when they came back. Instead of repressing them and have them come back at a bad time.

One hour, was it enough time to 'back up' his brain and hide it away to maybe come back when a specific trigger was seen or heard? Was he disciplined enough to do it.  Daniel wasn't sure but he had to try.

Anteroom Ancient Capitol City

Oma Desala paced the room where the other Ascended beings of the Tribunal were gathered.

"Oma, do you think he will choose the second option?" Treldor leader of the Tribunal asked.

"Of course he will." Oma said hotly. "You were a little bit obvious with the chance, fate, destiny speech and telling him there would be a Stargate on the planet. Even with removing his memories that one fact will give him hope. Colonel O'Neill inputted all of the Stargates we created into their system. Shifu was able to confirm that fact." She paused and looked out a nearby window.  "I feel like we are moving too fast. Normally it would take us centuries to get a race to this point on a whole. Instead we have been directly manipulating a very small handful of people for just under a decade." Oma replied.

"Oma, you know why this has to be. Anubis played us for fools he was able to not only steal and stockpile vast amounts of information, plans and technology. He was able to halt us Descending the symboite. The host while enlightened was as pure a form of evil as any of us has ever seen. Only now through Daniel have we found out that Anubis was even reviled by his own kind for being too evil. When the darkness is too dark for the creatures of darkness then those of the light must tread carefully but swiftly. We know that Daniel's attempt on Anubis' mothership would have been for naught. Possibly sending us back to square one and were would we find another like him? No, it has to play out this way and this fast." Treldor said.

"I understand but will it be enough?" Oma moved to take a seat in front of Treldor.

"Yes it will be. As long as Daniel chooses correctly. We can place him on our last planet, the people there will care for him until we can get Jonas Quinn to have SG1 go to that planet. Then Daniel can be discovered by his people. We will only have heavy memory blocks on the year he was with us. Hopefully he and Jack O'Neill can confess their feelings for each other. Then our chances of the plan succeeding increases almost 100%. We will leave clues to our 'lost city' where they will find the tools we have made ready for them and them alone. Daniel's experience with Shifu should provide enough of a moral balance to stop them from becoming the same sort of monster that Anubis is." Treldor said knowing that this was a huge breech in their laws. Using Daniel Jackson and Jack O'Neill as pawns to remove Anubis for them. Had this action not been approved by all of the Ascended beings then he and Oma would be in the cell not Daniel Jackson. So much really hinged on Daniel Jackson and Jack O'Neill admitting they loved each other and consummating such a bond.

"Treldor it is time. Let us hear what Daniel will choose."

Trial Room

Daniel sensed the other beings enter the room just as he was finishing what he hoped was copying his memories and locking them up. Using his sense memories of Jack's house as a trigger. He knew if he used anything he could see in the field then he ran the risk of remembering at a bad time such as being in combat. He would only be at Jack's house when all was safe. No matter what happened.

The tribunal leader spoke up, "Daniel Jackson have you made your decision?"

"Yes I have I will accept my memories being removed and returning to mortal form." Daniel said his eyes downcast.

"So be it. You will be returned to mortal form. Take Daniel to the memory removal room."

The End

Back to the Hallway