Jack jerked himself awake, looking around uneasily, unfamiliar with his surroundings. Moonlight illuminated the room strangely, the cold blue-white light at odds with the warmer tones of the raging fire before him.

Someone had removed his boots, lifting his feet to rest on another chair, and a blanket had been placed over his body. Jack blinked his eyes, trying to remember, trying to recall how he got there. Images came back slowly, the walk back from the Stargate, the words of Lady Morgana, her thin little neck between—

"Ah, God," he grumbled a few moments later, the pain passing slowly, the memories fully restored. He remembered everything now.

He pulled the blanket off his body to stand—swaying a little on his feet—trying to stretch some of the kinks out of his back. His clothes were more or less dry—stiff in spots from crusted, dried mud that cracked and fell to the floor in small clumps.

"Whoops," Jack said quietly, insincerely, looking at the stained chair and the debris on the floor.

He started perusing his quarters, poking his head and hands into the drawers and closets, sticking his fingers in the basin of water in the bathroom, sniffing the bar of soap on the counter, patting the pile of towels, pushing aside the tapestries to see what they covered. No hidden passageways here, he thought absently, fingering the thick, coarse fabric of the tapestry by the hallway door.

He peered outside and was shocked to find the hallway empty. No guards, he thought, his eyebrows rising in surprise. It would be easy just to walk out the door and right back to the Stargate. All he had to do was dial Chulak and then he’d borrow Bra’tac’s GDO and he’d hop right back to Earth. Simple. Easy. Piece of cake.

Or so he thought.

He woke up several minutes later, sprawled on the floor just inside the doorway, his hands clutching his head in agony. "Okay. That wasn’t what I had in mind," Jack grumbled, gritting his teeth as he finally managed to find his feet. He would have ended back on the floor if he hadn’t steadied himself on the wall. Jeez Louise, he thought, rubbing his right hand against his temple, above the small scar he now carried.

Not only did the device hurt, but also, he thought he might have hit his head on the way down. At least, that’s what it felt like as his probing fingers found a small knob on the back of his head.

Great, he thought with a sneer, knock yourself out, why don’t you. Like you haven’t been through enough.

He walked back into the small bathroom, eyeing the basin of lukewarm water warily. Common sense won out, however. Before getting into bed, it would be best to clean off some of the dirt and grime, even though the lighting wasn’t the greatest.

Jack stepped back into the main room and grabbed an unlit torch from its place on the wall. Holding it in the flames of the fire, he lit it, and carried it back to the bathroom, placing it in the appropriate location.

A few minutes later, a much cleaner O’Neill poked his head out the door, checking to make sure the room was clear. He dashed into the bedroom, a meager excuse for a towel around his waist, and rummaged through the closet, eventually finding something suitable to wear.

He moved the torch to the main room before climbing into the bed and pulling the sheets up over his chest, resigned to the current situation.

In the back of his mind he knew he’d figure out a way to get home. It was just a matter of time. All he needed was time and, from the looks of it, he had all the time in the world.

"Daniel?" Sam called, knocking at his office door while at the same time pushing it open. It was about 1100 hours and no one had seen Daniel yet this morning. Sam decided she had better start looking—just in case he had decided to wander off somewhere in the middle of the night.

As the light from the hallway pierced the darkness of the lab, it revealed the slumbering form of one Daniel Jackson.

Shaking her head in amusement, Sam stepped into the room and moved to click on Daniel’s desk lamp. It was a little less obtrusive than the overhead fluorescent lights. Looking down at the sleeping archeologist, Sam decided to start the coffee first before she woke him. From the looks of the office—the television and recorder within arm’s reach of the couch, his journal on the floor along with his glasses and a pencil, and Daniel in a very rumpled uniform—he had been up to something last night. Probably very late last night if she had to guess.

A few minutes later, the coffee was brewing and she turned her attention back to Daniel. She smiled sadly at him, her heart breaking a little at the sight. The dark circles under his eyes were still visible, the lines deep around his mouth and eyes. He was frowning in his sleep, she realized. Never a good sign.

Glancing over at the gurgling appliance in the corner, she observed a good bit of steam was rising from the general vicinity and the smell of brewing coffee filled the air.

It was time.

Sam perched herself on the edge of the couch and leaned over, gently shaking Daniel’s arm, trying to wake him slowly—without frightening him to death. "Daniel. Hey, Daniel, it’s time to wake up. The coffee’s just about ready."

Daniel twitched slightly, slowly opening one glazed eye to see who was bothering him. He closed it after a moment’s contemplation, sighing deeply. "What time is it?"

Always the morning person Daniel was, Sam thought with a smirk. She glanced at her watch before answering Daniel’s grumbled question. "A little after 1100. What time did you go to bed is the question I’d like answered." She playfully teased Daniel’s hair, running her fingers through it. "Weren’t you supposed to go to sleep?"

"I did," Daniel said indignantly, his tired blue eyes finally popping open in unison. "As you can see, I was sleeping."

"I noticed. What time, Daniel?"

"I don’t know," he mumbled sheepishly. "I stopped looking some time after three."

"And how much longer did you work after that?" Sam’s eyes were accusing, but her tone was light.

Daniel tried to shrug, but it was difficult in his reclining position. "I don’t know. I probably ended up calling it a night around 5 or 6." Daniel paused for a moment, his gaze faraway. "I would have had enough sleep if it wasn’t for those damn nightmares," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"What nightmares?" Sam said, touching his arm gently, trying to reassure him.

"I don’t really remember, Sam," he admitted, looking her in the eye. "It’s just a jumble of images. It’s probably just the culmination of all the crap that we’ve been going through. Nothing to worry about." He paused for a beat, before changing the subject. "So, where’s that coffee I smell?"

Sam looked Daniel over before rising to her feet to fetch the requested beverage from across the room. He wasn’t going to get away with the change of subject that easily. "You know, Daniel, there might be more to those dreams than you think."

"What do you mean? A dream is a dream is a dream," Daniel said, levering himself up on his elbows.

Sam watched as he squinted, trying to see her over the lab table in the middle of the room. Apparently, he finally realized he wasn’t getting anywhere and swung his feet to the floor. He picked up his glasses, and once they were settled on his nose, aimed his gaze back at Sam who was watching him and fixing herself a cup of coffee.

"Then why did you start getting them now?"

"Sam, I just saw someone get their throat slit open. Anyone could get nightmares from that," Daniel said indignantly, his back stiffening a little. "You don’t have to treat me with kid gloves. I’ve seen that look before, Sam."

"But Daniel—"

"Sam," he said the tone of his voice warning.

"Fine, Daniel," Sam said, handing him the warm mug of black coffee. "I’ll leave it alone."

Daniel took a sip of the beverage, a contented smile creeping across his face. "This is good, Sam. Thanks. Do you think Janet got the results yet?"

"No," Sam said, leaning back against the lab table. She knew he was hiding something, but for now, she’d humor him. "Some of us actually sleep at night instead of all day long."

Daniel rolled his eyes at her teasing. "You know I’m not a morning person. It’s just better for me to sleep right through morning and get started first thing in the afternoon."

"Yeah, yeah," Sam said, stepping toward the door. "I’m going to go back to my lab. You going to be okay?"

"Yes, mom. I’ll be fine," Daniel said, his grin wide.

She ignored his dig at her mothering. "Do you want to take a walk down to Janet’s lab later this afternoon to check on her progress? I was thinking about going down around 1400."

"Sounds good, Sam," Daniel said. "I’ll meet you in your lab then."

"Great. I’ll see you later, Daniel," Sam said, stepping into the hallway.

She was glad that she had found Daniel, but something was bothering her. There was something he wasn’t telling her. I guess I just have to wait him out, she thought. And I’m very good at waiting.

Daniel sighed deeply once Sam stepped through the door, her final words echoing behind her, as the door slowly closed. "Great. I’ll see you later, Daniel."

For a few minutes, Daniel had thought she was going to try and psychoanalyze him, digging into the hidden meanings of his dreams—well, nightmares in this case. He pushed himself up from the couch, padding across the room to pour himself another mug of coffee. He yawned widely. The caffeine hadn’t hit his system yet.

Scratching absently at his head, he kept running the images that he remembered through his head. There were just bits and pieces here and there, but they all blended together. Older memories mixed with newer ones. He was just glad that she had backed off when he’d asked. He didn’t need mothering. He got enough of it from Jack.

His eyed widened in surprise while his mug dropped from his hand in a magnificent crash, the ceramic breaking into several pieces, splashing hot liquid on his boots and all over the floor.

Where had that come from?

With trembling hands, he moved to his closet, pulling out a broom as he tried to clean up his mess. A knock at the door sounded a minute later, quickly followed by a timid voice.

"Doctor Jackson? Is everything okay in there?"

Of course, someone had to have been walking by when he dropped his mug. "Yes, everything’s fine. Just dropped something," Daniel said raising his voice so he could be heard out in the hallway.

"Okay. Just wanted to make sure."

"Thanks. I appreciate it," Daniel said, as he resumed sweeping up the mess, his mind going over the words that had somehow popped into it. Somehow, he was starting to remember. Something was triggering his memories—which meant that they were all still there, just repressed somehow.

"I’m not going to say anything until I’m sure," Daniel said out loud, trying to convince himself. "It could just be a fluke. Maybe it was nothing. But I won’t say anything until I know for sure."

Daniel nodded to himself, sweeping the rest of his thoughts on the matter, and the remnants of the ceramic mug, into a dark corner. He’d deal with them later. Right now, he had some cataloging to do.

Sam looked up from her computer to see Daniel hovering on the threshold of her office looking a little peaked.

"Hey, Daniel. Come on in. I’m just about ready to go down and see Janet," she said, saving a number of the documents on which she was currently working. She never had enough time to do everything she wanted. She just usually ended up juggling several things from mission reports to scientific research. Sometimes she still wished she had access to those armbands Anise had brought. At least she had had the ability to complete one of her long-standing projects, her book on wormhole physics.

Daniel sheepishly dragged himself into the room, leaning heavily on his elbow at the edge of Sam’s lab table. He looked a little worn around the edges, even worse than before. He was still in his rumpled uniform and stubble was appearing on his face.

"Daniel, are you okay?" She asked, her computer forgotten.

"I’m not sure, Sam," Daniel admitted reluctantly, his forehead creasing, a frown finding a way to his mouth.

"What’s wrong?" Sam was worried, very worried. When Daniel started admitting he wasn’t feeling well, it usually meant that he was just about ready to drop dead.

"I…" Daniel said, pausing, seemingly at a loss for words. Sam waited him out and he continued a moment later, his words quiet. "I think I’m starting to remember."

"What? Remember what?" Sam said, stepping close to him, her arms across her chest hugging herself in a familiar Daniel pose.

"I’ve been working, trying to catalog a number of artifacts I’ve accumulated over the past several months…and it’s almost like…I don’t know. Every time I start thinking about missions and stuff, I’m starting to get images, even hear voices and it’s starting to worry me." Daniel raised his head up to meet Sam’s concerned gaze. His reddened eyes were wide, frantic even. "Could they have done something to us again?"

"Why would they have to? We gave them no reason to." Sam looked Daniel over critically. He was wringing his hands, his eyes darting around, unable to hold her gaze for longer than a brief moment. "Could this be what’s causing your nightmares?"

"Maybe," Daniel agreed after a few moments’ thought.

"Let’s go down and see what Janet has to say. She should have something for us by now. Besides, I want to have her check you over. You don’t look too good," Sam said, moving to the door. When Daniel didn’t move, she stepped back to grab him by the arm. "Come on."

"I’m coming, I’m coming," he said, allowing himself to be propelled forward by Sam’s momentum.

But just before they stepped out of her office, Sam’s phone gave its insistent tone. She ran back and caught the phone on its third ring.
"Carter."

"Sam, it’s Janet."

"Oh, hi Janet. We were just coming down to see you." Sam noticed Daniel hovering at the door, openly listening to her conversation.

"Sam, I think you and Daniel need to come down here," Janet said, her voice serious.

"Why? What did you find?" A pit formed in her stomach. Oh God, what could it be? She glanced back at Daniel. She realized she must have reacted at Janet’s comment since Daniel looked like he had dropped several more shades of color from his face. She didn’t think he could get much whiter than he already was.

"Just come down. I’ll tell you once you get here."

"Okay. We’ll be there in a few minutes." Sam hung up the phone, her eyes wide.

"What?" Daniel asked, his eyes a mirror image of Sam’s.

"Janet found something. She wants us down there," Sam reported, stepping close to Daniel.

"I guess we should go. We can’t keep the good doctor waiting," Daniel said, trying for levity, meeting Sam’s expectant gaze.

"Let’s go."

When they reached the infirmary, they were directed by one of the nurses to Janet’s personal laboratory. Daniel and Sam exchanged an uneasy look before walking to the back of infirmary in silence, winding their way past several labs and offices.

Sam tapped lightly on the doorframe once they reached the lab. Janet was inside, bending over one of the microscopes obviously deep in concentration. "Janet?" Sam called quietly.

Janet glanced up quickly, a smile crossing her features as she waved them in. "Sam, Daniel, come in. Take a seat." Janet’s eyes were wide, her face a mix of emotions from amazement to confusion.

"Janet, what did you find?" Sam asked, settling on one of the tall stools, as Daniel dragged another chair closer.

"This stuff, whatever you call it, is amazing," Janet said simply, turning to Daniel. "Where did you say you got it?"

"I found it in my bag," Daniel said, shifting in his chair. He never liked it when she pierced him with her unwavering gaze. It usually meant he was in store for one lecture or another—none of which was a good thing. "I think Egan put it there when we were saying our final farewells to Lord Kentigern. Why?"

Janet absently ran her fingers through her hair before answering. "Somehow, this chemical has the ability to attach itself to the neurotransmitters in the brain. I’ve never seen anything like it." Daniel hadn’t seen Janet at a loss for words often, so this was surprising.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, her eyebrows drawing together as she moved to look at the sample under the microscope.

"Since you mentioned that it might have something to do with your memory loss, I had a small sample analyzed and looked at its genetic structure. It’s a perfect match for some of the chemicals in our brains, effectively bonding with them. But, from what I can hypothesize, the chemical eventually disintegrates, dissipating into the bloodstream and vanishing from the body," Janet’s hands moved throughout her explanation, as if the movement helped propel her train of thought.

"Janet, this is amazing," Sam said, awe evident in her voice. She was still bending over the microscope, staring intently through the lenses.

"I know," Janet said, turning to Sam. "If someone could somehow directly affect what that chemical does once it’s bonded, there’s no saying what they could do."

Sam glanced up quickly, her eyes wide. "Janet, are you saying that this is what we were given?"

Janet nodded her head, her face grim. "Yes, I am."

"But, if it dissipates and essentially disappears from our bodies, why does it continue to affect us?"

"I’m not sure, exactly. It might have something to do with how it was used, the concentration of the chemical itself, or something else entirely."

Daniel was listening intently to their conversation, his chin resting in his hand, his elbows on the table before him. There was something else, something more than just a chemical.

"Janet," Daniel said, his voice quiet, but demanding. Janet and Sam stopped talking quickly, turning their attention to him.

"What is it, Daniel?" Janet asked.

"What if they could somehow affect our minds directly though telepathy or something like that?"

"Well, hypothetically, I guess that could happen, but I’ve yet to see someone able to do that." Janet wasn’t convinced, although from the expression on Sam’s face, she was at least considering it. At least she didn’t think he was crazy, Daniel thought.

"Janet, " Daniel said, turning to face her, passion entering his voice. He knew he was right. He just had to put all the pieces together. "What if they had the same ability as Nem? He altered SG1’s memories, giving Sam, Jack, and Teal’c false memories about my death. What if this chemical just enhances their natural ability?"

Janet’s jaw had dropped open in the middle of Daniel’s tirade, while Sam looked on, an expression of wonder on her face. "Daniel, what did you just say?" Janet’s eyes were wide, her face almost matching the white of her coat.

"What do you mean?" He was confused. Didn’t she remember the mission to P3X-866? How could she have forgotten? Daniel knew it had happened several years ago, but it was something he was sure he’d never forget. He’d never looked at sushi the same way since.

Janet looked at Sam, apparently looking for some assistance. Sam shrugged and offered a weak smile. "Ah…Janet…it seems like Daniel has been getting some flashes of memories."

"Since when?"

"Daniel?" Sam asked, her blue eyes focused on his face. He found he couldn’t meet either of their eyes, instead choosing to stare at the floor, his eyes tracing the edge of the lab table, noting the specs of dirt the mop has failed to get.

"Since yesterday sometime. Maybe even a little before," he mumbled.

"Why didn’t you say anything?" Janet was flabbergasted and a little upset. He couldn’t really blame her.

Daniel looked up, finally meeting her eyes. "Because I didn’t want to say anything until I was positive that I was actually remembering something."

"What have you remembered?" Janet’s voice was calmer, her professional Doctor tone settling in.

Daniel shrugged. "Not much. It’s bits and pieces. Sometimes it’s a voice, a phrase, or a feeling. It’s never the same and it’s quick. Like now, it just came out. I wasn’t thinking of anything in particular, just about the mission."

"Janet, do you think that hypnosis might help bring out some of the memories? Maybe if we can remember more of what happened while we were in the village, it will help us to figure out what might have happened to all of us," Sam suggested, perching herself on the edge of the stool, her arms crossed.

"We could try," Janet said, her eyes getting a faraway look as she thought about Sam’s suggestion. "I don’t think it would hurt any. Daniel, would you be up for it?"

Daniel glanced nervously between Sam and Janet, but nodded slowly. "Sure. Anything’s better than getting these fragmented feelings and memories."

Janet moved to the phone in the corner of the room, lifting the handset, and pressing one of the speed dial numbers. "Mary? Is Dr. MacKenzie around?"

"Janet, do we have to call him?" Sam asked, her tone sharp, but Janet waved her hand, indicating for Sam to be quiet.

Daniel was sure his face had become pale and waxen. He’d rather not have to deal with Dr. MacKenzie. They hadn’t gotten along well after that whole incident with Ma’chello’s Goa'uld killing machines and Daniel’s visit to the padded room.

"How about Dr. LaMesa? Good. Can you ask her to meet us in my office as soon as she can? Great. Thanks." Janet turned back to them, a smile on her face. "Dr. LaMesa is here today so she should be able to help us out." She looked quizzically at Daniel who flashed her a wan smile. "Are you okay?"

"Peachy."

Daniel kept shifting on the couch in Janet’s office. He couldn’t seem to sit still.

Sam had turned one of the guest chairs around to face the couch so she could watch as Dr. Theresa LaMesa started the whole process of hypnotizing Daniel. Sam was thankful that Dr. MacKenzie was on a different rotation this week. The last thing Daniel needed was a visit from him. When Janet had mentioned his name back in the lab an hour ago, Sam could have sworn she had watched the blood drain from Daniel’s face.

It hadn’t been a pretty sight.

Over the next hour, while they waited for Dr. LaMesa to finish her rounds of patients, Daniel had tried forcing the memories, but it looked as if that only gave him a headache.

Now, he was sitting on the couch, his knees bouncing nervously as he tapped his feet. Dr. LaMesa was walking around the room adjusting the lighting and closing the doors. She wanted a quiet and dark atmosphere. She claimed it helped the patient to concentrate better.

"Dr. Jackson, I need you to relax. I’m not going to do anything to hurt you," LaMesa said in her musical Spanish accent. Her thick black hair was tied back tightly in a bun, making her features appear more severe than they should.

"I know," Daniel said quietly, drawing Sam’s attention back to his anxious face. "It’s just…I’m just worried about what might be hidden there, just beneath the surface."

LaMesa settled into the armchair directly across from Daniel, a light smile crossing her face. "Well, if that’s all you’re worried about, then you have nothing to fear. If you want, I can ask Dr. Fraiser and Major Carter to leave. It can just be you and me."

"No, no. I want them here," Daniel said, his eyes growing wider at LaMesa’s suggestion. Apparently, leaving him alone with her was more frightening to Daniel. That surprised Sam.

"Okay then, I need you to concentrate on this watch," LaMesa said, beginning to swing a gold pocket watch before Daniel’s eyes, her voice walking him through every step of the way. Sam watched as Daniel slowly relaxed, his eyes growing heavy and eventually closing.

"Dr. Jackson, we’re going to go back in time. I want you to go back to just before you left for the original mission to P5X-171. Where are you?"

"In my office," Daniel’s sleepy reply came.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for a book. We’re getting ready to ship out but I need one of my Celtic books. I know it’s here somewhere." Daniel’s voice drops, his eyebrows drawn together in a frown.

"What happens when you look for the book? Do you find it?"

"No. Couldn’t find the book. Sam should have helped me look, she would have found it."

Janet leaned over to LaMesa, whispering something in her ear.

"Dr. Jackson," LaMesa said a few beats later. "Did someone come to meet you in your office?"

"No. Was late for the departure. I ran all the way. General Hammond wasn’t happy."

From Sam’s perspective, it looked like Daniel was tensing up. He was restless, his feet moving steadily with a tapping motion. Sam managed to catch LaMesa’s eye and mouthed for her to move on.

They kept this up for nearly two hours, leaving everyone mentally exhausted.

It seemed as if Daniel’s memories of Colonel O’Neill were still elusive, dodging all of LaMesa’s attempts to retrieve them. They left Daniel curled up on the couch asleep after that taxing session, when they walked into the hallway to talk.

"I can’t do anything more," LaMesa said, rubbing her temples. "There’s something there, he kept going around things, avoiding certain time periods, but for some reason I can’t seem to be able to break through. I don’t know what else I can do." LaMesa’s expression was one of defeat.

"Janet, do you think my dad could help?" Sam asked, a thought flashing through her mind.

"I don’t know, Sam. How?"

"I’m sure they have some of their memory devices. What if one of those could break through?"

Janet started nodding. "You know, that might be a good idea. Do you think General Hammond would approve?"

"I’ll go ask him now," Sam said, pacing a few steps down the hallway, her mind a thousand miles away. She turned abruptly back to the two doctors. "Janet, will Daniel be okay?"

"He’ll be fine, Sam," Janet said smiling. "I’m not going anywhere. I’ll keep an eye on him."

"Okay." Sam paused, thinking carefully before she spoke again. She didn’t think Daniel would mind if she told Janet about his disturbed sleep. "Janet, Daniel complained of nightmares last night. He might have some more tonight, especially now that we were trying to pull some of those memories to the surface."

Janet smiled, waves of comfort radiating off of her. "Don’t worry, Sam. Go get your dad. Daniel will be just fine. Trust me."

Janet’s smile followed her all the way down to level 28 and General Hammond’s office.

It took three days before Jacob Carter finally made his appearance in the gateroom of the SGC.

General Hammond had agreed immediately with Sam’s suggestion to contact the Tok’ra, but it proved to be a little more difficult for Sam to get in touch with her father than she had originally anticipated. According to the Supreme High Councilor Per’sus, Jacob/Selmac was unavailable and currently on a mission. Per’sus would attempt to pass along the message, but he couldn’t guarantee when Jacob would receive it.

It seemed that cooperation with the Tok’ra was going swimmingly—just as it always did. Even though Sam could understand the Tok’ra reluctance to confide information, it didn’t make matters any easier. Relations between the two groups were quickly dropping to an all time low. She was sure that it was only a matter of time before something happened to upset their tenacious balance.

Sam decided to use the time as best she could and ended up prowling the halls restlessly when she could no longer concentrate on her scientific experiments. Daniel had buried himself in his translations and his cataloging. She had never seen him working so hard, so diligently. His focus was a little disturbing.

She was checking on him regularly, as were Janet and Teal’c and his flashes of memories continued to occur, shocking himself and everyone around him.

He was continuing to remember bits and pieces and he was recalling the strangest of things, mainly arguments between Colonel O’Neill and him—apparently, more than a few.

To Sam, it was a little unnerving to finally have proof that their minds had been tampered with. Also, it disturbed her on a more personal level. Of all the people involved—Daniel, Teal’c, and her—she had always considered herself to be strong, self-sufficient. She could handle anything. She’d been trained for some of this and she never thought that her mind was that weak, that fragile.

That was what worried her more than anything. If it could be done to her once, what said that it couldn’t happen again?

Sam had finally gotten the courage to look up the Colonel’s file—finding huge holes in most of his service record—but there, in black and white print was another confirmation. Mission reports, alongside photographs of the team—all four members of SG1. Some of the same pictures Janet had showed her weeks ago.

Even staring at the picture for hours on end hadn’t jogged her memories one iota.

Now one question remained: how long would it take for her to regain those lost memories? What if she never did?

The klaxons shrieking their alarm jolted her out of her self-imposed reflection and she soon found her feet heading for the control room. There was an incoming traveler and no team was due back.

By the time she reached the gateroom, her father was halfway down the metal ramp, his Tok’ra garb still looking out of place. He wore it well, but for some reason it never fit him perfectly.

Selmac, though, had been the perfect companion, blending with him as if they were two sides of a coin. Sam even enjoyed Selmac’s sense of humor, much to her father’s dismay.

Sam ran the last few steps to meet her father at the base of the ramp, exchanging a warm embrace with him.

"Sammy," Jacob said, hugging his daughter tightly. He pulled back, his hands on either of Sam’s shoulders, and his kind eyes alight with concern. "Now, what was the emergency that you had to pull me from a mission? Per’sus was not very forthcoming with information, but he expressed that there was some kind of urgency."

Sam sighed, feeling herself relax for the first time in weeks under his strong hands. "We seem to have a little problem and we were hoping that you might be able to help us. Did you bring the memory devices we asked for?"

"Yes, I brought them," he answered, his forehead creasing. "I don’t understand why you need them, but I brought two with me." Jacob glanced quickly around the gateroom, noting his friend, General Hammond, observing from the control room alone. "Sam, what’s going on? Where’s the rest of SG1? Did Jack get himself into trouble again, or is it Daniel this time?"

"Dad, why don’t you come with me. It might be easier for Janet to explain to you what we want to do," Sam said, leading her father toward the main bank of elevators.

"Janet? What does she have to do with this? What happened?" Jacob’s voice was rising, his frustration plainly evident. A few turned heads caused Sam to pull her father into the elevator. She punched the level for the infirmary before she began speaking.

"Dad, it seems that SG1 has been having some memory problems over the past few weeks. We need you to help us remember what happened."

"Okay. So why all the cloak and dagger stuff? Why all the secrecy?" Jacob followed Sam out of the elevator onto level 21.

"Well, this has only affected Daniel, Teal’c, and myself," Sam said simply, keeping her head down.

"Wow. For something to affect a Jaffa it must be pretty potent." Jacob paused, realizing his daughter omission. "So, Jack’s fine?"

"Well, I wouldn’t exactly say that…" Sam trailed off, refusing to meet her father’s eyes.

Jacob stopped suddenly in the middle of the hallway, pulling Sam to a stop beside him. His tone was firm and determined—the tone of a pissed off Air Force General. "Sam, what happened?"

She sighed, offering her father a shy half-smile. "Well, it’s kind of hard to explain, which is why I wanted Janet to give you all the details—"

Jacob had had enough. "Major Carter, what’s going on?" He bellowed as Sam’s back went ramrod straight, her military training kicking in.

"Sir…Dad, it would be better if you just stepped into the infirmary…"

"I said now, young lady." Jacob wasn’t backing down and her procrastination was only making more of a scene. As it was, several people had already stopped to watch their little chat.

"We left him behind," Sam mumbled.

"You what?"

Sam was convinced that the guard on level one had heard her father’s roar. She closed her eyes in an effort to pull her thoughts together. "Dad, SG1 has been affected by some type of drug and our memories have been altered, but Daniel’s starting to remember. We need your help to figure out what happened."

Jacob visibly calmed down, his breath evening out. The next time he spoke, he finally brought his voice down to a more normal level. "Why didn’t you say that in the first place?"

"We’re trying to keep it quiet, or at least as quiet as we can," Sam admitted.

"Well, then, what are you waiting for, let’s find Doctor Fraiser," Jacob said, striding for the door of the infirmary.

Sam watched her father walk away from her in amazement. Throwing her hands up in the air, she rushed to catch up with him. Some things never changed. Her father was one of them.

Daniel glanced up from his journal immediately when Jacob Carter strode into the room, followed closely by Sam. Daniel smiled and got to his feet, grasping Jacob’s hand warmly.

"Jacob, it’s good to see you. I’m glad Sam was able to get hold of you," Daniel said.

"Welcome, Jacob Carter and Selmac," Teal’c said, inclining his head in respect to the older Tok’ra. Teal’c had been standing guard over Daniel while they waited. Today, Daniel had had several flashback incidents and Janet had thought it best to keep him under observation. Teal’c had volunteered to watch Daniel, making sure he ate and slept when needed.

"It’s good to see you too, Daniel, Teal’c. Sam explained that you all got yourselves into a little trouble," Jacob said, eyeing each member of SG1.

"Indeed," was the only audible reply Jacob received.

"So, Daniel," Jacob said after a few moments of silence, turning his attention to the archeologist. "How is it that you seem to be the only one remembering stuff?"

"I don’t know, Jacob," Daniel answered, uncomfortable with the Tok’ra’s scrutiny. He offered a small shrug. "I’m lucky, I guess."

"I’d say," Janet said from across the room, her heels clicking on the floor.

"What?" Sam said, speaking before Daniel could form the words.

"He’s lucky that he started remembering. Until you brought back that herbal sample and he started having these flashbacks, we weren’t sure how to proceed. How do you treat something that you can’t figure out?" Janet said, reaching Daniel’s side. She looked at him critically. Daniel tried not to cringe. She was probably measuring how deep his circles had gotten over the past few days. He was even afraid to look. "How are you doing?"

"Fine," Daniel answered simply. "Nothing new."

Jacob was looking quizzically at Janet, his eyes intense, but it was Selmac who spoke. "Doctor Fraiser, what herbs did Daniel bring back?"

"They’re a kind of hypnotic drug. Used alone, they leave the mind open to suggestion. We believe these herbs were used in conjunction with some type of precise mind control—a mind probe even. It effectively erased Colonel O’Neill from all of their memories." Janet paused, looking from face to face. "Why Daniel is starting to remember and no one else, I can’t explain. I’m just grateful that we’re getting some kind of break."

"I agree," Selmac said, his voice thoughtful. "Doctor Fraiser, would it be possible to see this herb before I apply the memory device to Daniel Jackson? I’m curious to see what it is."

Janet nodded in agreement. "Sure. Sam, why don’t you get Daniel set up in one of the private rooms. I don’t think he’ll want an audience for this."

Daniel looked back and forth between the two, annoyance plainly evident on his face. "It’s not like I’m here or anything," he commented sarcastically. "I can get myself settled in the private room, thank you very much."

"Daniel, I know you can, but I’d rather make sure you got there instead of wandering back to your office," Janet said, teasing slightly.

Daniel’s face twisted in annoyance. "I wasn’t going to go there," he said indignantly. He was more annoyed by the fact that she had read him like a book. He needed to grab one or two artifacts from his office to complete the section of his report he was working on. He had just been waiting for a break to run the few levels up to his lab.

"Sure you weren’t," Janet said, smiling kindly. She turned her attention back to Sam. "Jacob and I will join you in a few minutes."

"Sure, Janet," Sam said, taking Daniel’s arm in her hand and leading him toward one of the infirmary doors.

"Hey," Daniel protested, trying to pull his arm away from Sam.

"Come on, Daniel. No side trips right now," Sam said, her tone firm. "Let’s get one thing done at a time."

Daniel sighed, giving in. "Fine, Sam. Lead the way."

Jacob and Janet met up with them twenty minutes later, entering the small room obviously in the middle of a lengthy conversation. Jacob’s face was filled with concern and curiosity while Janet continued to explain some of her research.

"Hi, guys," Daniel said, breaking into their conversation.

Jacob and Janet stopped dead in their tracks, their conversation ceasing immediately as they looked at Daniel as if he had three heads and seventeen arms.

Daniel ignored the look, and continued speaking, "Are we ready to get started? I’m awfully tired of just getting pieces of things here and there. I feel like someone’s channel surfing in here," he grumbled, pointing to his head.

Sam tried to bite back a smile as she watched her father and Janet exchange a look. Daniel was obviously very nervous and not looking forward to another round with the memory devices. From their two run-ins with the devices—first with Hathor and the second with Apophis—Sam was sure that he didn’t want a repeat performance. Although she was sure that Daniel trusted her father, the uncertainty of what they might find worried Daniel. It worried her, too, but she didn’t want to admit it. If they couldn’t fix that had happened, how would the military treat them? Would SG1 be allowed to continue as they were? She doubted it.

"Okay, Daniel," her father was saying as Sam dragged her attention back to the present conversation. Her father had stepped into the room and had settled Daniel on one of the beds, his feet stretched out in front of him. "This will hurt a little when I put it in."

"I know," Daniel said, his reply curt and quiet.

Much to Sam’s amazement, Daniel didn’t even flinch when the memory device was inserted. Daniel even remained silent while her father adjusted the device with the handheld controller.

"It’s in, Daniel," Jacob said. "Now all you have to do is relax."

"Yeah. That’s easier said than done," Daniel grumbled, closing his eyes.

"Daniel, do you want us to leave?" Sam asked. If Daniel wanted privacy, she’d clear the level if it were necessary.

Daniel’s eyes flew open, meeting her eyes across the room. "No. Please stay."

"Just say the word, Daniel, and we’ll leave if you want us to," Sam said, sitting down in one of the hard-backed plastic chairs as Janet lowered the light in the room. Teal’c stood silently beside the closed door at parade rest, his hands clasped together behind him.

"I know, Sam," Daniel said, his eyes flashing his gratitude for her support.

"Daniel Jackson," Selmac said, cutting into their silent communication. Apparently, her father had stepped aside, allowing Selmac control. "I am not going to hook this up to a viewscreen, so you will have to verbally walk us through your memories. Will that be agreeable with you?"

Daniel nodded his head, his eyes wide and his hands clenched together so tightly the knuckles were white.

"Daniel Jackson, let’s go back a few weeks to the day you were scheduled to go to the planet for the first time. Do you remember what happened that morning?" Selmac asked, his tone calm and even. "Just say the first thing that comes to mind. The memory device should help you to access the memories that have been out of reach."

"Yes, I remember that day," Daniel answered quickly, his eyes gaining a faraway look as he delved into his memories. Sam remembered when Martouf had used the device on her to gain the memories of Jolinar. It was amazing how real those memories could become.

"What do you remember?"

"I remember racing to the mountain. I had to find a book before we left," Daniel said slowly, his eyes sliding halfway shut, reliving the moments again. Selmac gently prodded Daniel forward, step by step.

"What were you feeling once you reached your office?"

"I was tired. Hadn’t gotten enough sleep the night before. I was trying to hurry. Jack hadn’t been in a good mood for the past week or so and, for some reason, he was taking it out on me," Daniel said.

"What do you mean?"

"Jack was on the edge. It was almost the same as when we first met for the Abydos mission, but it was different. I’d tried to talk to him a couple of times, but he just brushed me aside. There was something wrong. Something was eating at him from the inside."

Sam sat silently still, listening to the words pouring from Daniel’s mouth. The memories were there, within each of them, just hidden away, pushed to the side. Somehow Daniel had been able to punch holes in the veil within his mind, letting him see bits and pieces. Finally, with the help of the Tok’ra, he was—they all were—seeing the big picture.

Words continued to tumble from Daniel’s mouth, with the gentle leading of Selmac, they pushed forward, traveling back to the planet in Daniel’s memory. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes to hours.

"I couldn’t believe my eyes when Jack took Lady Morgana’s hand and bowed regally over it as if he’d been doing it all his life. He loves to keep those little tricks up his sleeves and pull them out when we least suspect," Daniel was saying. "Once we put our eyes back in our heads we settled down for a very pleasant dinner. Lord Kentigern was most hospitable."

"What happened after dinner, once you got back to you rooms?" Selmac asked calmly, quietly.

"Kelan walked us back to the rooms and we all called it a night—even though it was very early morning," Daniel said, but his forehead creased, his expression changing to confusion.

"What do you see, Daniel?" Selmac asked, sitting up straighter on the stool beside the bed.

"I remember hearing something," Daniel said, concentrating hard, focusing on the memory.

"Don’t force it. Let it come naturally," Selmac advised. "Did you hear something?"

"Yes. I was asleep, but something woke me. It sounded like the swinging of a door or something," Daniel said, pausing for a minute. Shock and astonishment quickly flashed across his face and he screamed. "Oh God! Jack!" Daniel lurched forward, his eyes opening wide. "Oh God, Sam. We left him there," he sobbed. "We left him there and he asked for my help."

As soon as Daniel had started yelling, Sam immediately raced to his side, holding his hand tightly, trying to help ground him in the here and now. "Daniel, you have to calm down. What are you talking about?"

Daniel’s frantic eyes finally found purchase on her face. "Sam, I can remember everything. We left Jack there. I remember seeing Lady Morgana in the room that night, hovering over me and that’s when everything changed." Daniel’s eyes hardened, focusing desperately on Sam’s. "Do you remember the man they were searching for?"

Sam nodded her head warily, the pit in her stomach swelling. She knew where this was going.

"It was Jack, Sam. They were searching for Jack, not the representative from the other village. When I got up to go to the bathroom during the negotiations, he pulled me into one of the empty rooms and he asked for my help. He tried to reach out to me, but I couldn’t remember him. I turned my back and then he was gone." Daniel’s tear-filled eyes clutched at Sam’s heart. "He depended on us and we left him behind. We didn’t even lift a hand to help him. He was probably waiting for us to come back for him, but we just left him there. We left him there with Lady Morgana. Oh God, Sam, what have we done?"