"Were you hit on the way out?" Jack asked, having just witnessed Daniel whisked from the 'gate room on a gurney. He now stood in the observation room with Teal'c, Sam, and General Hammond. Janet had had to be physically restrained from following Daniel to the infirmary and she now sat on the bed in the room below them, swinging her feet and looking tired and worried. Jack looked down at her and his heart tightened. Even though she was alone, she still sat on the side of the bed she'd been sitting the last time her saw her in this room. There was no Daniel by her side this time.

"No, O'Neill. DanielJackson collapsed. The Tok'ra Bra'en told us that his symbiote had been more susceptible to the virus."

Hammond had been worryingly silent the entire time they had been back. He had watched impassively as his premier offworld teams had filed back through the 'gate, and had not left until Teal'c had brought through Daniel and Janet from the Alpha site. He'd then given the order to have both Daniel and Janet quarantined separately. He hadn't said a word to the rest of them so far. Jack was wishing he'd yell, because he knew with yelling there was a way back into Hammond's good graces. Hammond would scream at him for a while, he'd say something horribly inappropriate and Hammond would laugh. The fact that Hammond didn't look so much angry as just plain tired this time scared Jack badly.

What scared him more was the way Daniel had looked when they'd brought him through. He could deal with Hammond never forgiving him, hell, firing him on the spot, as long as Daniel was okay.

"He's being worked on now. The medical team should have something for us in a little while." Sam said, her face carefully neutral. Jack recognized it as the expression she wore when trying to keep her emotions in check. He saw it all too often. "The good news is that while we were… anyway, one of the anti-virus serums was successful in nuetralising the Goa'uld virus completely. We dosed both Daniel and Janet and Bra'en, Janet's Tok'ra, has been able to assure us that there is no adverse effects. We're going to send a sample of both with the Tok'ra representative when they arrive so they can synthesis the anti-virus and create a vaccine."

Hammond was standing at the observation window with his back to the others in the room, watching Janet. She looked so tiny and vulnerable. She was still wearing Teal'c's jacket and she looked like a little girl in her Father's clothing. "The Tok'ra should be here within the hour to help." Sam added and Hammond could feel all eyes on him.

"Teal'c, Major. Would you give the Colonel and I a few moments?" Hammond didn't even turn to check that his request was being carried out. He knew all of them had been dying to escape that room. He heard the door shut and then Jack clear his throat. "Sir-"

"You'll do well not to say a word Colonel." Hammond said softly.

"It's just –"

"Goddamit! Must you disobey everything I say, including the simplest request?" Hammond turned and saw Jack flush. He figured not many people would have born witness to the man before him ever blushing scarlet. Hammond hadn't known he was capable of it. "You disobeyed a direct order and committed every SG team member currently not offworld to being canon fodder. You had no way of knowing numbers or if Doctor Jackson and Doctor Frasier were even there."

Jack opened his mouth, thought better of it for the first time in his life, and closed it again with a snap. Hammond crossed his arms over his chest and Jack realized that he still didn't look angry, just disappointed. "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to protect you from this one Jack." Hammond said with a tired sigh. He turned again to the window and could see Sam had entered the room with Janet. The two women were talking and Sam had one hand on her friend's shoulder. "The only men I ever disobeyed in my career were those I didn't respect. Is that the case here?"

"Sir!" Jack exclaimed.

Hammond turned on him again. "Is that the case here?" He repeated.

"If I were in your position I would have given the same order you did." Jack said. "You're probably the only figure of authority I ever have actually respected." Jack smiled. "Hell, read my file. I've been insubordinate a lot less since I got here."

"A lot less huh?"

"I'm an old guy set in my ways. A little insubordination slips out every now and again."

"You're lucky then that I realized what a security risk Doctors Jackson and Frasier posed on a Goa'uld occupied world and gave the order to retrieve them using any means necessary."

"Sir, you can't say that."

"I can and I have." Hammond held up a manila folder and handed it over. "I did you the courtesy of completing your mission report. The alternative is to court martial every single man and woman that stepped through that 'gate with you because I know for a fact that they all went through voluntarily. I gave the order."

"Yes Sir."

xxxxxx

Daniel cracked open and eye and the first face he saw was Janet's. He felt relief wash through himself, a horrible emptiness chasing closely on its heels. Daniel let out a short bark of despair, wrenched from his overtaxed body and soul. He curled onto his side, drawing his knees up to his chest. He felt a gentle hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles. "Daniel?" The voice behind him was not Janet's and he looked over his shoulder slowly. "Bra'en?"

"Yes Daniel. Janet was exhausted but did not want to leave your side. We were released from your quarantine a few hours ago. Janet has fallen asleep despite her best efforts but I did not wish for you to wake alone. I can wake her."

"No, let her sleep, please." Daniel uncurled and slowly turned onto his back once more so he could look at the woman beside him. He realized that he could see Bra'en behind the eyes. There was a certain mischievous glint that Janet always had and it was missing. He touched the IV in his arm lightly, grimacing. He wondered if he should get one permanently attached to save everyone time. "Jack, Sam and Teal'c?" He asked automatically.

Bra'en smiled gently. "All well." She reassured. "They were here until your doctor made them leave. We had thought you would not wake for hours yet."

"I can't feel Gray anymore."

"He passed. He severed his tie with you before you before we boarded the Alkesh because he felt the time was close. He would not have been able to make it back here and feared that he would not be able to save you if he tried." Grief thickened Bra'en's voice, but she smiled bravely. "He did not die in vain. We will be able to develop a vaccine for the symbiote virus. No Goa'uld will be able to use it or any variant to wipe us out. Gray only wanted to make a difference in the war. He has."

"What about Freya and her followers?"

"They will all succumb eventually. We were there long enough to ensure enough of them were infected. We can only hope that they spread the virus far enough through the Goa'uld population before it is discovered to make a difference." Janet's pretty face hardened. "The Tok'ra would have never employed such measures given the risk to ourselves and the Jaffa, but I won't pretend to be unhappy about the result."

Daniel noticed a man he vaguely recognized in the bed opposite him. With a start he realized who it was. "Is that Malakai?"

"That was Malakai's Host, Arec. You never met the real Malakai. The being that came through the 'gate with both Gray and I was no Tok'ra." Bra'en smiled, looking at Arec with fondness on her face. "Arec has graciously offered to become host to me so that you may have your Doctor Frasier back. He has asked for a few days to recover and grieve."

"He had a Tok'ra removed, replaced with a Goa'uld and he's willing to become a Host again?" Daniel asked incredulously. Bra'en took his hand and sandwiched it between the two of hers. She glanced back at Arec again. "His people were decimated by a plague the Goa'uld introduced, just to see its effects. Arec both has nothing and no home to go back to and also wants to help ensure that what happened to his people happens to no one else." Bra'en stroked her fingers across Daniel's temple. "This is the only way he knows to fight the Goa'uld. You and Janet must stay with the Tau'ri and fight them your way. I'm hoping between us, the Jaffa and the Tau'ri that we will be successful. I personally, will miss you both."

There was a flicker and Janet's hand tightened in Daniels. He smiled. "Hey, there you are." He said softly.

xxxxxx

The Tok'ra flanked Arec almost protectively as they stood at the end of the metal ramp leading to the Stargate. Both Juset and Sare had been the ones to return and now were escorting two precious cargos back to their current base, both Bra'en herself and the anti-virus. Bra'en, disconcertingly Hosted by a tall man, stepped away from her two escorts and approached Daniel and Janet. She reached forward and clasped one of each of their hands. "It was an honour to meet you both."

"You aswell." Daniel said and Janet nodded with a smile. Bra'en brought their hands together, grinning. "The Tau'ri live such short lives. Don't waste them." Both Daniel and Janet blinked and then blushed at the same time. Daniel glanced back at Jack who's eyebrows had shot up almost to his hair line, and then to Sam who was trying very unsuccessfully to hide a smirk behind her hand. Teal;'c merely raised an eyebrow and nodded. Bra'en stepped back and followed the others through the Event Horizon.

As Sam, Jack and Teal'c gathered around the two Doctors they had almost lost, Janet turned. "May I remind you that someday I could be up to my elbows in your chests, massaging your hearts back into life." She said, almost primly. Daniel snorted and Jack's eyebrows rose higher, although physically it should have been impossible.

"Well, that's a disturbing thought." He said. "Who's up for cake?" He turned, followed by Sam and Teal'c. Daniel looked down at his fingers, still entwined with Janet's. Instead of releasing her hand, he brought it up and held it against his chest. She could feel his heartbeat through his shirt and the warmth of his skin. Despite spending the past few days in the infirmary, he still smelled of coffee and old books, as if those two things were ingrained into his very being.

"For a linguist you've been seriously lacking in the word department lately." Janet said.

Daniel merely smiled.