Leetha finally met her match in Janet Fraiser as the two diminutive women squared off eye to eye. “I have taken care of Doctor Jackson for years,” Janet insisted. “I think I know what is best for him.”

“Your medicine is medieval,” Leetha spat out hatefully.

“Well it seems to have fixed you up pretty well,” Janet growled. “Considering the conditions under which we had to work.”

The Goa’uld sighed and attempted to wiggle her metal fingertips that protruded from the end of the fiberglass cast, still warm from the application. “And I am grateful,” she acquiesced.

“So how is he?” Jack interrupted impatiently.

“Daniel’s fine,” Janet smiled. “Except for a bump on the head and a burn on the… bum…”

“Hey, that thing was trying to boil me alive,” Daniel interjected, sitting on the edge of the bed after a thorough once over by Doctor Fraiser.

“As far as the device goes, he doesn’t even have a scar,” Janet finished. “Of course we still need to do an MRI when we get back.”

“Of course we do,” Daniel complained, pulling his ‘borrowed’ shirt back on.

“And a few other tests.”

Daniel rolled his eyes as Jack patted his shoulder sympathetically, but not without an ear-to-ear grin. All around them servants busily filled several large bags.

“Leetha, what’s going on?” Daniel asked.

“They are packing your things,” Leetha explained, managing to slip between Daniel and his doctor. Janet harrumphed and began to gather her supplies.

“Uh, that’s okay,” Daniel hedged, wanting nothing more than to leave his new wardrobe behind. “Don’t go to any trouble.”

“Nonsense,” Leetha scoffed. “I thought you might want this.” She snapped the fingers of her good hand and pointed. Hareet quickly delivered a large book to Daniel.

“I can’t take this,” Daniel exclaimed, lovingly running his fingers along the binding.

“These books are of no interest to me, and no one else here can read them,” Leetha replied sadly. “I have selected the ones you took particular interest in.”

Daniel nodded thoughtfully. “Thank you. This might come in very handy for translations.”

“Would you like to take my journals as well?”

“No,” Daniel declined. “When the Tok’ra scientists get here, they might find them useful.” Leetha bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement. Daniel leaned closer and asked in a low voice, “You have destroyed all references to the biological agent haven’t you?”

“Yes,” Leetha answered, close to Daniel’s ear. “No more suffering will come by my hand.”

“Good,” Daniel smiled. “Keep them focused on the people. I really think they might be able to help.”

“And all they ask in return is my knowledge of the Goa’uld?”

“You know more than you think,” Daniel assured.

“Are you about ready to go?” Jack asked, not very happy with the hushed conversation.

“Let’s go home,” Daniel agreed contentedly.

“You’re wearing that?” Jack asked innocently with a nod toward the good six inches of ankle and wrist protruding from the servant’s garments.

“Anybody seen my robe?”

---

“What’s all this?” Daniel asked as they arrived at the stargate.

“Your belongings of course,” Leetha explained, leaning heavily on Oba.

Daniel scanned the mass of bags, boxes, and crates, complete with Hareet and his two bath buddies. “Leetha, do we need to have the ‘human beings are not possessions’ discussion again?”

“But Daniel, who will take care of you?” Leetha beseeched fretfully.

“I’m a grown man. I can take care of myself.”

“That’s debatable,” Jack chimed in. “But don’t worry, I’ll keep him out of trouble,” he volunteered.

“And what a marvelous job you’ve done so far,” Leetha replied bitingly. “Look how well you protected him from me.”

“Hey!” Jack groused. “You old…”

“Jack,” Daniel cut in, shaking his head.

“Carter, dial us up,” Jack ordered grumpily, moving over to stand with the last group heading back to the SGC while Daniel said goodbye. Sam grinned as she punched in the address, and then the IDC after the wormhole formed. “Let’s go,” Jack ordered his people home.

“At least take your books,” Leetha pleaded, pointing to Hareet who lugged over a very heavy, medium sized leather case and sat it gingerly at Daniel’s feet.

“Okay,” Daniel agreed.

“And some clothes.”

Daniel sighed as he accepted a bigger, but much lighter bag. “Sure,” he muttered. “Take care of her,” he requested of Oba.

The older man bowed to him respectfully. “Be well, master Daniel.”

“How much for that one?” Leetha called out mischievously as Grogan started up the steps to the stargate.

Grogan froze for a second before darting into the event horizon without looking back. Teal’c and Sam hesitated just short of the blue shimmer until Jack climbed the stairs and motioned them through. “I’ve got him,” he assured.

Bending slightly, Daniel patted the old girl’s face and then kissed her forehead. “I can see I’ve still got some work to do with you,” he teased, turning away as her eyes filled with tears. Surprised at the weight of the bag, he hefted it and trotted up the steps.

Jack waited at the top, sending a silent ‘thank you’ and a salute to the old girl before following their wayward archeologist home.

---

“Welcome home, Doctor Jackson,” General Hammond greeted enthusiastically as he met Daniel and Jack at the foot of the ramp.

“Thank you, sir. It’s good to be home,” Daniel exclaimed, handing off the large suitcase to an airman. “Burn those,” he advised, holding on to the heavier bag himself.

“What have you got there?” Hammond asked curiously.

“Goa’uld reference books,” Daniel explained somewhat out of breath, wondering why the luggage seemed so weighty. As he shifted to his other hand, the handle came loose and the bag fell with a thud. The overtaxed clasp gave out and the side burst open, letting the contents of the case spill out in a river of gold.

“Yes!” Jack shouted, dropping to his knees to run his fingers through the ingots even as they spilled through the grate and clattered to the floor beneath the ramp.

“Jack?” Daniel asked in shock at his friend’s reaction.

“My lab is off limits,” Sam declared firmly, crossing her arms over her chest as the colonel let out an evil laugh.

“It’s okay, we’ll go to Daniel’s office,” Jack declared, filling his pockets with handfuls of the precious metal.

“We will? Why?” Daniel questioned suspiciously.

---

Jacob exited the stargate to find a crowd of gaily dressed, happy people ready to guide him to a palace where Selmac would begin to debrief a Goa’uld who had once been in the service of Ra. He and Selmac had been out of the loop for a while on one dangerous, covert op after another. They both looked forward to a more leisurely mission for a change.

In fact, SG-1 would be joining them soon, ostensibly to check on the progress of the recently freed natives, but Jacob suspected it was so they could be privy to any ‘good stuff’ Selmac might uncover. For some quality time with his daughter, he’d happily deal with Jack’s avid appeals for information.

He hadn’t heard the whole story yet, but somehow suspected SG-1 might have had something to do with the local uprising. A broken statue lay scattered about the front terrace, but other than that, he could see no overt signs of a siege. He was directed to a large receiving hall, and glanced around as he slowly strolled in.

“A little to the left,” a small woman directed a group of workmen as they wrestled a large, horizontal sculpture into place on an empty dais that probably once held a throne. The walls were freshly painted and matched the luxurious, opalescent seating group situated at the base of the steps.

“Cozy,” Jacob stated as he admired the room.

“Thank you,” the woman replied as she turned to face him. “You must be Selmac.”

Jacob stiffened and reached for his weapon when he realized the woman wore a hand device. He had assumed that the Goa’uld would be under guard, and yet here she was, wandering the palace freely. She waggled her golden fingertips at him to reveal a scarred palm, but no crystal.

“I am Leetha,” she replied with the self-important arrogance of her race. “I will advise the other Tok’ra that you have arrived, but then I still have much to organize for the banquet tonight.”

“Banquet?” Jacob inquired skeptically. “What’s the occasion?

“Daniel is coming to visit,” Leetha purred. “Do you think he will like it?” she asked, indicating the statue as the workmen moved away.

Jacob suppressed a laugh, but grinned in spite of himself. “I don’t think like is the right word,” he offered diplomatically, staring at the elegant, scantily clad Daniel stretched out provocatively at the top of the stairs.

The End