Forget Me Not
By SGC Gategirl

"Were it not better to forget, than but remember and regret?"
—Letitia Elizabeth Landon, "Despondency"

"But men are men; the best sometimes forget."
—Shakespeare, "Othello"

Chapter One

Colonel Jack O'Neill scowled as he looked at his watch for the third time in less than a minute. Dr. Daniel Jackson, linguist and resident expert on the history of the Stargate and just about anything ancient, was late again. Recently, it had become a habit. O'Neill glanced over at Major Samantha Carter, his second in command and a brilliant astrophysicist to boot, who stood talking quietly with Teal'c. Come to think of it, they'd been doing a lot of that lately too, O'Neill noted absently, resisting the urge to squeeze the bridge of his nose to ease the headache he felt coming on already. It was too early in the day for that. He glanced back at Carter and Teal'c, envious of their ease, their serenity. They also had the patience of saints, unlike their team leader.

"Carter, when was the last time you saw Daniel?" O'Neill asked sharply, walking down the ramp to where the other two stood at the door of the embarkation room.

She looked up at him, her blue eyes full of accusations. He knew his tone was severe—had been for days now—but he didn't care. He was sure that she was labeling today as another one of "those" days. He could even see the quotation marks hanging in the space between them. When was the last time they had actually had fun as a team—as friends even? It had been a long time. He missed Carter's smile, Daniel's laugh, and Teal'c's amused gazes. He knew it was his fault—everything was his fault. From one screwed up mission to another, these days it seemed like that was all they ever got. Unfriendly natives, bloodthirsty Jaffas, insane goa'ulds, it was always the same. First contact wasn't the picnic it had once appeared to be. Bad command decisions—his bad command decisions—continued to pile up. Injuries—near-death injuries to his team and others—continued to escalate. His bad command decisions cost lives. His bad decisions always came back to haunt him, keeping him awake at night as he relived them over and over again in all their gory details.

Fun? What was that? Maybe that was the problem. Too much fun, not enough concentration on the mission at hand. Too bad, O'Neill thought bitterly. Fun was definitely not on the agenda today, and to top things off, Daniel was already pissing him off and they hadn't even left the planet yet. He realized Carter had started speaking and jerked himself quickly back to reality.

"I left him in the locker room changing. He said he had to make a quick stop at his lab to pick something up," Carter said. She hesitatingly continued, her face plainly showing her conflicting emotions. He knew she wasn't going to tell him what he wanted to hear. "That was about twenty minutes ago, sir," She was fingering the pocket on her vest nervously. O'Neill hadn't seen her do that in a long time.

"Twenty minutes ago," O'Neill mumbled under his breath turning toward the Stargate. He sighed and looked beseechingly toward the ceiling. Twenty minutes? God, it felt like an hour, he thought absently rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. He could feel Carter's eyes digging into him. An awkward silence stretched between them before she spoke again.

"Colonel, do you want me to go and get him?"

He exhaled sharply and turned to her, his hand dropping quickly to his side. He felt like he had just gotten scolded. Her tone was all business, lacking the familiar easiness they had developed over the years. When all else failed she fell back on her military training and the fact that she was using it now surprised him. He looked—really looked—at her before answering. She looked tired, drained even. He hadn't noticed that before. Honestly, he hadn't taken the time to notice, too caught up with his own troubles and distractions. Concern for him filled her blue eyes. She was always so real. He could always trust her. He trusted her to watch his six. He trusted her with his life. Usually, she knew exactly what to say or do to make him feel better, but this time was different: he wasn't giving her any clues and she was worried. It showed in her posture—from her tired expression to her pain-filled eyes to her shoulders rounded in defeatDefeat? Had he been that bad? Had she finally given up on him? It wouldn't surprise him; everyone eventually gave up on him. He had hopedhad thoughtthat this time it might be different.

He almost took her up on the offer, but for some reason, felt compelled to get the errant archeologist himself. "No Carter, I'll get him. It's my turn anyway. You got him the last time." He smiled briefly without humor and started toward the door. "Besides, it's time we had one of our little chats."

"Chats? Are you sure" Carter turned to face him, and he realized that her worried expression was more for Daniel's sake than his own. That fact sunk his spirits further still. Even worse than the pity he saw in many people's eyes these days was the hint of suspicion that somehow he had changed so dramatically that he could actually harm Daniel—or any member of his team. Had he really lost their trust? He sighed softly in resignation as he stepped through the door of the gate room, glancing back to see Teal'c's eyebrows start their journey upward.

He paused briefly in the doorway and waved his hand, abruptly cutting Carter off, his tone sharper than was necessary. "Don't worry about it, Carter. When I mean talk, I mean talk. I won't hurt him if that's what you think." His eyes were dark, tossing accusations at his second in command, daring her to argue with him. When she shifted her gaze downward, he knew he was right. His own team didn't trust him anymore. He turned back to the drab corridor disgusted with himself for thinking that this team would have been any different than any other he'd commanded. It was just a matter of time before they realized what everyone else had over the years.

"I'll be right back." He threw his last words over his shoulder as he strode down the hall. He could almost picture her trying, without success, to explain to Teal'c why a chat could be considered dangerous to Daniel Jackson's health. Before, that would have brought a smile to his face, but things were different now. He was different.

XXXXXXXXXX

Carter sighed as she watched her CO walk down the hallway until he turned the corner and was lost to her sight. Over the past week or so, he had been more difficult than usual. Granted, she realized, he was normally a little stand-offish, but even his attempts at humor—as rare as they had become—were sharper, more pointed; less like humor and more like direct criticisms.

He was a tough nut to crack on a good day, but when he retreated into his shell the way he was doing now it was nearly impossible for anyone to get through. Usually Daniel was able to weasel his way in, breaking through the walls the Colonel had put up. This time, however, no matter what he tried, no matter which way he went, Daniel was getting nowhere. It was as if Colonel O'Neill had special Daniel sensors installed, alerting him to when Daniel was playing mother hen. If anything, the Colonel's mood had been hardest on Daniel. In many ways, they were as close as brothers with Daniel playing the role of the younger sibling to O'Neill's older brother routine. It still served as an oddity among many on base of how they—two opposites—could get along so well.

Sam quickly glanced over at Teal'c's hulking figure to find him looking at her strangely. "Major Carter, are you unwell?"

She realized she was frowning and still staring after O'Neill even though he was long since gone. She sighed softly, looking Teal'c directly in the eye. She knew he was worried about her and the team. They'd talked a lot over the past week—ever since JackColonel O'Neill had gotten weird, for lack of a better term. They'd been through some tough times over the years but they'd muddled through his moods. One day he could charm a monkey out of a tree and the next day it took pliers and several attempts at extraction to get even the slightest reaction from him. This was several times worse.

She knew he had been to the edge and back too many times to count and some days they came back to haunt him. Some days were harder on him than others, especially when it concerned his son Charlie. He had never forgiven himself for Charlie's death, she knew. Guilt and longing were in his eyes every time they made first contact, especially if there were kids involved. It didn't matter if the boys didn't look anything like his son, when Jack looked at them, that was all he saw—the smiling face of his dead son. He saw the life that could have been, that should have been.
"I'm okay, Teal'c. Just worried about the Colonel."

Teal'c inclined his head toward her. "O'Neill is a brave and stalwart warrior and a fine leader. I am convinced he will prevail in this battle as he has done on numerous occasions."

"I know. I'm still worried. He's never been like this for so long." She shook her head and shrugged without coming up with a better explanation. "It's just not like him."

Teal'c examined her carefully for a moment before speaking again. "I, too, am worried Major Carter."

XXXXXXXXXX

Grasping his P90 in both hands to stop it from swinging O'Neill's purposeful stride and determined expression kept greetings to a minimum. As tough and hard as he appeared, he knew he had many loyal friends among the SGC personnel—which always surprised him no end. He knew from first hand experience that there were many that would put their life on the line to help him. More times than he could count, other teams had volunteered to help him and his team when they got into trouble—which seemed to happen more and more.

But today, his demeanor and field BDUs prevented anyone from stopping him. Lately, even those who were inclined to stop him to say hello stayed away. News spread fast among SGC personnel and these days the message was simple, "Stay clear of Colonel O'Neill."

He approached Daniel's office quietly. Black ops training had forced him to develop that habit, and it was a hard one to break. The door was open, so he took that as an invitation to snoop. It was what he was here to do anyway. Looking in, he noticed that Daniel was nowhere to be found. The piles of artifacts and papers appeared to be in the same place he remembered seeing them—not that he paid attention to what was on Daniel's desk most of the time. It always amazed him that Daniel could get so much work done in an office that did such a good impression of the aftereffects of a passing F5 tornado.

He hesitated inside the door, glancing around furtively. His forehead creased, a frown of confusion finally finding its way to his face. Where was Daniel? Without him in the room, Jack felt awkward just wandering in. He could. He knew Daniel wouldn't mind, but knowing his luck, he's just end up breaking some priceless artifact. Besides, who needed an agitated archeologist griping for days?

He had almost turned around and given up, thinking Daniel must already be on his way to the gateroom when he finally spotted Daniel—at least the bottom half of him—sticking out of the closet in the back of the room. O'Neill grinned mischievously, a glint of glee in his eye. This might be fun, he thought, at least for a brief moment. Even in a bad mood, Jack never passed up an opportunity to pick on his favorite archeologist.

Jack cleared his throat quietly, trying not to disturb the scene playing out before him. Knowing Daniel, he wouldn't hear anything short of a loaded freight train rumbling through his office—and even then, Jack had his doubts. "Dr. Jackson, just what do you think you're doing?" O'Neill yelled in the strongest military voice he could manage. He was rewarded instantaneously.

A dull thump and muffled curse from inside the closet was heard and Daniel Jackson eased himself out, a dusty book in hand. He turned to O'Neill whose smirk had been replaced by a disapproving scowl. Daniel rubbed the top of his head where he had smacked it against the metal shelf. "Jack, why did you have to go and do that?" Daniel asked aggravated. "Why can't you ever grow up?"

O'Neill's eyes hardened in response and he replied, his tone severe, all business. While he normally found intense pleasure in annoying Daniel, these days the thrill was gone. Some people just knew how to suck the fun out of everything and Daniel was one of them. "Daniel, what time was our mission this morning?"

"0700. Why?" Daniel answered automatically, an innocent expression on his face as he absently rubbed his head. He removed his glasses and pressed the heel of his free hand into one of his eyes. Jack knew that early mornings were not the best time for discussions like these, especially when Daniel had yet to have a full cup of coffee. It was one of those mornings, Jack noted, spotting Daniel's first cup of the day sitting on the desk, half-full and cold.

"Do you know what time it is?" He was trying to be patient and calm, but it wasn't easy. Those qualities were found in spades in both Carter and Teal'c while impatience was usually residing closer to home. He gripped his P90 tighter picturing in his mind's eye his hands snaking around Daniel's neck. If Daniel noticed the gesture, which was a distinct possibility, he pointedly ignored it.

"Oh, I don't know, Jack," Daniel said exasperated. "0710? 0715? What does it matter? I had to get some stuff before we left." Daniel replaced the glasses on his nose before he turned his attention to the book he held, attempting to clean the dust off without sneezing.

O'Neill sighed loudly as he watched the cloud of dust heading his way. Things never changed. No matter how much time passed, with Daniel things always stayed the same; he did everything his way and in his own time. Jack waved his hand through the air, trying to dissipate the dust cloud before he started sneezing. That was all he needed—to show up in the gateroom with tear-filled eyes thanks to a sneezing fit and a lung-full of Daniel's dust.

"Daniel, it's nearly 0740 and Hammond, not to mention Carter and Teal'c, are waiting for you to grace us with your presence in the gateroom. Besides," he said his voice hardening and his eyes flashing with barely contained anger, "what can be so damn important that you can't be on time?" The unspoken phrase, for once in your life' hung in the air, but by the tone of O'Neill's voice it was as good as said. He took a breath before continuing trying to calm his already frayed nerves. This time his words were softer. "Daniel, God knows, I don't ask a lot from you, especially since you're not military, but punctuality is one of those things I do expect." When his words didn't get an immediate reaction, his tone hardened once again. "Daylight's burning. We need to move."

Daniel turned back to O'Neill an imploring expression on his face, his blue eyes wide behind his glasses. "Jack, ever since the briefing, I've had those ruins the MALP transmitted running through my mind. I've been trying to do a little research, but I haven't found much. This morning when I was getting ready, I realized I had a book in here somewhere." He gestured widely toward the closet and the offending metal shelf. Daniel threw the book down on his desk and another puff of dust rose toward the ceiling. "And this is not it." He turned back to stare at the closet accusingly.

O'Neill was done. "Ack!" O'Neill's sharp tone turned Daniel right back around. "Let's go. Forget the stupid book. We need to make tracks. Now." O'Neill's voice was unwavering. His patience was gone and it wasn't time to belabor the point.

"Okay, okay. I'm coming. You know, you could have sent Sam." Daniel said, picking up his pack from where he dropped it on the floor nearly forty-five minutes ago.

"What?" O'Neill asked, giving Daniel an incredulous look as they made their way to the embarkation room. He had heard him, but wasn't sure where Daniel was going with it.

"At least she would have helped me look."

O'Neill glared at Daniel, his eyes narrowing. "Does it surprise you that I'm a lot smarter than I look?" With only a few words he managed to render Daniel speechless and stop him in his tracks. Without pausing to wait for the younger man, O'Neill continued on to the gate room, letting Daniel struggle to catch up with him. How had he managed to get saddled with him in the first place? Intellectually, he knew the reasons why Daniel was on the team but lately his gut was telling him something else. What place did an archeologist have on a front line unit? Sometimes he wondered if it really was a good idea. This was one of those times.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Does it surprise you that I'm a lot smarter than I look?"

Daniel blanched, his mouth dropping open. He stopped dead in his tracks staring after the retreating back of one Colonel Jack O'Neill. An answer either way would not go over well and two days on an alien planet with an overbearing and annoyed Jack O'Neill was not what he had in mind. It was bad enough Jack had come to fetch him like some five-year-old that had gotten separated from his mother. It was bad enough that Jack continued to treat him like a kid. The condescending tones and looks—especially as of late—had only gotten worse.

He tried to pick up the pace, but he knew it was a losing battle. Jack wasn't one to make anything easy. It was bad enough that he had to struggle to keep Jack in sight, but he still had to pull on his vest and backpack, slowing his progress even further. No surprise there. Jack's long legs and rushed pace made it close to impossible to catch up with him.

Daniel ran into the embarkation room huffing and puffing a little. Of course, Jack had decided to start without him.

"Okay kids," Jack said from his position at the base of the ramp as he adjusted his cap. "We're all ready to go." O'Neill looked up to the control room where General George Hammond stood patiently waiting. "Sorry about the delay, sir. We're ready to depart."

Hammond leaned forward and clicked on the microphone, his voice echoing through the gate room. "SG1, you have a go. I'll see you in 36 hours. Good luck, people, and try to be on time." He didn't smile, but Daniel knew that the remark was aimed at him. He glanced up at Hammond in surprise, trying not to glare. Was everyone out to get him this morning? Usually General Hammond refrained from taking potshots at him. At least Sam and Teal'c kept their comments to themselves. Sam's eyes were compassionate when he finally turned to look at her. They both knew how Jack could be when he was in one of his moods, and from the looks of it this morning, they were in for a whopper. Whoever said women were the moody ones had never met Jack O'Neill—especially when he got up on the wrong side of the bed.

Who knows what had set this mood off, Daniel mused. He didn't think there was anything special about today's date, but then with Jack O'Neill anything was possible. He wasn't exactly the most forthcoming person, especially when it came to his personal life. For all he knew, Daniel thought absently, it could be that Jack's favorite deli had closed or he forgot to tape the Simpsons. The sound of the inside track of the Stargate spinning, locking the coordinates in place one by one, finally drew him back to the present.

"Aye, sir. We'll be back in time for dinner." O'Neill said turning to face the Stargate. Out of habit, Jack adjusted his field jacket and vest, checking to make sure everything was in place. Sam and Teal'c stepped up beside him, standing an arm's length away. Daniel scooted up behind them, trying to stay out of Jack's way. His head still hurt where he'd smacked it against the shelf. He rubbed his hand lightly against the bump. At least it wasn't bleeding, but he was going to have a nice bruise there by the end of the day, thanks to Jack. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Jack glancing back at him. He knew he was in for something, most likely O'Neill's sharp, sarcastic tongue.

"Danny boy, try and keep up. I'd hate to have to put a leash on you. Besides, I'm not sure if you're housebroken."

Daniel glared back at Jack testily. Just what he needed; another astute remark from their fearless leader. The ka-whoosh of the gate opening delayed any other conversation. Besides, without a gallon of coffee in the morning, he felt as if he were still half-asleep—not exactly the best circumstances to make his usual witty remarks. He settled for shooting Jack one of his more annoyed looks, not that it did much good since Jack was already heading up the ramp.

"Let's move out, kids. To grandma's house we go," O'Neill chirped, stepping through the event horizon even before the blue liquid was still.

Teal'c raised his eyebrow, perplexed and turned to him. "What is this grandma's house to which O'Neill indicated we are going?"

"Teal'c, don't worry. Jack's just trying to be funny," he said, watching Sam disappear through the gate, a half smile on her face. At least he could be sure that some things would always stay the same.

"Indeed," Teal'c said, stepping through the event horizon. Daniel glanced back briefly at the control room where General Hammond looked on, before he too stepped through to the other side.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Well kids, welcome to a rather moist P5X-171. Didn't anyone think to check the weather before we got here?" O'Neill asked scanning the horizon and pulling his collar closer to his neck as water dripped down into his shirt. Just what he needed—another tree-filled planet. And to top it off, SG-1 had gated here during its rainy season. Joy.

Teal'c, off to his left, stood at attention, his staff weapon in hand, his eyes focused on the area around the gate. He was reliable like that, a tower of strength over the past few years. Unmovable. A rock.

Carter was already checking out the DHD. There had been too many times when they had almost gotten stranded because the DHD wouldn't work. A number of times, they had spent the entire mission trying to figure out what was wrong with the device instead of scouting and exploring the area. Her curt nod indicated everything looked fine. Good. Check that off the list.

O'Neill heard rather than saw Daniel stumble down the stairs. The rocks strewn in front of the gate made for some tricky maneuvering, especially if you weren't paying attention—and knowing Daniel, he probably was too busy looking at the scenery to notice. Jack wouldn't admit it to anyone else, but he had almost taken a nosedive and ended up sprawled in front of the gate when he came through. Thankfully, he was able to catch himself—and preserve whatever was left of his dignity before anyone saw him—one of the benefits of being the first one through. Although there were always times when being the first one through was problematic, especially when it involved unfriendly natives or an angry mob of Jaffa.

He peered through the fog and rain, trying to make out the tree line ahead of them. He hated trees and forests—especially off-world ones. They could hide countless Jaffa—battalions even. Forests had done so on many occasions before and they had been forced to learn the hard way. There really wasn't much to see besides the MALP: some trees, the DHD, rocks scattered over the ground, and a few mounds of ruins back at the edge of the clearing. Daniel will be happy, Jack thought absently, more rocks for him to play with.

The piles of stones and boulders around the Stargate made travel difficult—especially since they were slick from the rain. If it had been a clear day, O'Neill was sure that the view from the steps in front of the Stargate would have been stunning. He remembered the footage from the mission briefing. It had looked fabulous on film. In person, everything was even more impressive. The Stargate stood on the side of a hill overlooking a lush valley, full of plant and animal life. If times were different, Jack could see himself retiring somewhere like this. It reminded him of his childhood and the untouched wildernesses back home in Minnesota. In its own way, it made him homesick, wishing for the simpler times—the simpler life he remembered. A life unencumbered by bad decisions. A life where he didn't send his friends to their deaths at an enemy's hand. A life where he hadn't held a grudge against his best friend. A life where his son hadn't killed himself with a carelessly hidden hand gun.

O'Neill heard the gate close behind Daniel and glanced back, squinting through the rain, to see the dirt and rock façade that made up the back of the gate. It was as if the gate was built directly into the side of the hill.

"Maybe it's just a passing storm, sir. When they sent the MALP through earlier this morning, it was clear," said Carter from her position at the DHD, as if it were any consolation. She unclipped the pack from her back, letting it drop to the ground with a thud. She looked up, squinting as the rain hit her face.

"Jack," Daniel said, trying to clean his glasses on his shirt. He didn't have much success and eventually gave up, tucking them away in a pocket. He zipped his field jacket up under his chin to prevent the rain from getting everything wet. When Daniel didn't continue, O'Neill glanced back and realized that was what Daniel was waiting for. He indicated the ruins with his head. "I'm going to check them out. Might as well do something instead of standing here getting wet." He moved without waiting for approval, pulling his boonie hat down to cover more of his exposed neck.

O'Neill sighed and nodded. It was useless to argue at this point, besides, that was what they were here for. He unclipped his pack and knelt down on one knee to dig through it, safe in the knowledge that Teal'c and Carter were keeping an eye out. "Sure thing, Danny boy. Get right on that. I might recommend a rain poncho if I were you," he said, muttering to himself. He reattached his pack and slid the rain poncho over his head. Glancing at Teal'c who had already done the same, he caught his eye and pointed him toward the tree line with an outstretched hand. Teal'c moved immediately to comply. Nice that someone still follows orders around here, he thought. "Teal'c and I are going to take a look around. Carter," he said with a wave of his hand as he watched her shrug herself into her rain poncho, "do that thing you do. Keep regular checks every 30 minutes."

Carter nodded briskly. "Yes, sir." He flashed her a look of surprise at her tone and wondered vaguely if she was going to salute too. Things had definitely changed. He turned on his heel and headed off to the right of the gate into the tree line. Seconds later both he and Teal'c were lost in the fog.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sam watched Teal'c and O'Neill walk toward the tree line, only to be swallowed up whole by the fog and mist seconds later. Shaking her head slightly, she turned her attention back to her pack while her mind wandered, following her teammates as they weaved their way through the forest.

Things change, but some things always stay the same. Daniel's enthusiasm, even in the pouring rain, was a constant, as was Colonel O'Neill's exasperation with him. The Colonel's overly protective nature would send Teal'c and him in circles if need be, but she knew she and Daniel would be safe. No matter what happened, that would always be a constant with him. He always thought about the team before he considered anything for himself. Day after day, she watched him put the needs and wants of his team first. Even if he had to sacrifice himself, the team would get home—she'd witnessed that first hand many times. Even O'Neill's light attitude—if forced at times—was standard.

"Daniel," Sam said turning her attention back to the present. She spoke loud enough for her voice to carry over the distance and the weather. Everything seemed subdued here as if the very planet was holding its breath. She leaned down to the backpack at her feet and removed the sample vials for collecting dirt and soil samples. "What kept you this morning?"

She saw a look of puzzlement cross Daniel's face as he concentrated on the mound of rocks in front of him. He had squatted down to get a closer look and was already lost in his world. She was pleasantly surprised to see that he had at least followed the Colonel's suggestion and put on his rain poncho. "Uhwhat Sam?" came the nebulous reply.

Sam smiled to herself. What a typical Daniel response, she thought, laughing to herself. Sit him in front of a rock or an inscription in an obscure dialect and he was in heaven. "When we were getting ready this morning, I thought you were going to be right behind me. What happened?" She moved cautiously across the uneven ground, looking for a good spot to snag some soil samples. Most of the dirt around the gate was hard packed and very rocky. Not the best place for soil samples. She spotted a promising area not too far from Daniel. At least they could continue their conversation without having to scream across the clearing. If there was anyone about—especially hostile natives—she didn't want to announce herself, just in case Teal'c or the Colonel missed them. Unfortunately, that had also been known to happen.

When she glanced back at Daniel, he was sitting back on his heels, rubbing the back of his hand across his eyes, trying unsuccessfully to wipe the rain away. "Sam, I've been thinking about this planet ever since the briefing," he admitted, absently brushing some moss-like plant away from the inscriptions on the stones. "I tried to explain it to Jack, but he wasn't in any mood to listen to me this morning." Daniel glanced up, catching Sam's gaze. "What's gotten into him lately? He's been uptight—even more than usual." Sam shrugged in reply and he continued, absently staring at what his wandering fingers were uncovering. "Anyway, I'm not all that familiar with the Celtic culture, but I know I had some books on it. I was hoping to find one before we got here. I turned my apartment upside down last night looking for the books and I realized that I must have stored them at the base." He stopped speaking suddenly. His attention focused on what he uncovered. "Sam, come look at this." Daniel sounded excited, and when she looked up from what she was doing, he was frantically waving her over.

She moved quickly to his side. "What do you have there?"

"What does this look like to you?" he asked, indicating an object sticking out from between the stones in what Carter though was the remnant of some kind of wall.

Carter crouched down low next to him, trying to clean some of the dirt from around the object with her fingers. "Well," she said wiping her muddy fingers on her pants, "from this angle, it looks like part of a ribbon device. But why would it be here?" She looked quizzically at Daniel.

"That's what I'd like to know." He stood and examined the large stone that sat on top of the wall at waist level. It was large, but Carter knew exactly what was going through his mind. He was sure the stone could be moved with a little persuasion. Sure enough, the request came moments later.

"Help me move this, would you? I'd like to see what else is under there."

"Daniel, aren't you worried about disturbing something?" she asked as she moved to comply. Daniel was usually a stickler for keeping ruins and finds exactly as they were until he could log everything into the journal he carried. It wasn't like him to move something until he had figured out why it was there in the first place.

He shook his head. "Not really. There's not much here." His eyes quickly roamed over the vestiges of what was some type of multiple room building. She knew those eyes were calculating what this building could have been. A stone's throw from the Stargate and DHD, this building could have served any number of purposes—a guardhouse, a gatehouse, a hunting lodge, a way station, or something else entirely. Whatever it had been, its usefulness was long since over.

"These ruins look like they've been here for centuries. Right now I'm more curious about the ribbon device. On three?" He looked to Sam for confirmation.

Sam nodded, bracing herself and gripping the top rock.

"Okay. One" Daniel counted off and, with Sam's help, they were able to move the rock enough to get a little more access to the partially buried ribbon device. He knelt down and began digging around the object with his field knife. The knife came in handy for something, although Sam was sure that the Colonel wouldn't approve of its use on this occasion.

"Okaywell lookie here. It seems like this might have been attached to a hand at one point in time," Daniel commented as brittle bones emerged from his digging.

"What is that?" Sam asked, pointing to a metal object that stuck out from the remains of the human hand.

"That looks like a dagger of some kind. From the design on the hilt, I'd have to venture a guess and say that it's Celtic. If the owner of this ribbon device was alive when he left through the Stargate, I think he might have been missing something." Daniel said, indicating the fact that the bones ended somewhere in the vicinity of where the wrist might have once been.

"How can you be sure they went through the gate?" Sam asked, suddenly concerned. The forest was quiet, the rain and fog providing plenty of cover for someone with nefarious motives. She stood and tried to squint through the fog. Her hand automatically went to her radio. "Colonel, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, Carter. What's the problem?" O'Neill's voice came back seconds later. He didn't sound like a happy camper, which was no surprise to Sam. Rain never put him in a good mood, and couple that with his current bad attitude, and you would have one very unhappy Colonel.

"Daniel's discovered something interesting, sir. A Goa'uld hand device."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Daniel's discovered something interesting, sir. A goa'uld hand device," Carter said, her voice sounding thin and tinny through the radio. He didn't understand why her voice sounded that way but Jack was certain that if he asked Carter would be more than happy to explain it all to him. He knew better, though, after having to sit through more than one of her explanations. Ignorance is bliss—especially when it came to long-winded explanations delivered by a scientific genius.

"Good. Pack it up. We'll bring it home. It's always great to collect souvenirs. You know how the guys down in the labs drool over anything we bring them," O'Neill quipped, trying to sound lighthearted even though the forest felt like it was pressing down on him. He stepped carefully over a tree root. There were tons of them around, coming up out of the ground at odd angles and making his progress treacherous. He was walking along some kind of path, but one that clearly didn't see much use. The forest was starting to encroach and that made it difficult to navigate. As much as he disliked wandering aimlessly through the forest on a planet far, far away, he knew it was better than doing nothing. It gave him something to do, something useful, while Carter and Daniel did their thing. Besides, his pacing always put everyone in a bad mood. He figured one bad mood was enough.

"I guess no one thought to bring an umbrella," he mumbled to himself as another rivulet of water wormed its way into his shirt. O'Neill looked up, catching movement in the trees out of the corner of his eye. Probably a bird, he thought, or the wind. There was nothing else around.

"Jack, it looks like whoever lived on this planet put up a fight against the gou'ald. If that's the case and those people are still here, we might have found an ally," said Daniel. His voice through the radio was laced with enthusiasm and brought back memories. I am going to have to put a leash on him one day, Jack thought absently. Can't have archeologists just wandering off.

Jack could picture Daniel in his mind's eye standing at the site by the gate, the radio in his hand as he explored the area, one ball of pure energy. Rain was probably dripping from the rim of Daniel's hat and O'Neill was sure that a trickle had found its way down Daniel's neck into the collar of his shirt. But he would ignore it, just as he would ignore anything short of the end of the world—and only then would he pay attention because it would destroy whatever it was that had caught his fancy this time around. "I hear you, Daniel. From what I can see, there's not much in this general vicinity but trees and fog—and a lot of both, I might add. I'll head back to your position and we can all take a little hike together. Consider it a bonding experience. Teal'c, how are you doing, buddy?"

"I am well, O'Neill," came back Teal'c prompt response. "However, I am uneasy."

O'Neill frowned. He always trusted Teal'c's judgement and those few words immediately put him on the defensive. Lately, the bad feelings had only been his. "Uneasy? Teal'c, what's wrong?" At Teal'c assurance he was fine and in no immediate danger, he continued, "Okay, let's meet back at the ruins with Daniel and Carter in ten minutes anyway. We can re-evaluate everything there," O'Neill ordered, stepping around yet another tree root. A raven watched his progress as he stopped to survey the area.

"I will be there, O'Neill."

"Carter, Daniel. Stay put. We'll be right with you." As long as nothing jumps out of the woods at us, he added to himself as he picked up the pace to get back to the rendezvous point. He had taken a path that seemed to loop wide around the right side of the gate, heading off into the hills behind the stargate. Another path—or something that could be loosely defined as a path—seemed to loop back to the clearing and he decided it was probably the easiest way back without having to backtrack. He stepped around fallen tree limbs and small rocks, avoiding some of the muddier areas. Sure enough the trees started thinning out and a clearing appeared. He could just make out the Stargate off in the distance. Stepping carefully on the rocky ground, he made his way to his team.

XXXXXXXXXX

Carter, Daniel. Stay put. We'll be right with you," O'Neill said, his voice sounding distant through the radio.

"Yes, sir. Carter out." Daniel heard Sam acknowledge Jack's order and sign off. In a way, he was envious of her. She was military and always managed to say just the right thing over that radio, but no matter how many times Jack drilled the proper military radio etiquette into his brain, as soon as anyone put that small black box in front of him all commonsense and training fled.

Even before Jack's voice faded, he had already resumed his kneeling position in front of the wall. He carefully cleared the dirt away trying not to damage the artifact any more than he absolutely had to. What I wouldn't give for my brushes, he thought vaguely, although they probably wouldn't work very well in the mud. But he needed something elsemaybe his knife would work. He turned around, his hand searching the ground. He had left the knife around here somewhere. Sure enough, his wandering fingers encountered the hilt of the knife a minute later. This is much better, he thought, as he carefully pried the dirt away from the ribbon device. He glanced up when he felt Sam kneel down next to him.

"Do you want to pack that up now? We have some time and I think I brought some big sample bags with me."

"Sure. Let me see if I can get this out in one piece," he said, digging around a little more, trying to loosen the dirt in which the hand and ribbon device were embedded. If Jack wanted a souvenir, Daniel was determined to give it to him in the best condition possible.

He glanced up again as Sam rose, catching her smile as she carefully picked her way across the clearing to the MALP. Moments later, she returned, a sample bag in hand. "You should probably clean that knife before the Colonel gets here. Didn't he give you that as a gift?" Sam suggested, leaning down to help.

"Yeah, it was," he said absently. The hand and ribbon device were almost free.

"Why did he give it to you?" Sam asked.

"I know, I know," he said, glancing up at Sam with a rueful smile, his blue eyes twinkling. "I know I'm more likely to cut myself with it than actually do anything useful with it, but that's not really the point. Jack thought he was being helpful. He was complaining that I couldn't defend myself, so he signed me up for some self-defense courses and gave me the knife so I had something to defend myself with. He figured some extra hand-to-hand training might come in handy one day, especially since we seem to have the knack of getting ourselves into trouble."

Sam tried not to laugh. "He signed you up for self-defense classes?"

"Don't laugh. I actually went, not that it did any good, but that's a whole other story," he admitted with a half grin, wiping the muddy knife on his pants leg. "Sam, bring that bag over here." He lifted the ribbon device and bones out of the dirt while Sam held the bag open. After he tucked it neatly inside, she closed the bag and walked it back to the MALP.

"The colonel has his first souvenir of the trip," she said, placing the bag safely in a carton on the MALP.

"Good, Carter. Glad to see someone can follow orders."

Daniel twitched at the sound of Jack's voice. That man could be as silent as a cat when it suited him, Daniel thought. This time, it was as if Jack appeared out of nowhere, stepping out of the fog, his P90 gripped tightly in both hands. Teal'c appeared moments later on Daniel's other side.

"Well, the gangs all here," Jack said, looking around at the assembled group. Rain dripped steadily from the rim of his cap but his focus was on Teal'c. "What's the consensus? Teal'c, what's worrying you?"

Jack's eyes flashed with concern and apprehension, and something else. Was it guilt? Anxiety? Daniel knew something was bothering Jack, but he couldn't put his finger on it. God knows he had tried to talk to him about it, but Jack just dismissed him, told him to go and play with his rocks instead. Whatever he was carrying around in his head was making him edgy and unfortunately, he was taking all his frustrations and aggravation out on his team—his family—and it was starting to affect everyone.

But Daniel knew that until Jack could work things out for himself, he would just stay silent about it. Jack just pushed his own feelings to the back of his mind once again and concentrated on the situation at hand. Jack had done it dozens of times, maybe even hundreds. Why should this time be any different? It was, though.

"I am unsure, O'Neill. There is something about this planet" Teal'c said, unsure of how to finish.

"That gives you the creeps? The shivers? The boogieman blues? What?" Jack asked, offering his usual unhelpful suggestions. Teal'c's eyebrow rose.

"I am unsure of what the creeps, the shivers, or these boogieman blues are, O'Neill. This planet is not what it seems."

"Well, right now all I can see is rain, fog, and trees." He grimaced, looking around.

Daniel knew just by the expression on Jack's face what was going on behind those chocolate brown eyes. Everywhere they went lately, there'd been a lot of trees. It was the same gripe on every planet. Daniel could imagine the thoughts running through Jack's mind, You'd think life on an alien planet might look a little different. A little variety would be nice.' Sure enough, a moment later Jack shook his head quickly as if he was trying to get those very thoughts out of his head.

"Anyone else having second thoughts?" Daniel shook his head negatively and Sam echoed his gesture. Jack turned his attention back to Sam. "Where did the UAV indicate that there was some life?"

"A few clicks to the southeast. There was a pretty sizeable settlement, according to the UAV, sir."

Jack sighed, looking around again and rubbing his hand across his face, wiping away some of the dampness. "Well, since I don't see any immediate threat to our health and safety, we have two choices here, kids. We can pack it up and head home to a hot shower and a hot meal and come back another day when its nice, sunny, and dry, or we can try and visit with the natives. What will it be?" Daniel tried not to flinch when Jack skewered him with a look, but much to everyone's surprise, Sam spoke up first.

"Well, if it's all the same to you, sir, we might as well see who lives here. We can't get much wetter than we already are. Besides, the trees should give us some protection from the rain. It'll be better than standing out in the open like we are now."

"Daniel?" Jack said, but his gaze was still on Sam. It was almost as if Jack was trying to read Sam's mind, to find out exactly what she was thinking, but her face was inscrutable. If she was uncomfortable, she didn't show it.

Daniel watched Jack's expression. If he hadn't known any better, he might have thought that Jack was acting as if it was business as usual. But Daniel could see that it was anything but. Jack was unusually tense, his gaze penetrating. Daniel settled for honesty. "I agree with Sam, Jack. I'd be interested in finding out how a goa'uld ribbon device got left behind."

"Teal'c?" Jack turned to the Jaffa, who was still intent on the fog surrounding them.

"I cannot find sufficient reason behind my agitation. I, too, am curious to find a race that has fought against the Goa'uld."

"Okay then, let's see if the natives are friendly," Jack said, hefting his P90. "Carter, lead the way. Everyone keep alert. I'll keep an eye on our six."

"Yes, sir. This way," Sam said, indicating a small path with her outstretched hand just to the right of the ruins they had been exploring.
Daniel glanced back at the Stargate as the fog slowly overtook it. A dark shape darted across the sky but he didn't think much about it. Since they had come through the gate, he'd noticed several bird-like creatures hanging around. Probably looking for some crumbs—not that they would enjoy the rations they were going to have for dinner.

"You know, a lot of those rocks piled around the gate were probably what kept it buried until recently. I wonder why they would unbury it all of a sudden," Daniel said voicing some of the questions that were running through his head. The uneasy silence they had fallen into was disconcerting. Usually, you couldn't get Jack O'Neill to shut up—whether it was his sarcastic comments or his musings on the latest win or loss of his favorite hockey team. Lately, Jack had been strangely quiet with only brief forays into the "normal" O'Neill. It was almost time for one of their "talks"—with Daniel talking and Jack listening, sort of. Once they got a moment alone he was going to speak up. Daniel stepped carefully over a tree limb that had fallen across the path.

"Daniel, does it really matter?" Jack asked sarcastically, bringing up in the rear. "We came, we saw, we got soaking wet, and now we're traipsing halfway across the planet to meet the natives. You should be happy."

"Jack, of course it matters!" Daniel exclaimed, glancing back at Jack and tripping over an exposed tree root. A steady hand from Teal'c was the only thing that saved him from sprawling in the mud. Daniel flashed Teal'c a grateful smile. "Thanks, Teal'c."

"You are welcome, Daniel Jackson."

Jack was unconvinced. "Daniel, why does it matter?" Jack insisted. "In the grand scheme of things, you know all that meaning of life stuff," he said, waving his hands to emphasize his point, "why does it really matter?"

"Come on, Jack, you're not that dense. You should be able to see things for yourself." Daniel ignored the look Jack sent his way. "This is more than just ancient history and it's different from all that meaning of life stuff and you very well know that," he said, pointedly looking back at Jack, who inclined his head with a half-hearted smile, conceding Daniel's point was valid. Jack waved his hand for him to continue. "I mean, we have to ask the question, why did they have a gate in the first place? Why did the Ancients put one here? Did the Ancients place the gate here or did the goa'uld? And then, why was the gate buried? Was there a rebellion here? Did they escape a rebellion on another world? Or did they just escape from another world? Obviously, they know what the goa'uld are, so were they worried about the goa'uld returning through the gate? But then, what if the goa'uld returned in ships instead? How could they have escaped if the gate was buried and there was a mothership in orbit? Besides which, it might be nice to find out exactly who buried the gate centuries ago and why all of a sudden they are interested in it now. Anything could have happened that caused them to turn their attention to the gate. There could have been a sickness. The goa'uld could have returned"

Jack raised his hands in mock surrender. "Ack! Daniel, enough. I'm sorry I asked."

"O'Neill, someone approaches," said Teal'c, stopping suddenly, his staff in hand, aimed through the fog at the unseen strangers. Sam paced back several steps to stand with the group, her weapon raised and pointed the same way as Teal'c's.

SG1 was intent on the fog and the surrounding trees—not that they could see much. At least the trees helped to keep some of the rain off. Daniel thought absently. Several long moments later, three figures emerged from the fog, in the direction Teal'c was pointing his staff weapon, stopping when SG1 came into focus.

The lead figure was impressive. Tall and muscular with dark brown hair, which hung to touch his shoulders. A short goatee graced his youthful face. He wore a deep, dark blue cloak, clasped at his neck with an elaborately intricate metal brooch in what Daniel recognized as some type of Celtic design. Of what they could see of the stranger's undergarments, his leggings and tunic were various shades of brown and a leather belt around his waist held several items, including a well-made long metal sword. His two companions, hanging back, wore similar clothes and carried similar weaponry. They were all about the same height as Jack and Teal'c, but solid. They were all muscle and looked like they could wield their weapons with ease and precision.

"Greetings to you, fair travelers. Welcome to the Ildanach," said the first stranger with a slight nod of his head toward SG1. His tone, smooth and pithy, belied his war-like stature.

"Like you're really happy to see us," Jack muttered under his breath just loud enough for Daniel and Sam to hear. Sam ducked her head, trying to hide her smile. Of course the "normal" O'Neill had to surface now, Daniel thought acidly. He ignored Jack and stepped forward, his hands outstretched, palms facing up, doing his usual "meet the natives" routine.

"Thank you for your kind welcome. My name is Daniel Jackson and we are travelers from a distant place" he began.

"Have you come through the circle? Are you the leader of this tribe?"

Jack, grinning slightly at the stranger's exuberance, stepped forward. With a self-conscious half-smile, he raised his hand slightly, wiggling his fingers. "No, that would be me. Colonel Jack O'Neill." He indicated the other two members of SG1 with his eyes and a sweep of his hand. "Major Samantha Carter and Teal'c. And you are?"

"I apologize for my inconsiderateness. My name is Egan. My companions are Hywel and Turlough," Egan said, indicating each of his companions in turn. Hywel sported a dark russet colored cloak while Turlough's was a dark brown. For all intents and purposes, these three could have been brothers—really big brothers. "It is not often that we come across strangers in this land."

Daniel perked up considerably. He could have sworn he heard Jack muttering typical Jack O'Neill gripes under his breath, but he pointedly ignored him, as he normally did. "Have you met other strangers recently?"

"There are some from villages many days walk from here whom we consider to be strangers. All of us, however, are considered brothers. Do you come from such a far off village?" Egan had apparently nominated himself the group's spokesperson. The others stood quietly behind him, but Daniel noticed that their hands were not far from the hilt of their weapons. Jack would be proud that he had noticed that detail, he thought absently. Daniel glanced quickly over his shoulder and saw Jack was still gripping his P90 carefully, probably trying not to worry anyone—let alone himself or the natives. He had that look on his face—curious, but guarded and poised to move at a moment's notice.

Daniel hesitated before answering. Thankfully, Jack was keeping his comments to himself for now. "Yes, we come from a distant village"

"You have come from the circle." Egan stated it matter-of-factly and Daniel found it hard to lie to him directly. From personal experience, starting out with lies was generally not a good thing to do when dealing with first contacts—especially when these mild mannered people could quite possibly rip his arms from the sockets without breaking a sweat.

"Yes, we have. Have many strangers come through the circle?"

Hywel spoke up, his voice calm but gravelly. "You are the first in millennia to step through the circle. The Lord said travelers would come once we uncovered the great circle." Hywel almost sounded awed.

"The Lord?" Jack asked, stepping closer, his eyebrows raised questioningly.

"Perhaps," Daniel suggested, "we could meet and speak with the Lord of your village."

"Daniel," Jack warned under his breath but Egan spoke loudly, effectively cutting Jack off.

"Yes," said Egan, "That is exactly what we shall do. The village of Meath is but a short hike down the path. Let us bring you to Lord Kentigern. He will be delighted to meet you. Please follow us." Egan bowed slightly and turned back the way he had come, indicating that SG1 should follow.

Jack mouthed Meath?' and shouldered past Daniel, muttering under his breath. Daniel caught one comment, something about once more unto the breach, but chose to ignore it. When Jack followed Egan into the fog, the rest of SG1 had little choice but to trail behind. Egan's friends fell in step beside Daniel and Teal'c, leaving Sam to catch up with Jack and Egan.

Hywel broke the silence that descended upon them, his voice hushed. It was as if his words were only meant for Daniel's ears. "If my words disturb you, please advise me and I shall discontinue our conversation, but I must knowwhat is it like beyond the circle?"

Daniel looked at Hywel's intense and inquisitive expression. His green eyes were wide. It seemed like Hywel was afraid of what the answer might be, but he had to ask, to know. Daniel rubbed his hands together, trying to organize his thoughts. But, where would he start? "Well, ourvillage is very different. But in other ways, we are very much the same. Family is very important to us—even our extended family—as it is to you. We are curious by nature and we seek to learn about other cultures and about other people, which is why we are here. We seek to find friends and allies."

"What is the village called from which you hail?"

Daniel cleared his throat before he continued. "We are from a place, a planet, called Earth. The village we are from is called Colorado Springs."

Hywel looked confused, but that did not surprise Daniel. "Earth?"

"Yes. "

"And you are from Earth as well?" Hywel asked, turning to Teal'c.

"No, I am from a planet named Chulak, but I journey with these ones from Earth. They are my friends." Teal'c replied evenly, his tone matter-of-fact.

Hywel took a moment before he asked another question, gathering his thoughts. If he was surprised to find such willing conversationalists in these strangers, he did not show it. Daniel took advantage of the silence, to ask a question of his own.

"Hywel, if I may ask, when did your people turn their attention to the great circle?"

"The Lady Morgana has spoken of it on many occasions, especially when she retells the tales of old, of how we were brought to this land by Lugh as a protection for his people from the coming plagues in our ancient lands. She is our high priestess, in addition to being the wife of our Lord. Several moons ago, Lord Kentigern decreed that the circle be uncovered. Many worked tirelessly to obey his decree. We are part of a welcoming party sent to guard the circle and greet those who step through. It has only been a fortnight since we completed this project. We had not expected to find travelers," he said, and continued with a worried expression, "especially this night."

"Why? What is so special about this night?" Daniel asked, curious.

Egan answered quietly, surprising him. The rest of the party had stopped to allow them to catch up. Daniel had not even noticed that they had fallen so far behind. A quick glance at Teal'c indicated that he too, was surprised. Daniel risked a quick glance at Jack and wasn't surprised to see Jack's jaw tight, his eyes flashing his exasperation and annoyance with a particular archeologist.

"Samhain is soon upon us and it will not be safe to walk these paths once the sun has set. We shall speak of this once we reach the village." Egan again gestured for SG1 to follow. "Please, let us make haste. We still have a long walk ahead of us."

Although Jack did not say anything, his look was enough. There would be words and questions later tonight, Daniel was sure. This time, they made sure they kept up as the group quickened its pace to reach the village by nightfall.

Through the fog and mist, Daniel could see several fires blazing that indicated their arrival at the village nearly an hour-and-a-half later. It had been an arduous walk, the last 15 minutes or so an uphill climb, but their guides seemed to relax as tall stone walls and torches came into view. Daniel had many questions for his guides, but they could wait.

He wasn't sure what to expect, but the sight before him wasn't it—whatever it was. The village of Meath stood atop a tall hill. It reminded him of some of the hillforts he had read about years ago but on a much grander scale. Everything here was huge in comparison to what he was used to seeing.

From what he could remember from the texts about the Celts on Earth, most of the structures they lived in must have been fairly flimsy since very little archeological evidence remained behind. But here, he felt as if he was stepping into a fairy tale of sorts. These were permanent structures, made from stone and wood.

It seemed almost as if the fog had lifted up above the village, hovering over the tops of the trees on the outskirts, blanketing and protecting it. The torches along the main thoroughfare shone brightly in the twilight, leading to a large structure. They were headed for it, so Daniel assumed it must be the house of Lord Kentigern. He took the opportunity to look at everything they were passing. Metalworkers and blacksmiths looked up from their work as they passed by. Children hid behind their mother's skirts as the strangers walked past. Various peddlers with their carts stopped what they were doing as the strange group tromped through the village.

He tried smiling reassuringly at some of them, but just ended up scaring a little boy. The people could have stepped out of modern England and Ireland for all he knew. They were a striking, distinctive people. Most were tall and fair-skinned with long blonde, brown, or red-hair. Most of the men also had long hair, similar to Egan's. Teal'c's baldness was a stark contrast to the thick, healthy hair he saw all around.

Interestingly enough, everyone he saw as they strode down the main street of this village could have easily taken out the entire team with an arm tied behind his back—even the women. There was a strength about them that Daniel found unusual for such an unassuming and mild-tempered people. People like this did not become such formidable-looking warriors overnight. No indeed, there had to be some kind of need, some cause for this type of development. Shuddering slightly, he wondered just what it could be.

They were nearly at the large dwelling—or for lack of a better term, castle—and they were expected—much to SG1's surprise. "Lord Kentigern is awaiting your arrival," said the woman at the door, bowing in respect of SG1 and their guides. "Please enter. May peace be on you." She held the bow until they had all walked past.

As they went through the main entrance, Jack turned to Daniel, an eyebrow raised in almost a mirror image of Teal'c's. His face was full of questions, but he held his tongue. Daniel met his gaze and shook his head slightly. Silent communication passed between them. Not now. We can talk later. Jack understood, nodding to Daniel, and turned back to Egan, who had paused in the center of the cavernous foyer under a metal chandelier where close to one hundred candles blazed brightly, causing flickering shadows on the walls and tapestries.

Tapestries! Daniel's heart skipped a beat when he saw the complicated tapestries lining the walls. A wood staircase was on their left, curving around and leading to the second story.

"Please follow me. Lord Kentigern wishes to make your acquaintance before you prepare for the feast tonight." Egan bowed slightly and led the way through a set of gothic-like double doors. Daniel couldn't even begin to imagine how many trees it had taken just to create those grand doors.

They entered a large hall, walking on the carpet between two huge wooden banquet tables that were being prepared for the night's feast. Egan led them forward to the dais where Lord Kentigern waited. Like the rest of the villagers they had passed, Lord Kentigern was a formidable figure, even casually seated. Although he was dressed in a similar manner to most of the other villagers, just by looks alone, Daniel could tell that Lord Kentigern's tunic and trousers were of a much higher quality material. A cloak of midnight blue was settled around his shoulders and his red-brown hair brushed his shoulders. He radiated an aura of power and strength.

"My Lord," Egan began, bowing deeply, "these are the travelers we encountered on the path to the hill country. They have come through the great circle." Egan indicated they should step forward. Jack bowed his head slightly as he approached Lord Kentigern. Daniel could see the indecision on Jack's face. Diplomatic stuff was usually Daniel's job, and besides, Jack wasn't the best diplomat. Much to Daniel's delight, Jack settled for a simple greeting. Simple is always good.

"I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill." He gestured to each member of SG1 in turn. "Dr. Daniel Jackson, Major Samantha Carter, and Teal'c. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Welcome to Meath, Colonel Jack O'Neill. Do you speak for your people?"

"Yes, I do." Jack glanced around quickly, catching Daniel's eye. Daniel shrugged slightly, indicating Jack should continue. He seemed to be doing all right.

"Again, welcome. We have much to discuss this night, but before the feasting begins, please be my guests. You look both tired and wet. I will have Nerys, my house steward, set up rooms for you and have a bath drawn. Feasting will begin just after the sun sets." Kentigern turned his attention to the woman who appeared, as if from thin air, beside his chair. She was nearly the same height as Jack and solidly built. Her blonde straight hair reached down to the middle of her back and was tied back at the nape of her neck with a leather band. She wore a plain-colored tunic covered by a long russet-colored surcoat of sorts, fastened at the waist by a leather belt. She had a no-nonsense air about her.

"Nerys, please see that our guests are comfortably settled in for the night. Give them the rooms in the east wing and have bath water drawn for them," Kentigern commanded.

"Yes, my Lord. The bath water is already being heated. When news came of their arrival, I thought you might offer accommodations so the rooms are already prepared." She bowed and swept down the steps and past the astonished team. "Please follow me," she said already halfway to the door.

SG1, at a loss for words, took their leave of Lord Kentigern and turned quickly to follow Nerys through the double doors before they lost her altogether. They were apparently just along for the ride.

XXXXXXXXXX

Nerys led them up the circular staircase and down a long corridor. Near the end of the corridor, she paused long enough to open a door and usher them through. "I believe this suite of rooms shall suit you fine," she said herding SG1 into the center of what appeared to be a large sitting room complete with a fireplace and what looked like comfortable arm chairs. From where they stood, they could see glimpses of five rooms beyond the sitting room. They weren't large, but in comparison to the tent they would have ordinarily been sleeping in tonight, they were well appointed.

"Mona and Kelan are preparing bath water for you in the main bath chamber," she said, indicating one of the rooms with her hand. She turned to Carter and gestured to one of the rooms. "I have arranged for you to have a separate room and bathing area from your group. I hope you do not think I am presumptuous. I thought you might feel more comfortable, being the only woman to have something separate from the men." She bent her head in a gesture of respect.

Carter appeared speechless, an amazing and rare event for her, Jack thought, barely hiding a smile. Carter managed to get out a choking reply. "Thank you, Nerys for your forethought. I appreciate it."

"Do you require anything else at this time, my Lord? Additional clothes perhaps?" Nerys asked, looking directly at Jack.

He sent a furtive glance Daniel's way before answering. Daniel was too busy checking the place out to notice much of anything right now. "No, I don't think so." He looked down at his muddied and wet clothing and something else occurred to him. "Nerys" he started, not exactly sure how to continue. He gestured to the soiled and saturated clothing adorning his body. "We have other clothes like these. Will they be appropriate for tonight?"

Nerys looked upset. Yes, my Lord, those clothes are fine. I did not mean to be rude or to indicate that you were dressed inappropriately. I just thought perhaps you might be more comfortable—"

Jack rubbed his hand across his face. They were here for less than five minutes and he was already upsetting the natives. "Nerys, we're not insulted, on the contrary, you have been more than helpful. I just wanted to make sure we would not show any disrespect to Lord Kentigern." He paused before continuing, a sheepish expression on his face. "I think we're all set, but I do have one question. When are we expected downstairs?"

"I will send Kelan when the feast is about to begin. You haven't much time." She bowed deeply and retreated from the room, closing the door behind her.

"Well," he said, turning to his team, "Meath, huh? This isinteresting to say the least. A nice change of pace for us, don'tcha think? Usually we have people shooting at us."

"Jack, I don't even know where to begin. I feel like I just stepped into a medieval village or something. There are so many people who would just about kill to be able to set foot in a living, working village like this. Just think of all the stuff we could learn." Daniel broke off when a soft knock sounded throughout the room. Teal'c, closest to the door, opened it to reveal several servants holding steaming buckets and basins of water.

"Please pardon the interruption, my Lords. Nerys indicated that you required bath water. I apologize for not having it here earlier."
Daniel gestured them to enter as Teal'c stepped aside, giving them the room they needed. "Is your name Kelan?" he asked the speaker, a tall and lean man. At the man's nod, he continued. "Please enter, Kelan. Don't let us get in your way."

"Thank you, my Lord," he said stepping past Daniel and into the bathroom. Within minutes, the tubs were filled and a pleasant scent of pine and rosemary permeated the suite of rooms. Another of the servants stoked the fireplace. Kelan bowed slightly as he departed. "I will be back shortly to bring you to the feast." He closed the door behind him and SG1 was alone once again.

Jack was the first to break the stunned silence that surrounded them. He unhooked his backpack, letting it fall to the floor with a soggy thud. His rain parka followed suit, landing in a heap at his feet. "Well kids, it looks like we have a dinner date tonight. When in Rome" He sighed heavily. "Okay, who's first? Daniel, why don't you go first? It looks like you might need it a little more than we do. Teal'c, you're next. Is everyone okay?" He eyed each of his teammates. They were all wearing similarly astonished expressions, which he was sure matched the one on his own face. This was a very surreal experience. Whoever thought they would find themselves spending a pleasant night in a castle with servants at their beck and call?

He sighed again and with a satisfied smile, he sank into a large armchair next to the fireplace, thumping his boots on what passed as a coffee table. Thankfully he had managed to bang off most of the mud before they entered the castle. That was one thing he always remembered from his childhood—his mother's constant reminders about good manners. Don't track mud into the house. She'd be pleased that her lessons had eventually sunk into his thick skull. But then, she was just another person on his long list of those who had died too young. He exhaled a long breath, trying to pull his thoughts back to the present. He closed his eyes as his body settled into the soft cushions. "Danny, don't forget to wash behind your ears."

Daniel gave Jack a dirty look that he didn't see, but moved to the bathroom. He heard Carter's footsteps hurrying off to her room to get settled in. Teal'c stood before Jack at parade rest, his expression neutral but curious.

"Teal'c, are you going to stand there glaring at me, or did you want something?" Jack asked, feeling Teal'c's stare and opening an eye.

"O'Neill, I believe I shall perform a brief kel-no-reem, with your permission."

He closed his eye. "Sure, Teal'c. I'll take the room by the door. Pick any other room you like and relax. I think I'll just sit here for a while and enjoy the quiet." Teal'c moved to one of the smaller rooms and closed the door. He was alone. The sound of splashes came from the bathroom and from Carter's room. He smiled to himself. This was one of the stranger experiences they'd had, but also one of the more pleasant. He shivered slightly and realized that he was soaked to the bone. He had picked a chair near the fireplace, but he was only just starting to warm up. Hopefully, Daniel wouldn't take forever and he could sneak in before Teal'c and before the water got too cold.

He had drifted off a little when the door to the bathroom opened and a noticeably cleaner archeologist stepped out in his boxers. He flicked his eyes over to Carter's closed door and at Jacks napping form, and scurried to the last remaining empty room, his backpack in hand.

"You done?" Jack asked without opening his eyes.

Daniel stopped suddenly, skidding a little on the cold tiles in his bare feet. "Yeah. I didn't mean to wake you. You going to jump in there or should I get Teal'c?"

"You didn't wake me. I was just resting my eyes. I'll go. Teal'c is kel-no-reeming. I'll be quick." Jack groaned as he eased himself out of the chair. He was getting too old for this cold, damp weather. It was starting to bother his knees and his back. He picked up his pack from where he had dropped it and hobbled into the bathroom. Daniel ducked into the bedroom next to Teal'c's and shut the door.

Jack cleaned himself up and had stepped into a clean, dry pair of BDUs when he heard laughter from the sitting room. Being nosy, he opened the door to find out what was going on. Carter and Daniel were lounging on the chairs near the fireplace. They looked warm, clean, dry, and relaxed. All good things.

Bare-chested, he stepped into the room, a clean shirt in his hands.

"So, how are we doing on time?" he asked, walking toward the fireplace. Nearby, on the backs of several chairs, damp clothes—including his parka—hung to dry from the heat of the fireplace.

"I don't know, Jack," Daniel said. "Kelan hasn't been back yet."

Jack shrugged into his shirt and knocked on Teal'c's door. "Hey buddy, the bathroom's free." Jack stepped back into the bathroom and grabbed his pack as Teal'c opened his door. Jack examined him with a critical eye. Teal'c still looked a little worn around the edges. Something wasn't sitting well with the Jaffa. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who thought so.

"Teal'c, are you okay? You don't look so hot," Daniel asked, springing up to Teal'c's side, concern evident in his eyes and his voice.

"I am well, Daniel Jackson."

"Are you sure, Teal'c?" Jack chimed in. "You look a little off your feed. Everything okay with Junior?"

"I will be well, O'Neill. Please do not concern yourself with me," he said moving to the bathroom and closing the door.

Silence descended upon them. Daniel spoke up quietly. "If I had to venture a guess, Teal'c looks worried more than anything. Maybe he didn't get a good kel-no-reem last night."

"I don't know, Daniel. I'll keep an eye on him tonight. He'll probably be back to his normal joking self in the morning," Jack said, perching casually on the arm of Carter's chair. While for all intents and purposes he knew he looked and sounded relaxed, he was anything but. Even now as he was laughing and joking around, he could feel the tension in his jaw and shoulders. He could use a good massage right now. He rolled his head, trying to stretch his upper back and neck muscles.

"As long as he doesn't tell any more Jaffa jokes, we'll be fine," Carter said smiling.

Daniel and Jack chuckled, remembering Teal'c's first—and last—attempt at humor. It hadn't been a pretty sight. The laugh felt good. He hadn't had the opportunity—or the inclination—to laugh at anything lately.

"So, Daniel, what do you make of all this?" Jack asked, waving his hand around.

"I don't know, Jack," Daniel said, looking around, his blue eyes wide. "I don't even know where to begin. From what we've seen, they seem to be direct descendants from Earth. They could have walked right out of medieval England for all we know. They seem eager to see us and are pleasant enough. I'd recommend we play along for now. It can't hurt. Besides, I know I wasn't looking forward to our usual field rations for dinner."

Carter and Jack grinned broadly. No one liked the taste of field rations. Jack remembered there was a time when Daniel thought field rations were the best invention on the planet. But that was a long time ago when Daniel was naive enough to think that they actually tasted like real food.

"Sounds reasonable, Daniel. Anything I shouldn't do?"

"Well" Daniel said, pausing to collect his thoughts. Daniel's eyes got that far-away look Jack was so familiar with when Daniel was thinking. Jack was sure that he knew exactly what was going through Daniel's mind—all the times he should have been paying attention when Daniel did his diplomatic "meet-the-natives" song and dance. If he had paid attention before, he wouldn't need a crash course now. Jack pulled himself back to reality as Daniel started speaking. "Well, Jack, just be yourself. Try to stick as close to the truth as you can, and try to benice."

"That it?"

Daniel looked up, surprise etched on his face. Jack even caught the sidelong look he sent Carter, but he didn't care. "Yeah."
"Piece of cake. I'll have him eating out of my hand."

Daniel was going to protest, but a knock came from the door. Daniel, still standing, crossed quickly to the door, opening it. Kelan appeared, stepping into the room.

"My Lords and Lady," he said, tipping his head to Carter, "the feasting shall begin shortly. Are you prepared?"

"We shall be ready in a few moments, Kelan." Jack heard Daniel say as he moved to knock quietly on the bathroom door. Apparently, Daniel thought it was a good time to ask questions, Jack thought. He tried to keep an ear on what Daniel was saying. You never knew when one of his questions might prove to be useful later on.

"While we wait, I have some questions. Perhaps you would be able to answer some of them."

"I shall try. What is it you would like to know?"

"I have quite a number of questions, but I guess we have to start somewhere." Jack ducked his head into the bathroom and was quietly conversing with Teal'c. "Someone mentioned the feast tonight was called Samhain if I recall correctly. What is this feast?"

Kelan's eyes widened dramatically. "You must truly be from beyond the circle if you do not know of the great festivals and feasts." He rubbed his hands together, gathering his thoughts. He began to speak slowly, choosing his words carefully. "For us, Samhain marks the end of one year and the beginning of the next. At this time, the spirits of those in the otherworld become visible to men. This night, it is not safe to walk in the forests outside the light of the village. Come morning, all will be well, but this night we celebrate the beginning of a new year and we honor the spirits of our ancestors."

"I understand," Daniel said, nodding his head. "Many cultures have similar customs." Jack and Teal'c stepped up to Daniel's side. Teal'c looked a little better, but Daniel was sure he was just hiding it well. "Are you ready, Jack?"

"Yep. We're all ready and I'm starving. Let's get moving." Jack gestured for everyone to move toward the door. "Kelan, please, lead the way."

Various aromas wafted up the stairs from the great hall and Jack's stomach growled, loud in the silence of the hallway. He grinned and rubbed his stomach. Meeting Daniel's gaze he said, "Sorry about that. I told you I was hungry."
Carter grinned. "Sir, you're always hungry. Sometimes it's just more obvious than other times."

"Fine, Carter," he said, grinning wider. "Rat me out, why don't you!" Kelan looked on with a questioning gaze. They walked down the stairway and stepped toward the wide open doors leading to the great hall. This time it was filled with people, sitting and drinking all along the banquet tables. Lord Kentigern saw them pause at the door, trying to remain inconspicuous as they searched the room for an empty seat. He quickly rose to his feet and waved them forward.

"Please, do not be shy. Come, there are seats up here," he said, indicating several empty seats toward the front of the room, near his table. Beside Lord Kentigern stood an elegant woman with auburn hair and bright green eyes, dressed in a flowing purple-red gown. She stood regally beside him, calmly watching SG1 approach. Lord Kentigern waved Jack up to the empty chair on his left side. "Colonel Jack O'Neill, please join me here. We have much to discuss."

Jack turned to the rest of his team, shrugging his shoulders in surrender, a smile playing on his lips. He moved up the stairs to join Lord Kentigern. Egan, Hywel, and Turlough were also seated nearby and quickly arranged for Carter, Teal'c, and Daniel to sit beside them. They still had many questions.

"Colonel Jack O'Neill, please meet my wife, Lady Morgana."

Jack took her hand in his and bowed over it, a gentleman. For moments like this, he wished he had eyes in the back of his head. He was sure Carter's mouth had dropped open and she was staring at him. He knew she didn't think he had it in him to be such a charming guest. She had probably never seen him act so properly. As much as he hated to admit it, some of what Daniel tried to drill into his head had sunk in. He just took a perverse pleasure in needling Daniel about it.

"It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance dear Lady." He released her hand and introduced his team as they settled into their seats. Thankfully, his team had put their eyes back in their sockets by the time it came for him to make introductions.

As soon as they were seated, servants descended upon the tables bringing food and drink for all. Dishes of various meats and fish appeared before them along with cheeses, some vegetables and different kinds of fruits and berries. Wine and ale also appeared on the table and a healthy portion of ale found its way into Jack's glass. He never reached the bottom of the glass because every time he turned around one servant or another was topping it off.

A musician playing what could have passed as a guitar strolled throughout the great hall, providing delightful background music. After a few hesitant tastings, SG1 dug in with gusto, imitating their hosts. Everything was good and, soon enough, they leaned back in their chairs, warm, full, and pleasantly content to listen to the singers, chat with their dinner companions, and drink the wine and ale.

XXXXXXXXXX

All through the night, Lady Morgana watched O'Neill. Although he looked to be participating fully in the feasting, he was attentive to what was going on, drinking cautiously, keeping an eye on the rest of his companions. She was curious to know more about him, but it was more than curiosity that drew her to him. He was special, powerful, dangerous, a warrior through and through. At one point during the evening, he caught her gaze and smiled pleasantly at her. His eyes though, told the truth of the matter. He knew she was watching him and he let her know, with just a simple glance, just how much he was aware of what was going on. She smiled back and tipped her head slightly, acknowledging his gaze. She smiled slightly to herself. He would be perfect.

XXXXXXXXXX

Daniel's eyes were starting to close on him from a combination of factors. He was full—stuffed actually. He had also consumed quite a bit of the local wine and ale. He was warm and it was probably close to 0300 back at the SGC. Add all that to the three hour-long hike this afternoon, and it had been a long day.

He glanced up at Jack who was still going strong, conversing at length with Lord Kentigern. Apparently, Jack had found a friend. Probably trading war stories, Daniel thought. A twinge of jealously crept in. No matter how close they were as friends, Daniel knew that there were some things he and Jack would never see eye to eye about—war stories was one such thing. It was a subject that was simply off-limits. Even when Daniel brought the subject up, trying to learn more about his best friend, Jack always managed to deflect the questions, quickly changing to a different topic of conversation. No matter how hard anyone tried, Jack kept most of his friends an arms-length away. It was almost as if Jack tried to protect Daniel from the nastier parts of life—especially his life.

Most of the guests had already taken their leave hours ago. The servants were cleaning up around them. Soon, Daniel thought, they would just sweep them out with the rest of the trash. Teal'c was looking better as he sat observing. Sam had struck up a conversation with Lady Morgana, although from the looks of things, they were about ready to call it a night.

Sure enough, Lady Morgana touched her husband's elbow and he immediately realized the lateness of the hour. He stood, a little unsteady on his feet, bid everyone a good night, and cautiously walked out of the great hall with Lady Morgana on his arm, leaving SG1 looking at each other. Moments later, Kelan appeared looking tired and drawn.

"Kelan, did we keep you awake?" Daniel asked, standing. He swayed a bit once he reached his feet, but didn't fall. Teal'c magically appeared at his side. Teal'c's hand on his elbow helped to steady him. That wine and ale had sure crept up on him, Daniel thought.

"No, Daniel Jackson, you did not." Kelan said and then turned his attention to Jack, who was stepping down from the dais. "My Lord, may I show you back to your rooms?"

"Sure," Jack said, waving him on. "Lead the way."

XXXXXXXXXX

Jack had noticed Daniel's too-much-to-drink sway and was grateful Teal'c had caught it as well. It saved Daniel a little self-respect, but he knew Daniel wouldn't appreciate the hangover he'd have in the morning. Carter too, Jack detected, was also a little uneasy on her feet. This shouldn't become a habit, he thought critically, but from the way the talks went tonight, they would have a very valuable ally in these people.

They climbed the stairs and stumbled back to their rooms, exhausted.

Kelan opened the door and led SG1 back into their rooms. All their damp clothing was carefully arranged near the fireplace, drying out. Apparently, the servants had been through. Not only had they tidied up, they had turned down the beds as well. Right now, they looked very inviting.

"My Lord, I would recommend leaving your doors ajar to allow some of the heat from the fire into your rooms. By morning, you will appreciate the warmth. The mornings are quite cold. One of the house stewards will make sure the fire remains strong. Goodnight. May your dreams be pleasant." He bowed slightly and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Jack took one look at his motley bunch and chuckled. What a pitiful sight they were. Teal'c still looked a little green around the edges. Daniel and Carter were tipsy and he was tired—exhausted even. It was time to call it a night.

"Okay kids, let's hit the sack. We'll have time to talk and visit some more in the morning before we have to head back to the gate. I'd recommend we get as much sleep as we can while there's still some night left." He turned to his room, the closest to the door. He'd chosen it subconsciously, out of habit. He was still protecting his team, even while he slept.

Carter and Daniel muttered something that passed as goodnight and stumbled off to their respective beds. Jack stuck his head out of the door. "Don't forget to take two aspirins before you go to bed. You'll thank me in the morning." He chuckled to himself as he sat on the edge of the bed, removed his boots, socks, and fatigue pants, dropped them in a crumpled pile on the floor, and climbed into bed.
They were all sleeping minutes after their heads hit the pillow.

XXXXXXXXXX

An hour later, two figures quietly entered the room and stood in the sitting area listening to the sounds of slumber. The fire caused strange shadows to flicker across the walls and across the faces of the intruders.

Quietly, so as not to wake the slumbering figures, Lady Morgana, dressed much more plainly than at dinner, in a simple tan tunic, indicated the first room, "Turlough, be careful with this one. He is the one we were awaiting." She pressed a damp cloth into her accomplice's hands. "Place this over his nose and mouth, but do not wake him. One breath of this and he shall slumber for a long time. Now go."

He hesitated for a moment, but moved to follow her instructions. He slipped through the open door and approached the bed. Jack O'Neill was fast sleep, the covers askew. One arm was thrown above his head while one of his legs was tangled in the blankets. Quickly, before he doubted himself, he pressed the cloth to O'Neill's face as he had been instructed. Still asleep, O'Neill tried feebly to push the hand away, but quickly succumbed to the drug. His hand dropped, a dead weight. Turlough held the cloth for a few beats longer to make sure and then quietly crept back to the sitting room.

"It is done," he said in hushed tones.

"Good. You know where to bring him. Make sure you secure the door and do not leave anything in the room with him. Now go," she ordered, firm, but quiet. They must not be discovered. Turlough jumped to obey. Pushing the door open, he lifted O'Neill easily over his shoulder and carried him from the room.

Once they were gone, Morgana moved to the woman Carter's room. She had work to do and it was going to take time.

Pulling another cloth from her pouch along with a small vial, she emptied some of the liquid onto the cloth and pressed it against Carter's nose and mouth. After a moment, she removed the cloth and placed her hand across Carter's forehead. Crinkling her nose and forehead in concentration, she spoke several ancient, alien words. Carter shifted in her sleep, as if she was aware of the intrusion into her mind and her memories.

These strangers had a fierce loyalty for one another, even unconsciously. Lady Morgana's powerful mind, with the assistance of her herbal extracts, was slowly able to erase Carter's memories of O'Neill. One by one, they vanished until they were no more.

Once Lady Morgana was sure the memories had all been removed, she removed her hand. She was tired, dead tired, but there was still work to do.

Peering into what was O'Neill's room, she noticed Turlough had returned and had quietly and efficiently cleaned and straightened the room. The room looked as if no one had slept there at all that night. O'Neill's pack and damp clothing hanging by the fireplace had been removed as well—the other articles of clothing moved so as to not draw attention to the missing items.

She gathered her strength and walked across the sitting room to where Teal'c lay. His deep meditation had moved to a deep sleep. For some reason, being around her race caused all kinds of reactions with the Jaffa, including peculiar sleeping patterns. But when it came to this kind of mind control, the Jaffa were easy to manipulate, she recalled. She had done these very things years ago when they had first rid this planet of those who thought they were gods. They were nothing but power hungry parasites. She finished quickly with Teal'c and moved onto Jackson.

This one, she knew just by looking at him, would be a challenge. She added an extra dose of the extract to the cloth before she applied it to his nose and mouth. Sure enough, he struggled and tried to push her hands away. His eyes flew open, settling on her but unseeing. Sleep quickly overcame him and he settled down again. Concentrating and focusing her thoughts, she placed her hand across his temples and began reciting those ancient, alien words she had spoken twice before this very night. If Jackson had been awake, he wouldn't have even been able to decipher them.

As she had figured, it was a struggle. He did not want to let his memories go. But sure enough, one by one, they freed themselves from his mind. One by one, they vanished.

She lifted her hand and brushed it across her face. She swayed on her feet, exhausted, but aroused by her victory.

In the minds of his closest friends—his team—Colonel Jack O'Neill was no more.