The long journey home
The Long Journey Home
by Dee Tervo
TITLE: The Long Journey Home
AUTHOR:Dee Tervo
EMAIL: DTervo2286@aol.com
RATING: PG-13 (some language, violence)
SUMMARY: Takes place after "Liberation"... Will Daniel be able to finally free Sha're? Travel to Cimmeria with sg-1 and find out!
CATEGORY: Action / Adventure
ARCHIVE: Yes, Heliopolis and Yum@'s site
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author.
All was chaos during the first few seconds as the team exited on Cimmeria. Everyone but Daniel had expected to be back on Earth. Immediately, O'Neill realized that Daniel must still be trying to carry out his plan to free Sha're from the grip of the Goa'uld, Ammonet. "Dammit Daniel you have to wait for orders…have a plan…oh crap…" Jack saw Thor's Hammer spring to life as the beam began panning from one traveler to the next. As promised, the beam passed harmlessly by Teal'c then by Sam and Rourke as well. Jack leaned protectively over Skaara, "If the beam sends him to the caves, he's not gonna make it. I'll keep hold of him and try to get him out… but he's badly wounded and I don't think he'd survive a degoa'ulding right now." Jack closed his eyes, anticipating a rush of a journey back to the caves deep in the mountain…he'd been there before. He relaxed as the beam flickered over both him and Skaara; "Maybe it's not working?" His question hung in the air unanswered as the beam focused on Sha're and Daniel. The whole process had taken only a few seconds. First Sha're then Daniel reacted in spasms of intense pain … then they were gone.
Sam was the first to react "I don't understand, sir. What just happened? Why did Thor's Hammer take Daniel and not Skaara?"
Teal'c offered a suggestion "Did anyone notice if Daniel Jackson was in any way touching his wife? Any contact would cause him to travel to the caves with her. As for Skaara, I do not know why the device did not detect Klorel's presence."
Jack knew they didn't have the luxury to stand around and figure things out, "We have to get Skaara back to SGC and get this chest wound taken care of." He ran through the possible scenarios. First of all, he would need to accompany Skaara, pull rank - strings - whatever was necessary to be sure he was given proper attention. Someone needed to make contact with the Cimmerians so they knew who had come through the Gate…Carter seemed a good choice for that. This left Teal'c and Rourke to head up to the caves and see what was going on there. Not the best of choices, but it would have to do…"Rourke, Teal'c I want you to hike up to the caves. Give Daniel whatever help he needs, and get everyone back to base safely. Rourke, I know he's not technically in our military, but he's been in those caves and knows his way around, so on this mission…you take orders from Teal'c…understood?"
Rourke looked from the Colonel to Teal'c and back again, his voice said "Yes, Sir!" but his eyes said 'no way in hell I'm gonna take orders from him!'
Teal'c was reassuring, "I will do my best to assist Daniel Jackson. Ammonet will not wish to be taken through the Hammer device."
"Carter, establish contact with the Cimmerians, and be sure to send me progress reports. OK people, dial me home…let's get moving!" Jack finished his orders.
Daniel and Sha're both regained consciousness before the Goa'ulds did. Daniel realized he was slow to move and speak, but he managed to make his way to Sha're's side. "Don't be afraid. You're finally going to be free. There is a device here that can remove your demon forever." Daniel held tightly to his shivering wife.
"My husband…I have hoped for so long…I pray I am strong enough to do this," Sha're leaned heavily on him. She hoped he was right, but until now there seemed to be no way to stop the demon…and she knew Ammonet would soon return.
The feeling of having Klorel awaken was terrifying. Daniel struggled for control of his arms as they tightened harshly around Sha're. He could hear her protest, that he was hurting her… but he was powerless to stop it. Then the full force of Klorel's anger lashed out at Daniel's mind. 'What do you think you are doing, slave? Listen to the cries of your wife! Listen!'
Over and over again, Daniel could see himself; feel himself hitting Sha're - mercilessly, until finally she lay crying in a heap on the cave floor. Klorel then began to fondle her, touch her… Daniel was completely powerless. Sha're tried to fight back, knowing Daniel's demon was in control, but her strength was gone. Klorel was getting such enjoyment from his host's torment…he was determined to take his time pleasuring himself with Daniel's wife, 'Come slave, instruct me as to how to best make love to your wife!' he continued to taunt.
Daniel tried not to give him the satisfaction of responding, instead he repeatedly told Klorel there was no escape…that soon Klorel would be dead and what he did now would no longer matter. He found himself hoping Ammonet would awaken, perhaps she could give Sha're the strength to fight back. But, Ammonet did not emerge. The torment continued for hours until Sha're no longer moved and Daniel could think of nothing other than killing Klorel.
Far off, Daniel could hear voices calling to him. It was Rourke and Teal'c. They were at the cave entrance, at the Hammer device. Klorel spoke to Daniel once again, 'Slave, tell me how I might defeat this device you speak of! Wait…your memories have something… Yes… The Jaffa traitor was imprisoned here and you helped to free him! Tell me how!' Daniel tried to block the memories, but it proved useless. 'I see,' Klorel continued, 'someone from outside must destroy the device. These friends of yours will serve the purpose quite well…' Daniel found himself picking up Sha're and carrying her toward the cave entrance. He tried not to look at her. She was moaning in pain and had visible bruises on her face. Still Ammonet slept.
Teal'c reacted with a measure of concern and surprise as he saw Daniel enter the large chamber at the mouth of the cave. Sha're did not look at all well, and there was something about the way Daniel carried her… held himself… something was not right and Teal'c knew it. Rourke positioned himself to enter through the Hammer's doorway, but Teal'c stopped him "It is not wise to enter the chamber at this time. Daniel Jackson must carry Sha're through the device, then she will be free. Ammonet is a dangerous opponent. We must remain outside." Rourke hesitated.
Daniel heard his own voice speak out - how it angered him that Klorel could do that - "Teal'c! Thank God it's you! Sha're's been hurt, she's too weak to pass through the device now. I need to get help for her. Just knock out the Hammer and I can get her home."
"I am sorry Daniel Jackson, I can not do that. Ammonet must pass through the Hammer device… it is Sha're's only hope for survival," Teal'c answered him.
"But how is she supposed to survive if she's too weak to withstand it?" Klorel asked in his best Daniel voice.
Rourke didn't know if this 'Sha're' person would survive or not, but he knew his duty included making sure there were less Goa'ulds in the world. He boldly entered the chamber and moved to Daniel's side, "Jackson, I can understand it must be hard for you to see your wife going through all of this… let me help… give her to me and I'll carry her through."
Klorel began to pull back and head toward the cave tunnels. Rourke overtook him and wrestled him to the ground. Scooping up Sha're, he sprinted for the Hammer - just as Ammonet was beginning to revive. All the while, Teal'c was forced to remain, helpless outside of the Hammer's energy. Although the first search beam passed safely over him, no Goa'uld could pass through the newly repaired Hammer device and survive. Rourke couldn't comprehend what was happening as he safely ran through the Hammer's ray and felt the contortions and screams of pain from the woman in his arms. He tried to hold her, comfort her, but nothing seemed to work.
Sam arrived with a group of Cimmerians, and responded to Rourke's confused look; "They know what to do Rourke. Let's get Sha're back to their village… and when she's able, we'll take her back to Earth." After a brief look back at Teal'c to make sure he was OK, Sam and Rourke headed down the mountain.
Klorel sat on the floor of the cave, breathing heavily. Even he was fearful of the pain he saw as Ammonet was subjected to the device. Inwardly he told Daniel, 'We will both die here - for I will kill us both before I allow you to pass through that torture device. I will not let you win.'
Teal'c waited patiently for Daniel to come and join them, and when he did not, assumed he must have injured himself in the struggle with Rourke. He called out to Daniel, and the response that came back… struck fear in his heart… fear of truly having lost his friend.
Klorel responded to Teal'c's call, "Jaffa…traitor…do you know me? You should know me… I am Klorel, son of Apophis… Do you hear me? I will die an honorable death… and I will be remembered by you as the one who killed this slave called Daniel Jackson…"
Jack was on edge. Skaara was going to make it, Dr. Fraiser was certain of that now, but he wanted word back from Cimmeria. What was keeping them so long?
"He's not going to be able to talk to you for awhile, Colonel," Dr. Fraiser said as she passed Jack waiting outside Skaara's door. "You were right. I don't know when or how it happened, but there is no evidence of a Goa'uld inside Skaara. Once he heals from the gun shot, he'll be just fine!"
Jack suddenly had a mixture of joy and remembered grief. How he wished the doctors had said that Charlie was going to recover… "You're certain? No Goa'uld? No bits and pieces hiding around somewhere?"
"No, clean bill of health!" Dr. Fraiser smiled. "You probably can spare time for a trip to Cimmeria if that would ease your mind."
Jack mumbled a hasty "Thanks" and headed for the General's office. Something was wrong, he could just feel it.
Klorel removed a piece of sharp stone from the walls of the cave and began fashioning it, chipping it into a dagger. He had moved back into the tunnels out of sight of the Jaffa and any intruding Tau'Ri.
Daniel tried to appeal to him 'What if the Asgaard didn't build that device to kill Goa'ulds…what if it simply removes you from your host and takes you somewhere else? You might still survive!'
'Silence!' Klorel commanded 'You talk too much!'
Jack couldn't keep from running all the way up the mountainside. Sam and Rourke had no idea why Teal'c and Daniel hadn't come back yet. Jack remembered when he was trying to rescue Daniel, when Ammonet ordered her Jaffa to shoot at Skaara, and then Daniel attacked Skaara as well - and Jack thought he knew why… why they hadn't returned… Unbelievably, he'd done it one more time. Left Daniel hanging out to dry while he busily went about doing what he thought had more priority. Daniel was a Goa'uld… Klorel was in control of him and Jack hadn't seen it, hadn't even noticed… 'We're gonna win this one, Danny. Hang in there, I'm coming."
Daniel heard Jack's voice echoing through the caves and it gave him hope. Klorel heard it and became even angrier. He would confront this slave who had dared to shoot him once, and show him what it is like to see a friend die. Klorel positioned himself in a rock corner of the cave. He pressed the dagger tip against Daniel's stomach and waited.
When Jack heard his fears confirmed by Teal'c he passed easily through the Hammer and began a frantic search for Daniel. He found him, crouched in a corner, a sharp object pressed into his stomach and his eyes glowing. "Klorel! I can go outside and get a weapon… You don't want me to shoot you again, do you?"
"Such arrogance! Do you even care that your friend's life is just one dagger thrust away from ending? He would not survive the return to your world if I sliced him open. If you do not destroy the Hammer device, NOW, I will kill both your friend and myself. I give you no other choice!" Klorel spoke in a cold, determined voice.
Jack backed away, hands raised in a 'you won' pose "OK! OK! I'll just go back out and get the staff weapon and blast the Hammer away…don't…do…anything…just hold on."
Klorel relaxed just a bit, but did not put down the dagger; to Daniel he said 'You are all fools!'
When Jack returned to the cave entrance, Sam and Gairwyn met him. Teal'c had radioed her for help. "Gairwyn thinks she knows a way to knock out Klorel immediately…he'd have no time to act" Sam rushed to tell the Colonel.
Teal'c responded, "If she thinks to use tranquilizers, they would not be effective. Klorel could still carry out his threat."
Sam continued "No, not tranquilizers. It would be dangerous… but…"
"Get to the point Captain, I don't have much time here!" Jack snapped.
"Snake venom." Sam simply stated. "Thor has told her people that the venom from certain highly poisonous snakes can be a weapon against the Goa'uld. It works immediately, they go straight into a coma."
Jack hesitated, "Snake venom? Some kind of justice in that… What will it do to Daniel?"
"There is an antidote, but you would need to give it to him after he passes through the Hammer. I don't know if it will be in time," Gairwyn responded.
Once again Jack felt the full weight of responsibility for Daniel's life, "Kowalsky once told me he'd rather be dead…I think Daniel would agree. What do we do, look for a snake?"
Gairwyn smiled, "No, we have the venom in the form of a dart." She handed him a crude dart gun, more like a mini-crossbow. "Thor protect you," she added.
Jack entered the cave once again and confronted Klorel. He could see the struggle for possession that was going on as the look in Daniel's eyes shifted from hatred to complete trust and back once again. Hoping to avoid using the dart, Jack said "You win! The Hammer is destroyed! Go ahead…leave!"
Klorel rose up suspiciously, "Then ask the Jaffa traitor to come here!" Jack didn't respond. "…I thought so… More stupidity…"
As Klorel turned to look at the cave entrance, Jack fired the dart. It hit Daniel in the back of his shoulder and he immediately dropped to the floor. Jack felt for a pulse…rapid…thready. Daniel began struggling to breathe. Jack picked him up in his arms and headed for the entrance. "Hold on buddy…it's gonna get worse than this!" He looked at the Hammer device in front of him, knowing it could likely kill both host and Goa'uld, "This is for Sha're, Daniel, she's waiting for you to come home…I know you can do this…"
Jack felt Daniel go completely limp as he passed though the Hammer. All the pain he must have felt was being held behind poisoned lips. The antidote was administered, and Daniel promptly stopped breathing. Carter ordered "Let's start CPR and get him home now!" A procession of people hustled Daniel off the mountain and back through the Gate to SGC. Dr. Fraiser examined his eyes - "Pupils fixed, non responsive… How long since he breathed on his own?" She was shaking her head as they headed for the ICU.
That was a week ago…still not much change in Daniel's condition. Jack watched the scene before him… Daniel, motionless, on the bed, hooked up to all kinds of life support, Sha're - still being watched by a guard, but not taking notice - holding her husband's hand, sometimes crying. Jack had asked Dr. Fraiser what she thought was going on, "Vegetative state" she'd responded. Coma… He went to find her now; maybe something had changed some small sign of hope.
Daniel was fighting a battle he'd never experienced before. He didn't know the odds; he didn't know the rules. He found himself suspended in a world seemingly between life and death - and he fully believed Klorel was still there with him. For brief moments he became aware that he was in a bed, someone was moving nearby, holding his hand… but he couldn't move, couldn't respond. That same paralysis when Klorel was in control… 'Can't fight him' Daniel told himself in despair, and he'd allow the blackness to consume him once again.
The blackness would be broken only briefly - by terrifying dreams. He was abusing Sha're, unable to stop… this would fade into pain… searing… blinding… no escape… wrenching of the spirit and soul… can't cry out… nothing to hold on to… pain… The blessed blackness would return. He would live in this darkness, not hurt anyone anymore… perhaps he'd also die there. Life lost all meaning, and still he waited in the sure knowledge that Klorel's voice would reach his mind any moment.
Could it be Sha're's voice? It said something about having been a distance apart that she could not even understand, for so long - and now that they were so close, she still could not reach him. He felt her sadness and her fear… he only wanted to stop causing her pain… fighting the blackness was so hard. Jack's words returned to him 'For Sha're, she's waiting for you to come home, I know you can do this…'
"Oh Colonel, I'm glad you stopped by," Dr. Fraiser began.
"Any change?" Jack quietly asked.
"No…there is something you can do for Daniel though… He had a living will you know… He asked for you to make the decision. He didn't want to have extraordinary measures taken and in the event he was unable to decide for himself… well, you have to make the call when to take him off of the ventilator…" she hesitated, waiting for a response from Jack.
"Well, I've done such a GREAT job making decisions for him so far!" Jack yelled and stormed out of her office. He didn't ask for this… for once in his life… he had no idea what to do. He needed to see Daniel, so he headed back to ICU. Peeking though the window, he saw Sha're grabbing onto Daniel and crying, rocking slowly back and forth. He knew it no longer mattered, Daniel was gone.
Sha're looked up through her tears and saw Jack's grief filled eyes. She realized he didn't know what was going on, "No! O'Neill, he's not dead! Daniel just spoke… to… me…" Strong emotion overwhelmed her, making it difficult to speak, in broken sobs she poured out "he… said…. Welcome… home!"
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