Trial by Death
Trial by Death
by Demon Faith and Stephali
TITLE: Trial by Death
AUTHORS: Demon Faith and Stephali
EMAIL:rosabeth@hotmail.comandstephalij@hotmail.com
CATEGORY: Sam/Daniel, Angst, Drama
SPOILERS: Very minor spoilers for: COTG, Singularity, Tok'ra, Fair Game, FIAD and Maternal Instinct.
SEASON/SEQUEL: End of Season 4. No sequel.
RATING: PG-13
CONTENT WARNINGS: Character death and heavy angst.
SUMMARY: Sometimes the greatest trial is death itself...
DISCLAIMER: Stargate is owned by a lot of rich and privileged people in America, who really don't need to sue us, do they? We didn't make any money from writing this and we don't own Stargate: though it does own us...
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Hmm...if you're into sweet and gentle fic, this really isn't for you. As usual, Steph and I had quite a few arguments through this, and the biggest one was over the ending. So, if you don't like it, blame both of us!
DF/xx
"Well, if that's everything..."
General Hammond looked round the table, frowning slightly. Jack looked totally bored out of his mind, so there was nothing new there; Teal'c was as stoic as ever; but Sam and Daniel looked on the verge of collapse. They were both nursing huge mugs of coffee, and Daniel had his head in his arms.
"No, sir, I think that's all."
Jack followed the General's gaze, just as Sam's slid onto her arms, head touching Daniel's and promptly fell asleep.
"Major Carter? Doctor Jackson? What's the meaning of this?"
Jack sat back in his chair frowning, while Teal'c smiled to himself. He knew.
"I believe they were working on the Naquadah reactor, General Hammond. I found them in Major Carter's laboratory this morning. They were...high."
Jack stifled laugher, as Teal'c stumbled over the unfamiliar word. The General's eyebrows flew up, especially when Sam stretched out her arm and spilt coffee all over Daniel's notes. Jack and Teal'c quickly retrieved the other cup and Sam's notes, trying to remove the soaked papers from Sam's grasp. The General watched this all in total amazement, and when the operation was finished, just stood back and said.
"Well, I suggest you wake them up."
He then turned on his heel and left. Jack and Teal'c looked at each other, sighed, and then grinned at each other. Jack knelt down behind them, glancing back at Teal'c, then put his hand to his mouth and...
"RISE AND SHINE CAMPERS!"
They were both up like a shot, twisting round to scowl at Jack. He was grinning all over his face and Sam grabbed the ice-cold pitcher of water from the table. Daniel raced at Jack, grabbed his arms in a totally surprise manoeuvre, and Sam dumped the water over Jack's head.
"Ow! That's freeeezing!"
Daniel released him and shook off his sleeves. Sam grabbed his arm, still giggling, and dragged him back to her lab.
~
"Oh, that was priceless!"
"How on earth did we manage to fall asleep? And in the middle of a briefing!"
Sam giggled again, poured fresh coffee and sat down at the table. Daniel sat opposite her, taking the proffered coffee eagerly and downing it in one go, followed shortly by Sam.
"Oh, that's better...Achoo!"
"Daniel, are you okay?"
"What the hell is going on?"
Sam and Daniel turned, to find Jack and Janet in the doorway, Jack still sopping wet.
"Um...we were just..."
"Working? Drinking coffee? Killing yourselves? Cos that's what it looks like to me! You two are gonna work yourselves to death, and take that quite literally!"
Janet barged in, confiscated the coffee cups and dragged them to their feet.
"You are staying sedated in my infirmary until you have had a full day's sleep. 24 hours of rest, another 24 hours recreation and then your mission on Monday!"
"But Janet..."
Two identical whines, two pleading faces and two seriously ticked-off officers not about to take no for an answer. Janet grabbed Sam and dragged her off and Jack towed Daniel down the corridor, watched curiously by the rest of the base.
Only when Sam and Daniel were safely tucked up in bed and fast asleep, did Janet stop for a break herself. She stared at the pair and shook her head. This was the first time she'd actually had to drag them herself; Jack and Teal'c usually towed them in at 8am after finding them in some lab or other. Then, they'd tell her they were fine, nothing wrong at all, and they were usually caffeine-high and bouncy. Jack and Teal'c would leave in frustration and Janet would stick hypodermic needles into them to just get them to lie down. Of course, the sedative wore off in a couple of hours but by that time, they would sleep through to the next day with no trouble.
It seemed Daniel had picked up a cold from the last planet they'd visited, a mild alien flu and working himself into a caffeine-frenzy wasn't quite the way to treat it. But try telling him that.
Anyway, their efforts, for all their hilarities, were becoming a serious health risk and General Hammond's patience wouldn't stretch much further. Come to think of it, neither would Jack's, you could only soak him in cold water so many times before you lived to regret it. That was why, starting from now, Janet was imposing a caffeine ban on the pair. However, to keep confrontations to a minimum she wasn't going to tell anyone this until after she had woken them up.
With her two most infamous patients heavily sedated, Janet was looking forward to a peaceful shift. With Sam and Daniel out of the way, what could go wrong?
~
Sam woke up to a killer headache, and knew exactly where she was.Oh hell, here we go again...
Janet's face appeared above her bed, and Sam sighed.Here comes the lecture...
"Sam, how many times have we been here?"
"Too many."
Sam was frustrated, and the sarcasm came naturally to her brain. Janet just sighed.
"That's right. Which is why you and Daniel are on a caffeine ban until you can prove..."
"WHAT?"
Sam sat straight up and stared at Janet in horror. No...coffee? Oh my, the world was ending! Janet shook her head and moved over to the other stirring figure, but Sam beat her to it.
"Daniel, wake up! They're banning the coffee. The coffee, Daniel!"
Daniel woke to Sam's shouts and gasps.
"You can't be serious? Nocoffee?"
Janet put her hands on her hips and glared, just as Sam and Daniel turned on their twin pleading looks.
"Come on, Janet..."
"One more chance..."
"NO!"
Sam and Daniel reeled, looking quite put out.
"Until you can learn to drink coffee in moderation, like the mature adults you are, I am putting you on a ban for the foreseeable future. Is that clear?"
Sam pouted but nodded, and Daniel just folded his arms in a very 'I am so mad at you' way.
"And I've already had Jack and Teal'c clear your apartments and offices of caffeine, notify the canteen and your local shops of your ban, so you're not going to escape me. I'm on the verge of asking the Tok'ra for a caffeine monitor..."
Sam and Daniel's faces fell, not quite believing this was happening. Ok, so coffee wasn't all that central to their lives but it gave them an excuse to visit each other's offices. And to keep working when they knew they were well past their limit.
"'K then, Janet."
"If you say so, Janet."
"Good," Janet beamed, "And now, to Jack's house, and the Superbowl!"
~
Now to be honest, Janet was looking forward to the Superbowl. She had memorised what appeared to be hundreds of pieces of useless, pointless trivia, to spring on Jack whenever he least expected it. Sam and Daniel appeared to be less keen on the idea, but maybe they were still reeling from that latest heavy blow. Whatever the situation, they all arrived in Jack's lounge togetherat least hopingto have a good time.
"Come in, come in! My, you two look happy."
Sam and Daniel glared at Jack, who beamed back. Sam sat grumpily on the sofa, with Daniel beside her.
"Have you ever done anything so boring?" he whispered to her.
"Never, Daniel. Briefings are more fun than this."
Daniel chuckled, and pretended to look vaguely interested in the images on the screen. However, he soon began to feel very sleepy, and knew exactly what he needed.
"Sam, how about we go grab some coffee?"
Sam nodded and looked carefully around the room. Janet was puzzling and enthralling Jack with her almost endless Superbowl knowledge, and Teal'c appeared to be meditating his way through the entire thing. Sam was envious.
She nodded to Daniel and they crept to the kitchen Sam had almost made it to the coffee jar when...
"And just what do you think you're doing?"
"Um...we were just..."
"I was...achoo!"
Daniel suddenly had a sneezing fit, then preceded to cough his way through the next round of Superbowl, finally managing to claim illness and leave for home, with Sam as an escort.
~
Monday came and Sam and Daniel were exhausted again, having studied late at Daniel's, surviving on chocolate and red wine. Now, not only were they almost asleep, but also nursing killer hangovers. Oh, not a good morning!
"Well, you two look decidedly bouncy."
Daniel glared at Jack, while Sam barely managed not to swipe at him.
"Hmm...let's head out. Lots of artefacts await!"
For some reason, Daniel wasn't even excited.
~
Even the usual rush that came from stepping through the Gate didn't cheer up Sam and Daniel. In fact, if anything, it seemed to have made Daniel's cold worse and he was sneezing continuously. Janet had told him to visit her if he felt any more ill than he had before, but some how he had avoided the issue, and Janet, and came through the Gate anyway. He was now beginning to regret this, as he felt terrible.
He bent over to examine some markings inscribed on a small pillar, just next to the DHD. They were deeply engraved into the rough stone and seemed to be almost a sign post of some kind. They read, 'Those who came by choice - wait here.' Daniel relayed this to the others who had even less of a clue about what the cryptic message meant than him.
Deciding that they didn't have time to stand around and wait, even if they did come by choice, Jack ordered SG1 to split up and do their usual recon routine. Daniel was just about to go follow orders (for once) when the world turned black as enormous thunder clouds rolled across the formerly clear sky. Sam yelled to O'Neill who told her to redial the Stargate, no matter how important this research was.
Daniel bent down to pick up his pack (which he had dropped in surprise) when a large lightning bolt flew down from above and struck him, sending him crashing to the ground, lifeless.
Sam almost screamed, pausing at her dialling and the Stargate chevrons faded. Ignoring Jack's shouts and the perilous lighting, she ran through the storm zone to the still form of her best friend. She placed her fingers to his neck and stopped.No pulse.Sam stared in shock, then started CPR.No, he can't die, not like this, not now, no, I won't let it happen, he can't die...Sam kept these thoughts going, as the rain started to get heavy. When had it started raining, anyway? Sam didn't care: she had lost him, he was gone, and he wasn't coming back. Abruptly, the clouds cleared and the sun shone brightly down on them. Ever so slowly, Jack and Teal'c made their way over, just as Sam gave up, clenching her fingers around his soaked shirt.
"Daniel..."
"Is he gone, Carter?"
"Yes, sir."
Sam leaned her head gently on his chest, tears filling up her eyes.
"Your friend is with the Chosen. Rejoice in their mercy!"
They all looked up, to see a cheerful looking alien walking towards them, smiling.
Jack stood up, furious.
"Did you do this? Did you kill him?"
The alien stopped short, surprised at the anger.
"Why, of course. His suffering has ended and he is with the Chosen. Is this not delightful?"
"No, it bloody well isn't! Our friend just died back there, and you're telling us you killed him!"
The alien began to get upset, pacing around before them. Sam had turned back to Daniel's body, gently tracing imaginary lines with her finger.
"He did not come to die? To join the Chosen? He was not ill? Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!"
Jack watched in horror. He couldn't quite believe this was happening. His whole body was numb, he couldn't feel a thing.Daniel's dead, Daniel's dead...no, he couldn't believe that. And this alien wasn't helping any.
Teal'c was getting angry, yet beginning to see something. This was the human version of Kheb, a place for humans to come and die and to move on to another existence. And Daniel Jackson had stumbled upon it. Teal'c looked back to his body, and saw Sam staring at the gentle face of his lifeless form. She was gently caressing the hair, touching his cheek gently.She does not believe him dead,realised Teal'c.
"Is there anything we can do to reverse this process?" he asked.
The alien paused, as if considering. "It is possible to convert the Chosen back to their corporeal forms within two rotations of this planet." He interrupted Jack's startled outburst. "However, you have to consider whether this is really what your friend would have wanted. Would you condemn him to such a life as the ones that you lead, if you knew that now he is now, as you would call it, in heaven?"
"Now listen," Jack countered, "Daniel is leading the life he loves leading. He can do basically anything he wants to, and he'll get away with it. Now that's not because he's beenChosento live differently from the rest of us, it's because of what's he's done here, in the real world, where things matter."
"How do you know that what happens there does not matter? How do you know that this has not been chosen for him. that this is what was always meant to be?"
"Oh for crying out loud.." Jack muttered. "We are not leaving here until Daniel is back with us here, you got that?"
"I cannot grant so important a request so lightly. I will need strong, hard evidence that you are not condemning this man you call your friend to a mortal existence against his will."
"Then why don't you just ask him?"
The alien sank back, as if dejected. "It has been decided, you must present your case before the High Court of the Chosen. But you must promise not to try and talk with your friend alone. If you do so, then you will be violating the greatest of our laws, by ignoring our people. If this occurs then you will be sent to the existence of the Unchosen and...."
"That's not a good thing, yeah I get it."
"I must leave to make our preparations. You are allowed to activate the Chapa'ai once before the trial begins. Do not break our laws, or the punishment will be severe."
The alien disappeared, and Jack's shoulders sagged. Teal'c sent him an inquiring look, while Sam just remained where she was.
"What are we to do, O'Neill?"
"We've gotta get him back. And we need some reasons. Carter?"
Sam was vaguely aware of someone talking to her but all she could think of was Daniel. There he was, dead to her, yet close-by somehow. Had she the right to bring him back from 'heaven' for her own selfish reasons?
"Carter?"
Carter.A vibrant, intelligent woman reduced to silent grief because of the man before her. No, Daniel wouldn't want that for her. She had to do something, had to bring him back.
~
"Am I hearing you correctly Colonel?" General Hammond couldn't believe what his 2IC was saying, that they had let Dr. Jackson get killed because some alien race thought it was for his own good.
"Yes sir. There wasn't anything we could have done, we didn't know what they were doing until they.... did it."
Hammond looked at the pale face of the normally jovial Jack O'Neill and knew at once that it would be of no use to order him not to attend the trial. Not that the General himself would want that anyway, he too depended on Daniel, not just because of his vast knowledge of whatever it was Daniel knew about.
"I must warn you Colonel, that these aliens are not against killing. If you make one false move then it is possible that they would try to kill you as well. And from what I've heard I don't think you'd be able to do much to prevent it."
"I know that sir. That's why I'm ordering Carter and Teal'c back to base. If anyone's going to do this, then I'll do it alone. There's no point in risking them as well."
"I can't see them doing that willingly, Jack. They've as much right to staying there as you have."
"Leave the Gate open for a few minutes please sir. If I can convince them to return, I'll send them through. If not then I'll send you another transmission."
"Good luck Colonel. Bring Dr. Jackson home."
"I'll try sir." And with that he disconnected and headed over to talk to the other remaining members of his team.
~
"No way in hell..."
"Carter, that wasn't a suggestion!"
"He's my friend too! I'm not leaving him here, I could never do that! He'd stick by any of us, no matter what happened. I won't desert him now!"
Sam panted, out of breath from her ranting. Jack stared at her, also red-faced. Then, Teal'c stepped forward.
"You will not remove me either, O'Neill. We shall not leave Daniel Jackson to an unjust fate."
Jack sighed, and turned around to see the alien facing him.
"Don't do that! It's rude to creep up on people!"
"No, it is rude to demand a Chosen back..."
"He doesn't want that! He would want to stay with us..."
"You were close."
Those three words really hit home. A simple statement, but it felt as if Sam's heart had been staked against a wall.
"Yes, we are close," she said, her voice thick with emotion.
"It doesn't matter. All relationships must be undone in the end. Through sacrifice, a love may be proved, but if it is ended, what is its worth? Even the greatest love will not last forever."
"Which makes it more important that we get him back now, so that Daniel gets a chance to live. If it must end, as you say, then why shorten it. Life is precious."
"Of no consequence. Anyway, I have returned from the High Court, the trial is about to begin." The alien spread his arms wide and a spiral of light flickered before him. He gestured that they should enter, and they did, stepping through the portal, so unlike the Stargate that its purity upset them. They felt as if they were indeed stepping through the door to the heavens.
~
Daniel felt very strange indeed. This was a very strange place. These were very strange people.
"So, let me get this straight: I've died and this is Heaven?"
"In your perspective."
"But I don't want this! Send me back!"
"This we cannot do! Why, why are you ungrateful?"
"I didn't chose to come here. You...you...you murdered me!"
The beings were incredulous. Them, the Chosen elite, murderers? This could not be so.
"But we are the Chosen, we are always right!"
"Now that you're dead? Or have you always been right? Why is this here? It's wrong!"
"No, no you are wrong!"
Daniel sighed. It was like talking to a brick wall. But then he hit on their words.
"But, aren't I Chosen now? Therefore, I'm always right too!"
"You are yet young for the Chosen, you have been here but one day. We have always been here, but you will learn in time. Then you will have the right to decide the fate of others."
"I don't want to decide the fate of others, I want to decide the fate of me."
"Humans have always wanted that. But in your case, the other humans with you wanted that too. They have been permitted to argue for your life in the miserable mortal existence."
"Thank God!" Daniel hadn't known before now how muchlivingwould mean to him. "Can I see them?"
"Only when they are at the trial. There will be no communication when you are not present before the whole of our people."
"But..."
"But it is our way. Dishonour it and you will be cast out of here into the pits of what you would call hell. Do you accept our terms? For if you do not, then you will remain here as a Chosen, which we stress is the most profitable state in the long run."
"I would like the chance to fight for my life, and to see my friends again."
"Then it is agreed. Come, the Court awaits."
~
Sam stood in a vast room, and wasn't quite sure what was going on. She couldn't see Jack or Teal'c. Daniel's body was lying on what appeared to be an altar before her. She bent towards it, reaching out to touch him.
"You will not touch the Chosen's mortal form. It must be pure of mortal interference."
Sam looked up, as several glowing beings drifted towards her.
"The Chosen have selected you to represent your people. Speak."
Sam was completely thrown. But she started to speak anyway.
"Daniel is...was...is a member of our planet's defence system. He is highly valued among my people for his wisdom and his knowledge. He did not come here to die: we are explorers. We didn't know this was the Chosen's world. Daniel was ill, yes; but he only had a cold!"
"The one you call Daniel had an unfamiliar toxin in his system. It was at dangerous levels."
Toxin? What on earth...the coffee.
"What you call a toxin is actually from a drink on our world. Test me for it: I will have the same levels. Our doctor is preventing us from drinking it for a time, so we don't become ill."
"Prevented? Restrictions? With the Chosen, Daniel will know no restrictions."
"Can you give him coffee? Artefacts to decipher? New worlds to explore? No, you can't. But we can."
"You speak well for one so young. You are right: we cannot give him these things. But why would he want them. He has no worries in this place..."
"He has no existence in this place! He's just here, doing nothing, learning nothing...loving nothing."
Sam said the last words with a bittersweet memory.
"So we have found the reason you fight for him? You wish to have him back for yourself?"
"Yes... I mean no... I mean I would do anything to get him back, but I am not the only one. I'm sure the Colonel and Teal'c would say the same."
"So you are saying that you three would do anything to save him?"
"Yes." She glanced around nervously, hoping she wouldn't have to prove it, but strong enough to try if she did.
One of the Chosen, slightly smaller than the rest, spoke up. "We have read her heart. We know she speaks the truth, there is no need to test her."
"We should question him further. See if he can show her how much better this existence is."
"I know Daniel. I know he'd always want to come home."
"We will let him speak his mind. But after that the decision is ours. You are still too young to know the implications of what you choose."
"But..." Sam stopped as they stepped even closer towards her.
"Do you believe that your life is merely a path you follow? That every choice you make was the one you were always meant to choose?"
"No. My life is mine. As Daniel's life is his."
"That is what you may think, we would like to think it, but what we know means we cannot always believe it. If he was supposed to come here, if he was supposed to become one of us, who are we to let him go?"
"Maybe you were supposed to let him go."
"Maybe we can't see that far ahead."
~
"What is this place?"
Sam stood in a long white corridor, staring at the white walls, white chairs and white people drifting around. One of these white people stepped beside her.
"We are showing you our existence in a form you can understand. We cannot show you directly: only the dead can experience it."
"Yeah, I think I'll settle for the muted volume."
The Chosen frowned, but just...drifted on. Sam followed him, looking around her all the time. The beings were just floating down this corridor, up and down, up and down.
"What do you do here?"
The being turned to her, and everyone else looked at her too.
"We...we...I am not sure."
The being looked puzzled, and Sam was confused.
"What do you mean you're not sure?"
The being began to 'pace', floating backwards and forwards across the corridor.
"We welcome the new Chosen and prepare them for their life with us, for this existence. We do this, and there is not time for other things."
Sam felt that she was on to something, and she wouldn't let it go. Daniel's life hung in the balance.
"But what could you do? If you chose to do anything at all?"
The beings were whispering to each other, confused. What was this mortal asking? What strange questions were these?
"Sam!"
A figure ran down the corridor ran, on two feet, mortally dressed in light grey robes, and looking as fresh and handsome as the day he'd died.
"Daniel!"
~
It had seemed hard to believe really. That the bolt of lightning was planned, as a way of saving him from the painful existence of life. Yet here he stood, face to face with Sam and all he could see were their differences. No matter how hard he had protested at first, this experience had to have changed him, didn't it? And he didn't like the way it was heading. He had seen the Chosen, how they were so confident, so sure, and it was something he instantly envied.
Even since joining SG1, even since admitting his feelings for Sam, he had still felt something was missing. He knew that part of his heart still belonged to Sha're and that part of him still dreamed of the Abydonian desert and all the happiness that entailed. Nothing would ever change that, he thought, but then he came here. He saw the Chosen and how they saw life with such clarity and purpose. How they knew what every decision was worth. He wanted to stay. Badly. And as soon as he met Sam's gaze, he knew it must be showing on his face. He knew he had disappointed her.
~
So that's it!Sam thought,I come all this way.. and for what? For him to tell me he'd rather live with a bunch of murdering aliens than come back to Earth with me.She was angry, and scared and alone.
"Daniel... we'll get you out of here. Back to Earth. Back to coffee."
Even that didn't seem to arouse much excitement. "Sam, I know this is hard but..."
"But what? But 'Hi thanks for stopping by but I've decided to live here instead of on my own planet?'"
"Let me finish, please. I've done it before and it just feels right. Maybe no one can interfere with destiny."
Sam was shocked,had he been hearing all her arguments?Then she realised that it was part of the damned crazy system here, that everyone knew what she had said. That everyone knew what she was saying now. "Daniel, you had a chance to be something even greater than what you were back on Earth, but here, you have nothing?"
"I have peace, Sam. It's something I've wanted for a very long time. It's not easy to find."
"Then why are you here now? Why don't you leave me back in the real world, with all the other insignificant people? Don't you care about anyone but yourself any more?"
"But I do care Sam, and that's what's making it so hard."
"Then come away back with us. Please." Silence. "They'll miss you. I'll miss you. Please?"
He slowly nodded, it was if a veil had been lifted from his sight and the clouds that had been blocking the rainbow had gone. Sam was what he needed now, wanted now. And his friendship with Teal'c and Jack went far beyond the level of selfishness and greed. They had needed to depend on each other for everything, and all three had made enough sacrifices since he had met them. It was time for him to repay the favour.
She moved to hug him, but was blocked by a crowd of the Chosen. "It is for us to decide, not yourselves. The trial is far from over."
~
Jack was getting bored. Incredibly bored. The mad alien dude had come back and then...Sam was gone. Zap, Kaput nothing left. Dead Sam? Well, she'd better not be. He got up and began to pace again, trying to stifle tears. Teal'c sat meditating, but his eyes moved rapidly under their lids.Bad dreams,thought Jack, trying not to show his concern.Bloody concern! Daniel's dead, Sam's gone and I can't do a freakin' thing!
"Teal'c, what's the time?"
"Time is meaningless, O'Neill, when death is concerned. However, it is two hours, seven minutes and thirty-six seconds since Major Carter's disappearance."
Jack stared at the Jaffa for a moment, before resuming his pacing. Some things weren't meant to be understood...
~
"And why the hell not?"
Sam's angry words earned her a quick tumble back to the courtroom and Daniel's dead body before her, tearing her heart into pieces. Was this how it would be? Knowing Daniel to be dead, but still existing somewhere, not with her, never? Sam had never been a great believer in religious doctrine, but an afterlife...death was the end. But now...Daniel was dead, yet somewhere on this planet. She pressed her hand to her temples, and the throbbing pain that was still present from her drinking. Correction:theirdrinking. She yet again reached out to touch Daniel's face, seeing water trickle over the contours of his face.
"He feels no pain, knows no suffering and is content: would you wish anything else upon him?"
Sam moved her fingers across his face, gently wiping her tears off his still features.
"What if Daniel had never come here? What if he was alive now? Do you think he would come here? To die?"
"But that is not the situation..."
"Answer me!"
"No. We have decided now. You must return to your world."
"And Daniel?"
"He will remain here with us."
~
As quickly as she had gone, Sam appeared again. Jack leapt towards her immediately, not needing to hear her explanation to understand. He could tell. Daniel was gone. Utterly, irrevocably gone. Teal'c just stood there, not knowing what to say either. Sam looked up and stared straight at Jack, not knowing what to say. But she had to say something.
"Daniel's not coming back. We have to go now."
Sam, her face completely neutral, just turned and walked towards the Gate.
Twelve years later...
"Jack, I'm dying."
The General looked at her for a moment, before leaning back in his chair. His hair was completely grey now, something that happened soon after Daniel's death. And now he watched his best friend announce her own death sentence.
"How long...?"
Colonel Samantha Carter just shook her head. Ever since Daniel's death, she had just got on with her job. Now, she was 47: greying, losing her composure and standing on the brink of death. The last twelve years had been completely meaningless: the Tok'ra were in deep hiding, Apophis had died last year and the Asgard had officially included Earth in its protectorate. The world was told about the Stargate about five years ago now, and had taken it remarkably well. But without Daniel, everything was pointless. Where joy had been, only calm composure remained. This was the life of Samantha Carter misery and despair.
"Not long. Jack, I've got one last request. I have to do this."
"Anything, Sam, just tell me."
"I want to go to the Chosen's world."
Jack stared at her, blinking rapidly. Lose another friend to the Chosen? Jack didn't quite know how to take it. But, this was Sam's wish; it was all he could do for her now.
"Yes," he breathed. Sam nodded to him, saluted and walked out, tears welling in her eyes.
~
Sam walked into the Gate room, as the last chevron locked. All her friends were there, lined up to say goodbye. She came to Teal'c first, saluted him and then gave him a hug.
"We shall miss you, Sam."
Sam nodded to him, moving on to Cassie. She was 24 now, a cadet in the Air Force. Sam saluted her too, before giving her a hug.
"I don't know what to say, Aunt Sam."
"Don't worry, Cass, I don't either."
Cassie smiled at her, tears trickling down her face. Sam walked across to Janet, who shook her head, before hugging her comrade, bridesmaid, godmother to her daughters and best friend.
"Take care, Sam."
Then, Sam came to her heart-breaking loss. Little Ami, Janet and Jack's ten-year-old daughter.
"I've got something for you, Ami."
The solemn little girl nodded, as Sam gave her a beautiful pendant necklace.
"Someone I loved very much gave this to me; I want you to have it."
Jack recognised that necklace: it was the one Daniel had given Sam for her birthday. Ami nodded to Sam, before Sam picked her up and hugged her tightly, finally letting tears fall from her eyes. She put down Ami, and then faced her CO.
"It's been a pleasure serving with you, sir."
"Stuff that."
Jack embraced her, wondering why his world was falling apart again. Sam pulled away, turned towards the open Gate and walked through, never looking back.
~
The Chosen's world was just as she remembered it. The tears were streaming down her face now, as the sky began to cloud over.
"Listen to me," she screamed into the air, "I'm back and I'm here to stay. I'm dying. Take me!"
Sam reached down to her pocket and removed two objects. One was something she'd kept for twelve years Daniel's glasses. She fingered them gently, before taking the other object and staring at it for a moment. A knife.
She looked up towards the rapidly darkening sky, as the first drops of rain began to fall.
"I'm coming, Daniel."
Sam looked heavenward and plunged the knife deep into her stomach. She choked doubling over, before falling backwards onto the ground. The glasses fell from her grip, smashing the lenses into the rain. And as Sam lay there dying, a bolt of lightening flew towards her...
THE END
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