Breaking the Curse

Chapter Twelve: Resurrecting the Pieces

“I think I was dreaming,” Daniel whispered. His head was fuzzy, and he probably was still dreaming. Where was he? He didn't remember... Had he hit his head on something? Was he... It felt like there was a wad of cotton in his mouth, and he didn't know where his head was. Floating. Dancing... Elephants?

“Why do you say that?” Sam asked, and Daniel tried to focus on her voice. Where was she? He didn't see the elephants anymore... Had there been elephants? He was so confused. What had happened to him? What was going on? Was he still dreaming?

“Because.... You kissed me,” he admitted, and then he realized that he shouldn't have. If he wasn't still dreaming, she would know that he dreamt about her. About kissing her. Oh, this was bad.

Her cheeks went very, very red. “Um... Daniel, I didn't kiss you. You weren't breathing, and I had to give you mouth-to-mouth.”

“Sam... I think you had better tell me what happened, because.... I have no idea.”

“Well... The good news is that we all made it back from P3X-666 alive...”

“How's Janet?”

“Fortunately, it was a graze. A pretty bad one, but still a graze,” Sam answered, sitting next to Daniel, trying to give him some comfort. She understood what he was going through. She'd been forced to stand back and watch as other people took care of the colonel, and he had been forced to watch someone else care for Janet. It was hard, knowing that as smart as they were, as gifted as they were, neither of them were able to save lives, not like that.

Limitations. They all had them. They liked to pretend that they didn't exist, but they were still there. Sometimes it seemed like SG-1 was invincible. Today, though, they were all very human. Well, human and Jaffa. Not immortal.

Daniel nodded numbly. “And... Jack?”

“The colonel took a bad hit to the arm, but he's fine, too,” Sam said. She found herself brushing a tear out of her eye and fighting laughter. “It could have been so much worse. I keep thinking... What if it was? Daniel, what if... What if one of them had died? Both of them? What would we do? I mean, there would be another team leader, but it wouldn't be the same. And Janet... There are other doctors.... But they're not Janet.”

Daniel took off his glasses and set them aside. “You know, Bregman's still pushing to get my video from yesterday? He wants to see it. Because it's not ruins and artifacts. It's action.”

“You don't have to show him,” Sam told him with a shrug. He looked at her, and she realized that the shrug and what she said probably seemed callous. She didn't mean it that way. Her head was all over the place because of what happened, and she knew that his was, too. “What I meant was... The tape doesn't matter, not like that. I mean, yes, it's a memorial for the airman Janet saved, and it shows her and you working the way you always do. It shows more than just discovery; it shows the amazing integrity you both have, which is what the stargate program is all about. But no, you don't have to give it to him. You don't have to show him.”

Daniel took a deep breath. “You know, somewhere in the middle of all of that, I think they forgot to treat us both for shock.”

She laughed. “Aren't we over that by now?”

“Maybe,” he said doubtfully. She knew that she felt better, not one hundred percent, no, but she was better. Why wasn't he? “Maybe not. I'm too... I was off even before this stupid video and that trip through the gate.”

She looked over at him with a frown. She knew there was a lot going on with Daniel, a lot more than what he was saying, what he was telling her or anyone else. She wondered if Teal'c knew more or if maybe the colonel did. She wasn't sure who to ask or how to help. “Daniel, you mean a lot to us - all of us. You know that, right?”

He nodded, unconvinced. “Sam, I really think I need a vacation. A sabbatical. Time away.”

“I think tonight we have to settle for a documentary and popcorn,” she told him, pulling him to his feet. Whether he liked it or not, he was coming home with her, and she was taking care of him. He didn't protest, just let her lead him along. She wanted nothing more than to make sure that he was okay, and she was really afraid that he wasn't and wouldn't be.

And the same went for her.

Daniel watched as Agent Barrett walked out of the warehouse to meet them, just after they pulled up in the car. They got out of the car and crossed to meet him. Daniel still felt like he shouldn't be here. Not Barrett. Barrett belonged here. This was his job. But Daniel? He was an archeologist, an anthropologist, a linguist. Not a policeman.

“Major Carter, Doctor Jackson, Teal'c. Glad you could make it,” Barrett greeted them with a smile. Daniel had to make a real effort to smile back.

“Agent Barrett,” Sam smiled at the agent in a way that instantly made Daniel jealous. He shook his head. That was it. When this was over, he didn't care what anyone said. He was taking a vacation. Alone. Maybe he'd go to Egypt. Or maybe he'd actually go to some tourist trap that had nothing to do with ancient civilizations, no ties in even the remotest way to the stargate program.

Was it the program he was running from? Was it Sam? Or was it himself? Was there a deeper flaw in him that he didn't want to face? He wasn't sure, but maybe he'd find the time to figure it out if he just had some time to himself. He should have refused to come, taken more leave... Anything...

“How's Colonel O'Neill doing?”

“Still recovering,” Sam answered, still smiling. “He's taking some time off.”

Daniel almost thought that Jack was the lucky one. He wasn't here. Then again, Jack didn't have doubts about what he was doing. Barrett motioned them inside. “Well, we're still putting the details together here. If you'll follow me, I'll explain as we go.”

“What is this place?” Daniel heard himself ask.

“An abandoned industrial complex. Near as we can tell, it was home to a rogue NID sleeper cell we've been trying to locate for over a year now,” Barrett explained.

Sam looked at the agent sympathetically. “Still haven't got them all?”

“No, not by a long shot, Major. Their ties run deep. They seem to have infinite resources at their disposal.”

“What were they doing here?”

“We're not exactly sure yet.”

Starting to bristle with frustration, Daniel intervened. He hated how short his temper was of late. This wasn't him. It really wasn't. “What happened?”

“At approximately zero-eight hundred this morning we intercepted a nine-one-one call. We moved in just after local authorities arrived. We've been in lockdown mode ever since,” Barrett explained without explaining much of anything.

“Wait a minute. Someone running a top secret, not to mention illegal, NID operation called nine-one-one?” Daniel demanded incredulously.

“It got real ugly. Come on. We got a call from a panicked male voice. We think it was from a member of the cleaning staff. The call was cut short,” Barrett went on as they entered the warehouse and Daniel saw bodies covered in sheets. Everywhere. “Thus far we've counted thirty-two casualties, which includes a six man security contingent.”

“Who would do this?” Sam asked quietly. The horror was overwhelming.

“And for what reason?” Teal'c added, studying the carnage, calmer than anyone else in the room.

“Actually, we know who did it,” Barrett told them. “As for why...”

“You know who did this?” Daniel shook his head again. Why was everything in this conversation like pulling teeth? Barrett was being frustrating and ridiculous. If it wasn't for all the bodies, Daniel probably would have walked away from all of this.

“Yeah.”

They continued past more bodies until they came to a door that was guarded. Barrett turned to the guard and ordered him to open it. The guard opened the door, and they went into a large room. Most of the room was empty, but then, in the middle of the room was a large glass cage. Daniel couldn't believe what he was seeing inside the cage. It was a young woman, perhaps in her early twenties. He had seen children do amazing things, like Shifu, but this... That girl didn't seem capable of this violence.

“It was her.”

“At first we thought she was a survivor. Then we found this,” Barrett turned on a tape of surveillance footage. A man lying on the ground dragged himself across the floor of the lab. He looked back in terror, and then someone shot him in the back. The young woman from the cage came into view and looked up at the camera, showing no remorse. “We found her cowering in the corner. She seemed to be genuinely terrified and had no memory of what happened.”

“You put her in the cell?” Sam asked, trying to gauge whether she was horrified by the treatment of the girl or what she'd done. She could tell that Daniel didn't want to believe that the girl had done this. And she didn't want to believe it, either.

“Yes,” Barrett told them. “She said that's where they kept her. We locked her up after we found the security tapes. We didn't want to take any chances.”

“Who is she?” That was Daniel, thinking of the person first.

“We're not sure yet. She's been printed. We're trying her through the system.”

“Any other survivors?” Sam asked, reaching over to touch Daniel's arm and assure him that she hadn't forgotten about the girl, either. Maybe there was more to the story. They would find out. It wasn't over yet. They were going to get to the bottom of this.

“Got one, a scientist named Keffler. We're holding him upstairs. So far he hasn't been very talkative. Come on: let me show you why I called you guys down here,” Barrett got up and walked them into another room. This one was full of Egyptian artifacts. This would be Daniel's little piece of heaven, but as she watched him look around, he wasn't as pleased to be here as anyone would think.

“Recognize anything?” Barrett asked, watching Daniel as well.

“Nothing I've cataloged as coming through the SGC,” Daniel answered after a moment, like he had just realized that he'd been asked a question. She frowned a little, still worried about him.

Teal'c picked up a scepter. “This indicates it belonged to Sekhmet.”

“Who was that?” Barrett asked.

“A Goa'uld who at one time was loyal to Ra,” Teal'c answered. Daniel seemed to be lost in thought. Well, he appeared to be lost in thought, but that almost seemed deliberate. Sam didn't like where her thoughts were leading her. “She was a powerful ally of Ra. He would send her to rule in his stead, to quell rebellions, oversee the execution of many.”

“Sounds like a real sweetheart. What happened to her?”

“It is believed she was exiled for plotting against Ra,” Teal'c answered. “She most likely inhabited this planet for most of his rule.”

“From what I can gather, these items may have come from the Germans,” Barrett said, picking up a random object. Daniel didn't even react to that knowledge. “The background that I have on Keffler says that he's the son of a convicted Nazi war criminal.”

“I guess we really shouldn't be that surprised,” Sam muttered. “Rogue NID really have no limits, do they?”

“See if there's anything else you can tell me about this stuff,” Barrett suggested, letting Teal'c and Daniel look through the artifacts. Daniel did it mechanically, without any enthusiasm. Barrett turned to Sam. “I'm gonna go back at Keffler again. You wanna join me?”

Though she really didn't want to leave Daniel alone—though maybe time with Teal'c would help—she shrugged. “Sure.”

“Just thought you might want to watch a master of interrogation at work,” Barrett said, and she knew he was flirting a little. She didn't really have the heart for this right now and didn't respond. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “So how have you been?”

“Busy,” Sam answered distractedly. She knew that he already knew most of what she'd been up to. That was what the NID did. “You?”

“Busy,” he agreed.

“You know, I never properly thanked you for that—”

“Well maybe we could go out for dinner some time,” he interrupted quickly. He looked embarrassed, at least, but hopeful, too, and that was so awkward. It wasn't just that she was dealing with Pete's death, but she was still confused. There were her feelings for Jack, and then the geek week and everything with Daniel... She didn't know how she felt about him, not completely. She knew one thing for sure: she was worried about him.

“It's just that I'm seeing someone right now,” she began slowly. It wasn't exactly a lie. A lot of stuff that she and Daniel did could be considered... dating. Oh, god, she'd never really thought about it like that before, but it was true.

“Really?” Barrett asked in surprise. “You?”

Sam had a feeling that he really did know about what happened with Pete and had asked her believing that she really was single. But she was sort of seeing Daniel, and she wasn't going to leave him alone until she knew he was okay. She decided to play it a different way, pretend it was just a joking insult, not an invasion into her—their—privacy. “You asked me out.”

“Yeah, right. Sorry. Let's get this interview done.”

“Most of the artifacts are related in some way to Sekhmet. I'm guessing they were found here on Earth, possibly in an Egyptian tomb or crypt of some kind,” Daniel said, setting another piece aside with a shrug. This was a treasure trove of information and history, and he couldn't bring himself to care. He didn't know why, either. He just... didn't care. None of this stuff really mattered.

“You seem possessed of low spirits, Daniel Jackson,” Teal'c observed, and Daniel knew it was useless arguing with him. It was Teal'c. No one argued with the Jaffa.

“You already know what's bothering me, Teal'c,” Daniel told him, shuffling more of the artifacts around. It didn't change anything. “But it's more than that. It's the whole thing. Ever since Sarah died, I've been... I don't know. Lost. I think lost is the best word for it. When I was with Sam, it was almost perfect. We were alone, we were... almost a couple. And I felt... I was happy, but I wasn't. And then we came back, Sam got hurt... I went to Chicago. I needed distance, and I haven't gotten distance. It's... all twisted, now.”

“I believe it is not distance you require but honesty,” Teal'c corrected, and Daniel sighed. “Have you reconsidered telling her of your feelings?”

“Didn't I tell you that I already did?” Daniel asked, and Teal'c inclined his head, curious, but then Barrett came back into the room.

“Hey, how's it coming?” the agent asked with a smile, not realizing that he'd interrupted anything. He was oblivious to the conversation he'd derailed. Daniel supposed that it shouldn't matter. He hadn't really wanted to continue the conversation. It was too painful, and Teal'c knew too much. “Anything we can use?”

Daniel shook his head. He hadn't really given the artifacts his proper attention. Another reason why he shouldn't have come. Someone else would have paid more attention, done the right thing. “No, I mean, it's interesting stuff, but, uh, no, not, not really.”

“What's this? Barrett pointed to an ornate box. It had the Eye of Ra in the center of the lid and a scarab on each corner. Daniel's anger towards the NID agent flared again. What did he think it was? What did it look like?

“It would appear to be an ark,” Teal'c answered with a hint of amusement.

“It has the gold motif of Ra, the sun god. Possibly a gift to Sekhmet,” Daniel added less than helpfully. But the thing was, the agent was asking for it. If Daniel was a better person, in a better state of mind, then he would be more accommodating, more patient.

“Okay. What's in it?”

“I don't know.” Daniel's natural curiosity had failed him from the moment he walked into the room. Burnout? Was it really that simple? Post Traumatic Stress?

“You haven't been able to open it?” Barrett asked as he fiddled with a scarab. “But, um, these turn. Maybe it's some sort of combination lock?”

“So it would seem,” Teal'c agreed.

“Any luck with the scientist?” Daniel asked, changing the subject. He wanted to smack Barrett's hands like someone would a child, and he didn't know that he wouldn't have done the same thing himself if he wasn't preoccupied. He probably would have, actually. Still, he couldn't help wondering where Sam was, since she had gone with Barrett before. He shouldn't be thinking—worrying about her right now.

“No, not exactly. You know, the girl—she may be on tape killing everybody, but I'm pretty sure that guy up there's not innocent.”

Daniel was of the impression that very few people involved with the NID were innocent, rogue or not. “Yeah, what about that girl?”

“She hasn't said anything since we locked her up. I was kind of hoping that you'd give it a try.”

“Me?”

“I'm sorry... I don't understand... How did I end up... here?” Daniel asked again, rubbing his head. He still had a jumbled mess in his head, had since he woke up. The images and ideas...nothing made sense. Even what Sam had told him didn't entirely... compute. He tried to go over it again, but he couldn't put it all together, still. Too many pieces were missing, and he didn't even understand how he had lost them. He had tried to remember it, but it still didn't seem to be there.

“You bonded with Anna,” Sam began. “The girl, in the cage? One of her names was Anna. She was a hybrid, part-human, part-Goa'uld. She'd been engineered. From Sekhmet. You were trying to understand her, to help her. But there was also a bomb.”

“That ark thing...?” he asked, frowning. “I remember someone playing with it. We discussed it having a combination lock, but then...”

“It was a bomb,” Sam said, and Daniel winced. They should have known. Ra had exiled Sekhmet. Made sense he would punish her, right? Or was it Sekhmet betraying Ra? It was hard to know with Goa'ulds. “You were trying to get Anna to access Sekhmet's memories to get the shutdown sequence.”

“I'm sorry, Sam, that still doesn't explain how I ended up in a hospital bed with no memory of like a week,” Daniel said, frowning. He was trying to focus, but he still couldn't. Something had gone very wrong. “What... Did the bomb go off?”

“Not exactly...” Sam hesitated. She looked away for a moment, and Daniel couldn't help wondering what she wasn't telling him and why. Had he done something that he shouldn't have? What was going on? He did remember telling her about dreaming about kissing her. Well, more accurately, he dreamed about her kissing him. Of course he would. He had many times. It wasn't something he was proud to admit, really. He knew that she didn't feel the same way he did, and he didn't want to face the humiliation and rejection again. He didn't want to make things awkward or ruin his friendship with her.

“Sam?” he pressed. “What is not exactly?”

“Anna broke out of her cell. She set a fire that caused you and her guards to enter, and she incapacitated all of you.”

“Uh, Sam... I hate to state the obvious, here, but that is not a bomb,” he said slowly, partially because his head hurt and partially because he didn't understand, still. It was all confusing. How did the girl from the cage escaping and... knocking him out translate to an almost explosion of a bomb? What was Sam hiding? Why did she have to hide anything?

“I know it's not a bomb, Daniel, but after what you went through, the shock to your system... It seems like what was only a few moments of unconsciousness for the armed guards was a bit longer for you. And the bomb did almost go off because you were babbling a bit incoherently before pointing me at a picture in Anna's cell. It had the deactivation sequence, and I had to radio it to Teal'c,” she explained, closing her eyes at the memory. “We were down to minutes, and I couldn't get you out.”

Her voice had dropped to a whisper, and he fumbled, reaching for her hand. She let him catch it, taking pity on him. “I don't... If you... Why did you stay? Why did Teal'c stay?”

“Come on,” she said with a shake of her head. “We don't leave anyone behind, you know that. And you were alive, you just weren't with it.”

“I haven't been with it for a while, Sam,” he admitted. She squeezed his hand. “I'm not sure I understand why I don't remember any of this. And how did I need mouth-to-mouth?”

“You need to get some rest, Daniel,”Sam told him, putting his hand back down on the bed. He tried to reach for her again, but she stepped back. “Really. Just close your eyes. It's possible that it will come back to you in time.”

He shook his head. “Sam... I don't want there to be any... I mean, what could she have done to me to make all this happen? I just don't understand. And every time I say I don't understand, I get even more frustrated.”

“I don't know. I do know that she was sorry. She said that just before she died.”

“What about Keffler?”

“She killed him,” Sam said. “I can't say I blame her. He made her what she was, and it was impossible to live with.”

He nodded. Though he couldn't remember all of his conversations with the girl, Anna, he did remember feeling such intense pity for her. He'd wanted to help her, desperately. “The dream Shifu gave me... It must have been far worse for her.”

Sam nodded. “It was. She chose to end it, Daniel. I'm sorry. I know you wanted to help her, but there was nothing we could do.”

“There should have been something.”

“If anyone could have found it, it would have been you,” Sam insisted, bending down to kiss his forehead. “Now get some rest. I'll be back to check on you later.”

Well, Daniel thought with bitter amusement, that was one kiss he hadn't dreamed.