Disclaimer: Not mine. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

Summary: An episode addition to the third season "A Hundred Days"

For Jerie, for aiding and abetting.
Time
By Rocky

Daniel paused on the threshold, squinting into the murky gloom, until he caught sight of a familiar figure sitting alone at the bar. The pub was a popular hangout for off-duty personnel from the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. Daniel nodded politely to various acquaintances as he made his way through the room, but didn't stop until he reached his objective.

He ordered a beer and slid onto a unoccupied stool next to the commanding officer of SG-1. All around them was the tinkle of ice, the thump of glasses on wood, the hum of conversations punctuated by an occasional burst of laughter. But Jack sat staring morosely into space, didn't acknowledge by look or word that he was no longer alone.

"If it's any consolation--and I know, it's not much--I know exactly how you feel," Daniel said at last, unable to take the silence any longer.

Jack dragged his bleary eyes to Daniel's face. "The hell you do," he muttered thickly, and took another swallow from his drink.

Daniel wondered briefly how long Jack had been sitting there. "Believe me, Jack. I do."

"Oh, really?" Jack slammed the empty glass onto the bar and impatiently signaled to the bartender for another round. "Then tell me, O World's Expert On Everything, just how am I feeling right now?"

"Part of you is regretting leaving Edora, and the life you'd started making for yourself, behind," Daniel said softly. "And at the same time, you're feeling guilty for ever having given up hope in the first place that you'd be able to get back home."

"Smart boy." Jack accepted his next drink and downed it with alacrity. "You win the prize."

"Jack--"

"No, you don't understand, damn it!" Jack stood, somewhat unsteadily. "It was three lousy months! What could happen in that amount of time?"

"Enough," Daniel said. "Enough for you to take a look around, and figure it was time to start living again. That even though you thought you'd lost everything you'd had, everyone who meant anything to you, maybe, just maybe you could be open to the possibility of starting over." He eased Jack back to his seat; there was surprisingly little resistance. "Even before the 'fire rain' started, I saw the way she looked at you."

"Laira," Jack said, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Yes," Daniel said. "She was special, wasn't she?"

"She was," Jack said. "Like no woman I've ever met before, and yet at the same time, there were shades of--well, it doesn't matter anymore." He repeated, a little sadly, "It doesn't matter."

Sara, Daniel thought. Daniel had only met Sara O'Neill once, briefly, but there were distinct similarities between her and the Edoran woman. The same strength of character, the quiet gift of accepting whatever life threw at them.

"She deserved better," Jack said. "I should never have let myself get involved. I should have realized SGC would find some way. You could have gated to a nearby world, or maybe contacted the Asgard..."

"The Tollan said they could have a ship there sometime within the next year," Daniel said.

"And in the meantime Carter figured out the gate was just buried, not destroyed." Jack shook his head. "I knew that! I even started digging! But I didn't keep at it, let myself get sidetracked instead."

"The gate was sealed with a melted layer of naquada," Daniel reminded him. "You wouldn't have been able to get through that with an ordinary pickaxe."

"Yeah." Jack was quiet for a moment. "Lucky for me Carter dreamed up the particle accelerator."

Daniel remembered how Sam had worked day and night on the project, barely stopping for food or rest, even defying Janet's orders about not neglecting her own welfare. He wondered if Jack was aware of how much effort she had expended--or why.

"Not luck, Jack."

"I know." Jack looked at him, as if seeing him for the first time. "When you were in this situation, you chose to stay behind. It was a no-brainer for you not to return to Earth."

Even now, just thinking of Sha're brought a rush of tears to Daniel's eyes. "The circumstances were different, Jack. I had nothing holding me here. Whereas you do."

"Do I?" Jack shrugged. "Oh, right. The military. The Stargate project. Defending truth, justice and the un-Goa'uld way."

Daniel turned and saw Sam standing by the door. She looked around, then caught his eye and smiled. He motioned her over.

"You've got more than that, Jack," he said. "Just give yourself some time."
FINIS

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