The Stranger Within

written by Tiffany May Harrsch

Summary: A 'vacation' goes awry when Daniel unknowingly picks up an alien hitchhiker.

Rating: PG 13
Set: S3 or later. Written S3.
Spoilers: Minor reference to Legacy.
Category: Drama
Status: Complete
Part: 0 of 5

Prelude - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Epilogue

Notes: A H/C list orphan scene challenge response.
Warnings: This has a little less of the team than I had intended.
Credits: Thank you to my beta reader, Ivanova, for catching what the spellck won't.

Also, thank you Rowan, MoT, and Yum@ for putting up the orphan scenes. I'm using all of them, even my contribution. My apologies for tweeking to make them fit the story…

Here are the snippets for the Orphan Scene Challenge.

* * *

Scene 1: Daniel wonders the halls of the SGC late at night and meets up with Jack. (Yuma)

There was something to be said about wandering around the halls at night.

Meandering journeys through nondescript walls? Or the aimless followings of a soul lost?

Daniel stopped himself and shook his head, laughing only mentally in his mind. 'What was that, Jackson? Your try at poetry?' He sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. He was babbling. He knows. He could barely think straight, walk straight or talk straight-

'Talk straight?'

The archeologist groaned. "I need some sleep." He whispered, unwilling to make any noise at 3 in the morning here on base. Although there was still a skeleton crew wandering around the halls like himself, they were there because of their shift. He was there because he couldn't sleep.

Again.

Daniel mumbled to himself, wondering if this was really helping- further exhausting himself in hopes of collapsing back on his bed to sleep. He hoped so. Nothing else would work.

The young man took another step before he realized he was standing in front of the briefing room. Frowning, he wondered when did he go up the stairs, or use the elevators for that matter. He thought he was only wandering around the labs down in level 23. How the hell did he get up here?

His head drooping, Daniel didn't care at this point. Maybe he could sit down on one of those chairs for a minute, then head back for his room. Maybe he'll be able to sleep. Maybe he will be able to close his eyes for one minute. Daniel stepped into the room, not bothering with the lights. His eyes adjusting quickly to the darkness, Daniel jumped when he saw someone standing by the observation window, his profile highlighted from the light coming from the embarkation room. At the sound of his presence, the figure turned around questioningly.

Daniel finally got his mouth to work again.

"J-jack?"

* * *

Scene 2: Daniel takes a break on a planet without the rest of the team. (MoT)

It had been an odd request, really. The General had granted it somewhat reluctantly. After all, the Stargate wasn't supposed to be used frivolously. But Jack had talked him into letting Daniel go. And Daniel was glad for it.

The nights were warm on PJ4912, as were the days. There were adequate sounds to accompany the darkness, to soothe his soul. He needed a break from the ratrace that had become his life. Earth held too many unanswered questions. So did the SGC. He was glad for the solitude.

"You should have come along, Jack," he said aloud, gazing at the dazzling stars in the moonless night. He laughed to himself, grabbed a box of tissues and scribbled something on it, then headed for the gate.

He dialed Earth's number, waiting for the final glyph to engage. Laughing aloud now, he began to remove the tissues from the box. When the blue pool settled in the ring, he tossed it into the center, still smiling. From behind him the creatures of the night began a disquieting ruckus. He was going to have to catalogue when the wildlife did that. It was a little different from his normal studies, but it might provide a pleasant diversion.

Holding that thought, he began the long walk back to his camp.

* * *

Scene 3: The General watches as SG 1 does not come home. (Tiffany)

"Incoming wormhole!"

Startled, the General turned toward the window to the Stargate room. The next return was not due for another two hours.

"Do we have a signal?"

"Not... Here it is," the technician interrupted herself. "It's SG-1, sir."

"Open the iris." Not that he really needed to give the command. Her fingers were flying over the keyboard even as she informed him who it was.

Out the window, they watched as the iris slid open. Then waited, wondering if there was something wrong. Again.

General Hammand glanced down at the technician, who gave him a nervous, if confused, smile. No one had come through the wormhole yet.

Minutes inched passed. The Stargate deactivated. Sg-1 never came through.

* * *

Scene 4: Jack is injured saving Daniel from a cat like creature. (Rowan)
Note: Slash (I don't do slash, so there was one change to the story right off. Hopefully this scene worked okay in the story, though. - Tiffany)

And then? It was over. As fast as the lightning-like attack appeared, the creature was dead ...... warm, limp and bleeding out it's liquid life no more than a foot in front of them: the crimson flow soaking into their pants and staining the dry savanna grass around their huddled bodies.

Nothing moved on that whole plain. Not insect. Not bird. And not man.

Daniel was aware of nothing save the wetness soaking into his clothing; the tightness of his held breath. There was no sounds around him and no sense of life.

//... Ja'k? ... //

Oh God... he couldn't hear Jack: his movement, his breathing, anything that spoke to him that his lover was still alive. All he knew was the weight of his friend's body over his, holding him down as O'Niell had tried to provide a wall of safety between Daniel and the beast.

"...haaaahhhhhhh.."

The gasp was soft and close... so close. Whatever chains that had bound Jackson broke free; his only thought to help Jack: save Jack, at whatever cost - be it his own life. He refused to accept the concept that the breathy rasp he heard so close to his ear might have been his friend's last breath.

It was hard to move out from under the body above him - he forced himself to stay away from the thought ' dead weight' - but it was the work of a few moments until he had Jack laid out on the grass, frantically searching the angle of his jaw for a pulse. His fear was so great it was hard for him to locate the notch between the two bundles of muscles.

// Wait! // He double checked. // God, Yes. YES!! // A pulse. Weak and somewhat erratic, but a pulse none the less. A quick pat-down proved that the bloody wetness of O'Niell's BDU's belonged to the cat-like creature, not Jack.

He was alive and Daniel now had another reason to keep on living.

" ... Oh, God ..... Jack....." The young, lean man scooped his partner roughly into his arms, laying the battered, bloody head against his chest and enclosing Jack's upper body in his arms. They sat together like this for many moments - the young man and his warrior lover - the only sounds the wind drifting through the dry grasses and the soft sobbing of tears falling on a silent, upturned face.

* * *

Scene 5: Daniel, appearently ill, has a delusion of a woman named 'Becky'. (MoT)

Daniel woke to the quiet sound of people whispering around him. He could hear them talking, make out what they were saying if he concentrated hard enough. In vain he tried to force his eyes open, but the lids wouldn't obey. He was aware of someone grasping his hand, squeezing it tightly. He tried to speak, but there was something in his mouth preventing him from doing so.

Someone sat on the bed beside him, radiating warmth to his chest. A hand caressed his forehead, no voice accompanying the gentle stroke. The cool cloth returned there. He was grateful for the touch. His body ached from disuse. Sha're? No, she didn't have the scent of lilacs in the springtime. Becky. Horror swept through his mind. Guillian-Barre. Again.

'Becky!' he screamed to whoever would listen, ' don't leave me! Please don't leave me!'

The presence brushed hot and moist against his cheek, planting the softest of kisses there. She gripped his hand fiercely. The bed shook just a little with her quiet sobs, as she now lay over his still chest. Frantically he tried to force his body to react somehow, give her some sign he was aware and did not want her to leave. But it betrayed him. And he lay there, knowing her pain and unable to help her.

"Becky," came a soft, familiar voice. The pressure on his chest rose in response, but she still gripped his hand. "He may pull through this, he may not."

'Jack? Is that you Jack?'

"You know what the docs are saying. You're still young. He'd want you to go out and do something with your life."

His hand was lifted to her face as the weeping began anew. Tightly she squeezed it, trying desperatly to infuse a part of her life into him.

"It's been over a month. It's time for you to move on."

'Shut up Jack! Becky, please stay! Don't leave me! Not again!'

The softest of kisses brushed his cheek once again, a hot tear falling where lips had once carressed him. One last fleeting brush of her hand on his forehead, one final squeeze of his hand. She placed it across his chest. He felt her rise from the bed, taking her warmth, her sustainence with her.

"Why don't we get some dinner?" Jack's voice asked. "We can drowned our sorrows together."

The quiet opening of the door was the only reply, briefly changing the pressure in the room, then returning it to where it had been a moment ago. The soft beeping of the machines around him were all that kept him company now. A tear welled in the corner of his eye, defying the disease which had so thoroughly destroyed the life he had fought so hard to build. It ran down the side of his face, unnoticed.

© 2000 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa’uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.

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This page last updated on 25 Jan 2003: Part 0 page is new, but the story is not.