Everybody Hurts

TITLE: Everybody hurts (song by REM)
AUTHORS: Mir & FoS
STATUS: Parts 1-4 added, more to come
EMAIL: Mirlou3@aol.com & ulrecu@hotmail.com
SPOILERS: Big one for Crystal skull.Haven't seen the ep, probably won't make much sense.In the line of duty, The Tok'ra I&II, Hathor, COTG, Solitudes
CATEGORY: Daniel/Sam, Angst
RATING: PG (Some language courtesy of Mir *ducks*)
ARCHIVE: Anywhere, just let us know
DISCLAIMER: If they were mine....*mind wanders off for a few sweet moments...* ...Penniless when I wrote it, penniless when I'll duck chocolates and flames. They don't belong to us....
SUMMARY: A slightly different take on Crystal skull.
AUTHOR NOTE: Don't know when this'll be finished....Please bear with us...*grins*. FoS: Mir wrote everything from Part 1-4 and I think she did a great job for her first fic. This is our first collaboration.
FEEDBACK: Suuuuure.........what's life without oh-so-enlightened opinions from fellow SGfreaks ??? :o) Honest, constructive feedback is MOST welcome.

Part One

Numb....

Completely, utterly, incredibly numb......

****************** ************************* *****

He was in his room. His haven away from the Hell that had become his life this past year...

Nothing could reach him here. Walls that witnessed his dreams, his sorrows...

Walls that protected him from those outside that held his future in the palms of their hands...

"Daniel ??"

<No...I dont wanna know...I wanna keep hoping I'm wrong. That this isn't happening.>

<No no no no no no...>

A more insistant knock.

"Daniel ! We need to talk to you..Please..Let us in.."

<No no no...Can't you see I can't take any more ?? That I'm feeling so alone I might as well dissapear ?? >

A more gentle whisper.

"Daniel...We just want to help you. Now..Please...Open the door.."

Sighing, he reluctantly got up and shyly greeted the couple outside.

The big , imposant dark man that still intimidated him gently squeezed his shoulder and sat on the floor, motioning for Daniel to join him.

The fair-haired woman tenderly ruffled his hair and sat opposite the two of them.

He felt an all-too familiar fear grip his heart again...

<This isn't good...Not good at all...>

The man spoke first.

"We have some...unfortunate news..."

The woman shot him an appaled look and waved him off, taking Daniel's hand in hers. Searching those baby blue eyes so filled with despair it made her ache..

"We....we heard from your grandfather."

He suddently got the urge to get up and run the hell out of there but she wouldn't have it. She grabbed both of his hands and forced him to listen.

"Look at me...Daniel...Look at me."

Fighting the tears that threatened to choke him, he still managed to hear what she said next.

"He...He can't take you with him. You'll have to stay with us for the time being."

<NO ! NO ! NO ! NO ! Everyone's leaving me ! Mommy..Daddy...now Nick...I dont wanna stay here ! Did I do something wrong ??? Please ! I'll promise to do better...Just don't leave me here all alone...Don't leave me Grandpa...>

"Daniel ?"

He slowly, mechanically, got up and looked out at the lake far outside the window.

Calmly,he replied.

"I understand. Can I go outside now ??"

The couple exchanged worried glances but they were relieved that the boy didn't throw a tantrum like they expected upon hearing the news.

"Ok Daniel. But be back at 4:00 o'clock."

" 'Kay..."

************ ************* ***********************

Sam wandered through the deserted SGC's corridors...
Despite what everybody thought of it, she loved being here this late at night.

Her mind felt clearer and she usually got her best work done at this hour.

At least someone else felt the same way. She now indulged in a well deserved coffee break and had a hunch that Daniel could use one too..

She picked up the habit of never knocking when it came to him but this time, she regretted she didn't.

Daniel was slouched against the wall in the far reaches of his office.His head buried against his knees, looking like a frightened child...

"Daniel ?? What's wrong ???"

"He's dead."

"Who's dead ? "

"Nick."

****************** ************************* *****

"I heard you the first time Doc. Now, PLEASE, let me go."

Daniel caught Janet's exasperated gaze and just shrugged.

Jack wouldn't have any of it.

Two weeks in the infirmary had steadily been grating at his nerves and the archeologist suspected that his friend was at the end of a VERY long rope.

"Just don't do anything foolish, Colonel. Your immune system is still recovering. I'm relieving you of medical stand-down but you'll have to promise me you'll take it easy the first few days. Strictly recon and diplomatic missions for the time being. First-time Mono is always a brutal one."

Jack snickered.

"You don't say ???."

She tried to help him off the bed.

<Ooh..I wouldn't do that if I were you..>

The Colonel waved her off briskly.

"Aah !! Don't ! I don't need any help . I've been probed and needled and basically been treated like a lab rat for 2 weeks now. I think I can manage to put one foot in front of the other just fine now. Thank you !".

And with that gracious, grateful speech, he left.

************ ************* ***********************

Jack never ceased to baffle him. He couldn't possibly fathom the patience and self-control that Janet displayed at having a very sick, whining and basically bored out of his mind Colonel Jonathan O'Neill in here for more than ....oh let's say.....5 minutes.

<Nope.....No way.>

"Janet ?"

"Hmmm ?"

She barely looked up from her files....Seemingly oblivious to what had just happened.

"How do you do it ?"

"Do what Daniel ?"

"Put up with him ?"

"....."

"Janet ?"

She finally graced him a VERY mischievous grin.

"I'm sorry, Daniel. I wasn't listening. I was too engrossed in the enema I'm planning to "mistakingly" include into his next physical."

He tried oh so hard to suppress a chuckle at that.

"Oh ! Well...I'll leave you to your work then..."

"Exactly...Bye, Daniel."

"Bye."

<Nope. No need to worry there...>

Part Two

Making his way to his office, his mind kept wandering back to the infirmary.

For a guy who had spent most of his life alone and isolated, Daniel Jackson surely managed to finally stumble upon the greatest and strangest group of friends anyone could ever ask for.

Jack. Well...He was a neverending rollercoaster ride. Rarely boring.
Probably the last person he imagined dealing with on a day-to-day basis when he met the man 4 years ago.
Now, he couldn't imagine it any other way.
Still, the strong bond they shared amazed him.
Hardships shared and respect earned.
He discovered a mother hen behind this military facade, though he'd never dare say it to his face.
Spacemonkey or no Spacemonkey.

Teal'c was......Teal'c.
He must admit he rarely felt more secure then when his Jaffa friend was around.
Even though he never spoke of it, Daniel knew he was the first one that Teal'c instinctively protected when danger arose on missions.
He was pretty sure that that was a joint effort between him and Jack.
It annoyed him to a certain extent in the beginning but now, it made him feel as if he suddenly were the nucleus of their little group, which was a feeling he cherished when the days got too long and he felt the nights were his alone.
He wasn't alone .
The unalterable loyalty his friend showed him at every turn made it easier for Daniel to take comfort in his friends..
A simple act that he had to learn from square one.

And then...there was Sam...
Amazing, incredible, beautiful Sam...
He had finally found someone who shared his need to get to the bottom of his passions, of his ideas and theories.
She stimulated him intellectually and, he must admit, he felt a wicked pleasure every time the two of them stumped Jack beyond belief.
Their brains worked so well together, he knew that there weren't a lot of mysteries they couldn't decipher when they put their minds to it.
He felt as close a connection with her as he did with the others.
But, there was something more.
When Sha're had been taken, though he wouldn't admit it to himself back then, it soothed him to have a daily, steady, constant feminine presence in his life.
This opened the door to a friendship that had a bit more to it than with Jack or Teal'c.
Still, it mostly concentrated on SGC-related subjects and easy , casual everyday talk....

<Except when the Goa'uld decides to mess with one of us...Then we shut up, completely.>

<Hathor, Jolinar, Amaunet, Selmak.
We understand, but we don't talk.
We comfort, but we dont dig too deep.
There's an instinctive mutual understanding going on that made words superfluous.
Until Nick's death.>

He remembered the numbness creeping into his nerves when he got the call from the mental institute.How they managed to find him, he'd never know.

His legs no longer holding him, he fell to the ground and stayed there for......an eternity it seemed.

Shame...Yes, that's what it was. Pure, unabashed, gut-ripping shame.

Shame at not having spoken to him in 4 years. Shame at being afraid to end up in a mental institute exactly like him.

And, most of all, shame at feeling ashamed of resembling him so much.

He thought his Grandfather was crazy about the skull and the aliens...

Nick thought he was crazy about pyramids being built by aliens.

Now that he knew HE had been right, he couldn't help but wonder if Nick had been right too. With everything he'd seen these past years...This wouldn't surprise him anymore.

<You, of all people, were the one person I WANTED to share all of this with...>

And now, he's gone...

Numb, numb, numb.

<Mom, Dad, Sha're, Nick...>

For a short while, all this talk of the SGC's purpose and the saving of the Galaxy and the meaning of life stuff gave way to a rising wave of anger, revolt and incredible loneliness....

For just one moment he was sure he'd had enough of this life...

And then...

"Daniel ??.What's wrong ??"

Sam...
Amazing, incredible, beautiful Sam...

They talked that night.
Words were needed that night.
Everybody hurts sometimes....

** ************************* *********************

<Faster...Faster...Why can't I run any FASTER ????????? >

Sam tried not bump into walls as she sped her way towards Daniel's office.
Which grew increasingly difficult since her brain went into overdrive upon seeing the MALP's readings of that planet.

<1000 meters high ?????? My God !!! Who would need a place that big ??? And why ??? Probably not the Goa'uld.....At least I think it's not the Goa'uld....No...Let's make that HOPE it isn't.... LEPTONS ?????
How.....Oh Man !!! Faster Sam, FASTER ! He HAS to see this !!! ">

She practically pushed Rothman into the ladies room in her haste, barely taking the time to apologize and sped away...

He watched the fleeing Major cut yet another corner as he asked himself how the hell he's ever going to be able to fit in this....place...

****************** ************************* *****

Daniel finally put his notebook down, eyes as bleary as 8 consecutive hours of translation work could make them...

<Nope....Even coffee won't help this time...>

Staggering a bit, he got up and fixated on his final destination.

<Couch...good couch...nice, comfy couch...>

Managing to stray away from the ever-piling clutter of reports, books and journals overflowing his shelves AND floor, he let out a big contented sigh as his head hit the fluffy material. Stretching like a cat, purring his contentment.

<Aaahhh......YES !....Not moving until.....next week. Hmmm...no....make that next MONTH......>

He heard somewhat of a crash down the corridor, happy to be in his little comfort bubble and not out there at the source of the nuisance.

But the noise crept closer...Growing louder, louder, threatening...Angry footsteps sounding like a thousand hammers pounding on his head. Somehow...he had the distinct feeling that the cacophony was headed his way...

"DANIEL !!!!!!! "

<Yup ! I'm doomed...>

He saw his door being swung open by a VERY flustered and out of breath Sam, the sudden onslaught of harsh light making him roll off the couch.

"Humpf !"

Laughter. A thump in his chair and then MORE laughter.

"SAAAAAM !!! "

Oh , how appealing he must look right now....Pokey butt sticking up in the air, glasses in his mouth...

<If she ever stops laughing, maybe I'll get some help...unless she CHOKES first...!! >

"Ooohhh....I'm SO sorry Daniel !! "

She snickered in that oh-so-helpful way of hers

"Here...Heehee...Let me help you up."

"GRMBFT........"

"I'm sorry....I didn't catch that one....And don't you play grouchy on me...I actually have something incredible to tell you !!! Now, sit !"

Sighing, he did as she wanted.

"What could be so important for you to drag all Hell back here like that ??? "

He saw Sam take a moment to gather her thoughts, then scrap the idea and start babbling like a schoolgirl.

<Ok...Ok...Cavern...Leptons....Neutrinos....Formation of the
Universe.....good..>

He raised a hand to stop her mid-sentence.

"Wait, wait, Sam ! Ok... I understand this has unbelievable potential but, what does it have to with me ?? Why is it so important that you HAD to barge in my office on my rare sleep time like this ???"

Smiling, she slowed down.

"I wasn't finished Daniel...In the middle of the cavern, we found something. A skull."

Daniel's jaw dropped at the statement......

"A crystal skull."

.....And his mouth went dry.

<Oh my God ! Nick ! >

"Sam ? "

His legs itching now, he got up and paced across the room.

"Are you....Are you sure ?? I mean....Are you ABSOLUTELY sure ??? 'Cause this is.......this......"

Seeing how this might overwhelm her friend, she gently took his hands and sat him back down.

"Yes. I'm sure Daniel."

And , she KNEW that look.....

Part Thr ee

<Jack, Sam, General Hammond, Teal'c and Janet..OK !!! Seems everyone is listening intently to my little presentation... I just hope it's enough...>

<First , slides....>

"I could name at least a dozen different crystal skulls from various parts of the world but the skull that Nick discovered in Belize was unique..."

" Nick ???"

<Yes Jack, Nick. My grandfather. The last remnant I had of a biological family. Yes.>

<The one I tossed aside just as he did with me a long time ago. No..Not thinking about that now. Later. AFTER we get permission to go on this planet... Sam, please don't look at me like that or I'll lose my nerve... Ok...Concentrating on slides now... >

"He claimed that it possessed a certain... power..."

"What kind of power ?"

<Oh gosh......Here we go.....REALLY wish you hadn't asked that, General...>

"That if one were to look into the eyes of the skull, one would be teleported to see....."

<Oh boy...>

"... Aliens..."

<Yep ! He tried to prove it, nobody believed him, not even me but now....>

"Doesn't mean he wasn't right ! "

<THANK YOU Jack !!!>

"The academic community didn't believe your theory that pyramids were landing sites for alien spaceships either."

<Oooh...That's putting it NICELY Sam...>

"We have to see this"

<No Jack....You are NOT eager to get out of here.....no way...>

"I'll authorize a standard recon mission."

<YES !!! What ??? Janet ??? Nonono.... We'll be ok..... No radiation
suits ?? Ok... That was a stupid question.... NINTENDOS ????????? Oh Jack......>

******************* ************************* ****

"SG-1. You have a go !"

Janet performed a quick last minute check-up on the Colonel.

"I'm FINE !"

"I'll be the judge of that, Colonel...Just making sure."

"Oh for cr..."

---- "Wormhole established !" ----

<Ooh...Saved by the bell...Thank you.>

Janet took the whole team aside.

"I'm a bit worried about the muon radiations we detected earlier. They shouldn't cause any problems for any of you but I want the Colonel monitered closely nonetheless.I want you back here at the first sign of anything unusual ."

"We will follow your orders as needed, DoctorFrasier."

"I'm sure you will Teal'c."

"OK !!! Since everyone's agreeing on my medical needs, can we get a move on like, say, NOW ??? "

"Lead the way Jack."

The Colonel glanced back at his team one last time and, without even trying to hide his excitement at finally being able to do his job once more, announced:

"LET'S GO !"

********** ************************* *************

WHOOSH !

Jack felt his stomach doing somersaults as he exited the Gate. Proud soldier that he is, he tried not to let it show.
No way he was going to miss this....Even though it was more of a
Carter/Daniel treasure hunt.
Skulls. Ok. Whatever.
It still beat the hell out of wandering around the base for the umpteenth time.
Oh yeah. He REALLY needed to get out more...

"The radiation levels seem to be within tolerable levels, Sir."

"Ok then. By all means, lead the way, Major."

She was near the skull in no time flat.

Daniel cautiously walked on the narrow ramp, trying not to look down...He let go of his fear of heights long ago but still, it unnerved him time and again.

Jack tripped before getting on the ramp, sweat forming on his forehead,
Teal'c at his side immediatly, strong arms reaching for his elbow.

"Are you feeling ill, O'Neill ?"

"No, no. Just need to take it slower that's all."

---- Sam looked into the eyes of the skull. ----

The next second, everything around Jack spun ominously.

"Actually, I don't feel so hot........"

Teal'c barely had time to let go of his staff weapon and catch the
unconscious Colonel.

* ************************* **********************

"DANIEL !"

<whoah...Teal'c never calls me by my first name....not good>

"I require your assistance !!"

He looked back and saw Jack limp in Teal'c's arms, slowly getting settled down.

<oh shit !>

Daniel quickly glanced once more at Sam and ran towards the two men. The cavern suddenly seemed brighter somehow but he barely noticed it as he abruptly stopped and fell to the ground beside the Colonel.

"Jack ? Jack , can you hear me ?"

He gently slid his hand under the man's head as his eyes revulsed and hard tremors coursed through the frail body.

"God ! He's having a seizure ! Dial home Teal'c . NOW !"

The Jaffa hastily entered Earth's coordinates into the DHD.

"SAM !!!!!! We have to go back ! Jack's in trouble !"

No answer.

"SAM ???!!!"

Still no response...

<Ok..What now ??>

"We can come back later for the sk..."

His jaw dropped as he witnessed the now deserted platform.

"Sam ???????"

"DanielJackson !! We must leave immediately!!!"

"But Sam isn't here...We can't just......"

"NOW DANIEL !"

Jack's breathing was quickly getting too shallow for his own good.

"OK !...We go."

He sent the GDO signal and looked back at the skull once more...

<We won't leave you Sam....I won't leave you.>

Wondering why life always put him in these situations, he entered the event horizon...

<First I have no friends.....Then I found incredible ones and I have to choose one over the other...What kind of choice is that ???>

Part Four

<This is .... incredible...>

Sam was taken aback . All of her senses were on alert as she took in the dimensions of the cavern. The clear reverberating sounds, the light around them seemingly coming from nowhere, it's perfectly angled walls insuring maximum strenght. Such detailed purpose... The physical implications of the installation just made her head spin with equations and probabilities and ...

A snicker over her left shoulder snapped her out of her reverie. She must've looked as awestruck as she felt to make Daniel's eyes dance like that.

"The radiation levels seem to be within tolerable levels, Sir."

"Ok then . By all means, lead the way, Major."

Putting the radiation reading device back in her vest pocket, needing no further encouragment, she practically flew over the beam separating them from the skull, her mindset already over there.

She stopped abruptly in front of it, crouched down a bit, her whole body tingling with the rush she usually felt upon finding a new puzzle to solve, a new discovery to explore....

<We are going to have such fun with this one, Daniel...>

She chuckled lightly.

Taking in the details of the finely sculpted head.

<How could someone carve such perfect features against the grain of a single piece of pure, raw crystal without the faintest hint of nicks and cracks ???>

The level of technology needed for this task was beyond her.

She slid her fingertips over the base of the artifact, marvelling at the
smooth finish, grinning at the sound of Daniel muttering something about heights behind her on the beam.

A small thud from the entrance of the cavern barely registered in her mind as she found herself slightly hypnotized by those eyes staring back at her.

<Surely Nick couldn't have been right...>

"DANIEL !"

<Teal'c ???? What's wrong ??? Can't move... Why can't I move ??? Oh dear...>

The skull held her gaze mercilessly as a cloud of golden energy sparks engulfed her...

******************** ************* ***************

WHOOSH !

Teal'c, unaffected by the remolecularization process, easily leaped down the ramp, Jack safely secured in his arms.

"O'Neill needs medical attention !! "

< Mom...>

From the control room, Sergeant Siler grabbed the microphone.

"Medical emergency in the Gateroom ! Repeat ! Medical emergency in the Gateroom ! "

<...Dad...>

The General stepped up beside Teal'c , worry creasing his face as he took in Jack's still quivering figure.

"What happened Teal'c ??"

Janet barged in with 4 nurses , not-so-gently pushing the General aside, apologies saved for later.

"O'Neill became dizzy for no apparent reason, then lost consciousness."

Teal'c gently lay Jack on the gurney, meeting Janet's worried gaze as she took in her patient's vitals.

"No apparent reason ???? Are you absolutely sure NOTHING happened that could've caused this ???"

<...Sha're...>

" I noticed a slight increase in luminosity in the cavern for but a few
seconds . That is all. We returned through the Stargate immediately."

The doctor checked the Colonel's pulse, which was way to erratic for her liking.

"And how about the radiation levels ?? "

"MajorCarter said they were not of any concern at the time of our arrival. I do not know if they changed afterwards."

The gurney suddenly shaking alerted the medical staff of a second, harder bout of tremors, Jack's face and extremeties turning slightly blueish this time.

Janet motioned for the nurses to hold him down.

"OK !! Out we go !! I need Neuro here, STAT ! Page Dr. Warren . Let's move !
"

<...Nick...>

She shot a quick look over her shoulder before rushing out of the room, the team already on its way to the infirmary.

"I REALLY need to know those radiation readings now, General ! "

Hammond nodded, watched the doors slide shut and turned toward Teal'c.

"Speaking of which, why isn't Major Carter with you ??"

"DanielJackson was the last person to have contact with her, General."

Hammond didn't like his tone one bit.

"Very well. I'll meet you for a complete debriefing at 0700 hours then, you're dismissed Teal'c, and try to get some rest, will you ??."

" I will, General. Thank you"

As Teal'c made his way out of the room, staff weapon clenched in his hand, the only visible sign showing how truly worried he was for his teammates, Hammond climbed up the ramp towards a VERY dazed , swaying Daniel who still hadn't moved since he came back.

"Doctor Jackson ?? Are you feeling ok ??"

Putting his hands on the young man's shoulders, seemingly bringing him out of whatever thought he seemed to be lost into...

"Can you tell me what happened to Major Carter ?? "

<...SAM...>