Title: The Last Embrace
Author: MissAnnThropic
E-mail: miss_annthropic@yahoo.com
Spoilers: Forever in a Day
Summary: Jack's vigil over Daniel and his recently slain wife.
Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Stargate but my rabid fan behavior. Alas.

***

It was not often that Jack was caught with not a single clue what to do with himself. He was a man of action, decisive and unwavering; he always knew what to do. Except now. Jack O'Neill stood in the resplendent, pretentious tent of a false goddess, Sam and Teal'c standing uncertainly near him, while they all stared down at the two figures on the floor.

Daniel had found Sha're only to lose her right before his eyes.

Shit.

Jack blinked down at Sha're. Now that both were dead, now that the snake Amounet was not a threat, Jack saw Sha're again, the woman he'd met on Abydos who'd stolen the wayward archaeologist's heart.

Teal'c shifted and Jack's eyes were drawn from the couple on the floor to the rest of his team. Teal'c looked sick with grief for what he'd been forced to do. No regret, because Teal'c knew he had done what he must to save Daniel's life, but for the pain it would cause Daniel he grieved. He looked to Jack, silently seeking guidance for what to do. 'Don't ask me, Teal'c,' Jack thought wearily, 'I don't know. I don't know.'

Daniel's fingers brushed past Sha're's lifeless face toward her dark hair. With both of them still laid out of their sides facing one another, Daniel removed the serpent coronet from Sha're head.

Jack could see where this was going, he could feel it in his stomach like a spreading disease.

"Major," he whispered.

"Yes, sir?" she asked back just as quietly, blue eyes turning to him. Jack took a reading of his second in command's expression and felt the sorrow weigh him down like water-logged clothes. Sam would cry later, when she was alone. She might even cry with Daniel, but in front of him, her superior officer, she was keeping a stiff upper lip.

"You and Teal'c go make sure the Abydonians are all right and secure the gate."

Sam nodded, swallowed, and looked toward Teal'c. The Jaffa cast one last look toward Daniel. "Daniel Jackson.." he began to speak, his voice careful. By all gods Daniel should blame Teal'c for killing his wife.

Daniel didn't answer, stayed sprawled on his side next to his wife, and very deliberately began to pull the ribbon device glove from her fingertips.

"Teal'c," Jack said, and when he got the Jaffa's attention merely gave a faint head nod toward the tent door behind them. Clear but soft order to go for now, that nothing could be mended now if it was indeed broken.

Teal'c lowered his head in a sad nod, moved his eyes to Daniel just as the linguist tossed aside the ribbon device and laid his wife's pure and untainted hand in his, and then turned to leave with Sam.

Jack was left watching. He wanted to leave but he could do nothing but stay.

Daniel touched Sha're's face again, seemingly unaware that Jack was standing a few feet away. His thumb grazed over her lips. "I'm sorry," he murmured so softly Jack was not at first sure he'd spoken. "I am so... so sorry." His fingers weaved into Sha're's hair.

Daniel moved only a little at first, as though he'd been put into a trance of wedlock that demand he be as still as his wife, but like shaking off the seizing muscles after a zat hit he scooted across the floor toward Sha're's body with increasing control and range of motion. He cuddled up to her face to face, touching his forehead to hers like two lovers sharing clandestine secrets, hand against her face and thumb tracing over her cheek.

Jack winced. The staff wound had begun to seep and weep red. Blood slowly but determinedly stained the elegant white dress of Amounet.

Jack's jaw clenched. If only that damned snake would bleed out of her, finally leave her the hell alone after all it had done, to Sha're and to Daniel.

Daniel struggled awkwardly up on to his elbow. He swayed a moment but steadied himself and stared at Sha're, let her figure be his anchor. He'd been under the effect of that ribbon device for too damn long, it read in the way he wavered and his skin paled.

Daniel struggled through it, refused to be detained from his goal, and when he once again had his balance he sat up tentatively. He noticed the blood on Sha're's breasts. His hand moved instinctively at first, reflex telling him to staunch the wound's leaking flow, but his hand faltered before it reached the burned and bloody scar. It was too late now.

Daniel had barely the strength to do it, so it was through almost will alone that he pulled Sha're partially into his lap, her head cradled in his arms. He held her close, looking so lost.

Jack slowly knelt down on the ground and braced himself with one hand on the floor. He wasn't sure he could have remained standing without swaying like a drunken pirate. Daniel was torn and confused, his mind screaming at him that he should be doing something to save her and flooring him with the fact it was beyond hope all at once. Jack knew the paths of Daniel's mind now because he had walked that path himself. When he'd held Charlie's body to him he'd been two people; one frantic to do and the other weeping and collapsing in helpless grief.

Daniel stared at Sha're's motionless face, tucked into the crook of his elbow. Her blood was staining Daniel's pants, the way Charlie's blood had stained Jack's shirt, his hands, his life, his soul.

Because he didn't know what else to do, Daniel hugged Sha're close to him and began to rock with her.

Jack realized after a moment that Daniel was speaking. Low and garbled, not in a language Jack knew. Probably in Abydonian; Sha're had learned English quite well but Jack didn't have to ask to know that Abydonian would be the tongue of these two lovers. Daniel surrendered to other people, it was his nature, and he would have surrendered to this woman as utterly as possible.

Jack didn't know why he was here, why he hadn't left with Sam and Teal'c. Daniel deserved to be alone with his wife one last time, to say goodbye in whatever paltry way he could find, but Jack couldn't leave him. It was a loss he knew too well, a pain he could have called his neighbor, and he was not about to leave Daniel alone with it. Jack had been dance partners with that agony once before and he had almost given into it. For that alone he couldn't leave Daniel.

Daniel's first tears fell from his down-turned face to Sha're's, blessing her with the only tears she could ever cry for losing her husband. Daniel's voice cracked and a few croaking sobs interrupted his words but he would not give up, continued with trademark Danielesque determination to talk to her. For all Jack knew Daniel was reciting a death rite, a twisted manner of priest giving last rites to his own wife.

Five minutes passed like a year when Daniel's voice slowed then stopped. His rocking diminished until he was still, Sha're's body, growing colder and colder, held close to him in helpless confusion. Daniel kissed her once on the temple, lingering in reluctance to part his lips from her skin for eternity, then tried to stand with Sha're in his arms. His efforts were awkward and his strength lacking. He gave up after one short attempt, looked down at Sha're in abject apology, then said without looking up, "Jack."

Jack rose at once, moved over to where Daniel was holding his wife, and knew now, understood, why he was there. He partially gathered Sha're's body in his arms, never taking her from Daniel, but instead helped Daniel rise to his feet with the burden of the woman's weight held to him. When Daniel was standing Jack gently passed all of Sha're's weight into her husband's arms. Daniel was a little shaky from the ribbon device but he would not drop Sha're for all the pyramids in Egypt.

Daniel, never once looking at Jack, hugged Sha're closer and buried his face in the crook of her neck, whispered, then slowly started walking toward the opening to the tent.

Jack didn't speak Abydonian, but he didn't have to to know Daniel had told his wife a final time he loved her.



END