The Day After, by Danvers (PG-13)

[figs_sg1_rec]

Rec Category: Daniel Jackson

Pairing: Daniel/Sha're
Category: Daniel Jackson, gen, episode related, angst
Warnings: canon character death
Author on LJ: 01100100
Author's Website: 01100100
Link to Story: The Day After

Why This Must Be Read:  This creepily beautiful story takes place sometime in the middle of Daniel's ten-second/two-week vision that Sha're gives him in the moments before her death. Metaphor upon dreamscape upon nightmare, Danvers paints possible visions that Daniel might have experienced, all leading to the two things that mattered to Sha're most: finding her son, and forgiving Teal'c.

Like Daniel, we're not quite sure what's real and what isn't, but it's all riveting. There's team support, even if all Teal'c can manage is to send a message, "Tell Daniel Jackson…" There's dizzying flashes of Sha're in the most bizarre circumstances, including dressed as a 50's housewife or cooing over the Harcesis child with Daniel's dead mother. Most powerful, however, is Daniel's eventual acceptance of the real difference between Ammonet and Sha're, and what he himself might have been willing to do if his and Teal'c's roles had been reversed.

Forever In a Day was a confusing enough episode that I've seen many fanfic writers make the mistake of insisting that canon includes Daniel actually leaving the SGC while he mourned for Sha're's death. Danvers takes that confusion several steps further, and it's great fun to go along for the ride.

They give me a rundown of everything that's happening at the SGC, mentioning a dozen times that they can't wait for me to get back. I know why they're here; to find out if I'm coming back at all.xml:namespace prefix = o /

"You must go back," she says stepping between me and them.

I look up at her, only this time it really hurts. "I know."

She leans down and takes my face in her hands. "You must find the boy. You promised."

For a moment it's all too clear. She's dead. No matter how much I keep looking, she's not coming back and the hurt is unbearable.

No. Just, no.

I put my cup on the coffee table and smile as Jack talks, pushing everything down, burying it with her.

"Teal'c says hi," Jack says, his unsubtle test of the waters.

I nod. "Teal'c would never say hi."

Sam grins and Jack shrugs. "I know, but I kind of stopped listening after he said, 'tell Daniel Jackson'."

"We asked him to come, but he said you might not want to see him," Sam said quietly.

My face feels tight when I answer. "He saved my life."

He killed my wife.

Sam's nodding at me, watching me closely.

"How is Teal'c?" I ask, more for them than me.

Jack looks serious, so I guess it can't be good. "He feels badly about the whole thing, but I told him we'd all have done the same thing in that situation."

I see it like short flashes in my head. All three of them, firing that blast. One after the other.

I see Teal'c on his knees, under the ribbon device as she smiles down at him. You wouldn't know it was wrong, evil, whatever you want to call it. She looks like a mythical creature, light coming from her hand as she smiles, beautiful from head to toe.

I pick up the staff weapon and watch Teal'c crumbling under the light. I raise the weapon, steadying it as she tilts her head to stare at him, her eyes bright. I point the staff at her. The glow becomes harsher and I see the charged split at the end of the staff.