SG1-25 Hostile Ground(83)

But Hunter wasn’t listening anymore. He’d stopped in front of an unremarkable shack, no different from all the others, with a scrap of fabric for a door and a lean-to roof. “My home,” he said quietly. Despite his uneasiness about his friends, Daniel sensed Hunter’s anxiety spike, heard the repressed emotion in his voice as he called out, “Faith? You here?”

There was a moment when nothing happened. Hunter looked like he was holding his breath and Daniel realized, with a rush of empathy, that Hunter probably didn’t know what had happened to his wife after he’d been taken. Maybe she was dead too, fed on by the Amam?

“Faith… ?” Hunter called again, more urgently.

And then a flap of fabric flew back and a young woman, a child propped on her hip, appeared in the doorway. She stared at Hunter with wide, shocked eyes and then pressed a hand over her mouth and started to sob. Hunter ran to her, pulling both her and the child into his arms, burying his face against his wife’s hair. “It’s true,” he said in a voice raspy with emotion. “It’s me. I’m back…”

Daniel had to turn away from the scene, too affected by that single moment of unexpected joy amid so much abject misery. It didn’t help that he had to fight down an unworthy surge of envy too; that happy reunion   had been forever denied to him and his wife.

“Come on,” Hunter called and Daniel turned, watching as the woman ducked back into the shack. “Come inside.”

He forced a smile past the knot of helplessness, past the gnawing fear for his friends, and followed Hunter into his home. It was small and cramped, with a fire-pit in the center and smoke-blackened walls and ceiling. Daylight seeped in through gaps in the walls and roof, but at least it was warmer than outside and Daniel crouched by the fire, holding his hands out over the flames.

“Faith,” Hunter said, “this here’s Daniel. He helped me bolt from the Snatchers and I’m taking him to see Dix in payment.” He lowered his voice and added, “One of his friends, he’s a Lantean, an’ the Snatchers took him. Couple of Daniel’s kin went on back to fetch him out, so Daniel’s waiting on ‘em here.”

“They went back to the ship?” Faith said, incredulous. “That ain’t clever.”

Daniel smiled to himself. “Maybe not,” he said, “but it’s kind of how we operate. We don’t leave our people behind.”

Faith exchanged an eloquent look with Hunter and then moved closer to Daniel, crouching next to him and reaching out a hand to touch his shoulder. Like Hunter, she was young but her face was gaunt and weary. “You got my thanks for bringing Hunter home, Daniel,” she said. “And you’re welcome to the heat of our fire while you wait.”

“Thank you,” he said and, cognizant of the hunger in this place, added, “I’d be honored to share my food with you, while I wait.”

He shucked off his pack and dug out one of his last MREs. Faith watched in astonishment as he pulled it open and shared out the bounty between them. Although the short rations left him hungry, Hunter, Faith and their child ate as if it were a feast.

After the food was gone, the child curled up to sleep on a narrow pallet at the back of the shack, Faith sitting with him and stroking his head as she talked quietly with Hunter. It was impossible for Daniel not to overhear their conversation, though he sat as far away as possible on the other side of the fire.

“I went to Dix, after you was snatched,” Faith murmured. “Like you said I should.”

“Did they help you?”

She nodded, gestured to a few small packages next to the wall. “Zuri gave me rations and promised more. She said Dix would come by tomorrow, when he’s back from up there.”

“Good,” Hunter said. “That’s good to know.” He tightened his arm around her and Faith suddenly pressed her face against his shoulder, as if her strength had cracked for a moment.

Daniel heard her quiet tears, muffled against Hunter’s shoulder, and turned his eyes away, offering them at least the illusion of privacy.

He stared into the fire instead, watching its ever changing dance. It had been over five hours since he’d said goodbye to Sam and Teal’c and still he’d had no contact. Sam had told him to wait ten hours, but with every moment that passed his fear grew. Sitting there, helpless and idle while his friends were in trouble, went against all his instincts. And it was tortuous, it was almost impossible.

He lifted a hand to his radio for a moment, willing it to jump into life, for Sam’s voice to crackle over the airwaves telling him they were free and everyone was safe. But he heard only silence, the hiss of the fire and Faith’s tearful breathing.