August 31st 1999 - Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs
“Oh Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. What am I going to do with you?”
“Return me and get your deposit back?”
“It's a thought.”
Jack quits hanging out in the door way and walks toward Daniel, lowering himself to sit next to him on the floor, mimicking the crossed legged position. His knees were none too happy, but Jack was convinced Daniel was worth a little discomfort.
As casual as ever, Jack starts a conversation. “So, what's new?”
Daniel had been crying – that’s what was new. The brightness of Daniel's eyes was evident enough, and even though it was making Jack feel extremely uncomfortable, he had ploughed ahead and asked the question anyway.
“New? No, same ole, same ole.”
Jack was pleased Daniel remembered how to play the game, but the leaking of Daniel's eyes was throwing him off completely. Jack ignored it the best he could as Daniel tried to blink them back.
The plan didn’t work. It appeared Jack’s best was not good enough, Daniel’s sadness was getting to him yet again, and Jack took a very deep breath, letting it out in a short sigh.
“You can't hide in here forever.”
Daniel took a minute before answering. “I'm not hiding.”
“Daniel,” Jack decided to lay it out straight, “we're sat on the floor in the corner of a storage closet. Beside the complete oddness of that, we know when things get a little too tough for you.”
“Who's we?”
“Me, Carter, Teal'c you know, your friends! Just be thankful we don't rat you out to Janet.”
Silence descends on them both yet again. Jack uses the time to think back to what Daniel said when he first approached.
“I don't think I would you know.”
“What?”
“Get my deposit back.” Jack gently reminded him. “Can't return damaged goods.”
Daniel puzzles it over for a minute before he catches onto what Jack’s referring to. He looks hurt, but the tears are forgotten.
“Damaged goods?”
Jack laughs, but doesn't really answer, he knows Daniel would never get it.
“Daniel my boy you have no idea.” Jack beams at him. “Seriously though, you can't hide forever.”
“I'm not hiding.” Daniel repeats more earnestly, like he actually believes his own lie.
“I believe…” Jack draws out the pause “…we just covered this.”
Daniel sits back in a slump, completely defeated, reverting back to Jack’s jibe about damaged goods. “I got returned a lot.”
Jack barely reacted on the outside, not so anyone would notice at any rate. “I can tell.” He says quietly, but firmly.
Daniel attempts a re-joiner, but no sound actually makes it passed his lips. Now unsure how to reply, or if he evens wants to, Daniel settles for watching his feet instead.
Jack sits forward and claps his thigh. “So...?”
“What...?”
“I don't know.” Jack admits, not entirely sure what he’d been thinking himself and leans back to slump against wall with Daniel.
Daniel stares sideways, and studies Jack curiously.
“You ready to leave yet?” Jack tries again.
Daniel shakes his head, another trail of tears escaping just by remembering the circumstances that brought him here in the first place. Jack notices them, but this time, instead of trying to ignore it, he puts a friendly arm around Daniel.
Trying to smile through the whole stupid mess Jack gets them both a little more comfortable on the hard concrete floor. “For the record we would never return you Daniel, and anyone who tries to take you will have a hell of a fight on their hands.”