Raising Danny

By RPonda

 

 

Part 1: Finding Danny

  

SG 1 had just arrived on the planet through the gate. There had been indications of some interesting structures but no signs of any inhabitants. Jack and Daniel went to explore the ruins, while Sam and Teal’c explored the surrounding areas.

 

“Do you hear something Teal’c?” Sam asked.

 

“Indeed, Captain Carter.”

 

“It sounds like crying. I think it’s coming from over by the trees.” Sam and Teal’c carefully headed over to the tree line. Hidden in the foliage appeared to be a small boy, crying and sucking his thumb. He was dressed in a robe designed for the desert, had longish brown, blond hair and was clutching a small stuffed camel. He looked up as Sam bent down and approached him. Fear, but also curiosity filled his bright blue eyes.

 

Sam quietly asked, “What’s your name?”

 

“What’s yours?” the small child quietly asked.

 

“My name’s Sam, and this is Teal’c,” she stated while indicating the man who stood next to her.

 

Still unsure of whether or not to trust these people, he finally took his thumb out of his mouth and told them, “My name’s Danny.”

 

Sam looked up at Teal’c and then back to Danny. “What’s your last name, Danny?”

 

“Jackson. Danny Jackson.” He stuck his thumb back in and looked straight at Sam.

 

Shocked, Sam clicked her radio. “Uhm, Colonel. Come in please.”

 

Jack answered the radio call. “O’Neill here.”

”Sir, we have a situation here.”

 

Jack sighed; this was supposed to be an easy mission. “What’s the situation, Carter?”

 

Sam wasn’t sure just how much to say over the radio. “We’ve found a small boy, Sir. He seems to be all alone.”

 

“Where are you, Carter?”

 

“We’re to the east of the ruins at the tree line, Sir.”

 

“We’ll be right there, Carter.” Jack called over to Daniel, “Come on, Daniel. Let’s go check this out.”

 

Daniel, having heard the radio call, knew Jack wouldn’t let him stay alone in the ruins. So he and followed Jack out of the ruins.

 

As the boy had made no move to get up, Sam sat down next to the child and waited for the Colonel and Daniel.

 

Upon approaching the tree line, Daniel caught sight of the boy and stopped in his tracks. Jack, noticing his hesitation, also stopped. “Something wrong, Daniel?” he inquired.

 

“Uhm, no, Jack. It’s just, the boy looks familiar.”

 

Touching Daniel’s arm, Jack encouraged him to get moving again. “Let’s go find out what’s going on.”

 

Daniel started moving again. “Sure, Jack.”

 

“So, Carter. Who’s the young man?” Jack inquired, kneeling down. Danny’s blue eyes stared at Jack.

 

Sam replied, “Colonel O’Neill, meet Danny, Danny Jackson. Danny, this is Colonel O’Neill.”

 

Jack stood up quickly and looked from Daniel to the boy sitting by Carter. “Daniel, you have any idea what’s going on?”

 

Daniel was somewhat shaken. “No, Jack. I have no idea. Although, he definitely looks like I used to.”

 

Danny just kept his thumb in his mouth, his gaze moving from adult to adult.

 

Jack bent back down to the child and asked, “Do you know where you are, Danny?”

 

Little Danny just shook his head no, not saying a word.

 

Daniel sat down next to the boy and asked, “What’s the last thing you remember?”

 

Danny popped his thumb out and answered, “I was playing in our tent.” His thumb immediately popped back in.

 

“Where was your tent? Were you camping?” Jack asked

 

“No, we were at the dig site, in Giza.” Danny looked at Jack. “Where am I now?”

 

Jack wasn’t sure how much truth the child could handle, so he sidestepped the question and asked another of his own. “Danny, who are your parents?”

 

“Melbourne and Claire Jackson. They’re archeologists.” Danny peered curiously at Daniel. “Who are you?”

 

“My name’s Daniel. I’m an archeologist, too. Do you have any idea how you got here?” He’d intentionally left off his last name.

 

Danny just shook his head again. “Where are my parents?” His eyes were starting to tear up.

 

Sam took over again. “We don’t know where they are. You’re the only one we’ve seen, since we arrived.”

 

Danny took in his surroundings. “This doesn’t look like Giza. I want to go home.” Danny was starting to cry softly.

 

Jack couldn’t resist comforting Danny. He reached over and picked him up. Danny laid his head on Jack’s shoulder and continued to whimper, “I just want to go home.”

 

Jack rubbed Danny’s back, consoling him. “I know, Danny, I know. We’re going to try to figure out what’s going on. But for now, I think you need to come with us.”

 

“Don’t wanna. I want my mom and dad.” Jack ignored his plea as there was nothing he could do right now. The sun was setting and he wanted to get back to camp before dark. He started walking back, indicating to the rest of the team to follow.

 

On the way back to the campsite, Danny cried himself to sleep on Jack’s shoulder. He carefully laid the child down on his sleeping bag, and joined the rest of his team at the campfire for dinner.

 

“Well kids, what should we do with our newest kid? Do you really think he’s a little Daniel Jackson?” All eyes turned to Daniel expectantly.

 

Daniel shrugged his shoulders. “Why are you looking at me? I don’t know. He certainly looks like I did when I was a kid. Also, I remember having a camel like his. I have no idea how this could have happened though.” Daniel passed the conversation to Sam.

 

“I don’t know either. Teal’c and I didn’t see or hear anything strange, until we heard the crying. The boy was just sitting there in the trees.” Sam looked over at Jack.

 

“Daniel and I didn’t notice anything either. You didn’t touch anything in the ruins when I wasn’t looking, did you, Daniel?” Jack glared at Daniel accusingly.

 

Daniel glared back. “No, I did not touch anything, Jack. Anyways, how he got here doesn’t matter right now. What matters is what we do with him. We can’t just leave him here.”

 

“No, we can’t.” Jack agreed. “We’ll have to take him back with us, and let Dr. Fraiser check him out. We’ll head back to the gate at first light. Daniel, you take first watch, then Carter, then Teal’c. I’ll take last watch. Night kids.” Jack walked back into the tent with Danny and lay down on some blankets.

 

In the middle of the night Jack awoke to Danny’s screams. “Mommy, Daddy! I’m scared! Mommy, Daddy!” Jack rolled over and pulled the crying child into his arms. “Shh, Danny, shh. It’s all right. You’re safe,” Jack spoke quietly, trying to calm Danny down.

 

Danny suddenly opened his eyes and squinted up at Jack. Then he buried his face in Jack’s chest and sobbed, “I want my mommy and daddy.”

 

“I know, I know, little one. Everything’s going to be all right. Just go back to sleep.” Jack looked down at the child in his arms and noticed Danny had wet himself. After Danny had calmed, he carefully removed the wet robes and changed him into one of his own black T-shirts. By the time he’d finished, Danny had fallen back to sleep. Jack lay back down with him on the blankets and also fell asleep.

 

When Teal’c’s watch was over, he peered into the tent to wake O’Neill. Seeing the child asleep in O’Neill’s arms, Teal’c snuck quietly back out of the tent and covered O’Neill’s shift.

 

Jack woke up to Danny stirring in his arms. Noticing the sun was up; he went ahead and woke the boy. “Morning, Danny. Time to get up.”

 

Danny was groggy. “Morning, Colonel O’Neill.” He rubbed his eyes with his fists. “I need to go potty.”

 

“No problem, kiddo,” Jack said as he picked Danny up and took him out to the trees. After finishing their business, they returned to camp.

 

Jack sat Danny down next to Sam who had just finished heating the MRE’s for breakfast. “Hey, Teal’c. Why didn’t you wake me for my watch?” he asked as Carter handed him his food. She then handed Danny his own MRE. Danny scrunched his nose at it. However, he was hungry, so he started eating it anyways.

 

“Someone else appeared to need you more,” Teal’c said while looking at young Danny. “It was not a problem for me to take two watches, O’Neill.”

 

“Okay. What do ya say we finish up our food and head back to the gate?”

 

“What’s the ‘gate’?” piped up Danny.

 

Jack glanced at Sam. Sam answered, “The gate is our way to get back home, Danny. It’s a big circle we go through, and when we come out the other side, we’re back home.”

 

“Where are we now? And why were there two moons last night?” Danny asked.

 

Jack was surprised at the question. He hadn’t thought Danny had been aware enough to pay attention to anything last night. He decided he might as well tell the truth. “Well, we’re on another planet, Danny. The Stargate will take us back to Earth.”

 

“Okay.” Danny had finished his food and stuck his thumb back in his mouth. He didn’t seem to have any problem with accepting Jack’s explanation.

 

After everyone finished eating, they packed up camp and headed out. Danny immediately grabbed hold of Jack’s hand. Jack looked down and said, “Danny, why don’t you hold Carter’s hand. I need to have my hands free.” Danny just held his hand tighter and shook his head no.

 

Carter assessed the situation and suggested, “Why not let me take point? I don’t think he’s going to let go, Sir.”

 

“Fine, Carter,” Jack grumbled. “The sooner we get home, the better.”

 

The hike back to the gate took longer due to having to travel at Danny’s pace. When they finally reached the gate, little Danny still would not let go of Jack’s hand. When Daniel dialed the gate and it kawooshed into life, Danny hid behind Jack’s leg.

 

“That’s what we have to go through?” squeaked Danny. His blue eyes were wide in astonishment.

 

Jack kneeled down to Danny’s level. “It’s okay. It’s fun. I’ve been through the gate a lot of times myself.”

 

It didn’t look like fun to Danny. “You’re sure it’s safe? It looks scary.”

 

“I’m sure, Danny. Look, just hold my hand, and we’ll go through together.”

 

Danny grabbed Jack around the neck. “No, carry me.”

 

Jack sighed and picked Danny up holding him close. “Okay kids. Let’s head home.”

 

 

Part 2: Back to Earth

  

Teal’c stepped on the ramp first, then Daniel and Sam. Finally, Jack stepped through with little Danny.

 

General Hammond looked at the child Jack was holding, and questioned, “Colonel, who is the child, and why did you bring him back through the gate without authorization?”

 

“Well, General,” Jack replied. “I’d like you to meet Danny Jackson. Danny, I’d like you to meet General Hammond.”

 

Danny peeked out from Jack’s chest. “Hello, Sir,” he said quietly.

 

The General was surprised at the revelation, but didn’t let it show. “Hello, young man. Welcome to the SGC.” The General questioned the Colonel. “Colonel, care to explain what is going on?”

 

“Absolutely, General,” Jack answered, “Right after we get him checked out at the infirmary.” Danny buried his head in Jack’s chest again, sticking his thumb back in his mouth. He was exhausted and cold from his trip to and through the Stargate.

 

“Agreed, Colonel. Debriefing in thirty minutes. Dismissed”

 

When the team arrived at the infirmary, Jack tried to put Danny down on the exam table. Danny would have no part of that. He hung onto Jack’s neck for dear life. Jack was attempting to pry Danny’s hands from his neck. “Danny, you have to let go now. Dr. Fraiser needs to make sure you’re healthy, and she can’t do that if you’re stuck to me.”

 

“No! I don’t want a doctor! I’m not sick!” He continued to hold on tight.

 

Janet decided to intervene. “Danny, I’m not going to hurt you. I just need to check you out. How about if you at least turn around and sit on Colonel O’Neill’s lap. That way I can begin examining you.”

 

Jack sat down on the exam table and got Danny to turn around and sit down. Danny was still only wearing Jack’s T-shirt, so Janet had Jack take it off and put a gown on Danny. As she checked him over, she also asked him some questions. “What’s your name again?”

 

Danny sighed. “Danny Jackson. You just called me by my name.”

 

“I know. I just like to ask a lot of questions. When were you born?”

 

“July eighth, 1965.”

 

“Do you know what day it is?”

 

Danny closed his eyes concentrating. “I’m not sure. I don’t really pay attention to the days. I think it’s September though.”

 

“What year?”

 

“1970. I’m five years old now.” Danny was tired of Dr. Fraiser poking at him. “Are you done yet?” he asked plaintively.

 

“Almost, Danny. I still need to do a blood test. Have you ever had your blood drawn before?” she asked as she got out the blood kit.

 

Danny looked warily at the needles. “Nooo, but I know I don’t like needles.” He tried to squirm his way back around to face Jack.

 

Jack kept him facing forward. “Now, now, Danny. Having blood taken isn’t that bad. I have to have mine taken, too. I’ll even let Dr. Fraiser take mine first, so you can see what it’s like. Okay?” Jack looked up at Janet to make sure she agreed.

 

“That sounds like a good idea, Colonel. Okay, Danny?” asked Dr. Fraiser.

 

“Okay,” answered Danny. He watched the doctor prepare Jack’s arm and stick the needle in. He watched Jack’s face. “You winced,” he accused.

 

“Of course I did, Danny. It stings when it goes in, but I’ll bet you can be even braver than I was,” Jack challenged. “Okay, your turn now.”

 

Danny stuck his arm out for Dr. Fraiser and held on tight to his camel he had held since he was found. Janet prepared the site and inserted the needle. “Ouch,” was all Danny said, but he didn’t pull away. Janet finished up and removed the needle. “Now what?” Danny complained.

 

“Now, young man, you’re going to stay here in the infirmary, while I go meet with General Hammond.” Jack stood up and quickly set Danny down on the exam table.

 

“No!” screamed Danny. “I want to go with you!” He reached out and tried to grab hold of Jack. Janet had caught on to what Jack was doing and held onto Danny.

 

“You can’t come to my meeting, Danny. It’s only for grownups. I’ll be back as soon as I can, but you need to be brave and stay here with Dr. Fraiser. No argument.” Jack backed out towards the door watching Danny calm down just a little.

 

Danny rubbed his eyes. “You’ll be back, right?” The Colonel was the only person he trusted so far, and he didn’t want him out of his sight.

 

Jack reassured him, “Yes, I’ll be back as soon as the meeting is over. In the meantime, Dr. Fraiser will take good care of you.”

 

“Okay.” Danny leaned into Janet’s embrace. “Come back soon though,” he ordered.

 

Janet rubbed his back until Danny fell asleep, exhausted. She laid him back on the bed and assigned a nurse to watch over him.

 

General Hammond and SG-1 sat around the briefing table. Getting right to the point, General Hammond asked, “Who is the child, and where is he from?”

 

Jack answered the question. “Well, General, as far as we know, he is a five year old version of our Daniel Jackson. Dr. Fraiser will have to confirm the genetics though. We don’t know where he’s from, however, Captain Carter and Teal’c are the ones who found him.”

 

“Captain?”

 

Sam looked at the General. “We were surveying the area around the ruins when we heard crying. That’s how we found him. He didn’t seem to know how he arrived there either.”

 

“General, regardless of how he arrived on the planet, the problem is, what do we do with him now?” Jack knew something had to be done with the boy. They couldn’t just keep him on the base.

 

“Whether or not the child does turn out to be a young Daniel Jackson, we’ll obviously need to find a home for him.” General Hammond had already dealt with finding a home for young Cassie with Janet Fraiser. He wasn’t looking forward to having to do it again.

 

At that point Dr. Fraiser entered the briefing room and sat down. Having heard the General’s comment, she confirmed, “According the blood test results I have back so far, the child is Daniel Jackson. Everything is matching our Dr. Jackson’s workup.”

 

Up until this point Daniel had not yet joined into the conversation. “How can this be possible?” he pondered. “If he is me, and I am him, wouldn’t I have disappeared when he arrived? Wouldn’t history have been changed?” Daniel was feeling very confused.

 

“Daniel, we have no idea how this happened. Whoever or whatever allowed this event to occur, could have dealt with the changing history problem.” Sam had been pondering the problem for herself since finding the boy.

 

Jack spoke up again. “So what are we supposed to tell the kid? Hey Danny, you think it’s 1970 but it’s really 27 years later and your parents are dead. How is a five year old going to understand that?”

 

“You’re forgetting something, Jack. We’re talking about me here. If I know myself, he’s already figured out some of this. I’m a genius, remember.” Daniel wasn’t any too thrilled with having to talk to his younger self. He didn’t like talking to anyone about his personal life.

 

Sam looked at the Colonel and spoke up, “Danny seems to have connected to you, Sir. Perhaps you should be the one to inform him of the situation.”

 

“What! I know the kid likes me, but how can I explain something I don’t even understand.” Jack turned to Daniel. “Don’t you think you should tell him? He is you, after all.”

 

“Uh, uh. No way. You’re the one, Jack. He’s barely paid attention to anyone but you since we found him.” Daniel stared at his hands and continued, “Besides, I think I’d just confuse him more.”

 

General Hammond put an end to the discussion. “Colonel O’Neill, I want you to talk to the child. However, Dr. Jackson, I would like you to be there for the discussion. You may have some insights he’ll need to help him cope. We will discuss what to do with him after he has had some time to absorb the information. Dismissed.”

 

At that, everyone stood to leave. Jack walked over to Daniel. “Come on, Daniel, let’s get this over with.” He put a hand on Daniel’s shoulder to start him moving towards the infirmary. Daniel reluctantly followed along.

 

 

Part 3: Telling the Truth

 

 Jack and Daniel arrived at the infirmary to the sounds of Danny’s screams. “Leave me alone! I want Colonel O’Neill! He said he’d be back soon! I don’t want to eat!” They heard a tray crash to the floor.

 

Jack marched up to Danny’s bed and said firmly, “Young man, there is no reason to be yelling at the nurses. You will stop and apologize, right now.”

 

Danny stared at Jack and popped his thumb in his mouth. “Yes, Sir,” he mumbled clutching his camel. To the nurse he muttered, “Sorry.”

 

“Okay, that’s better.” Jack sat down on the bed beside Danny. “We need to talk to you about what’s happened.”

 

Danny took his thumb out of his mouth and pointed at the wall. “Like why that calendar says it’s 1997 instead of 1970.”

 

“Told you, Jack.” Daniel raised his eyebrows at Jack while hugging himself.

 

“Yeah, yeah.” He glared at Daniel. Then he turned back to Danny. “Yes, that is something we need to explain. Um, for some reason you’ve gone forward in time.”

 

Danny just stared at him. He had a hard time believing Jack.

 

“Care to help me out here, Daniel?” Jack implored.

 

“Not really, Jack.”

 

“Thanks a lot.”

 

Danny’s head shifted back and forth as he watched the interchange. Finally he asked the question he most wanted answered. “Where are my mom and dad?” He was looking right at Daniel.

 

Daniel just lowered his head.

 

“Well, Danny.” Jack so wished he hadn’t asked that question. “Your parents died, about 24 years ago.”

 

Danny’s brow furrowed in thought. “When I would be eight?”

 

“Yes,” said Jack, surprised Danny had processed the information so quickly.

 

“Oh,” sighed Danny. “If I don’t have any parents anymore, who’s going to take care of me?” Danny’s five-year-old brain understood the facts, but his concerns were still egocentric.

 

Jack took a deep breath. “That’s what we’re going to have to decide. We need to find another family for you.”

 

Danny sucked him thumb for a while thinking. Finally he glared at Jack and stated, “I don’t want another family. I want mine back. Send me back to 1970.”

 

Jack put his arm around Danny and said, “We don’t know how to do that. We don’t know why you were sent to 1997, but you are here, and you need a family to take care of you.”

 

Danny calmly looked up into Jack’s eyes and firmly stated, “Fine, if you can’t give me my family back, I want you to be my dad.”

 

“Danny, you don’t even know me. I work too much. I can’t be your dad.” Jack tried to dissuade Danny of this notion. “Besides, how do you know I’m even a nice guy? I could be a mean old man.”

 

“Uh, uh. I know. You’d be a great dad. I need you,” Danny studied Jack’s face, “and I think you need me.”

 

Jack was definitely thrown by Danny’s statement. He needed some breathing room. “Um, Danny, I need to go take care of some things. You stay here with the nurses, and be nice. I’ll be back in a little bit.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny grumbled. Jack walked quickly out of the infirmary, with Daniel following close behind.

 

As Daniel’s office was closer, that’s where Jack headed. Daniel walked in after Jack and shut the door behind him. Jack sat down on a chair and put his head in his hands. Daniel just stood against the wall with his arms wrapped around himself, staring at Jack.

 

Jack lifted his head to stare back at Daniel. “What?”

 

“I didn’t say anything, Jack.”

 

“I can’t be his father.”

 

“I know.”

 

“I can’t do the job I do, and raise a kid, alone.”

 

“I know.”

 

Jack looked back at the floor. “Why would he even want me for a father? He barely knows me.”

 

Daniel shrugged and answered quietly, “He wants you for a father for the same reason I want you as a friend.”

 

Jack sat back in the chair so he could see Daniel more easily. “And what reason is that?”

 

“Huh?” Daniel pretended not to understand the question.

 

“Why do you want me for a friend?” Jack truly wanted an answer to his question.

 

Daniel sighed. “It’s hard to explain, Jack. Underneath that hardass colonel persona you project, you care about people. You’ll do anything you need to for your friends.”

 

“Oh.” Jack stood up and started pacing. “I still can’t be his father.”

 

“I understand. Our lives don’t lend themselves to having families. He’ll need a family.”

 

“Yeah, so how do we go about finding a family for him?” Jack asked.

 

“I don’t know. I don’t think that’s a decision for just the two of us.”

 

Just then the phone rang. Daniel answered it. As he hung up, he said, “General Hammond needs to see us in the briefing room.”

 

“The final test results are back. He is Daniel Jackson. Albeit a healthy, five-year old Daniel Jackson. So, unless any of you can come up with a way to send him back in time, we need to decide what to do with him,” General Hammond informed SG-1.

 

Sam spoke up, having already considered this. “He’s going to need a new family, with a very high security clearance. He’s also going to need to be taught new background information. He can’t go around telling people he was born in 1965.”

 

Daniel said resignedly, “He’ll learn whatever you want him to learn.”

 

“Speaking of learning, what are we going to do about educating him?” inquired Hammond. “If he’s as bright as we believe him to be, I doubt he’ll fit into a public school setting.”

 

“He is and he won’t,” commented Daniel. He was remembering his own problems with school.

 

Sam thought about this dilemma. “I’m sure we could have his intelligence tested and find him a school to fit his needs.”

 

“Please check into it, Captain. I’ll check into families with appropriate security clearance. Colonel, we’re going to need someone to take care of him and help him absorb the new information he needs to learn.”

 

Jack stared at the General. “I’m assuming you want me to take care of him.”

 

“He does trust you, Colonel.”

 

“Yeah. If I do this, I’m going to need some help. Daniel, you up for this?” Jack was hoping Daniel could help ease Danny’s transition.

 

“I’m not sure my help would be the best thing for him.” Daniel had been fairly quiet during the meeting. He was having trouble dealing with his feelings towards his younger self. It was bringing back memories he’d rather not recall.

 

Jack finally realized Daniel felt uncomfortable. However, he believed Danny needed the experience of his older self. He also thought the interaction might help Daniel deal with his own issues. “Daniel, I need your help with taking care of him,” he insisted.

 

“Fine.” Daniel understood Jack wasn’t giving him a choice.

 

General Hammond concluded, “That settles it then. SG-1, you’re on downtime until we can find the child a family. Dismissed.”

 

“Come on, Daniel.” Jack put his arm around Daniel’s shoulders. “Might as well collect our charge.”

 

Daniel just shrugged out from under Jack’s arm and followed him back to the infirmary.

 

“Okay, Danny.” Jack sat down on the bed and pulled Danny onto his lap. “Daniel and I are going to be taking care of you until we find you a new family.”

 

“I don’t want another family. I want you,” insisted Danny.

 

“That’s not a choice you get to make,” Jack tried to tell him.

 

Danny just pouted, glaring at him.

 

“Listen, we can sit here and keep arguing about this, an argument you won’t win, by the way, or you can accept the situation as it is, and we can get out of here and go to my house.” Jack lifted Danny off his lap, put him back on the bed and stood up.

 

“Fine. I’ll stop talking about it, for now, but I won’t stop thinking about it.” Danny got off the bed and grabbed Jack’s hand. Looking up at Jack, he said, “Let’s go.”

 

Jack glanced over at Daniel and whispered, “So, you were always stubborn, huh.”

 

Daniel just lifted his eyebrows, and then noticed what Danny was wearing. “Um, Jack. I think he needs something to wear besides a hospital gown.”

 

“Oh yeah.”

 

Dr. Fraiser walked into the room. “Colonel, I didn’t realize you were going to leave so soon. Here,” she thrust a bag into his hands, “I had an airman get a change of clothes for him.”

 

“Thanks, Doc, you always think of everything.” Jack pulled out jeans, a t-shirt and underwear from the bag. “Hey, where’s the shoes?”

 

“He still has his sandals, and shoes need to be fit to the child. I figured you could take him out to buy the rest of what he needs.”

 

Jack looked down at Danny. “Well young man, I guess we need to get you changed into your new clothes.”

 

“Why can’t I just wear my robes?” Danny questioned.

 

Jack sighed, “Your robes may have looked right in Egypt, but these clothes will look right here. Come on, I’ll help you change.”

 

As Jack was helping him into his underwear and pants, Danny asked, “If I’m not in Egypt, where am I?”

 

“Oh right, we haven’t talked about that yet. Daniel, you want to explain it?” Jack had noticed him hanging back and was trying to get him involved.

 

Daniel was startled back to the present with the question. He’d been remembering his first trip to the US. “Oh, um, you’re in Colorado Springs, Colorado.”

 

Danny looked at him with a blank stare.

 

“Oh right, that probably doesn’t mean much to you. You’re in the United States,” Daniel clarified.

 

Danny said, “My mom and dad were born in the United States. They said we were going to visit New York someday. Is Colorado close to New York?”

 

Jack noticed Daniel start to shut down at the mention of his parents, and answered for him, “No, we’re quite a long ways away from New York.” Jack had finally finished dressing Danny. “So, what do you think of your new clothes?”

 

Danny put his arms across his chest and said, “They’re scratchy. These pants are stiff. I want to wear my robes.”

 

Jack had had enough of Danny’s complaints. “You’ll get used to them, so stop complaining, Danny.” All Jack got for his trouble was a glare as Danny put his thumb in his mouth.

 

Daniel came to Danny’s defense. “He’s never worn jeans before, Jack. All of this is new to him.”

 

“Yeah, forgot about that.” Jack kneeled down in front of the boy and said more gently. “Listen Danny, you need to wear these clothes until we can get to the store to buy you some more comfortable ones. Can you put up with them for awhile?”

 

Danny’s answer was to put his arms around Jack’s neck and say, “Only if you carry me.”

 

Grinning, Jack picked him up. “Okay. Everybody ready for the thrill of shopping with a five-year old?”

 

“Good luck, Colonel, Daniel. Enjoy the experience.” Janet walked away and went back to work.

 

Daniel, Jack and little Danny, with his head buried in Jack’s shoulder, headed for the elevator.

 

 

Part 4: Nightmares

  

When they arrived at the truck, Jack buckled Danny in. Noticing the seatbelt didn’t fit right, Daniel said, “I think we’re going to need to buy a booster seat, too.”

 

“Ya think. I’m starting to realize there’s a whole lot of things we’re going to need to buy for the kid.”

 

Danny just sat in the truck absorbing everything going on around him.

 

As they drove through town to the mall, Danny just stared out the window in awe of everything he saw.

 

After parking, Jack took Danny out of the truck and put him down. Danny reached up to grab Jack’s hand. “Where are we? I thought you said we were going shopping?”

 

Feeling the strength of Danny’s grip on his hand, Jack understood Danny was scared. “We are shopping. This is a shopping mall. We can buy everything we need here. Come on, we’ll be with you the whole time.”

 

Daniel came around the front of the truck to stand next to them. When they started to walk into the mall, Danny grabbed his hand, too. Daniel squeezed his hand back in reassurance.

 

The first store they entered was the clothing store. Jack and Daniel picked out some clothes they thought Danny would like to wear, and went in the changing room. Danny wasn’t being very cooperative. He had complaints about everything he had tried on. Either he didn’t like the color or it was too tight or too big or it was too itchy. Finally Jack had had enough.

 

“That’s it, young man.” In went the thumb. “We have tried on all the clothes we’re going to try on. Pick three shirts and three pants you want. Then we’re out of here.”

 

“No, I don’t want any of them!” Danny yelled and stamped his foot.

 

“If you don’t pick out your own clothes, I’ll pick them out for you, and you will wear them.” Jack’s tone of voice brooked no argument.

 

Danny caved in and grabbed some clothes, shoving them at Jack.

 

“Watch your attitude, young man, or we’ll be having an attitude adjustment when we get home.” Jack had little tolerance for bratty behavior.

 

Daniel intervened, “Jack, give him a break. This is all new to him. He’s five-years old. He’s probably tired and hungry.” Leaning down to Danny, he asked, “Are you hungry, Danny?”

 

Danny just nodded his head while sucking his thumb. He didn’t want to make the Colonel any angrier.

 

“Fine, Daniel. After we buy the clothes we’ll get something to eat. However,” he directed this next part at Danny, “no more acting up or complaining.”

 

Danny looked up at Jack and said, “Yes, Sir.”

 

They purchased the shirts and pants, along with some underwear and socks, and found their way to the food court. Danny was completely overwhelmed with all the choices. When Jack asked him what he wanted to eat, he just looked at the floor and shrugged his shoulders.

 

“Daniel, why don’t you decide what to eat tonight. You should know what type of food he’ll eat. We’ll find a table and wait for you.”

 

“Sure, Jack. I’ll see what I can find.” Daniel found some food they could all enjoy. He returned to the table and everyone ate their fill. Danny seemed to be in a much better mood after eating.

 

Jack cleared the table, and said, “Okay, kids. Time to go find some shoes and a booster seat.”

 

“What’s a booster seat?” asked Danny, getting interested in shopping again.

 

Daniel answered the question without prompting for the first time. “It’s a seat for the car. It lifts you up higher and makes the seatbelt fit you better.”

 

“Oh. Can I have blue shoes?” Danny didn’t seem too interested in the booster seat.

 

“Wait until we get to the store and see what they have available, okay?” Jack was hoping to get through the shoe shopping without incident.

 

Unfortunately, he wasn’t so lucky. Danny was used to wearing sandals, and didn’t like the way his feet were confined in sneakers. Jack finally picked a pair of blue ones that fit, found a booster seat, and headed home. He’d had enough shopping to last a lifetime.

 

Having fallen asleep on the drive home, Danny was carried into the house by Jack. He woke up long enough to go to the bathroom and brush his teeth. Realizing they’d forgotten to buy pajamas, Jack changed him into one of his own t-shirts, and tucked him in bed. Kissing Danny’s forehead goodnight, he went into the living room and crashed on the couch. Daniel was already sitting in the chair.

 

“I know you’re a difficult adult, Daniel, but I didn’t realize you’d started so young.” Jack smiled at Daniel as he said this.

 

“Thanks, Jack. As a matter of fact, I wasn’t a difficult child. I just liked doing things my own way,” Daniel responded.

 

“Oh right, that explains things so much better. Seriously, how did your parents handle you?” Jack was hoping he could get some tips on how to handle a young Danny from his older self. Even if he was only watching Danny for a few days, he couldn’t let him run wild.

 

Daniel paused for a moment. He hadn’t thought of his childhood for a long time. “When my dad wasn’t out on the dig site he was fairly strict with me. I liked to explore and would wander away from camp a lot. Normally I was confined to the campsite for a while. I also ended up getting spanked, too. My mom was much more relaxed. As long as she knew where I was, I could do practically anything I wanted. I guess I was also a little bit spoiled by the other people in the camp. I was always interested in what the adults were doing, so I asked a lot of questions. That’s how I learned so many languages. I’d listen to what was being said, and when I thought I knew some of the language, I’d start trying to speak it. People encouraged me once they realized I could pick up languages so easily.” Daniel became silent. He hadn’t spoken this much about his childhood to anybody.

 

Jack was absolutely captivated by Daniel’s story. Daniel never spoke openly of his childhood. He enjoyed this glimpse into Daniel’s past. “Go on Daniel.”

 

“That’s all. You’re going to have to figure out how to handle him yourself.” Daniel felt he had revealed enough of himself for one night. He stood up and said, “I’m going to get some sleep. We’ll have a busy day tomorrow.”

 

Jack got up too. “So, is it okay with you if I use your dad’s method of discipline?”

 

Daniel considered it. He remembered not wanting to be spanked, but he also knew his dad had done it because he’d been afraid of his son being hurt. Also, sometimes he had considered whether what he was about to do would be worth a spanking. Turning around to face Jack, he said, “That’s up to you, Jack. You’re in charge. I’ll support whatever you decide to do. Goodnight.”

 

Jack followed him up the stairs. “Goodnight, Daniel.”

 

Jack was used to being awoken by his own nightmares, however this time the screams he heard were not his own. Getting up quickly, he rushed to Danny’s room. When he arrived at the doorway, he realized Daniel was already with the child. He decided to observe the interchange.

 

Daniel had heard the screams Danny was making and hurried into the bedroom. Danny was thrashing about on the bed and yelling for his mom and dad. Sitting down on the bed, Daniel pulled the crying child onto his lap to try and calm him. “Shh, Danny, everything’s alright. You’re safe. Quiet down.”

 

Danny’s cries lessened. “I want my mom and dad,” he whimpered.

 

“I know, I know. Remember, we talked about how they died a long time ago.”

 

Danny was still having trouble coping with the suddenness of everything happening to him. “I remember what you told me, but I just saw them a couple of days ago. It just doesn’t make sense. Besides, how do you know they’re dead? Maybe they’re just older now. Maybe they’ll still want me.”

 

Daniel sighed. “They’re dead, Danny. You have to trust me on this.”

 

Danny peered up at Daniel quizzically as if he’d just figured something out. “Who are you? And why do you seem to know so much about me and my life?”

 

Figuring he’d have to explain about himself sooner or later, Daniel answered, “I’m also Daniel Jackson. I’m you, only older.”

 

Puzzling this new information over in his mind, Danny sucked his thumb. Daniel waited him out. “Does that mean I’m going to turn into you?”

 

“No,” Daniel tried to explain, “you’re probably going to look like me, but who we are is based partly on what we experience. From here on out, you’re going to live a very different life than I did.”

 

“Oh.” Danny said quietly. Danny snuggled into Daniel. Then a new thought occurred to him, “If you’re me, that means your parents died when you were eight.”

 

“Yeah, they did.” Daniel had hoped he wouldn’t have to go into too much detail tonight.

 

“Who took care of you?” Danny wanted to know.

 

Daniel hugged him a little closer. “A lot of different people took care of me.”

 

“I want Colonel O’Neill to take care of me,” Danny stated again.

 

“I know you do, but it just won’t work.” Daniel decided it was time to draw this late night discussion to a close. “Okay, Danny, it’s late and you need to get a some sleep. Let’s get you tucked back into bed.” He laid Danny back onto the bed and was to pulling the covers up when his wrists were grabbed.

 

“Please don’t leave,” Danny pleaded. “I don’t want to be alone.”

 

Daniel paused, when Danny spoke up again, “I’m small. There’s enough room for you, too.”

 

Not able to resist the plea, Daniel agreed and climbed under the covers as Danny moved over. “Okay, but you’re going back to sleep, right?”

 

Danny rolled over, grabbed his camel and stuck his thumb in his mouth. “Uh huh,” he mumbled as he closed his eyes.

 

Daniel opening up to his smaller counterpart encouraged Jack. He turned around and went back up to his bedroom thinking about what to do with his two Daniels.

 

 

Part 5: Rules and Consequences

  

The next morning Jack woke up first. He went into the kitchen to start the coffee, and then went to wake up the boys. He looked through the doorway and saw Danny with his thumb in his mouth and his arm across Daniel’s back. Wishing he had a camera, he called out, “Come on, sleepy heads. Time to wake up. Rise and shine. Wakey, wakey.”

 

Daniel groaned, “Coffee?”

 

“Already brewing, but you have to get up and get it yourself.” Jack turned around, calling out, “Meet you in the kitchen.”

 

Daniel rolled over in bed and sat up. He looked at Danny and asked, “Sleep well?”

 

Danny nodded, but was too comfortable to get up.

 

“Come on, I’ll race you to the bathroom.” Daniel pretended to rush to the bathroom. Not able to resist a challenge, Danny got out of bed and darted in first. He turned around and smiled. “Hey, you’re too fast. You beat me.” He ruffled Danny’s head and then they both got ready for the day.

 

As they both entered the kitchen, they noticed Jack had already made pancakes and set the table. “Hey, I didn’t know you could cook,” stated Daniel.

 

“Yeah, well can’t exactly order pizza for breakfast. At least not with a kid in the house.” Jack served up the food and they all sat down to eat.

 

When they were almost done, Jack decided to take care of some business. “Okay, Danny. You know we’re going to find a family for you to live with, but until then your going to stay with me, right?”

 

“Uh huh,” he mumbled, “but you know I want to stay with you, Colonel O’Neill.” Danny wasn’t going to give up trying to stay with Jack.

 

“I know, and you can call me Jack, okay?” Danny nodded. “In the meantime, we need to set some rules for you.” Jack wasn’t going to let Danny run wild while he was in charge.

 

“What rules?” Danny questioned. He didn’t like the idea of a whole bunch of rules.

 

“Rules like, no throwing tantrums.” Danny looked a little guilty remembering his behavior of the night before. “Doing what you’re told, and no lying.”

 

“I don’t lie,” insisted Danny.

 

“I believe you,” said Jack. “I just want to make sure we all understand what the rules are. Didn’t your mom and dad have rules for you?”

 

“Yeah.” Danny’s thumb popped back in his mouth. Jack had noticed Danny did this when he didn’t really want to talk about something.

 

“What were those rules?”

 

“No wandering off.” He slouched down in his chair.

 

Jack began leading Danny. “What did your dad do when you broke that rule?”

 

Danny glared at Daniel. Daniel shrugged his shoulders. Not wanting to answer the question, Danny remained silent.

 

“Remember, you told me you don’t lie,” Jack prompted.

 

“Not answering a question isn’t the same as lying.” Danny tried to worm his way out of answering.

 

Jack was done with the run around. “No, it’s not. However, I’m telling you to answer the question.”

 

“Fine. I got spanked when I broke that rule. You already knew that, didn’t you?” asked Danny, realizing Daniel already knew everything about him and had probably told Jack.

 

“As a matter of fact I did, but I wanted you to confirm it. So, when you break my rules, you’re going to get a spanking.” Jack wanted to make sure Danny understood.

 

Danny said very quietly, “I don’t like spankings.”

 

“I understand, but that’s the point. If you don’t like them, don’t break the rules.”

 

“What if I only break a little rule?” questioned Danny, looking for a loophole.

 

Jack sighed. He wondered how Daniel’s parents had coped with him. “Rules are rules. However, there’s always corner time and groundings to consider.”

 

“I don’t like those, either.”

 

“Good, that means you won’t want to break the rules. You’ll also have to keep your room clean, and help out around the house. Do you understand everything?” asked Jack

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny grumbled.

 

“Well, now that everything’s settled, let’s clean up the kitchen.” With everyone helping, the kitchen was soon tidy.

 

Daniel piped up, “So, what do we want to do now?”

 

Just then the phone rang.

 

Jack answered it, and spoke to Carter. After hanging up, he told everyone, “That was Carter. She found someone to test Danny. We have an appointment at 1000 hours.”

 

Danny stared up at Jack, “What test? I don’t want any more needles.”

 

Daniel knelt down and answered, “Not a medical test, Danny. We need to test you to find out how much you know so we can figure out what school you should go to.”

 

“I don’t go to school. My mom teaches me, and the other grownups in the camp teach me.” Danny didn’t understand why he should have to go to school.

 

Jack decided to explain. “That was okay when you lived in Egypt, but now you live here. In the US, kids go to school when they’re five-years old.”

 

Danny was still unsure. “But why are you testing me? Why can’t I just go to school?”

 

Daniel tried again. “Danny, you know you’re very smart, right?”

 

Danny shook his head. “I’m not any smarter than anyone else. I’m just me.”

 

“Oh, you’re you alright, but you are smart. There are special classes for kids who are smart like you are, but you have to take some tests to determine which classes you need to be in.”

 

Danny asked, “Do the tests hurt?” He remembered the needle poke.

 

Daniel picked Danny up. “No, the doctor who gives you your test will just ask you a lot of questions about what you know. All you have to do is answer them.”

 

“What if I don’t know all the answers?” He put his head on Daniel’s shoulder.

 

Daniel rubbed his back. “You don’t have to know all the answers. In fact, there will be many answers you won’t know. That’s the way the test works. All you have to do is your best.”

 

“Okay,” Danny agreed, “if you say so.”

 

“Now that that’s settled, let’s get ready to go,” Jack said clapping his hands together.

 

Danny did his best on the tests he was given, even though he didn’t understand the point. Afterwards, Jack and Daniel discussed the results with the doctor.

 

“So, what did we learn about Danny, Dr. Carn?” Jack asked getting right to the point.

 

“Young Danny is extremely intelligent. He pretty much tested off the charts,” stated Dr. Carn. “You’re going to have a hard time keeping him intellectually challenged.”

 

“I had a feeling you might say that.” Jack gave Daniel a look. “So what do we do about school for him?”

 

“There is a school for gifted children here in Colorado Springs he would qualify for. All you need to do is contact them and show them his test scores,” the doctor said as he handed Jack a file with the test results and the school information. “Good luck.”

 

“Thank you, Doctor. We appreciate your input.”

 

Jack and Daniel got up, shook the doctor’s hand, and went to the waiting room to get Danny. Danny was sitting in a chair looking at a magazine. “Come on, Danny. It’s time to get lunch.”

 

Danny wanted to know what the doctor had said about him. “Well,” he said impatiently as they walked to the truck.

 

“Well, what?” Jack asked, knowing exactly what Danny wanted to know.

 

Danny stamped his foot in frustration. “What did the doctor say about me?” he asked, raising his voice.

 

Jack lifted Danny’s chin up to get his attention, saying firmly, “Watch your tone of voice, young man, or you’ll be getting one of those consequences we talked about this morning.”

 

“Sorry, Sir,” Danny muttered.

 

Jack lifted Danny up into the truck and fastened him into the booster seat. “He said you’re smart, which we already knew, and he gave us the name of a school you could go to.” Jack closed the truck door and climbed into the driver’s seat.

 

“But…”

 

“No buts. That’s all you need to know right now. Let’s get some lunch.” Jack pulled out of the parking lot.

 

Danny was pouting in the back seat. “I don’t want lunch. I want to know what else he said about me.” Danny hadn’t really intended Jack to hear the comment, but unfortunately, he said it a little too loudly.

 

“I said enough.” Jack raised his voice loud enough to make his point. He added, “I think we need to head home first and have a discussion about your behavior.”

 

Danny wisely kept his mouth shut. However he did look to Daniel for a little support. Daniel gave him a friendly look, but didn’t interfere. Jack had taken charge, and Daniel would support his decisions, within reason. He already knew how stubborn he could get now, and it wasn’t any different when he had been a child.

 

The ride home was very quiet. When they got into the house, Jack escorted Danny into the den.

 

Jack didn’t waste any time. He sat down in his chair and pulled Danny onto his lap. “Danny, when I say something, I mean it.”

 

“But…” Danny tried again.

 

“No, Danny. I told you we were done discussing the subject, and you needed to accept that. You can’t just ignore me.” Jack knew he had to follow through with the consequence. “You’re going to get a spanking now.”

 

Danny started tearing up. “I’m sorry. I’ll remember next time. Please don’t spank me.”

 

“Sorry, Danny. You chose to disobey me knowing you’d get spanked if you did. Come on, let’s get this over with.” Jack flipped Danny over on his lap and pulled down his pants. “Why are you getting this spanking, Danny?”

 

Danny cried, “Because I ignored you when you told me to stop asking questions. I’m sorry.”

 

Jack spanked Danny’s backside until he felt the lesson had been learned. He pulled up Danny’s pants and flipped him back onto his lap. Holding Danny tightly to his chest he soothed the crying child. “It’s alright, Danny. It’s over now. Everything’s okay.” Jack kept rubbing his back and saying words of comfort until the crying quieted.

 

Danny whispered, “Do you still like me, Jack?” barely loud enough for Jack to hear.

 

Jack reassured him, “Of course I still like you. Everyone makes mistakes. Just because you do something wrong, doesn’t mean I stop liking you.” Jack wiped some tears from Danny’s face. “Why don’t you go wash your face and then go see what Daniel’s doing? I have a feeling he’s made something for lunch by now.”

 

Danny gave Jack a hug, then slipped off his lap and went to do what he’d been told.

 

Jack sat in the den for a while just thinking. He knew he was falling in love with the boy. He hoped a home was found for him soon, before it became too hard for him to give Danny up.

 

 

Part 6: Shared Memories and a New History

  

When Danny found Daniel he was in the kitchen having made macaroni and cheese for lunch. Danny sat down carefully at the kitchen table; thankful the chairs were padded.

 

Daniel also sat down to eat, asking, “You okay?”

 

Danny answered, “Yeah.” He was silent for another moment. “Why’d you have to tell Jack Dad spanked us?” Danny accused.

 

“He asked. Besides, I think he would have decided to spank you whether or not he knew our dad did.” Daniel ate some more. “You said in your time it’s just a couple of months after your fifth birthday, right?” Danny nodded not sure where Daniel was going with this. “If I remember right, I’d just recently broke Dad’s rule of not wandering off.”

 

Figuring out what Daniel was talking about, Danny answered, “Yeah, I went to climb the pyramid while everyone was busy.”

 

“And I climbed about six levels when I got scared of how high I was,” Daniel continued.

 

“Uh huh, I froze and waited for someone to find me.”

 

“Dad was the one to find me. He wasn’t very happy.” All of Daniel’s memories of the event had come back.

 

Danny’s memories were more recent. “After he took me back to camp, he spanked me, hard.”

 

“I remember. That was one of the worst ones. I got grounded, too.” Daniel remembered he’d had to stay in the tent for a week, and then couldn’t leave the campsite for another week.

 

Danny became very quiet. “I was on the last day of the tent grounding when I ended up on the planet you found me on.” His thumb had found his mouth again.

 

Daniel shook off his memories, noticing how withdrawn Danny had become. “Are you okay?”

 

Danny stared at his food. Finally he asked, “Do you think I was taken away because I was bad?” He looked at Daniel from under his lashes.

 

Daniel got up and picked Danny up to comfort him. He rubbed circles on Danny’s back, saying, “No, Danny, no. Nothing you did caused this to happen. Dad forgave you and forgot about it a long time ago.”

 

“It wasn’t a long time ago for me,” Danny mumbled, “besides, you don’t know why I ended up on the planet.”

 

“No, I don’t, but I do know it wasn’t because you were bad. You just have to trust me on this.” Daniel didn’t realize his gift for feeling guilty about everything had started so young.

 

Daniel walked into the living room and sat down on the couch with Danny.

 

Jack walked in, saw them and asked, “Are you two okay?” He sat down next to them.

 

“We’re fine, Jack. Just talking about some shared memories.”

 

Danny spoke up, “Jack, I was wondering about something.”

 

“What?”

 

“Um, I overheard something.” Danny wasn’t sure whether or not he’d be in trouble for listening in.

 

“What did you overhear?” Jack wanted to know what was bothering Danny.

 

“You and Daniel were talking about needing to teach me a new history. What did you mean by that?”

 

Daniel took over the conversation, “Don’t worry about it, Danny. It just means you need to learn some new information so when people ask you questions about your past, it doesn’t sound weird.”

 

“Do I get to keep my name?”

 

“Yes, you get to keep your name.” Danny smiled at him. “You also get to keep your birthday, but we need to change the year to 1992.”

 

Danny thought for a minute. “That makes sense. If I told people I was born in 1965, I’d be thirty-two years old like you are.”

 

“Yeah. Good thinking.” Daniel didn’t want to mention the next part, but knew he had to. “We also need to change your parents’ names.”

 

Danny looked shocked. “Why?”

 

Jack answered, “If you told people your parents were Claire and Melborne Jackson, they would be able to find out they’d died in 1973, before you were even supposed to be born.”

 

“Oh.” Danny didn’t like this part, but understood why. “What names do I need to remember?”

 

“Cathy and Mark Jackson. Also, you need to remember they died in a car accident in Cairo.” Jack figured he might as well get it all over with at once. He watched Danny’s thumb go in his mouth, and said, “I know this is an awful lot to have to deal with right now. Are you okay with all this?”

 

“No,” Danny responded, “but I don’t really have a choice, do I?” He snuggled in closer to Daniel.

 

Daniel rubbed Danny’s head. “No, you really don’t. However, that’s really all we need to change. You were still born and raised on your parents’ digs in Egypt. Just try not to talk about your past too much, except with us.”

 

Now Danny found something to get angry about. He pushed away from Daniel. “How I am I supposed to talk to you guys about my past, when you’re giving me away?”

 

Jack and Daniel both sighed. They knew he had a point, but still felt he would be better off with a more stable family. “Danny, we already discussed this, and I’m not going over it again. We’re doing what we think is best for you. You just have to accept it.”

 

“And I have no say?” Danny argued.

 

“No, you don’t. You’re only five-years old. This is a decision for adults to make.” Jack was very tired of this argument.

 

“It’s not fair,” Danny muttered.

 

Daniel agreed, “You’re right. It’s not fair.” Daniel hugged Danny, passed him over to Jack, and walked outside.

 

Both Danny and Jack looked questioningly at each other. Jack wasn’t sure what was going on with Daniel, but knew he should find out. He put Danny down on the couch and gave him a book to read. “You stay here for a minute. I’m going to go check on Daniel. Okay?”

 

“Sure. I’m sorry if I did something wrong.”

 

Jack reassured him, “I’m sure it wasn’t anything you did. Sometimes Daniel just needs some space. I’ll be back soon.”

 

Jack found Daniel leaning on the porch railing. He walked over to him and put his hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “You okay?” he asked with concern.

 

Daniel kept staring out into the yard, but answered, “I’m fine, Jack.”

 

He looked anything but fine to Jack. “What are you thinking about?”

 

“I was just remembering similar conversations every time the social workers switched me to a new foster home. I finally stopped asking about where I was going to live. They never asked me what I wanted anyway.” Daniel turned to look at Jack. “I don’t like the idea of Danny going through what I did.”

 

“He won’t, Daniel. We’re going to find him a permanent home. He won’t be moved around like you were. I promise.”

 

“I certainly hope you can keep that promise, Jack.” Daniel had been promised many things during his childhood, although very few promises were kept.

 

Jack certainly agreed. He decided to change the topic. “Let’s go back inside, Daniel. Danny’s worried about you, and I think we need to let him know you’re okay. Then let’s go do something fun.”

 

“Can we let him decide what to do?” Daniel wanted to give Danny back some control.

 

“Sure,” Jack laughed, “within reason of course. Ready?”

 

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

 

Daniel and Jack walked back into the living room to find Danny pretending to be reading. It was much more obvious he had been watching them talk on the porch. Danny looked up from his book.

 

Jack said, “Enough of this serious talk. Let’s get out of the house and have some fun. What do you want to do, Danny?”

 

Danny put the book down. “I don’t know. What is there to do for fun here?”

 

Jack thought for a minute. It had been a long time since he’d had to think of something fun for a child to do. “We could go to the zoo, to the park, or maybe see a movie.”

 

“Are there any museums here?” Danny loved looking at all the artifacts in museums.

 

Daniel chuckled. “Yeah, there’s a great museum in town. They even have a children’s section.”

 

Jack groaned, “Museum, I should have known. Some people never change.”

 

“No, we don’t, Jack. You did say he could decide,” Daniel laughed.

 

“Fine, fine. Danny go to the bathroom and we’ll head out.” Jack knew he had lost.

 

 

Part 7: The Simms

  

Danny and Daniel had a great time at the museum. Jack managed to survive the trip without sounding like a whiny child, at least most of the time. Upon arriving home, Daniel went to see if they had anything to eat for dinner. Danny went to put away the items Jack had bought for him in the gift shop. Jack went to listen to his messages on the answering machine. Jack wasn’t thrilled with the message General Hammond had left. They’d found a family for Danny. The General wanted him to come back to the mountain with Danny and his things, tonight. Resigning himself to the situation, Jack walked into the kitchen to tell Daniel. Danny was already in there, having already put his things away.

 

Daniel heard Jack come in and poked his head out of the refrigerator saying, “Jack, I can’t find anything for dinner. I think we’re going to need to either order something in or hit the grocery store.” Standing up and seeing the look on Jack’s face he stopped talking.

 

Danny also noticed something was up. “Jack, what’s wrong?”

 

Jack tried to put a smile on his face. “Nothing’s wrong. As a matter of fact, it’s good news. General Hammond called. He found a family for you.”

 

Both Daniels said, “Oh.”

 

“Yeah, apparently one of the technicians has been trying to adopt a boy. He and his wife have already adopted two girls, aged seven and ten.” Trying to make it sound good, Jack added, “It looks like you’re going to have big sisters.”

 

“That’s nice,” replied Danny, even though he didn’t think so. “When do I have to go live with them?”

 

“They want you to come to the mountain now, to meet him. Then he’ll take you home with him.”

 

“Tonight?” exclaimed Daniel. He finally closed the refrigerator door.

 

Jack responded, “Yes, right now. General Hammond thinks it will be best for Danny to adjust to his new family as soon as possible. I’m going to go pack up Danny’s things and then we’ll go.” Jack turned around went to Danny’s room to pack.

 

Daniel and Danny looked at each other. “I don’t want to go,” said Danny.

 

“I know you don’t, Danny,” he said, “but I do think it will be best for you. You’ll have a whole family to love you.”

 

“I don’t want them to. I want you and Jack to.” Danny’s eyes were tearing up.

 

Daniel attempted to make the best of things. “We love you, Danny, and we will visit you. I want you to promise me you’ll give this family a chance.”

 

“No.”

 

Daniel became concerned by Danny’s attitude. “Danny, you have to try to make it work. Promise me you will.”

 

“I can’t. Jack says I can’t lie. If I promised you, it’d be a lie.” Danny stared at the floor refusing to meet Daniel’s eyes.

 

Daniel was just about to continue the discussion when Jack walked in with a suitcase in one hand and Danny’s camel in the other. He handed the camel to Danny and said, “Okay, guys, time to go.” Danny took the stuffed animal, stuck his thumb in his mouth and followed Jack out to the truck. Daniel followed a little ways behind wondering if Danny would adjust.

 

The drive to the mountain was made in silence. Jack carried in the suitcase, while Daniel carried the booster seat. Jack tried to reach down and take Danny’s hand. He refused, but did walk alongside.

 

Entering the briefing room, Jack saw a handsome man of about 35 years old sitting at the briefing table. He stood up and saluted when the Colonel entered the room. “Lieutenant Simms, Sir.”

 

Jack saluted back, and then reached out to shake his hand. “Nice to meet you, Lieutenant Simms. This is Dr. Jackson, and this is Danny,” said Jack, introducing the other two.

 

Lieutenant Simms shook Daniel’s hand and then knelt down to Danny’s level. He put out his hand and tried to say hi. “Hi, Danny. I’m very happy you’re going to become a part of my family. We have two girls, but I’ve always wanted a little boy.”

 

Danny looked right at him. However, he kept his thumb in his mouth, and clutched his camel to his chest. He refused to shake Lt. Simms hand.

 

General Hammond spoke up, “Well gentlemen, why don’t we all sit down and get to know each other.”

 

Danny sat in his own chair and didn’t speak the whole time the adults were talking. He did, as always, listen to everything being said.

 

Finally, the talk seemed to draw to a close. Lt. Simms said, “If there’s nothing else anyone wants to know, I’d really like to take Danny home now. My wife and girls are very excited to meet him.”

 

Jack responded, “Yes, I think that’s all we need to discuss.” Jack glanced at the others to make sure they agreed.

 

Everyone stood up. Jack bent down to try to say goodbye to Danny, but Danny just backed up glaring at him. Jack attempted to hide his own pain by ruffling Danny’s hair and saying goodbye.

 

Daniel didn’t have any more luck than Jack did.

 

After all the goodbyes were said, Lt. Simms left the base with Danny.

 

Then General Hammond informed Jack and Daniel they had a briefing at 0800 hours the next morning for a mission they were to go on the next afternoon. Finally, he dismissed them.

 

Daniel tried to follow Jack out, but Jack rebuffed him. Jack quietly said, “Daniel, I know you may want to talk about this right now, but I don’t. I’m tired and I’m going to crash on base. I’ll see you at the briefing.” Not giving Daniel a chance to respond, he walked away.

 

Daniel chose to drop the subject, for now. He went to his office to catch up on some work.

 

 

Part 8: Bringing Danny Home

 

It had been a long week for SG-1. The mission took longer than planned, and Jack had definitely not been in a happy camper. There hadn’t been any action to occupy Jack’s thoughts. Fortunately for Daniel, his services were in great demand on the mission. The only problem being, because of Daniel’s schedule, he had yet to get Jack to talk.

 

General Hammond met SG-1 as they came down the ramp. “Welcome back, SG-1. Colonel O’Neill, Dr. Jackson. I need to see both of you in my office after Dr. Fraiser clears you. Dismissed.”

 

Jack tried to get some more information out of the General. “Sir, care to let us know what this is about?”

 

“No, Colonel. I’ll see you after you’re cleared. Report to the infirmary.” At that, General Hammond walked away.

 

Jack was very frustrated and fidgety in the infirmary. Daniel wasn’t any better. Sam and Teal’c made sure the two men were checked first. Janet was never so happy to get the two men out of her hair.

 

As soon as they were released, they reported to the General. Hammond ushered them into his office and asked them to sit down.

 

Jack was impatient. “General, what is this all about?”

 

General Hammond stated, “There seems to be a problem with Danny’s placement. Things aren’t going well.”

 

Daniel sighed, “I was afraid this would happen.”

 

Jack turned to stare at Daniel. “Why would you say that?”

 

“I tried to get him to promise to give his new family a chance,” Daniel said. “He refused.”

 

Jack raised his voice, “Why didn’t you say something?” Daniel just glared at him. “Never mind, I never gave you a chance, did I?” asked Jack as he ran his fingers through his hair.

 

Daniel worried at his thumb. Turning back to Hammond, he asked, “What exactly is happening, General?”

 

“Well, it seems Danny has refused to speak.”

 

Jack was surprised. “At all. He hasn’t talked in a week?” He looked over at Daniel who didn’t seem surprised by the information. “Daniel, why aren’t you surprised by this? We can hardly ever get you to stop talking.”

 

“I don’t always talk, Jack,” insisted Daniel. “Although I’m not surprised Danny stopped talking.”

 

“Why is that, Dr. Jackson?”

 

Daniel thought about how to explain it. “I knew he didn’t want to live with them, so I figured he’d do something to get himself kicked out.” He quietly added, “I’ve done it before.”

 

Jack was taken aback by what Daniel had admitted. “You purposely did things to get kicked out of foster homes?”

 

“Yes, Jack. If I didn’t like them, or I thought they didn’t like me, I’d try to get the family to get rid of me.” Daniel didn’t enjoy talking about most of his time in foster care. “Not talking was one of the methods I used. Either that, or only talking in a language they couldn’t understand. I guess he took the silent route.”

 

“Anyways,” General Hammond continued, “Lt. Simms isn’t so sure keeping Danny in his home is the best idea.”

 

Daniel grumbled, “He wants to get rid of him.”

 

“To put it bluntly, yes. However, he is willing to keep him until we find him another home.”

 

“No,” stated Daniel firmly.

 

“No?” Jack questioned.

 

Daniel insisted again, “No. If Lt. Simms doesn’t want Danny, he’s not going to stay there. It’s a rotten feeling to live in a house where you’re not wanted, even if it’s only for a short time.”

 

General Hammond put the ball back in Daniel’s court. “If we don’t leave him with the Simms, what are we going to do with him? If, as you say, he won’t make an effort to stay somewhere he doesn’t want to be, how do we find a home for him?”

 

Daniel just looked at Jack.

 

Jack, understanding the look, said, “No, Daniel. You know I can’t take him.”

 

“You’re the one he wants, Jack. You know that.” Daniel wasn’t pleading with Jack; he was just stating the facts. “If you don’t take him, he’ll just keep getting shuffled from home to home. It’s not a nice life, Jack.”

 

“He’ll just have to deal with it. Besides, if I do keep him, who’s going to watch him when we go on missions? You know how often we’re off-world.” Jack wasn’t trying to be difficult; he just couldn’t see how it could work.

 

“We do have a military daycare near the mountain,” said Hammond with a smile. “They will keep children overnight. Also, I believe my daughter might be willing to watch him from time to time.”

 

Daniel and Hammond were both looking at Jack waiting for a response.

 

“And what if something happens to me? How would he deal with losing one more person in his life?” Jack didn’t want to take on Danny, only to leave him alone again.

 

“I know he’d rather have you for as long as he can, than not have you at all. He’d be better able deal with your death, than to continue living with families he doesn’t want.” Daniel’s experience was reflected in his tone.

 

“Well, Jack?” asked the General.

 

“Do you both really think we can make this work?”

 

“Yes!” they said at the same time.

 

“Okay. General, I’m going to need some time to make arrangements.” Jack was already thinking through everything he needed to accomplish in order to keep Danny.

 

“You have a week. If you need any more time, will discuss it then. Dismissed.” Hammond was grinning. He had hoped the situation would turn out this way.

 

Jack and Daniel stood up. “Well, Daniel. Let’s go collect the little tyrant,” he chuckled, as he clapped Daniel on the back.

 

“Sounds good to me, Jack.” Daniel added, “And he’s not a tyrant.”

 

“Is too.”

 

“Is not.”

 

“Is too.”

 

“Not.”

 

“Is.”

 

“If Danny’s a tyrant, then that makes me one, too.”

 

“And your point is?” implied Jack smugly.

 

“Jack!”

 

Shortly after leaving the mountain, Jack and Daniel arrived at the Simms’ house. General Hammond had phoned ahead to let Lt. Simms know they were coming to pick up Danny.

 

Lt. Simms answered Jack’s knock. “Nice to see you again, Colonel, Dr. Jackson. I’m sorry things didn’t work out.”

 

“We’re sorry too,” Jack said. “Is Danny ready to go?”

 

“Well, Colonel,” Lt. Simms stammered. “We have everything ready and packed up. We even told Danny you were coming to get him.”

 

“And,” prompted Daniel.

 

“He won’t come out of his room. I’m not sure why.”

 

“Just show us to the room. We’ll talk to him,” said Jack.

 

“You know, I’d like to hear that. I’ve been wondering what his voice sounded like.”

 

Jack and Daniel were shown to Danny’s room. Upon entering, they saw Danny sitting on his bed. He was sucking his thumb and holding his camel, just like always. However, his eyes weren’t happy. Jack could see the anger lurking below the surface.

 

Jack spoke up first. “Come on, Danny. It’s time to go.”

 

Danny shook his head.

 

“Listen, young man, you have made it perfectly clear by your behavior you don’t want to stay here. So, let’s go.” Jack was concerned, but also impatient.

 

Danny asked rudely, “Why should I go with you? You’re just going to send me off to another family when you find one for me.”

 

Jack sat down on the bed next to him, and Danny scooted away. “We’re not going to find another family for you.” Danny looked up in surprise. “I’m going to try to keep you, but there are a lot of things we need to work out. So let’s go home and we can talk there.”

 

Danny looked up at Daniel. “Is he telling the truth?”

 

“Yes,” Daniel answered.

 

“I’m not going to be sent away again?” Danny wanted more reassurance.

 

Jack answered this time. “No, but you are going to have to stay with other people when I’m on missions.”

 

“That’s okay.” Danny slid off the bed and stood up. “Let’s go then.”

 

He took Jack’s hand and started walking to the front door. Daniel grabbed his stuff. They said their goodbyes and piled into the truck.

 

Danny fell asleep on the way home.

 

 

Part 9: Creating a New Life

  

Danny woke up the next morning confused about where he was, then remembered Jack and Daniel had picked him up at the Simms the night before. He got out of bed and heard voices in the living room, so he went to investigate. Jack and Daniel were sitting and watching the news. Danny climbed up on the couch and snuggled into Jack.

 

“Morning, Danny.” Jack put his arm around Danny and hugged him close.

 

“Morning, Jack, Daniel.” Danny stared up at Jack and asked, “Am I in trouble?”

 

“Why would you think you were in trouble?” Jack asked, although he thought he knew what Danny was thinking about.

 

Danny’s head was down. “Because of my not talking to the Simms.”

 

Rubbing Danny’s back, Jack questioned, “Do you think you should be in trouble for that?”

 

“It wasn’t a nice thing to do,” Danny responded.

 

Jack continued, “No, it wasn’t. So why did you do it?”

 

“You know why.”

 

“Tell me anyway.”

 

“I didn’t want to live with them,” Danny said slowly. “I wanted to live with you. I figured they wouldn’t want me if I didn’t talk, so they’d give me back.” Danny started worrying at his thumb.

 

Jack made Danny look at him. “You know we wanted you to accept your new family.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” he mumbled.

 

“I don’t like being manipulated.”

 

“No, Sir.”

 

“It’s not going to happen again, is it?” Jack asked.

 

Danny started crying. “I thought you were keeping me?”

 

Jack pulled Danny onto his lap. “I am keeping you, Danny. I’m sorry if I made you think I wasn’t. I just meant I didn’t want you to act up any more to get your own way.”

 

“I won’t, Jack. I’ll be good,” Danny said, eager to please.

 

“You are good, Danny. I’ll keep you no matter what. We’re going to have a lot of things we’re going to have to work through, but we’ll make it work.” Jack made sure Danny was listening, and gave him another hug. “I know you’re going to get in trouble sometimes. Everyone does. That doesn’t mean I’ll send you away. Do you understand all this?”

 

“Yes, Sir.” Danny put his arms around Jack’s neck, and whispered in his ear, “I love you.”

 

“I love you, too, Danny.” Jack was blinking back tears.

 

Daniel had remained quiet during Jack and Danny’s conversation. He was grateful things had worked out okay. He just wished he’d found someone like Jack when he’d been a kid. He wondered just how different Danny’s life would be than his own.

 

“Okay, Danny. Let’s get you dressed and ready for the day. We have a lot of things to take care of, now that you’re going to be staying here permanently.” Jack lifted Danny up in the air and then sat him down. Giving him a playful smack, Jack shooed him to his room. “I’ll be up to help you in a minute. You get started. Don’t forget to brush your hair.”

 

Jack looked over at Daniel sitting in the chair. Then he sat back down, never taking his eyes off Daniel.

 

Daniel began to feel a little nervous. “What, Jack?”

 

“I can’t raise Danny on my own, Daniel,” Jack said simply.

 

Daniel asked, “And what does that have to do with me?”

 

Jack answered, “I need you, Daniel. I need you here with me, to help raise him.” Jack was confident having Daniel in the house would make everything easier.

 

“Jack, I’d love to be here, but my moving in will not go over well with the military. Two guys, raising a child. How is that going to look?” Daniel was trying to think of Jack’s career, not trying to get out of being a parent.

 

“I don’t really care how it looks. I need your help. You’re married. I’m divorced. We have three bedrooms. The Air Force will have nothing to say about it.” Jack cared more about what Danny needed, than appearances.

 

“Don’t you think we should talk this over with General Hammond?” Daniel didn’t want to cause any trouble. He just knew how some soldiers could be.

 

Jack thought before answering. “General Hammond already agreed to my being Danny’s guardian. I don’t see how your moving in could be a problem.” Jack held his hand up to stop Daniel from commenting. “However, if talking to him will make you feel better, we’ll do it.”

 

“Okay, Jack. You do know I do want to do this, right?”

 

“I know, Daniel.”

 

“Although, I do think it’s going to be a little weird. I’m actually raising myself. It’s an interesting concept.”

 

Jack commented, “Hey, maybe it will give us an advantage. You’ll already know the type of trouble Danny can get into. It should definitely be nice for him to have someone to talk to about his past.”

 

“Oh, I think he’ll find all sorts of new trouble to get into I’d never even thought of.” Daniel laughed, and then added, “Let’s not say anything to Danny yet. Not until we’re sure we can work it out.”

 

“Don’t worry. We’ll make it work, but I’ll wait.” Jack was determined to make it work.

 

“Jack! I can’t find my shoes!” Danny yelled from his room.

 

Jack and Daniel looked at each other and grinned, “Time to be parents, Daniel.”

 

“I’ll help him find them. You go get yourself ready.” Daniel got up and went to help Danny find his lost pair of shoes.

 

Once everybody was settled in the truck, Danny thought to ask, “What are we doing today?”

 

“Yeah, Jack. Where are we going?” Daniel hadn’t thought to find out either.

 

“First, we have to enroll Danny in the base daycare center. Then, we’re heading over to General Hammond’s house to meet his daughter and granddaughters,” Jack answered as he drove off.

 

Danny wondered out loud, “Why are we going to the General’s house?”

 

“Well, General Hammond told us his daughter might be able to watch you sometimes when we’re away on missions.” Jack glanced at Danny in the mirror. “Plus, Daniel and I need to discuss some things with General Hammond.”

 

“Oh,” was all Danny said.

 

Jack continued, “Tomorrow we need to go over to your school and see how you’re doing.”

 

Daniel noticed Danny’s thumb pop in his mouth. “Is there anything we need to know before we go to your school, Danny?”

 

Danny shook his head, saying, “No, I’ve been good. I haven’t talked there yet, but I’ve been good. You really don’t need to go.”

 

Jack asked, “I thought you were only not talking to the Simms. You didn’t talk at school either?”

 

“No. I haven’t said a word since the night you took me to the mountain,” Danny answered.

 

“That’s a long time to not talk,” stated Daniel. Danny just shrugged his shoulders.

 

Jack’s voice was firm. “You will be talking at school from now on, right?”

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

“Anyways, we still want to meet with your teachers to introduce ourselves.” Jack was almost to the daycare center.

 

“Okay.” Danny noticed Jack pulling into the parking lot of a nice looking building with a playground. “Is this the daycare?”

 

“Yep, it sure is. Nice looking place, isn’t it?”

 

“Yeah. How much will I be staying here?” Danny asked.

 

Jack responded, “After school until someone picks you up. However, they do have an overnight section, if we have to stay on base and we don’t have anyone available to get you.”

 

“Do very many kids sleep over?” Danny didn’t like the idea, but he knew it was part of getting to live with Jack.

 

“I’m not sure. That’s one of the things we’ll have to ask.” Jack got out of the truck. He released Danny from the booster seat and said, “Come on, let’s go check it out and get your questions answered.”

 

A nice looking young lady met them in the office area. “Welcome to the Norad daycare center. I’m Miss Johnson,” she said as she shook Jack’s hand. “You must be Colonel O’Neill, and this must be Danny.” She looked down at Danny and put her hand out.

 

Danny shook the lady’s hand and said, “Yes, ma’am. Nice to meet you.”

 

Daniel reached his hand out and introduced himself. “I’m Dr. Daniel Jackson.”

 

Miss Johnson shook Daniel’s hand. “Your names are quite similar. Any relationship?”

 

Daniel glanced at Jack. “No, just a coincidence.”

 

“Well, let me show you around, and then I’ll try to answer any questions you might have.” Miss Johnson led them through a hallway.

 

The facility was very pleasant. Although they accepted children from newborns to eighteen years old, most of the children serviced were under twelve. They had rooms for various age groups of children. The sleeping area was nicely decorated to try to make the children feel more at home. Outside the playgrounds were separated to keep the younger children safe. At the end of the tour Miss Johnson escorted them into an office to answer their questions.

 

“So, are there any more questions you’d like me to answer?” she asked after everyone had sat down.

 

Jack indicated Danny. “Danny, is there anything else you want to know?”

 

Danny remembered his question. “Do very many kids sleep here?”

 

“We can have up to ten children stay overnight, but most of the time there’s only one or two. Unless, of course, there’s a problem in the complex.”

 

“Okay.” Danny looked at Jack, then back at Miss Johnson and asked shyly, “What happens when kids get in trouble?”

 

“That’s a good question, Danny. We do time children out, and notify the parents when they are picked up. If it’s a big problem, we call the parents right away.” Miss Johnson looked right at Danny. “But I can tell we won’t have any problem with you. You’re such a polite little boy.” Danny dropped his head so he didn’t have to meet her eyes. “Is there anything else?”

 

Jack looked at Daniel who shook his head. “No, I think you’ve told us everything we need to know. We’ll be leaving a list of those people who are authorized to pick Danny up. We have a few days down time to get settled, so he probably won’t be starting until next week.” He stood up to leave.

 

“Thank you for visiting with us. We look forward to Danny joining us. If anything comes up, you’re completely registered, so he can start anytime,” Miss Johnson informed Jack.

 

“Thank you for your time, Miss Johnson,” said Daniel.

 

“You’re welcome.” She looked at Danny. “Good bye, Danny.”

 

Danny answered, “Bye,” and waved at her.

 

As they walked out, Jack asked, “So, Danny, did you like it?”

 

“It’s nice. They had a lot of books.” Jack and Daniel smiled at what Danny was impressed with.

 

Jack said brightly, “One trip down, now on our way to Hammond’s house.

 

General Hammond had prepared for their arrival by having some lemonade and snacks ready. His daughter, Bonnie Williams, had moved in with him after his wife had died. Bonnie’s husband traveled a great deal due to his work, and both of them appreciated the company sharing a house offered. Bonnie’s two daughters loved having grampa’s attention. Kayla was four years old; a year younger than Danny, and Tessa was six. He hoped the children would get along.

 

After introductions were over, the children were sent outside to play in the backyard, under Bonnie’s supervision. Hammond, Jack, and Daniel retired to the study to talk.

 

“How are things going, Jack?” Hammond asked.

 

Jack answered, “Pretty good. We enrolled him in the daycare before coming here.” Jack decided to get right to the issue. “There is one thing Daniel and I really need to talk to you about though.”

 

Hammond looked from Jack to Daniel. “And that is?”

 

“I don’t feel I can raise Danny alone.” Jack looked at Daniel. “I want Daniel to move in.”

 

“And the problem is?” the General asked.

 

Daniel spoke up, “I thought it would cause problems for Jack, with all the military regulations and such.”

 

General Hammond thought for a moment. “I don’t have a problem with both of you being Danny’s guardians. I think it would be good for him. The military won’t have a problem with it. There are many airmen who are roommates. The only problem I can see, are airmen who aren’t open-minded. That you’ll have to deal with as it comes.”

 

“We can deal with that, General.” Daniel looked at Jack who nodded in confirmation. “Well, I guess I’m moving in.”

 

“Great. We’ll tell Danny tonight.”

 

At that moment they all heard one of the girls crying outside. They went out to find out what was going on. Finding Kayla sitting on her mom’s lap crying, Jack asked what was going on.

 

Kayla cried, “Danny pushed me down, hard.”

 

Bonnie looked up at Jack while comforting her daughter. “I’m not sure what happened, Jack. The kids were all having fun playing in the fort and going down the slide. The next thing I know, they’re over by the swings and Danny pushes Kayla to the ground. I haven’t had time to find out the problem yet.”

 

Jack looked around for Danny and couldn’t see him. “I’ll get to the bottom of this. Where is Danny, anyway?”

 

“I saw him climb up in the fort,” answered Bonnie.

 

Jack walked over to the fort and looked inside. Danny was sitting in the corner looking nervous and sucking his thumb. “Danny. Come over here.”

 

Danny crawled over to the doorway where Jack was. Jack picked him up under his arms and set him on the ground.

 

Danny couldn’t tell how angry Jack was, but he knew he was in big trouble. Jack had told him to behave when they had pulled up to Hammond’s house. He stared at his feet, with his arms across his chest.

 

“Danny, look at me,” Jack ordered. Danny looked up slowly. “Did you push Kayla down?” Danny nodded his head. “Use your voice, young man.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny answered quietly.

 

“Do you want to tell me why you pushed her?”

 

“No, Sir.”

 

Sighing, Jack questioned, “Are you sure you don’t want to tell me? You might be in less trouble if I knew why you did it.”

 

Danny again said, “No, Sir.”

 

“Okay, then. Come with me.” Jack started back towards the house with Danny following. When he reached the General, he asked, “Sir, may we use your study?”

 

“Certainly, Colonel.”

 

“We’ll be back out shortly, everyone,” Jack said glancing down at Danny, “after Danny and I take care of some business.”

 

When they entered the study, Jack turned around, closed the door, and then sat down in a chair. He called Danny over and sat him on his lap. Jack asked one more time, “Danny, this is your last chance. Are you sure you don’t want to tell me why you pushed Kayla?”

 

Danny resigned himself to the impending spanking. He didn’t want to tell Jack what had happened. “Yes, Sir.”

 

“Okay then.” Jack flipped Danny face down over his lap. “Why are you getting this spanking?” he asked.

 

“Because I hurt Kayla,” Danny answered, feeling the first swat.

 

Jack didn’t spank him very long or very hard. Just long enough for the tears to start falling. He knew Danny wasn’t willing to tell him something, but he also knew from experience that sometimes kids were more apt to talk after a release of emotions. He pulled Danny up and set him on his lap again, rubbing his back and letting him cry.

 

“Now, now, Danny. I know something upset you enough to push Kayla. Whatever happened can’t be so bad you can’t tell me.”

 

Danny’s crying slowed down. So quietly Jack could hardly hear him, Danny said into Jack’s chest, “She was teasing me because I wouldn’t swing on the swing.”

 

Jack couldn’t believe that was the whole problem. “Why didn’t you just swing with her?”

 

Danny didn’t answer Jack.

 

“Come on, Danny. What’s the big deal about swinging on the swing?”

 

Danny cried harder again. “I don’t know how! Everyone at school knows how. Kayla knows how, and she’s younger than me.” Danny scrunched in closer to Jack.

 

Jack hugged him with relief. Even though not knowing how to swing didn’t seem like a big deal, he remembered how important those things could be to a young boy. He pulled Danny a little ways away from him so he could look him in the eye, and asked, “You didn’t have swings in Egypt, did you?” Danny shook his head. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. There are going to be a lot of things you won’t have done when you lived in Egypt. You just need to let us know, and we’ll teach you. You can’t go around fighting over it though. Do you understand?”

 

Danny had stopped crying and wiped at his eyes. “Yes, Sir. Will you teach me how to swing?”

 

“Of course. In fact we’ll go to the park, if there’s time today. If we run out of time we’ll go another time, or we could even put a swing up in our backyard.” Jack loved the smile he received from Danny. “However, right now you need to go apologize to Kayla.”

 

“Do I have to tell her why I pushed her?” Danny didn’t want everyone to know.

 

“No, you don’t. Are you ready now?”

 

“Yes, Sir.” Jack wiped the tear tracks off Danny’s face and sat him down. He took Danny’s hand and said, “You know I love you, right?”

 

“Yes, Sir.” Danny looked up at Jack. “I love you, too.”

 

By the time they both got to the porch, Kayla had also stopped crying. Danny walked up to her and said, “I’m really sorry I pushed you down, Kayla. It won’t happen again. I still want to be your friend, if you’re not still mad at me.”

 

Kayla responded, “I’m not mad anymore. Besides, Tessa pushes harder.” All the adults stifled a laugh. Kayla asked the grownups, “Do we still have time to play?”

 

Hammond answered, “I’m sorry, Kayla. Danny needs to go now, but sometimes Danny is going to be spending the night here when Colonel Jack and Daniel have to work.”

 

Danny looked up at the General in surprise. “You mean I get to come back?”

 

Hammond bent down to Danny. “Of course you do. Just because you did something wrong, doesn’t mean we don’t like you anymore.”

 

“Good, because I really like all of you.” Danny reached up and hugged General Hammond’s neck. The General hugged him back. “See you soon, General Hammond, Mrs. Williams, Kayla, Tessa.”

 

Bonnie said, “Good bye, Danny. We’ll see you soon. Oh, by the way, you can call me Aunt Bonnie if you want.”

 

Danny checked with Jack to make sure, and Jack nodded. Then he went to hug Bonnie. “See you soon, Aunt Bonnie.”

 

The adults all said their good byes and then Jack, Daniel, and Danny left.

 

In the truck, Daniel asked Jack quietly, “So what was the fight about?”

 

Jack knew Danny was listening, so he answered in a normal tone of voice, “Danny wants to learn how to swing. He was embarrassed because Kayla could, and he couldn’t.”

 

Daniel looked in the backseat at Danny who was obviously listening to the conversation. “Danny you’re going to have to get Jack to teach you, I never did learn how.”

 

Danny was shocked. “Never?”

 

“Nope, never. I was eight years old when I came here, remember?” Danny nodded and Daniel continued, “I had never been on a swing either. I never did try to learn. I just avoided them.”

 

Danny piped up, “Maybe Jack can teach you, too.”

 

“Sounds good to me.” Jack glanced at Daniel. “Did you ever learn to ride a bike?” he asked.

 

“Yeah, one of my foster brothers taught me. However, I’d bet Danny would like to learn.” Danny grinned at Daniel. “By the way, Jack, where are we going now?”

 

“I was thinking we could go to the park. Try out the swings.” Jack answered.

 

Danny looked crestfallen. “There’ll be other kids around, won’t there?” he questioned.

 

Daniel agreed, “Yeah, Jack. We don’t want other kids around.” He smiled as he said it. “How about we stop at the toy store and get one for the backyard.” He gave Danny a wink. “Maybe pick up some bikes, too?”

 

Jack realized he’d been taken. He could see Danny’s hopeful face in the rear view mirror. “Fine, we’ll go to the toy store,” he said as he took a right turn. “What am I going to do with the two of you?” he muttered to himself.

 

“Keep us!” Danny and Daniel said together.

 

 

Part 10: A New Start

  

When they got home after buying three bikes and two swings to hang from a tree in the backyard, Jack and Daniel sat down with Danny in the living room to have a talk.

 

Danny was nervous. “Am I in trouble again?”

 

Jack reassured him. “No, no. In fact, Daniel and I have some good news for you.” He looked over at Daniel to continue.

 

“You know how I’ve been staying here temporarily to help out, right?” Daniel was hoping Danny would be happy about him moving in.

 

Danny answered, “Yeah, you have your own place.” Danny wasn’t sure what Daniel was getting at.

 

Daniel cleared his throat. “Well, Jack and I thought it might be better if I moved in permanently.”

 

Danny’s face lit up. “You mean you wouldn’t go away. You’d always live here with Jack and me.”

 

Jack spoke up, “Yes, he’d also be your guardian, like I am. Would you like that?”

 

Danny hopped off the couch, ran over to jump in Daniel’s lap, and hugged him tight. “Of course I would. I wanted you to stay too, but I thought I was lucky to just get to stay with Jack.”

 

Daniel held him close. “I’m very happy you feel that way. Everyday after school we’ll work on getting both of us settled in.”

 

Danny glared at Jack. “You mean I have to go to school this week? I thought you had the week off.”

 

“I have the week off. You don’t. Besides, you don’t want to have to be stuck in the truck all day while I meet with other people.” Jack knew he’d be spending a lot of time arranging to make his and Daniel’s guardianship of Danny legal.

 

Danny whined, “But I thought we were just going to hang out with each other.”

 

Jack gave him a stern look. “Enough with the whining, young man. We will have time to hang out with each other, after school. We made these arrangements so you wouldn’t have to go to daycare this week.”

 

“Oh.” Danny still tried to figure out a way to stay home. “I can miss school for a week. I just started. Besides, I’m smart enough.”

 

Daniel took over. “Danny, it doesn’t matter how smart you are. You still need to go to school. We’ll pick you up every day when school gets out.”

 

“Fine,” Danny said with just a little bit too much attitude earning himself a glare from Jack. “Sorry, Sir,” he apologized.

 

Daniel decided to try to distract Danny before he got himself into more trouble. “Enough talk about school. Let’s go see if we can get the swings hung before dinnertime.”

 

Both Danny and Jack welcomed the distraction and went about collecting what was needed to hang the swings. Unfortunately, the sun went down before they had time to try it out.

 

Danny attempted to stall for time. “Come on, Jack. It’s not that dark. Just a few more minutes. I want to be able to swing at school tomorrow.”

 

Seeing the look on Jack’s face, Daniel intervened and picked up Danny. He whispered in his ear, “Don’t push your luck, kiddo. You’d lose.” Louder he said, “I need your help getting dinner started. You can set the table.”

 

Giving in, Danny went to help with dinner.

 

As Jack was tucking him into bed, Danny made sure of one thing. “Jack, I’m sorry I was whining today.”

 

“I appreciate your apologizing,” Jack said as he pulled the blanket up. “I won’t put up with whining.”

 

“I know. Will you please teach me to swing tomorrow after school though?” Danny gave Jack the puppy dog eyes.

 

Jack smiled and hugged him goodnight. “Yes, I will teach you to swing tomorrow after school. Now, you need to get to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow.” He leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. “I love you, Danny.”

 

“I love you too, Jack,” he said, and then added, “Is Daniel coming in to say goodnight?”

 

At that moment Daniel walked in. “Of course I am.” He bent down and kissed Danny goodnight. “Love you.”

 

“Love you, too.” Danny rolled over and closed his eyes. Danny and Jack left the room and closed the door leaving it open a crack.

 

The next morning everyone had to wake up early. Jack had made an appointment to meet with Danny’s teachers first thing. He wanted them to be aware he and Daniel were available if there were any problems. When they entered the classroom, Danny walked up to his teacher and said, “Good morning, Mrs. Chavez.” Then he sat down at his table.

 

Mrs. Chavez was shocked, to say the least. She had spent the last week trying to teach this absolutely silent boy, only to have him come up and talk to her without hesitation. “Good morning, Danny. Welcome to school.” She looked over at Jack. “You must be Colonel O’Neill. It's nice to meet you. And you are?” she asked, looking at Daniel.

 

Daniel reached out to shake her hand. “I’m Dr. Jackson. It’s nice to meet you. Colonel O’Neill and I are both going to be Danny’s guardians.”

 

“Oh,” she said surprised by the information. She had only been told about Colonel O’Neill when the meeting was scheduled. “It’s very nice to meet you. Please sit down.” She gestured to the child-sized chairs. Jack groaned slightly as he sat down. Daniel stifled his laugh as he tried to fit himself on the small chair. “What did you want to talk about this morning?” Mrs. Chavez asked.

 

Jack answered, “We just wanted to introduce ourselves. We took over guardianship from the Simms this weekend. Danny’s told us he hadn’t spoken at school for the past week. We’ve talked to him about it, and as you can see, he will be talking from now on.”

 

“He’s had a lot of changes in his life the past few weeks,” Daniel added. “We just want to make sure he settles in, now that he has more permanency in his life.”

 

Mrs. Chavez responded, “I am happy to hear that. Even though he hasn’t been speaking, he’s been a pleasure to have in my class. Danny’s a very nice little boy.”

 

“We’re glad to hear that,” Jack said. “If you ever do have any problems though, please let us know. One of us will be picking him up this week. However, next week he will be picked up by the Norad daycare center van.” As Jack stood up from the little chair, everyone could hear his knees crack.

 

“The price of teaching small children,” commented Mrs. Chavez. “Thank you both for coming. I’ll be sure to let you know if anything comes up.”

 

Daniel said, “Thank you for your time.” Then he knelt down next to Danny and hugged him goodbye. “You be good today. We’ll pick you up when school’s over.”

 

“Bye, Daniel.” Danny reached up to hug Jack. “Bye, Jack. You’ll be on time, right?”

 

Jack rubbed his head. “Bye, Danny. And yes, we’ll be on time worry-wort.” Jack shook the teacher’s hand. “Thank you again for your time. I’m sure we’ll be seeing you again soon.”

 

“Goodbye, Colonel O’Neill, Dr. Jackson.” The school bell rang, and all the students began filing in as Jack and Daniel left.

 

 

Part 11: Surviving Daycare

  

The rest of the week was uneventful. Jack taught Danny and Daniel how to swing, and Daniel taught Danny how to ride a bike, although not with out a few bumps and bruises. Jack and Daniel worked through all the legal aspects of becoming Danny’s guardians. General Hammond arranged the birth certificate and social security number.

 

Daniel moved out of his apartment and into Jack’s house, and everyone went shopping to decorate Danny’s bedroom. Not surprisingly he picked out a desert motif. Daniel found some pictures he’d taken on his digs in Egypt to display. Jack bought a comforter that looked like desert sands. Danny talked Daniel into doing his favorite part of the room. One whole wall was a painting of a pyramid. Daniel talked Sam and Teal’c into coming over to help paint. They were all amazed at how well it turned out.

 

The next Monday, Jack and Daniel both had to get back to a full schedule at work. Therefore, Danny was also to begin daycare.

 

Danny was nervous at breakfast that morning. “Why do you have to go back to work? I liked you being home.”

 

Jack exclaimed, running his hand through his hair, “For crying out loud, Danny. We’ve talked about this all weekend. You’re the one who wanted to live with me, and you know how much I have to work.”

 

Danny appeared suitably chastised. “I’m sorry, Jack. I won’t talk about it anymore. It’s just, I miss you guys when you’re gone.” He hung his head to his chest.

 

“I know,” Jack said, a little nicer, “I’d rather be home with you, too. We all understood we’d be apart a lot. We’re just going to have to get used to it, starting today.”

 

“Yes, Sir.” Getting used to things was something Danny was learning to do, whether he wanted to or not. “Do you think I’ll make any friends at daycare?”

 

Daniel began to understand what was really bothering Danny. Although he enjoyed school, Danny was having trouble making friends. There were so many things he didn’t know about. Having been raised in a whole other country was hard enough, but he also had to learn about all the technology developed in the last twenty-seven years. Not all of the kids were understanding enough not to tease him. “Danny, I know you’ve had a hard time making friends. I did too. I think it might be easier to make friends at daycare. It’s more relaxed.” Daniel rubbed Danny’s head.

 

“I agree with Daniel. You’ll probably make a friend today,” Jack encouraged. “However,” Jack said, glancing at his watch, “we need to get going or we’ll all be late.” Jack picked up the breakfast dishes, putting them in the sink to be washed later.

 

“Go grab your backpack, Danny. Jack, I need to grab my things. Are we taking separate vehicles?” Daniel asked. He wasn’t sure if they would both finish work at the same time.

 

“No,” answered Jack. “I think we both need to drop Danny off and pick him up today. I have a feeling he’s going to need our support.”

 

“Sounds good to me. I’ll meet you at the truck.”

 

Deciding to postpone any missions for at least one more week, Jack was inundated with paperwork. Therefore, he visited Daniel and Sam’s offices quite frequently.

 

“How are things going, Sir?” Sam asked on his first visit. “Everyone settling in?” She hadn’t seen him since Wednesday’s painting party.

 

“Fine, fine.” He picked up one of her tools. “Danny was nervous about attending daycare this afternoon. He’s been worrying about it all weekend.” Sam took the tool away from him, so he picked up another one. “I thought Daniel was a worrier, but Danny’s twice as bad.”

 

Taking away the next tool, Sam handed him a magnifying glass. She had plenty of those. “Danny’s been through a lot of changes the last few weeks, Colonel. I’m sure he’ll stop worrying so much once he gets used to everything.”

 

“I hope so. I forgot how much patience it takes to raise a child.”

 

“I’m sure you’ll remember where you hid your patience soon, Sir.” Sam chuckled to herself.

 

“Funny, Carter. Very funny. By the way, when is your next evaluation due?” Jack knew how to fight dirty.

 

Sam responded, “Not for a while, Sir. Didn’t I hear that Daniel was looking for you?”

 

“Trying to get rid of me, Carter?”

 

“I do have to finish this experiment, Colonel.” Sam pointed to all the parts laid out on her lab table.

 

Jack knew when he’d overstayed his welcome. “Fine, I’ll leave, but you’ll miss my shining presence, Captain.”

 

Sam turned back to her work. “I’m sure I will, Sir. I’m sure I will.”

 

General Hammond heard about how distracted O’Neill was today. Figuring he was concerned about how Danny was doing on his first day in daycare, he called Daniel into his office at 1600 hours. “Dr. Jackson. How is it going today?”

 

Daniel wasn’t sure why the General wanted to talk to him. He’d been working on some translations that had backed up while he’d been gone. Except for Jack’s frequent visits, he hadn’t had any contact with anyone else. “Fine, Sir. I’ve been catching up on the backlog in my lab.”

 

“How’s the Colonel been?” Hammond inquired.

 

“He looked fine when he visited my lab, four times.” Daniel clued himself in. “I take it I’m not the only one he’s been visiting.”

 

The General sighed, “No, he’s been visiting almost everyone he knows, being anywhere but in his office.” Finally Hammond got to the point. “If you think you can stop where you are for the day, why don’t you find O’Neill and pick up Danny early. Please.”

 

Daniel grinned. He had experienced the pain of a bored, antsy Jack. “That sounds like a good idea, Sir. I need to put some things away, and then I’ll find Jack and tell him we’re leaving. Thank you, General.”

 

“No, thank you, Son.” Hammond hoped he could finish some of his own work with O’Neill out of the way.

 

It wasn’t hard to convince Jack to leave early. Soon they’d both changed, and were on their way down the mountain to the daycare center.

 

“I hope he had a good day,” commented Jack.

 

“Me, too. We won’t know until we pick him up though, so stop worrying about it.”

 

“Me? Worried? Why would I be worried?” Jack denied

 

When they arrived at the center, Jack and Daniel entered the office to sign Danny out. One of the staff escorted them to the playground where he was playing. They smiled at the sight of Danny and a little girl digging in the dirt. She was dressed in khaki overalls with lots of pockets. Hanging from a loop was a small shovel. They were bent over the hole they’d dug, using a paintbrush to dust off something they’d found.

 

Jack called out to Danny.

 

Danny turned around, saw who was there, and ran over to them. “Jack, Daniel. You’re here.” He gave them both big hugs. Then he whispered, “I made a friend.”

 

Daniel whispered back, “Do you want to introduce us?”

 

“Sure.” Danny grabbed their hands and led them over to where he was digging. “Jack, Daniel. This is Rhonda Siler. Rhonda, this is my Jack and Daniel.”

 

Rhonda stood up to greet them. “Hi,” she said shyly.

 

“Hello, Rhonda. I’m Colonel O’Neill,” Jack corrected.

 

Danny blushed when he realized he’d forgotten to introduce them correctly. “Sorry,” he said.

 

Jack rubbed Danny’s head. “That’s okay.” Turning back to Rhonda, he asked, “Is Sergeant Dave Siler your father?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” she answered. “Do you work with my dad?” Rhonda had been attending the daycare for almost a year. She knew most of the parents worked at the complex.

 

“Yes, both Dr. Jackson and I work with him. He’s a good man.” Jack continued, “We’re here to pick up Danny, so we need to go now. Nice to meet you.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Sir,” she said as she went back to her digging.

 

Danny ran ahead to grab his backpack. Jack commented to Daniel as they followed, “Well, I guess we didn’t need to worry about him.”

 

Daniel raised his eyebrows. “We? Right, Jack.” He shook his head as they met up with Danny and headed home.

 

All the way home, Danny talked non-stop. “Rhonda’s seven. She’s only two years older than me. She goes to a public school. She’s in the second grade, but she’s really smart. I was scared when the van picked me up. I was the first stop, so it was only the driver and me. He let me pick whatever seat I wanted. The van doesn’t have booster seats, but it does have something attached to the seatbelts so they fit better than regular seatbelts. The next stop was Rhonda’s stop. When she got on she choose the seat next to me. I was afraid to talk to her, but she started talking to me. She asked me if I was new, and where I went to school, and what grade I was in. It was so easy to talk to her. We talked the whole way to the daycare. When we got to the daycare, she sat next to me for snacks. Then when it was time to play outside, she asked me what I wanted to play. I said I wanted to play archeology, and she asked what that was. So I told her it was like digging in the dirt for buried treasure. She likes to dig in the dirt, and she knew where the shovels were, and the teachers even let us use some paintbrushes to brush off the ancient artifacts we found. We didn’t really find any ancient artifacts, but we pretended they were. Can Rhonda come over and play this weekend? I told her you’d let me set up my own archeological site in our backyard. Please, Jack, Daniel, please?”

 

Jack wasn’t sure Danny had even taken a breath the entire time he’d been talking. “Danny, slow down a minute. Take a breath. I’m glad you made such a good friend, but we have to talk to her parents before you can invite her over.”

 

“But...”

 

“No buts. I’m sure Sgt. Siler will let her come over, but we need to ask her parents first. It’s just the way things are.” Jack insisted.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny said, “but can you ask her dad at work tomorrow?”

 

“Yes, Danny,” Jack sighed. “If I see him at work, I will ask him.”

 

Danny questioned, “But what if you don’t see him at work. Can you call him to make sure?”

 

“Danny, enough,” Jack said sternly, trying to find the patience he needed.

 

Danny mumbled, “Yes, Sir.” Danny noticed the clock on the dashboard. The time was 4:45. “Daniel?”

 

“Yes, Danny,” Daniel responded, turning around to look at him.

 

Danny was curious. “I thought you weren’t going to pick me up until 5:30 or 6:00 today.”

 

Daniel glanced at Jack. “The General thought you might like to be picked up early today, since it’s your first day and all.”

 

“That was nice of him,” Danny commented, “but you can pick me up at the regular time tomorrow. Rhonda doesn’t get picked up until 5:30 either, so I’ll have more time to play with her.”

 

 

Part 12: Playdate

  

The next day Jack made sure he ran into Sgt. Siler. “Hey, Siler, wait up a minute,” Jack said, waving him down and catching up with him.

 

“Colonel, funny we should run into each other.” Siler said with a laugh.

 

Jack chuckled back, “I take it Rhonda told you about meeting Danny at daycare.”

 

“Oh yeah. Couldn’t get a word in edgewise. They seem to have become fast friends.” Siler and Jack talked on their way to the gym.

 

“Yeah,” Jack agreed. “Danny’s had a hard time making new friends. Not a lot of kids share his interests. He practically ordered me to ask you if Rhonda could come over and play this weekend.”

 

“Rhonda wanted me to ask you the same thing. However, she wants Danny to come over to our house.” They entered the locker room and changed into their gym clothes.

 

Jack said, “I have an idea. Why not let us take Rhonda on Saturday, and you take Danny on Sunday?”

 

“Sounds good to me, but I’ll have to check with my wife.”

 

Jack asked, “By the way, how long can two kids play together before they start getting on each others nerves?” It’d been a long time since he’d supervised a play date.

 

“With most kids, Rhonda lasts about three hours, although if you feed them lunch, you can stretch it another hour.”

 

“What do you say about 1100 hours to 1500 hours?”

 

Siler answered, “Sounds good to me. I’ll confirm it with you tomorrow.”

 

“At least I can tell Danny I talked with you. Thanks, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jack went to work out on the weights, while Siler went to the bikes.

 

Plans were confirmed, and Siler dropped Rhonda off at Jack’s house at 1100 hours on the dot. Danny had been nervous the whole morning, until Jack, who was ready to put Danny over his knee out of frustration, finally assigned him some chores to keep him busy.

 

Danny ran to answer the door when he heard the bell ring. Jack called out, “Danny, no running in the house, and don’t answer the door by yourself.”

 

Danny whined, “But Jack, it’s 11:00. It’s got to be Rhonda and her dad.”

 

“Danny, you know the rules. I’ll be there in a second.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny said, sulking.

 

Danny got lucky because Daniel walked in the room before Jack. “I’ve got the door, Jack.” Daniel answered the door with Danny standing right beside him. “Hi, Dave. You’re right on time.” He let them into the house.

 

Siler chuckled, “I didn’t have much of a choice with Rhonda pestering me all morning.”

 

“Hi, Siler,” Jack said as he walked into the room. “Glad you could make it. Danny’s been waiting all morning.”

 

“Well, I’ll be going now. The wife wants the yard work done.” He bent down to give Rhonda a hug and say goodbye. “Bye, honey. I’ll pick you up at 1500 hours.”

 

“You mean 3:00, Daddy. Stop talking military time.” Rhonda gave him a hug, whispering in his ear, “Can’t I stay longer, Daddy?”

 

“Not today, Rhonda,” Siler whispered back. Louder he said, “Have fun kids. You too, Colonel, Daniel. Give me a call if I need to pick Rhonda up earlier.”

 

“Dad?”

 

“Rhonda?”

 

Daniel showed Siler to the door, while Jack asked the kids, “What are you two going to do first?”

 

Danny spoke up, “First I’m going to show her my room, and then we’re going to play archaeology in the backyard.”

 

Jack chastised Danny, “Don’t you think you should ask Rhonda what she wants to do?” Danny lowered his eyes.

 

“That’s okay, Colonel O’Neill. Danny and I planned what we were going to do today at daycare. We were just hoping the weather would be good,” explained Rhonda.

 

Jack was flabbergasted. He didn’t ever remember planning things out this much when he was a kid. He looked over at Daniel before responding. “Well, in that case, why don’t you two go off to play, and Daniel and I will start the grill. We’re planning to have hamburgers for lunch. Do you like hamburgers, Rhonda?”

 

“Yes, Sir. Hamburgers are good. I like cheeseburgers even better though.”

 

“Remember, Daniel, cheese for Rhonda’s burger.”

 

Danny and Rhonda ran off to check out his bedroom.

 

“Can you believe the two of them, Daniel?” Jack asked. “They’ve already planned everything out. When I was a kid we just played.”

 

Daniel laughed, “Jack, when you were a kid, you didn’t have to make play dates either. You just knocked on the neighbor’s door. It’s a different time.”

 

“Yeah, it sure is. We’d better get started if we’re going to feed those kids on time today. I’m sure Danny wrote down the lunch time in his day planner.”

 

“Probably. You go start the grill and I’ll make the hamburgers and fixings.” Daniel entered the kitchen, while Jack went outside.

 

After showing Rhonda his room, they went outside to play. Unbeknownst to the children, Daniel had planted some real, although non-valuable, artifacts in their dig site. The first pottery shard found brought a squeal of excitement from the kids to the adult’s ears. Daniel and Jack had a difficult time prying the kids away from the site to eat lunch. Lunch eaten, Danny and Rhonda rushed back to their dig to see what else would turn up.

 

Around 2:30, Jack called out to the kids, “Okay guys, you have fifteen minutes left until you need to clean up. Then it’ll be almost time for Rhonda’s dad to pick her up.”

 

Danny was not happy at Jack’s announcement. “But we’re not done playing yet,” he whined. “We haven’t had enough time. Call Rhonda’s dad and tell him to pick her up later,” he insisted, not even turning around.

 

“Danny Jackson!” Jack stated sternly.

 

Too involved in what he wanted, Danny didn’t pick up on Jack’s tone of voice. “What!?” he responded rudely.

 

Jack did not allow back talk. “Danny, come here right now!”

 

Finally Danny realized Jack was angry. “Shoot,” he said only loud enough for his friend to hear. Her eyes wished him well. He stood up and walked over to Jack, too nervous to look Jack in the eye.

 

“Daniel,” Jack called to his friend who was sitting on the porch, “will you keep an eye on things while Danny and I have a talk?”

 

“Sure, Jack.” Daniel had heard the exchange, and was silently wishing Danny luck.

 

“Follow me,” Jack told Danny, not even checking to see if he obeyed.

 

Jack led Danny into the den and sat down on a chair. He called Danny over to stand in front of him. “Danny, do you know why you’re in trouble?”

 

“I think so,” Danny said quietly, still not looking up.

 

“Danny, look at me when I’m talking to you.” Danny looked up. “So, why are you in trouble?

 

“Because I was rude.”

 

Jack sighed, “What did you do that was rude?” Sometimes it was like pulling teeth getting Danny to understand what he’d done wrong.

 

“When I yelled ‘what’?” Danny replied questioningly.

 

“Yes, that was rude. You don’t raise your voice like that to me. Anything else?”

 

Danny started to tear up. He knew he must have done something else wrong, but he couldn’t think of what it was. He answered, “I guess I must have done something else since you’re asking me, but I really don’t know what it was.” Then the tears started falling.

 

Jack picked Danny up and sat him on his lap. “You really don’t know?” Danny shook his head on Jack’s chest. “When you wanted me to call Rhonda’s dad, did you ask me or tell me?”

 

“I-I t-told you. I’m sorry, Jack. I just wanted Rhonda to stay and play longer. I didn’t m-mean to tell you what to do.” Danny sobbed into Jack’s chest.

 

Jack soothed Danny. He wanted Danny to understand he couldn’t behave rudely, but he wasn’t sure why Danny was this upset. “Danny, quiet down. Why are you so upset?”

 

Danny tried to stop crying. “I know I-I deserve a spanking, but can you please wait until Rhonda leaves?” Danny begged.

 

Jack continued rubbing his back. “You don’t want your friend to know you get spanked?”

 

Danny had calmed down some more. He shook his head. “That’s not it. She already knows I get spanked. We talked about it already. She gets spanked sometimes, too. I just don’t want her to hear it, or hear me yell.”

 

Jack finally understood. It was one thing for friends to know you got spanked, but quite another to have them witness it, even if only with their ears. Jack said, “How about we make a deal. I won’t spank you where your friends can see or hear it, if you stop misbehaving when I warn you. If you don’t stop, then I can’t promise anything.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny said. Looking right at Jack, he asked, “Are you going to spank me when Rhonda leaves?”

 

“How about this time you stand in the corner for fifteen minutes after she leaves,” Jack compromised.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny agreed, even though he had a hard time staying still for corner time. “I love you,” Danny said, hugging Jack.

 

“I love you, too, Danny.” Jack hugged him back standing up with Danny still attached to his neck. “Why don’t you go back outside and help Rhonda clean up your playthings?” Jack helped Danny down after he released Jack’s neck, and then wiped away his tear tracks.

 

“Yes, Sir.” Danny ran back outside.

 

When Jack came out, he sat down next to Daniel. Daniel stated, “He doesn’t act like his backside hurts.”

 

“Ya think?”

 

“What did you end up doing?”

 

“He managed to escape a spanking. He’s going to do corner time after she leaves.”

 

Daniel approved. “Good choice, Jack. He didn’t mean to be rude, you know.”

 

“I know. I guess I’ve gone soft,” Jack chuckled.

 

Daniel laughed also. “Soft, Jack?”

 

“He won’t escape next time though,” Jack insisted.

 

“I’m sure he won’t,” Daniel agreed.

 

 

Part 13: Tricks and Nightmares

  

The next day Jack took Danny over to Rhonda’s house, after having a discussion of how he was to behave. This time, Siler was amazed at how easily they played. They never seemed to argue about what to play, and changed from one activity to the next easily. It sometimes seemed as if they could read each other’s minds.

 

They were outside playing when the doorbell rang. Siler went in to answer it telling the kids he would bring the Colonel out back.

 

When her dad went inside, Rhonda suggested to Danny, “Why don’t we play a trick on the grownups?”

 

Danny was always ready for fun, but he’d already been in trouble yesterday. “What type of trick?” he asked warily.

 

“You go hide and when they come out, I’ll tell them you disappeared. Maybe say aliens took you.”

 

“I don’t know,” Danny said hesitantly. “I don’t want to get in trouble.”

 

“You won’t get in trouble. They’ll think it’s funny. Besides, who’s going to believe aliens took you anyway.” Rhonda pushed Danny towards the bushes. “Go on," she said. Hide in there. Don’t come out until I tell you.”

 

Danny thought Jack just might believe aliens took him, knowing where he worked, but he couldn’t let Rhonda know that. He crawled under the bushes to wait.

 

Jack and Siler walked out the back door after Danny had hidden himself. Noticing only his daughter was in the backyard, Siler asked, “Rhonda, it’s time for Danny to go home now. Where is he?”

 

“I don’t know, Dad. You went to answer the door and when I turned around, Danny was gone.” Rhonda was extremely good at keeping a straight face.

 

Jack told her, “I really don’t have time to play games, Rhonda. It’s time for us to go. Where is he?”

 

Rhonda answered, “I really don’t know. Maybe he went inside to use the bathroom.”

 

“Siler, will you check in the house while I look around out here?” Jack asked.

 

“Sure, Colonel.” Siler went back inside calling for Danny.

 

Jack muttered loud enough for young ears to hear, “If that boy’s hiding when he knows it’s time to go, he’s in a lot of trouble.”

 

Danny was ready to come out right then, when he saw Rhonda shake her head at him and mouth ‘wait’. He made the mistake of giving her one more minute.

 

Rhonda walked up to Jack and tapped him. “Colonel O’Neill?” Jack turned around. “Maybe aliens took him?”

 

Jack grabbed her arms. “Rhonda, if you know where he is, you need to tell me right now.” Rhonda realized Jack didn’t think it was funny.

 

Danny crawled out from under the bush. “I’m right here, Jack,” he said looking at the ground and shuffling his feet.

 

“Danny Jackson!” Jack was definitely angry. “Just what did you think you were doing?” He glared at Danny.

 

Rhonda answered, “I’m sorry, Sir. We thought it would be funny. We didn’t know you’d be angry.” Her chin was quivering.

 

Siler had come out of the house. “I see you found him, Colonel. What’s up?”

 

“These two thought they’d play a little trick on us. Tell us he’d been abducted by aliens.”

 

After working at Stargate Command, Siler knew why Jack was angry. “Rhonda, what do you have to say for yourself?”

 

“I’m sorry, Daddy. I thought it would be funny.” She turned back to Jack. “Please, Colonel O’Neill, don’t be mad at Danny. I’m the one who thought of it.” She worried she might have gotten her friend in trouble.

 

Jack thought it would be best if Danny and he left now, to discuss the matter at home. “Siler, thanks for having Danny over to play, but we need to be going now.”

 

“I understand, Sir. Rhonda and I will have some things to discuss after you leave.” Siler gave his daughter a look she knew meant she was in trouble. She gulped.

 

Jack nudged Danny’s shoulder. Danny looked up at his friend’s dad. “Thank you for letting me come over today, Sgt. Siler. I’m sorry I caused trouble. I won’t do it again.”

 

“I’m happy you came over, Danny. I know you didn’t mean to make us worry. Colonel, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

 

“Yeah, Siler. See you tomorrow. Goodbye, Rhonda.”

 

“Goodbye, Sir. Bye Danny. See you at daycare.”

 

“Bye, Rhonda.” Danny followed Jack through the house and out to the truck. Jack didn’t say a word to him until he got home.

 

As they entered the house, Jack ordered, “Danny, go into the den and find yourself a corner.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny said sadly, as he walked to the den.

 

Daniel, who was watching the Discovery® channel, asked, “What’s up, Jack?” He couldn’t believe Danny had gotten in trouble again so soon, but then again...

 

Jack sat down on the couch and sighed. “He and Rhonda decided to play a little trick when I went to pick him up.”

 

“What trick?” Daniel asked.

 

“Danny hid in the bushes, while Rhonda told us he disappeared. Then, while Siler and I were looking for him, she told me he’d been abducted by aliens.” Jack had his head in his hands, when he heard Daniel laugh. “Daniel, it’s not funny.”

 

Daniel chuckled, “Come on, Jack. It is funny. They were just playing a trick.”

 

“Daniel, you weren’t there. I was looking all over and couldn’t find him. I thought maybe someone had found out about him and stolen him to experiment on him.” Jack looked at Daniel. “I was worried sick.”

 

“Sorry, Jack,” Daniel said sobering up. “I didn’t think of that. I can see why you’d be worried. What are you going to do about it?”

 

“First, I’m going to talk to him,” Jack said standing up. “Then, I’m going to spank him. Finally, I’m going to take a nap and you get to watch him.”

 

“Okay, Jack.”

 

Jack walked into the den to find Danny standing in a corner like he’d told him to. Jack sat down on the chair and called Danny over. Danny looked worried, but wasn’t crying. “Danny,” Jack started to say, then stopped.

 

“Sir?” Danny began to worry about Jack. He hadn’t meant to make him so upset.

 

Jack ran his fingers through his hair. “Do you have any idea how worried I was when I couldn’t find you?”

 

Danny put his hands on Jack’s knees. “I’m sorry, Jack. Rhonda thought you’d think it was funny if you thought aliens had taken me. I couldn’t tell her why you wouldn’t.”

 

“That didn’t mean you had to go along with it, Danny.”

 

“No, Sir.”

 

“Danny, do you understand there are people, who if they knew where we’d found you, would want to kidnap you?” Jack didn’t want to scare him, but had to make him understand how important it was to not hide from him.

 

“No, Sir. I didn’t know that. Did you think someone had kidnapped me?” Danny asked.

 

“Yes, I did. I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want lose anyone again. We have to know where you are all the time.”

 

“I won’t do it again, Jack. I promise.” Danny felt so bad about scaring Jack. He began to worry about something else. “Am I going to be sent away?”

 

Jack picked him up, hugging him close. “Danny, stop worrying about that. I am never sending you away because you get in trouble. The only reason anybody else will ever have to take care of you is if Daniel or I can’t.”

 

Danny hugged him back tight. “I’m getting spanked now, right?”

 

“Ya think.”

 

Danny flipped himself to lie stomach down on Jack’s thighs.

 

Jack lowered Danny’s pants. “Why are you being spanked?” he asked as always.

 

Danny answered, “Because I wasn’t where I should be, and I scared you.” He was ready for the spanking he felt he deserved.

 

“You need to be safe, Danny,” Jack said, bringing down his palm on Danny’s backside.

 

The spanking lasted just long enough. Jack held Danny as he stopped crying, and then carried him to Daniel. He laid Danny belly down on the couch, and said, “I love you, Danny. Daniel’s going to be with you while I take a nap.”

 

“Yes, Sir. I love you, too, Jack.” Danny laid his head on his arms and closed his eyes. He was tired, too. “Night,” he mumbled.

 

 

Danny and Jack had both been asleep for over an hour, when Daniel decided it was time to start dinner. Finding the fixings for spaghetti, he put the sauce on the stove to simmer. As he was filling a pot with water, he heard screams of pain from the living room. Daniel left the pot in the sink and ran to check on Danny. Danny was thrashing on the couch screaming. Sitting down on the couch, pulling Danny onto his lap, Daniel was still trying to wake Danny from his newest nightmare, when Jack rushed in.

 

Danny finally opened his eyes with awareness. He stared at Daniel and whispered one word, “Abdul.” Then he buried his head in Daniel’s chest, crying softly.

 

Daniel paled visibly. “Shit,” was all he said, comforting Danny.

 

Jack had no idea what was happening. All he knew, were two people he cared about were in distress. “Daniel, what’s going on? What’s wrong?”

 

“Just a minute, Jack.” Daniel was dealing with his returning memories.

 

“Daniel?”

 

“Okay. Um, it’s a long story, Jack, and not a nice one.” Daniel asked, “Do you want me to tell him, Danny?” Danny nodded his head.

 

“Tell me what?” Jack was impatient.

 

“About two months before my fifth birthday, I wandered away from camp.”

 

Danny interrupted, “I didn’t wander off. I went to find Daddy.”

 

“I left camp without permission,” Daniel corrected.

 

“Everyone was ignoring me,” Danny added petulantly.

 

“Anyway, I was heading to the dig site when a sand storm blew in.”

 

“A big one,” insisted Danny.

 

“A very big one. I couldn’t see anything and didn’t know where I was anymore.”

 

“Then the man came.”

 

“Yeah, he grabbed me and hauled me up on his horse. He rode off with me back to his camp.” Daniel stopped for a minute.

 

“He was mean. I was scared.”

 

Daniel began again. “He carried me into his tent and threw me on his bed. ‘What are you doing all alone, little boy?’ he asked. I was too afraid to speak. ‘I’m Abdul,’ he said. ‘Only bad little boys wander off on their own. Only bad parents would let them.’”

 

Danny spoke up again, “That made me angry. My parents aren’t bad. I told him so. Then he slapped me.”

 

Daniel continued, “He told me a lot of things that scared me. About how little boys who were found alone would be taken away and never go home again.”

 

“He told me they would hurt me, touch me places I didn’t like.” Danny shuddered.

 

“Then he said, ‘But I’m a good guy. I’ll take you back home when the storm is over.’ I started to feel better, until he told me he was going to punish me first.” Daniel soothed Danny as he started crying again. “Shh, Danny it’s over. You’re safe now.”

 

Wondering how they were punished, Jack asked, “What did he do to you?”

 

Danny squeaked, “He had a cane.”

 

“It was like a switch. He took off my robes and tied me to the bed when I tried to fight him.” Daniel could remember how terrified he’d been. “He lifted the cane, bringing it down ten times from shoulders to knees. It hurt like hell.”

 

“I thought I was dying. That I’d bleed to death, but there wasn’t any blood, just welts.”

 

“He untied me and sat down on the bed. Then he said, ‘I was nice. Some of my friends would’ve done much worse.’ The sand was still blowing. He told me to stay on the bed and be quiet. When the storm was over he’d take me back to my camp.”

 

“He did, too. But I still don’t think he was a nice man.” Danny looked at Jack for confirmation.

 

Jack responded, “I agree. Were you okay?”

 

Danny nodded his head, but Daniel answered, “Yeah, when my mom realized I was missing, she wanted to search for me, but she couldn’t because of the storm. After the storm ended, Abdul dressed me and rode off with me again. I had no way of knowing where he was taking me. Eventually, we rode over a dune and he pointed out a camp.”

 

“It was my camp.”

 

“He put me down and handed me a letter to give my parents. Then he told me to go. I walked towards camp. Someone saw me and came running.”

 

“It was Mommy.” Danny finally smiled.

 

“When she hugged me, I screamed. She asked what was wrong. I told her and gave her the letter.”

 

Jack was curious. “What was in the letter?”

 

Danny shrugged.

 

“I never found out. I suppose it told them to keep a better eye on me. All I remember is Mom put something on my back to make me feel better. That, and I was grounded until my birthday.” Daniel asked Danny, “Do you know why you had that nightmare?”

 

Danny looked at Jack before answering quietly. “Jack told me there were people who wanted to kidnap me.”

 

“Jack!”

 

“It was because of him hiding from me. I was trying to make him be more careful.” Jack said, defending himself. He hadn’t meant to scare Danny that much.

 

“Danny,” Daniel said, “Jack’s right. There are people who might want to take you away from us. However, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

 

“Will they hurt me, like Abdul did?” Danny was worried.

 

“I don’t think so,” Jack answered. “The people who want you just want to know how you ended up on the planet we found you on.”

 

“But I don’t know how I got there!” Danny wailed.

 

“I know, Danny. I know. Try not to worry about it. We’ll protect you.” Daniel soothed.

 

Danny couldn’t stop worrying. “What if they do take me?”

 

“Then we’ll find you, right away. You have to trust us.” Jack said.

 

“I trust you, Jack, Daniel.” Danny wiped his eyes. “I smell something,” he commented.

 

“Ack, the sauce.” Daniel handed Danny to Jack and ran into the kitchen.

 

Jack asked, “You hungry?”

 

Danny answered, “Can we order out?”

 

 

Part 14: Stronger Connections

  

Danny stayed out of trouble, until Thursday. SG-1 was briefing for a mission the following Monday, when an airman entered with a message. “General, I’m sorry to interrupt. There’s a phone call for either Colonel O’Neill or Dr. Jackson from Danny’s school. They say it’s important.” Jack groaned, the pains of parenthood.

 

“Take the call in my office, Colonel. We’ll take a short break.” General Hammond went to refill his coffee.

 

Jack rose to take the call. A short while later, he came back out. “Excuse me, General. Danny’s managed to get himself sent to the principal’s office. Someone needs to pick him up.”

 

Hammond said, “We’ll postpone this briefing until tomorrow at 0900 hours. Dr. Jackson, Colonel, go retrieve your little bundle of joy,” he said cheerily. “Dismissed.”

 

“Thank you, General,” replied Daniel. “I’ll meet you topside, Jack. I just need to put some things away and get changed.”

 

“Ten minutes, Daniel.” Jack also went to change.

 

Thirty minutes later they pulled up at Danny’s school. Upon entering, they spotted Danny sitting on a bench outside the principal’s office. He arms were wrapped around his legs with his head resting on his knees. He quickly looked up and eyed Daniel and Jack, then put his head back down.

 

Jack and Daniel were ushered into the principal’s office. After exchanging greetings, they sat down.

 

“I want to thank you both for coming so quickly,” Principal Summers said. “Let’s get right down to business. When Mrs. Chavez walked by Danny’s desk while he was working, she noticed what he’d written on his paper.” He handed Jack a math worksheet.

 

Jack took the paper and noticed an unkind drawing of the teacher and some writing in a foreign language underneath. He handed the paper to Daniel. “What do you make of this, Daniel?”

 

Daniel read what was written and cringed. “Um, it’s says some pretty nasty things about the teacher, in German.” He handed the paper back to Mr. Summers.

 

“Yes. Mrs. Chavez understands German, so she knew immediately what it said. Needless to say, she was not happy. When she tried to talk to Danny about why he’d written it, he refused to answer. Since he wouldn’t discuss the problem with her, she sent him to my office. He also refused to talk to me. That’s when I called you.”

 

“I understand. When he doesn’t want to talk, it’s very hard to make him,” Jack said. “However, I’m sure we can get to the bottom of this.”

 

“We realize what he wrote and how he handled whatever is bothering with him, is unacceptable,” Daniel added.

 

The principal sighed. “Well, you’re going to have some time to figure it out. He’s suspended for the rest of today and tomorrow. He can come back to school on Monday.”

 

“Do you want us to talk to him here?” Jack asked.

 

“No. I believe he’ll be more likely to talk when he’s at home. He still seems too upset. Go ahead and take him, but please let me know what you find out.” The principal stood up to shake their hands. “Thank you for taking care of this matter.”

 

“You’re welcome. Believe me, we’ll take care of it.” Jack didn’t approve of disrespecting adults or the silence Danny used to cope with his problems.

 

Walking out of the office, Jack stood in front of Danny. “Do you need to get your things?” Danny shook his head. “Use your voice, Danny,” he said sternly.

 

“No, Sir,” Danny answered carefully. “Someone brought my backpack.”

 

“Fine. Let’s go.” Jack strode to the truck followed by Danny and then Daniel.

 

No one spoke on the way home. Upon entering the house, Jack ordered Danny to find a corner in the den. Taking a minute to get a drink, he asked Daniel, “Any ideas?”

 

“About what?”

 

“About why he would write that,” Jack stated sarcastically. “What else?”

 

Daniel sighed. “Jack, I’m not him. I don’t know why he would do it. I can’t read his mind.”

 

“Sorry,” Jack muttered. “Are you coming in this time to talk to him?”

 

“Sure, Jack.”

 

Both of them walked into the den expecting to find Danny standing in a corner, he wasn’t. He had curled up in the corner, rocking back and forth, sucking his thumb. Jack and Daniel sat down. “Danny, come over here,” Jack said.

 

Danny didn’t move. “Danny, we need to talk to you. Come here,” Daniel said.

 

Danny looked over at them, but still didn’t move. When Jack stood up to go over to him, Danny bolted. He ran out of the den, into his bedroom, and flung himself on his bed crying.

 

Daniel looked at Jack. “That was strange. He normally takes responsibility for his behavior. Do we try talking to him together, or just me or you?”

 

Jack rubbed his neck. “I don’t know. Why don’t you try this time?”

 

“Okay. Wish me luck.”

 

Daniel walked into Danny’s room and sat next to him on the bed. He started rubbing Danny’s back. “Danny, we can’t help you if you won’t talk to us.” Danny shook his head, still crying. “Come on. It can’t be that bad.” He remained silent. “If you won’t talk to me, will you talk to Jack?” Danny nodded. “Fine, I’ll go get Jack.”

 

When Jack walked in the room, he sat on the chair. “Okay, Danny, enough of the run around. Either you start talking, or I start spanking, then we’ll talk afterwards.”

 

Danny whispered, “I’m sorry.”

 

“What are you sorry for?” Jack was about at the end of his patience.

 

Danny never lifted his head. “I’m sorry for what I wrote. She made me angry.”

 

Jack pushed, “What did she do to make you angry?”

 

Danny shook his head, starting to cry again.

 

Jack moved to sit beside him. “Danny, if you won’t tell me, we can’t stop it from happening again.”

 

Danny rolled over and rubbed his eyes. “She wouldn’t let me write my name the way I wanted.”

 

“How did you want to write it?” Jack found it hard to believe Danny was so upset over writing his name.

 

“Danny Jackson O’Neill,” he mumbled, sucking his thumb.

 

“Oh.” Jack was stunned. He hadn’t thought Danny would want to use his name.

 

“She told me it wasn’t my legal name, so I couldn’t write it on my papers. I was angry,” Danny spoke into the blanket, not meeting Jack’s eyes. “I didn’t know she could read German.”

 

“Well, whether or not she could read it, you shouldn’t have written it.”

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

Jack was curious. “Why do you want to use my name?”

 

“The other kids were teasing me,” he muttered.

 

“About what?”

 

“About calling you and Daniel by your first names. They asked why, and I said it was because you’re my guardians. They said a guardian isn’t a parent. That I didn’t belong to anybody, but I do. I belong to you.” He started crying again.

 

Jack picked him up and sat in the rocker with him. “Of course you belong to us. That’s what being a guardian is. We take care of you.”

 

“I don’t want you and Daniel for guardians anymore,” he complained.

 

“What?” Danny had fought so hard to stay with him; Jack wasn’t sure what he meant.

 

“I want you for daddies. I want you to adopt me, not just be my guardians.” Danny clutched at Jack, finally looking at him. “I want to call you Daddy, not Jack.”

 

Jack’s heart broke. He would love to have Danny call him Daddy. It had been far too long. “Danny, whether or not we’re able to adopt you, you can call me Daddy whenever you want.” Jack hugged him close. “Why wouldn’t you tell Daniel about this?”

 

Danny shrugged. “I didn’t want to make him feel bad.”

 

“Why would he feel bad?”

 

“Because he might think I’m forgetting my daddy.”

 

“Do you think you’re forgetting your dad?” Jack asked concerned.

 

“Yes and no. He’s gone, and I miss him, but you’re here. I need a dad again. I miss that.” Daniel wanted the tighter connection adoption would bring. “Plus, I’m not sure Daniel would want me to take your name. He might think I’m giving up on being a Jackson.”

 

“I doubt Daniel will mind, but the only way you’ll find out is to ask him.”

 

Danny nodded. “Am I getting a spanking?”

 

“Do you deserve one?”

 

“Yes, I was disrespectful to Mrs. Chavez. Also, I went silent when I promised not to.” Danny sighed. “And I ran away from you in the den. I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to talk in front of Daniel yet.”

 

Jack sat Danny up straighter in his lap so he could see him better. “You certainly know what you did wrong.”

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

“And you know you get a spanking for breaking those rules.”

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

“You ready to get it over with?” Jack asked.

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

“Okay.” Jack flipped Danny over on his lap. He gave Danny two quick smacks to his covered bottom.

 

Expecting more, Danny didn’t move. Jack flipped him back over. “That’s all?” he asked questioningly.

 

“For now,” Jack answered.

 

“Oh,” Danny said worriedly.

 

“It’ll be all, if you do everything else I say.” Danny tilted his head. “First, you talk to Daniel. I think he was a little hurt you wouldn’t talk to him.”

 

“I didn’t mean to hurt him,” Danny said seriously.

 

“I know you didn’t. He knows that, too. Second, you need to write a letter of apology to Mrs. Chavez and the principal. And you need to apologize to her in front of your class.”

 

“Yes, Sir. But what about my name?”

 

“I’ll talk to your teacher and the principal about it, but for now, just write Danny Jackson.”

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

“Last, you’re grounded for the weekend. No friends over, early bedtime and you help clean the house.” Jack figured he could find enough to keep Danny busy.

 

“Yes, Sir.” Remembering the principal telling him he was suspended, Danny asked, “Who’s going to watch me tomorrow?”

 

Jack answered, “You’re going to have to stay at daycare all day, and you will do all the schoolwork you’re going to miss.”

 

“But only the babies stay during the day,” Danny whined.

 

“Danny!”

 

“Sorry. I’ll do my lessons.”

 

“If you don’t do everything, we’ll finish up the spanking Sunday night. Understood?”

 

“Yes, Sir.” Danny hugged him. “I love you, Daddy.”

 

“I love you, too, Son.” Jack blinked back the tears in eyes. He put Danny down. Giving him a gentle swat, he ordered, “Go find Daniel.”

 

“Yes, Daddy,” Danny said, smiling as he ran off.

 

Danny found Daniel reading in the living room. He went to stand in front of him, but didn’t say anything. Noticing, Daniel put his book down. “Hi, Danny.”

 

“Hi.” Danny stared at the floor.

 

“Do you need something?” Daniel asked.

 

Danny nodded his head, putting his thumb in his mouth.

 

Daniel picked Danny up cuddling him. “Did you want to tell me what had you so upset today?”

 

“Yeah, I did.” Danny took a deep breath. “I want you and Jack to adopt me.”

 

“Oh.” Daniel was surprised. He thought Danny was fine with the way things were.

 

“I want to call Jack, Daddy. I want to call you something, but I don’t know what yet.” Danny had thought about this all week. “If I call Jack, Dad or Daddy, I need another name for you. You’re not a ‘pa’ or ‘father.’ I don’t know what to call you yet.”

 

“Okay. Why couldn’t you tell me earlier?” Daniel questioned.

 

Danny glanced shyly at Daniel. “I didn’t want you to think I was forgetting our dad. I thought you might be upset.” Danny paused for a moment. “I also want to change my name to Danny Jackson O’Neill.”

 

Daniel held Danny close. “Danny, I would never think you were forgetting Dad. After our parents died, I very much wanted a family I could call my own. Unfortunately, when I went into foster care, nobody ever seemed to want to keep me. I just never connected with anyone.”

 

“I’m sorry, Daniel. I love you,” Danny said with sympathy.

 

“I love you, too, Danny.” Daniel held Danny away from him. “I’m very glad you found Jack, and want him to be your dad.”

 

Danny said seriously, “You too, Daniel.”

 

“Me, too. Thank you. Also, I have no problem with you changing your name. I understand the connection you want. I always wanted it, too.” Daniel wanted to check on something else. “How did Jack punish you?”

 

Danny head dropped. “Two swats, but I have to write apology letters and apologize in front of the class. The worst part is having to stay at daycare tomorrow.” Danny scrunched his face.

 

“What’s so bad about that?”

 

“Daniel, only the babies stay there during the day.”

 

“Oh, I see,” Daniel chuckled.

 

“Yeah. Oh, and I have an early bedtime.  I don’t mind that though.”

 

Jack walked in overhearing the final comments. “Are you done talking, guys?”

 

“I think we’re done, Jack. Danny?”

 

“Yeah, we’re done.” Danny reminded Daniel, “We still need to think of a name, though.”

 

“I’ll think on it.”

 

“Okay then. Danny, why don’t you go start those letters you need to write?” Jack wanted to talk to Daniel alone.

 

“Sure, Daddy.” As far as he was concerned, Danny couldn’t say Daddy enough. He ran off to his room to start the letters.

 

 

Part 15: Jack’s Story

  

Danny managed to survive his day with the ‘babies’ at daycare, even though some of those children were only a year younger. Jack created a list of chores to keep him busy the whole weekend, or at least as busy as one can keep a five year old. Most of the chores involved Danny working side-by-side with one of his dads, something he thoroughly enjoyed. Finally, Sunday night, Jack was sitting in the rocker with Danny on his lap.

 

“Daddy?” Danny asked. “Did I do everything I was supposed too, or are you going to spank me again?” He’d been contemplating it all weekend.

 

“What do you think?” Jack asked, wanting Danny to think about what he’d accomplished.

 

“I’ve done everything except a verbal apology to Mrs. Chavez, and I can’t do that until Monday. So, I don’t think I need another one.” Danny hoped his dad agreed.

 

Jack pretended to consider what Danny had said for a moment. “Hmm, I think you’re right, Bug. No spanking.” Jack tickled Danny’s belly.

 

Danny giggled. “Thanks, Dad. Stop it.” He pushed Jack’s hand away. “Daddy?”

 

“What?”

 

“What happened when you got in trouble as a kid?”

 

“Are you asking if my dad spanked me?” Jack questioned. Danny nodded. “Yes. When I broke my dad’s rules, he spanked me, like I do you.”

 

Danny thought for a time. He’d figured as much, but liked having it confirmed. He was still worried about one thing though. “How old were you the last time he spanked you?” he asked cautiously.

 

“Are you wondering when you’re too old to be spanked?” Jack understood Danny’s worry, however he knew Danny wouldn’t like the answer. Danny nodded sheepishly. “I was twenty-five.”

 

“Twenty-five,” Danny stated incredulously. “That’s old.”

 

“It’s not that old, Danny. Do you want to hear the story?” Even though Jack was embarrassed about what had happened, he thought Danny might learn from it.

 

“Yes, please.” Danny curled up comfortably in Jack’s lap, popping his thumb in his mouth to listen.

 

Daniel piped up from the doorway, “Do I get to hear the story, too, Jack?”

 

Jack groaned. Oh well. “Sure, Daniel, pull up a seat.”

 

Daniel sat on the bed ready to listen.

 

Jack began, “As I said, I was twenty-five years old. I’d earned a four-day pass from my unit and decided to visit my parents. The first night home, I went out to party with my old buddies. Needless to say, I drank too much. Stupidly, I also drove home. It was two am when I finally pulled the car into the driveway. Unfortunately, I missed the driveway and drove into the mailbox. The noise woke up my mom and dad. My dad came out to the car and opened the door. I was so out of it. However, I was aware enough to be expecting a lecture. I was surprised when he didn’t say a word. He hauled me out of the car, guided me into the house, and helped me to bed. The next thing I knew my dad was opening the curtains to let in the light. I groaned and tried to cover my eyes. ‘You have twenty minutes to get up, dress, and take care of business. After that, report to my den,’ my dad ordered. I walked in the den in nineteen minutes, with a major hangover.”

 

Danny interrupted, “What’s a hangover?”

 

Jack chuckled. “A hangover is when you feel sick and have a really bad headache after drinking too much.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Anyway, my dad was sitting behind his desk, staring at me. I stood at attention waiting for the inevitable. I wasn’t disappointed. My dad lectured, ‘You have been totally irresponsible. I can understand your wanting to drink with your friends, but why the heck (Jack censored his language for Danny) did you drive? Why didn’t you call a cab? You could have killed someone, or yourself.’ I had no defense for myself, so I merely answered, ‘Yes, Sir. You’re right, Sir.’ ‘Darn right, I’m right,’ my dad responded. ‘Are you ready to accept the consequence?’ I knew exactly what type of consequence my dad was talking about. ‘Yes, Sir,’ I answered. Then my dad ordered, ‘Give me your belt.’ I took off my belt and handed it to him. ‘You know what to do,’ he said. Having been down this road too many times before, I walked behind the armchair, dropped my pants and boxers, and bent over the back. ‘What are you getting this strapping for, Son?’ he asked.”

 

“Like you ask me,” Danny stated, interrupting again.

 

“Where do you think I learned the question?” Jack and Danny grinned at each other. “I answered, ‘For being stupid. For drinking and driving. For risking my life and possibly others.’ Then he started swinging the belt. I thought he was never going to stop, but I deserved every lick.”

 

“That must have hurt,” Daniel commented.

 

“Ya think.” Jack went on. “When he’d finished, and I’d stopped crying so hard…”

 

“You cried?” Danny never imagined Jack crying.

 

“Of course I cried, but not just because my butt was on fire, but because I felt so bad for disappointing my dad. I hadn’t done that in a long time. Okay, as I was saying, after I’d gotten myself together, my dad hugged me, telling me I was forgiven. However, my punishment wasn’t over. First, I had to sit down to eat breakfast with my parents.”

 

“Ouch,” muttered Daniel.

 

“You can say that again. Then I had to repair the damage to the mailbox and car. Finally, he had jobs for me to do around the house for the rest of the time I was home. He even gave me an early bedtime,” he said, tickling Danny again. “I didn’t mind the work though. It gave me time to reconnect with my parents.”

 

Daniel asked, “Did you ever do it again?”

 

“Nope. I still drank, but I always called a cab if I was drunk. Couldn’t stand the thought of disappointing my dad again.” Jack looked down at Danny. He was barely keeping his eyes open. “Looks like someone’s ready for bed.”

 

Jack stood up lifting Danny, and laid him on the bed, pulling up the covers. Leaning down, kissing Danny’s forehead, Jack said, “I love you, son.”

 

“Love you too, Daddy,” he mumbled. “Thanks for the story.”

 

Daniel bent down to say goodnight. “Sleep tight, Danny. I love you.”

 

Danny responded, “I love you, too, Baba.” Then he rolled over and closed his eyes.

 

“I see he picked your name,” Jack whispered as they left the bedroom.

 

Daniel smiled. “Yeah, I think I like it.” It was appropriate, Baba being father in Arabic.

 

 

Part 16: Running To

  

Everyone was eating breakfast the next morning. “Danny, do you remember what’s going to happen today?” Jack asked.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny said exasperated. He’d only been told every day since Friday.

 

“Tell me again anyway,” replied Jack, “and lose the attitude.”

 

“Sorry, Daddy,” said Danny sheepishly. “You and Baba have a mission today. You might be gone a few days, so Aunt Bonnie is going to pick me up at daycare. If something happens and she can’t pick me up, I spend the night at daycare. You’ve packed a bag for me and you’re going to drop it off at daycare after you drop me off at school. Do I have everything right?”

 

“Danny, we just want to make sure everything’s going to be okay the first time we leave you with someone else.” Daniel was worried about how Danny would handle being left. He didn’t want him to feel abandoned.

 

“I know. I’m okay with it. As we’ve said, it’s the price of my wanting you two for my dads. I’ll deal with it.” Danny placed another forkful of eggs in his mouth. “By the way, when do I get to start writing my name the way I want on my papers?”

 

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Jack reprimanded. “We’re working on it, but it might take awhile. So, at school just write Danny Jackson, okay?”

 

“Fine,” replied Danny after swallowing. “But I still get to call you Daddy and Baba, right?”

 

“Yes, no one can stop that.” As far as Jack was concerned, Daniel and he were Danny’s dads, whether or not it was legal yet.

 

“Good.” Danny finished his breakfast. After asking to be excused, he put his dishes in the sink and went to brush his teeth and grab his backpack.

 

“I’m ready to go,” Danny called out.

 

“Okay, let’s go.” Jack grabbed his jacket, meeting Daniel and Danny at the door.

 

Danny was more nervous than he’d let on. He didn’t want to make his dads worry about him on a mission. By the time Aunt Bonnie picked him up at daycare, he’d gone fairly silent. He only talked when asked a question, and answered as simply as possible. Bonnie was worried. Danny hadn’t wanted to play with Tessa and Kayla. Instead, he followed her around, holding his camel and sucking his thumb.

 

Come bedtime, Aunt Bonnie read all three kids a story and tucked them in bed, giving each one a kiss good night. Her father had called to say he might not be able to come home. Something had happened, but he wouldn’t elaborate. She was used to these calls, and tried not to worry.

 

She woke to screams at one am. Having been informed of Danny’s tendency towards nightmares, she headed straight to his room. She found him thrashing in the bed, covers off, shivering. She pulled him onto her lap, trying to wake him up. He opened his eyes. Realizing where he was, he cuddled into Bonnie, crying.

 

“Shh, Danny. It’s all right. It’s just a bad dream,” Bonnie comforted. Danny shook his head, still not talking. “Come on, Danny. You’re safe. Would like to tell me about the dream?”

 

“It wasn’t a dream,” Danny insisted. “Daddy’s hurt.”

 

“What do you mean? Why would you think Jack’s hurt?” Bonnie asked.

 

“I just know. He’s someplace cold. I could feel it.” Danny shivered again.

 

Bonnie tried to soothe him. “Danny, I know some dreams feel very real, but I’m sure your Dad’s okay.”

Danny pushed away from her and rolled over on the bed. “I don’t care if you believe me. I know he’s hurt. Just go away. Leave me alone!”

 

Bonnie didn’t know what else to do. She picked up Danny’s comforter, covered him up, and ruffled his hair. “Try to get some more sleep, Danny. If you need anything, you know where my room is.” Danny pulled the comforter over his head, blocking her out. She left the room and went back to bed, hoping Danny wouldn’t remember his dream in the morning.

 

In the morning, Danny still insisted his dad was hurt. “Call General Hammond. He’ll tell you something’s wrong.”

 

“Danny, I talked to my dad last night. He didn’t say anything about your dad being hurt.” She served the children the pancakes she’d just finished making.

 

“Then why didn’t he come home last night? Why would he stay at the base if nothing was wrong?” Danny pushed his plate away. His stomach was twisted in knots.

 

“Just because he stayed on base, doesn’t mean it had anything to do with your dad.”

 

“Right,” Danny said sarcastically. Then he pleaded, “Please, just call him to make sure.”

 

“Dad would’ve called if he needed to. Besides, it’s time for school.” Bonnie tried to change the subject. “Everyone get your packs and meet me at the car.”

 

Kayla and Tessa hurried to obey, not sure what was going on this morning. Danny stared at Bonnie, arms crossed on his chest defiantly. Bonnie walked away, ignoring him. Deciding he’d lost the battle, he went to get his backpack.

 

Bonnie sighed. She certainly hoped for her sake, and Danny’s, nothing was wrong with his dad.

 

The rest of the day didn’t fare any better for Danny. He was sullen and sulky in school, although he managed to avoid any serious trouble. At daycare he stayed to himself, refusing even Rhonda’s attempts to get him to play. When Bonnie picked him up, he climbed in the car without even saying hello. At Bonnie’s house, he spent as much time in his room as he could, only coming out for dinner. General Hammond called to say he wouldn’t make it home again, but not to worry. Which only made both Bonnie and Danny worry more.

 

During the night, another nightmare woke Danny from his sleep. This time however, because Danny hadn’t screamed, he rolled over and quietly cried himself back to sleep. Had he’d been sleeping at home; he could have crawled into Daniel or Jack’s bed.

 

Wednesday morning, Danny had devised a plan. He would investigate what was going on himself. To carry out his plan, he had to stay out of trouble until daycare.

 

Once everybody at daycare ate their snacks, it was time to go out and play. Finally talking to Rhonda, he led her over to an area of the playground where they wouldn’t be overheard. After telling Rhonda what his plan was, she agreed to help him, no matter what trouble they’d be in when they were caught. Unfortunately for them, getting caught was part of the plan.

 

Cheyenne Mountain Complex was located less than a mile away from daycare. Danny and Rhonda pretended to work on their dig site at the far corner of the playground near the bushes. When they thought no one was watching, they climbed the fence then headed in the direction of the base. Staying to the side of the road, they hid whenever a car passed by. A little more than an hour later, Danny spotted the base first. According to the plan, they would try to get by the first security gate. If they made it that far, they expected to be picked up by security. At that point, someone would have to come get them. Danny was hoping it would be General Hammond. He had to talk to him face to face.

 

Their plan worked exceptionally well. After sneaking past the gate guard while he was busy talking to the driver of a truck, Danny and Rhonda were picked up by security while working their way through the compound. Once they informed the MP’s of their names and who their fathers were, the two children were left to wait in the security office.

 

Danny pulled his feet up onto the chair and wrapped his arms around his legs. “I’m sorry you’re going to get in trouble for helping me, Rhonda.”

 

Rhonda looked over at him. “Don’t worry about it, Danny. I couldn’t let you come this far on your own. You’re my best friend.”

 

“Thanks.” They both knew what kind of trouble they’d be in once they got home. They passed the time silently until the door opened.

 

Both General Hammond and Sgt. Siler walked in. Neither one appeared happy. Sgt. Siler spoke first. “Rhonda Siler, just what did you think you were doing leaving daycare and coming here?”

 

Rhonda looked up at her dad. “I’m sorry, but Danny needed my help. You’ve always taught me to help my friends.”

 

“We’ll talk about what type of help friends need, when I get you home tonight,” Siler warned her. “General, permission to take Rhonda back to daycare?”

 

“Granted, Sergeant.” Then the General glared at Danny. “You and I, young man, will be talking now.”

 

“Yes, Sir.” Danny stood up to follow the General. “Bye, Rhonda. Good luck,” he said as Siler and his daughter were leaving. Then Danny followed Hammond to an empty office, refusing to hold his hand.

 

Hammond pointed to a chair, and Danny sat. Leaning against the desk, he got right to the point. “What did you think you were doing? The daycare noticed you’d disappeared. We’ve been looking for you for the last hour. Everyone was worried sick.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Danny replied, staring at his feet with arms crossed, “but nobody would tell me the truth.”

 

“What are you talking about, Son?” The General lifted Danny’s chin so he could look him in the eye. “Who wouldn’t tell you the truth?”

 

“You wouldn’t, Sir. You kept telling Aunt Bonnie nothing was wrong, even though I knew there was something wrong.” Danny tried to free himself from Hammond’s hold. “I know my daddy is hurt!” he cried.

 

Hammond let go and leaned back again. “How do you know Colonel O’Neill is hurt? Who told you?” He had ordered everyone not to let Danny know his dad was missing.

 

“I dreamed about it,” Danny said frustrated. “I know you don’t believe me.” Danny dropped his head.

 

Hammond sighed. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, Danny. It just seems unlikely.”

 

“Likely or not, I saw him. He was hurt, there was ice, and he was shivering. If he’s not hurt, why can’t I see him?” Danny couldn’t hold back any longer. He started bawling. “I just want to know the truth.”

 

General Hammond picked him up and held Danny tight. Danny hung onto his neck and sobbed. “Shh, Danny. Calm down. You’re right. I don’t know if your dad is hurt, but he is missing.” He finally admitted.

 

“I knew it. What about Baba?” The General looked at him quizzically. “Daniel. I call him Baba now,” Danny explained.

 

“Oh, Dr. Jackson and Teal’c came through the Stargate. Dr. Jackson was injured.” Hammond waved off Danny’s question. “He’s alright now. He just bumped his head when he landed on the ramp. The Colonel and Captain Carter were following behind them, but they never showed. We’re looking for them now.”

 

Danny leaned back in Hammond’s arms. “I want to see Baba. I can help. Besides, I need to see he’s okay for myself. Please?”

 

Hammond considered his request. He understood how worried Danny was, although he wondered about the dreams Danny’d had. “Danny, I know you want to help, but I don’t think there’s much you can do.”

 

“Please, Sir,” Danny pleaded. “I need to see him.”

 

“If I let you see him.” Danny’s big, blue eyes stared hopefully at the General. “You need to promise me you’ll go back to my house with Bonnie and stay there.”

 

Danny’s eyes dropped. “I don’t want to leave him. I want to stay. I’ll be good.”

 

“Danny, that’s not an option. You can’t stay on base. If you don’t promise me you’ll leave, I’ll take you home right now.”

 

“Fine, I promise, but I still want to stay.” Danny never completely gave up on what he wanted.

 

“Okay, Son. Let’s go find your baba.” The General put Danny down, held his hand, and then walked to the elevator that would take them to the lower levels.

 

Daniel, who had recently been released from the infirmary, heard about Danny being on base. He met General Hammond and Danny as they exited the elevator. Danny grabbed him around the waist, holding tight. Daniel said over Danny’s head, “General, I’m sorry Danny’s been a problem for you. You shouldn’t have to deal with his behavior.” Danny looked suitably chagrined, but he didn’t say anything.

 

“I’ll turn him over to you now,” the General said. “I’ve told him he has an hour before someone takes him up top to meet Bonnie.”

 

“Thank you, General. I’ll take him up myself.” Daniel looked down at Danny. “It’ll give us time to talk.” Danny didn’t seem pleased to talk.

 

“You’re welcome, Dr. Jackson. I’ll see you in an hour then?” Hammond asked.

 

“Yes, Sir.” Daniel walked Danny to his office. Sitting down with him on the couch, he asked, “What did you think you were doing? You had me worried sick.”

 

“I’m sorry. I thought we’d get here before anyone noticed we were missing.” Danny felt bad about making him worry, but he hadn’t been able to think of anything else.

 

“And to pull Rhonda into your escape. You both could have been hurt or even killed.”

 

“I’m sorry. I had to find out what was happening. I knew something was wrong and no one would tell me the truth.” Danny was on the verge of tears again.

 

“Did you try calling?” Daniel sat Danny on his lap, trying to comfort him.

 

“No one would let me. They said someone would call me if there was a problem, but they lied.”

 

“They weren’t trying to lie to you, Danny. They just didn’t want you to worry when you couldn’t do anything to help.”

 

“I was already worried because of the dreams,” Danny explained. “Why didn’t you call me?” he accused.

 

“I didn’t wake up until this morning. No one told me you were upset.” Daniel caught on to something Danny had said. “What dreams?”

 

“I dreamed of Daddy the last two nights. He was someplace cold. I could feel him shivering. He was hurt.” Danny shivered again at the memory. “Please believe me.”

 

Daniel looked him right in the eyes. “I believe you, Danny. However, just because you dreamed it, doesn’t mean it’s true.”

 

“It is true. You have to find him.”

 

“We will find him, but you need to give us time to figure it out.” Daniel had been trying to solve the problem of his missing team members since he’d woken up.

 

“I can help. Please let me help,” Danny begged.

 

“Do you really want to help?” Danny nodded. “Then go home with Bonnie, stay there, and behave, so we can concentrate on finding Jack and Sam and not on worrying about you.”

 

“That’s not helping.” Danny pouted.

 

“Of course it’s helping. If I’m worrying about you running away again, how can I work on finding them?” Daniel didn’t need anything else distracting him from his search.

 

Danny finally gave in. “Will you call me every day?”

 

“Yes, every day,” Daniel assured.

 

“And as soon as you find him?”

 

“Yes.” Daniel sighed.

 

“Can I stay home from school?” Daniel started to say no, when Danny added, “I can’t concentrate at school. All I think about is Daddy. I’ll even stay with the babies at daycare if Aunt Bonnie can’t watch me during the day.”

 

“Danny, we’re not going to go through this every time Jack and I are on a mission.” When Danny started to protest again, Daniel went on, “However, as I already know you’re worried, you can miss school. This time.”

 

“Thanks, Baba.”

 

“I’ll talk to Bonnie when she picks you up.” He stood Danny in front of him. “You know you’re in a whole mess of trouble, right?”

 

“Yes, Sir. I figured I was.”

 

“We’ll deal with it when we get Jack back. Okay?” Daniel didn’t have time to deal with disciplining Danny right now, and he really didn’t want to think about what would happen if they never found Jack and Sam.

 

“Okay. I won’t cause any more problems, I promise,” answered Danny.

 

“See to it you don’t. It’s time to take you topside now.” Daniel stood up to take Danny to meet Bonnie.

 

“Please, can’t I stay?” Danny pleaded one last time.

 

“Danny Jackson O’Neill!” Daniel said sternly.

 

“Sorry,” Danny apologized quietly.

 

“Let’s go.” Daniel walked down the hall to the elevators with Danny holding his hand.

 

 

Part 17: Jack’s Back

  

Daniel and Danny met Bonnie at the entrance. She agreed to keep Danny at her house, at least until Monday. They’d work out further arrangements if need be. That left Daniel to descend to the control room to continue working on the problem of his missing teammates.

 

Danny kept to his word and stayed out of trouble. He helped around the house and played with Kayla during the day, all the time anxiously awaiting Daniel’s phone call. Fortunately, Daniel kept his promise by calling twice a day. Danny’s dreams never stopped, but he did decide to seek out Bonnie when he woke up. It made him feel slightly better.

 

Friday, Daniel called earlier than normal. Danny answered the phone, “Hello, Hammond residence.”

 

“Danny,” Daniel said breathlessly, “we found them, Jack and Sam.”

 

“Where are you? When can I see him?” asked Danny excitedly.

 

Daniel answered, “Well, we’re in Antarctica. Don’t tell Bonnie though. Remember, security issues. I’ll tell her something when you put her on the phone.”

 

“Okay,” Danny agreed, “how bad is he hurt?”

 

“He has a broken leg and cracked ribs, but he’ll be fine. We’re coming home tomorrow. I’ll have Bonnie bring you to the base so you can see him.” Janet wanted to stabilize Jack and Sam at McMurdo station before transporting them to Colorado.

 

“I can’t wait.” Danny finally felt the knot in his stomach untangle.

 

Daniel had to get off the phone soon. “Danny, put Aunt Bonnie on so I can talk to her.”

 

“I love you, Baba,” Danny said, before handing her the phone, “Aunt Bonnie, Baba wants to talk to you.”

 

Bonnie took the phone and made arrangements to bring Danny to the base when he called the next day.

 

After hanging up the phone, she looked at Danny. “It seems like everything’s going to be okay, doesn’t it, Danny.”

 

“Yeah, I wish they were home already though.” Having to wait another day felt like forever to Danny.

 

“Listen, why don’t you help me with dinner. It helps to keep busy.” Bonnie suggested.

 

“Sure,” Danny agreed. Then he thought, “Can I call Rhonda first, to let her know my daddy’s alright?”

 

“Of course,” she replied, handing him the phone.

 

“Thanks.”

 

“Hello, Siler residence,” Siler said when answering the phone.

 

“Hi, Sgt. Siler. This is Danny. May I talk to Rhonda for a minute?” Danny wasn’t sure whether Rhonda was allowed to talk to him anymore, not after talking her into running away.

 

“Sure you can, but only for a little while.” Siler heard the hesitancy in Danny’s voice. “Is everything okay, Danny?”

 

“Yes, Sir. My dad’s coming home tomorrow.”

 

“I heard about them finding your dad before I left the base. I’m glad he’s coming home so soon.”

 

Danny added, “Also, I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to be friends with Rhonda, after what we did.”

 

“Danny, what you and Rhonda did was dangerous, but I wouldn’t think of telling the two of you to stop being friends. However, there will be some restrictions on where you’re allowed to play at daycare for awhile.” Siler had arranged for the two children to be watched more carefully in the future.

 

“Yes, Sir. I’m sorry for what I did,” Danny replied.

 

“Apology accepted. Here’s Rhonda.” Siler handed the phone to his daughter.

 

“Hi, Danny,” Rhonda said.

 

“Hi, Rhonda. My dad’s coming home,” he said happily.

 

Rhonda responded, “That’s great. How much trouble did you get in?”

 

Danny answered, “I don’t know yet. Everyone was so worried; they kind of decided to wait on my punishment. How about you?”

 

“What we figured. I got spanked when we got home. Also, the last two days I had to help clean the toys at daycare, instead of getting to play. And I got a lecture on how to help a friend the right way.”

 

“How’s that?” Danny questioned curiously.

 

“I’m supposed to talk you out of doing anything dangerous. If I can’t, I’m supposed to tell an adult.”

 

“But the grownups wouldn’t help,” Danny said in frustration.

 

“I know. That’s what I tried to tell my dad.” Rhonda whispered, “I’d do it again though. If you needed me to.”

 

“Thanks, Rhonda, but I don’t think either of us are going to be left alone for a long time.”

 

“Yeah. I hope you get off easy.”

 

Danny sighed. “Not likely. Uh oh, gotta hang up now. I’ve got an early bedtime.”

 

“Me, too. See you Monday, Danny,” Rhonda said.

 

“You, too. Bye.” Danny hung up the phone, looking at Bonnie. “Time for bed?” he asked.

 

“Yep. Go get ready,” Bonnie answered.

 

“Do I have to take a bath?” Danny whined. He hated baths.

 

“Yes, if you want to see your dad tomorrow.” Bonnie knew how to gain his cooperation.

 

“Fine.” He didn’t have a choice, but he could make it more fun. “Do I get bubbles?”

 

Bonnie sighed. “Yes, you can have bubbles. Get a move on and I’ll come in and wash your hair.”

 

Danny argued, “I’m not a baby. I can wash my own hair.”

 

“Danny!” she said sternly.

 

“Yes, Ma’am. Going now.” Danny rushed off to get ready for his bath.

 

Danny was nervous all day Saturday until Daniel finally called. Bonnie drove him to the base as soon as they were both ready. Daniel met them at the entrance. Danny ran up to him to be picked up, which Daniel happily obliged.

 

“He’s okay?” Danny asked, needing to be reassured.

 

“Yes, he’s fine. He’s hurt, but he’s fine. He’s anxious to see you,” Daniel answered. To Bonnie, he said, “Thank you for bringing him. I’m going to go ahead and take him home with me tonight.”

 

“You’re welcome anytime,” Bonnie replied.

 

“Bye, Aunt Bonnie. Thanks,” Danny called out.

 

“Bye, Danny. You’re welcome.”

 

Daniel carried Danny through the checkpoints. By this time, Hammond had arranged for Danny to have his own base ID. Danny loved that.

 

Finally reaching the infirmary, Daniel walked over to Jack’s bed. Despite everything he’d gone through, he looked pretty good. Sam had set his leg well enough not to need surgery for realignment, although they were waiting to cast it until the swelling went down. His ribs were stabilized, and he finally felt warm.

 

“Danny,” Jack called, holding out his free arm. “Come here.”

 

All the noise and equipment made Danny nervous. “Are you sure I won’t hurt you more, Daddy?”

 

“Yes, I’m sure. Daniel set him on the bed.”

 

“Sure, Jack.” Daniel carefully placed Danny down on Jack’s good side.

 

Jack pulled Danny into a hug, which made Danny have to lie down next to him. “I missed you, Bug.”

 

“Missed you, too, Daddy.” Danny snuggled into Jack. “You scared me.”

 

“I’m sorry. I heard you were worried about me.” Jack rubbed Danny’s back. “Something about dreams?”

 

“Yeah,” Danny said sadly. “Don’t want to talk about it now.”

“Later?”

 

“Later,” Danny confirmed. “When are you coming home?”

 

“Tomorrow night, after they cast my leg.” Jack was as anxious to go home as Danny was to have him home.

 

“Good.” Danny closed his eyes, enjoying being held by Jack again.

 

Daniel spoke up, “Come on, Danny. We need to let Jack rest.”

 

Danny shook his head.

 

“I don’t mind if he stays for awhile, Daniel. It’s kind of nice.” Jack had missed his new son, more than he let anyone know, or so he thought.

 

“You’re sure, Jack?” Daniel raised his eyebrows.

 

“I’m sure. I’ve got my call button if there’s a problem,” Jack said, holding it up.

 

Daniel gave in. “Okay, I’ll be in my office if you need anything. I’ll be back later to get him.” Daniel left Jack and Danny alone.

 

When Jack looked down at Danny, he found him fast asleep. Realizing he was tired too, he closed his own eyes for a catnap.

 

A few minutes later, Janet entered the room to do her usual check. She couldn’t help smiling at seeing Danny asleep in Jack’s arms. Wishing she had a camera, she glanced at the security camera in the corner. ‘I wonder what bribe security would want to get a still printed?’ she thought. Doing her best not to wake either of them, she checked Jack’s vitals, all of which were good. As silently as she could, she pulled the curtain around them to give a little privacy.

 

 

Part 18: Together Again

  

Over an hour later, Danny finally stirred. “Have a nice nap?” Jack asked, grinning.

 

“Yeah, I haven’t slept much,” he said stretching.

 

“The dreams?”

 

“Uh huh.”

 

“Ready to tell me about them?” Jack had been told about them, but he wanted to hear it from Danny.

 

“Okay.” Danny shifted to get more comfortable. “On Monday night, when you went missing, but before anyone told me, I had a nightmare about you being hurt and cold.”

 

“Doesn’t sound very nice,” Jack commented.

 

“It wasn’t. I had one every night until Baba called to tell me he found you.”

 

“That’s why you’re so sleepy?”

 

“Yep,” Danny answered.

 

“That’s why you ran away from daycare?” Jack prodded.

 

Danny sighed. “Yes, Sir. Baba told you already?” Danny knew he’d have to talk to his dad sooner or later. He just wished it were later.

 

“Yeah, he told me. Why’d you do it?”

 

“I had to find out what was happening.” Danny raised his voice, saying, “No one would tell me anything! I knew something was wrong!”

 

“Danny, quiet down. That still doesn’t excuse what you did.”

 

“I know,” Danny whispered, dropping his head. “I couldn’t think of anything else to do.”

 

Jack tapped Danny’s head. “Look at me, Danny.” Danny looked up. “You know you’re in trouble, right?”

 

“Yeah,” Danny answered. Noticing Jack’s disapproving stare, he corrected himself. “Yes, Sir,” he said more respectfully.

 

“We’ll take care of your punishment when I get home.”

 

“Yes, Sir. I’ve been expecting it,” Danny said with resignation.

 

Daniel came to get Danny shortly after they’d awoken. Sitting down on a chair next to the bed, he asked, “Are you ready to go home now, Danny?”

 

“No,” then catching Jack’s disapproval of his answer, added, “but I guess it’s time to go.” Danny leaned over, kissing Jack on the check. “Night, Daddy. I love you.”

 

Jack hugged him close. “I love you too, Danny. Sleep well. No more bad dreams.”

 

“No more dreams,” Danny replied with a smile. He sat up on the bed and held his arms out to Daniel.

 

Daniel picked him up. “Night, Jack. We’ll come back tomorrow to pick you up. Give us a call when you’re ready.”

 

“Yeahsureyabetcha. As soon as ol’ doc gives me the walking, make that hobbling papers,” he said grinning.

 

“Bye, Daddy.”

 

“Bye, Danny. See you tomorrow.” Jack settled back in bed preparing mentally for a dinner of infirmary food.

 

Daniel asked Danny as they headed out of the mountain, “Did you and Jack have time to talk?”

 

“Yeah, we talked.” Daniel sighed. “We’re going to finish the talk tomorrow.”

 

“Oh,” Daniel replied. “Happy to be going home?”

 

“Definitely. I like Aunt Bonnie and Tessa and Kayla, but home is better.” It’d been a long week for Danny to be away from his family.

 

“I agree. Are you hungry?” Daniel hadn’t eaten yet, but he wasn’t sure if Danny had eaten at Bonnie’s.

 

Danny gave Daniel a sly glance. “Are we eating out or are you cooking?”

 

“Why you little…” Daniel chased him to the elevator, picked him up, and tickled him until he begged for mercy. “Just for that, I am cooking, and you are eating it.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny replied between fits of giggles.

 

Daniel and Danny cleaned up the house to get it ready for Jack to come home with crutches. They had to make sure there was nothing to trip on. Also, since Daniel’s bedroom was on a lower level, Daniel traded rooms with Jack so he wouldn’t have to climb the stairs as much. Finally, after dealing with Danny asking when they were going to pick up Jack every ten minutes, the phone rang. Daniel answered.

 

“Is it Daddy? Is it Daddy? Are we going to pick him up now?” Danny asked, tugging on Daniel’s arm.

 

Daniel tried to fend him off to no avail. “Just a minute,” he said into the phone, then covered the mouthpiece with his hand. He stared Danny down. “Yes it is, however, if you don’t calm down, I’m going to ask the neighbor to watch you and pick him up by myself.”

 

Danny looked crestfallen. “Sorry, Baba,” he whispered, then slumped down on the step and put his head on his knees.

 

“Danny,” Daniel said with a sigh. Deciding to deal with him after the phone call, Daniel said into the phone, “Sorry, Jack, a little domestic disturbance. We’ll be there in a half hour.” He hung up the phone and sat down next to Danny.

 

“Danny…” he started only to be interrupted by Danny.

 

“I’m sorry. I’ll be good. I just want Daddy home,” he cried, never lifting his head from his knees, his little shoulders shaking.

 

Daniel put his arms around him to pull him close. Danny fell into the embrace. “It’s okay. I know you want Jack home. It’s been a long week and we’re both irritable.” Danny nodded into Daniel’s chest. “Okay, dry your tears. Let’s go wash your face and then go pick him up.”

 

Danny wiped his face with his hands. “Okay.”

 

Daniel, Jack, and Danny made it home in one piece. Exhausted, Jack went straight to bed to take a nap. When he finally woke up he could smell dinner, and feel a small, warm body snuggled up to him. He shook Danny awake.

 

“Huh,” Danny said sleepily.

 

“Hey, sleepy head. When did you crawl in?” Jack figured he must have been pretty tired not to notice Danny climb in.

 

Danny looked sheepish. “Baba got tired of me bugging him and told me to find something else to do. When I looked in on you, you were asleep, so I decided to take a nap, too.”

 

Jack laughed. “Fine with me, but I smell dinner cooking.”

 

“Oh, oh,” Danny teased.

 

“Come on now, Daniel’s a good cook.”

 

Danny laughed. “I know. I just like to tease him about it.” He gave his dad a sly grin as he slid off the bed. “At least he’s better than you.”

 

Jack reached out to snag him, but missed. “You’ll pay for that comment!” he yelled good-naturedly.

 

“I’ll tell Baba you’re ready for dinner,” Danny called out as he exited the room.

 

“Tell him I’ll be there in a minute,” Jack said as he shifted in bed, reaching for his crutches.

 

“Okay.”

 

 

Part 19: Daniel’s Story

  

After eating their fill of Daniel’s dinner, Jack chose to sit on the couch for a while. He also wanted to get Danny’s punishment over and done with so they could all stop thinking about it. Danny was sitting on the floor reading a book, while Daniel sat in the chair across from them.

 

“Danny,” said Jack.

 

“Huh?” Danny replied, engrossed in his book.

 

Jack tapped him on the head. Danny looked over at him. “Danny, it’s time to take care of business.”

 

“Oh,” he said, closing his book, that business. “Are you going to spank me now?”

 

“Don’t you think you deserve it?” Jack questioned.

 

“Yes, Sir.” Danny stood up and looked quizzically at Jack, with his leg propped up on the couch. “How are you going to do it?”

 

“Well, that is a problem.” Jack looked over at Daniel. “I was thinking Daniel could take care of it.”

 

Daniel’s head popped up. “What?”

 

“It’s going to be rather hard for me to spank Danny, so I thought you could do it.” Jack couldn’t think of any reason for Daniel to refuse. He’d never objected to the previous spankings.

 

Daniel stared at his hands, worrying at his thumb. “Sorry, Jack. I don’t give spankings. That’s up to you.”

 

Danny spoke up, “Baba, I know I deserve it for running away. I knew the consequences when I did it. I don’t mind if you do it.” Danny just wanted to get it over with, instead of waiting.

 

“That’s not the point, Danny. I don’t give spankings.” Daniel still didn’t meet anyone’s eyes.

 

Jack asked, “What is the point, Daniel?”

 

“It’s personal, Jack.”

 

Jack shifted on the couch, groaning. “It’d help me out, if I knew why.”

 

“I have my reasons,” Daniel insisted.

 

Danny’s head kept bouncing back and forth as though he was at a tennis match.

 

Jack was curious. “But you don’t mind if I spank him?”

 

“No. He knew the rules.”

 

“This doesn’t make sense, Daniel. You’re his dad as much as I am. You’ll have to discipline him sometimes.”

 

“And I will, I just won’t spank him.” Daniel finally met Jack’s eyes. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

 

“I’m just trying to understand,” Jack explained.

 

“Fine.” Daniel leaned back in the chair. “You really want the explanation?”

 

“Yes,” Jack answered.

 

Daniel saw the confusion on Danny’s face. “Are you okay, Danny?”

 

“Yes, Sir.” Danny walked over and stood in front of Daniel. “I just have a feeling something happened to you. Something that wasn’t nice.”

 

Daniel indicated for Danny to climb on his lap, which Danny happily obliged. “What makes you think that?” Daniel asked, settling Danny in.

 

“I don’t really know.” Danny’s forehead creased in thought. “Sometimes I can feel what you’re feeling.” He shook his head. “It’s confusing. Like when I knew Daddy was hurt. I just know.”

 

Daniel and Jack shared looks over Danny’s head. “Do you want me to tell you?” asked Daniel.

 

“Yes,” Danny answered, popping his thumb in his mouth.

 

Daniel began. “You both know I grew up in foster homes.” Danny and Jack nodded. “While some were nice enough, others weren’t. There were two that were really bad. The first one was when I was ten. The foster dad drank a lot. There were three of us foster kids in the house, but he took a quick dislike to me. I could never do anything right. He started off spanking me when I broke the rules. It quickly turned into beatings.”

 

“But Daddy doesn’t beat me,” Danny interjected.

 

“I know he doesn’t, Danny. And he never will. Jack’s not like my foster dad.” Daniel continued, “Anyway, I had a lot of anger in me after they removed me from that home.”

 

“Were you there very long, Daniel?” Jack asked with concern.

 

“About three months, three very long months.” Daniel sighed. “I ended up in another one of these homes when I was fourteen. He used a belt and hit me wherever he could land it. I took a few beatings before I blew.” Daniel stopped talking.

 

“What did you do?” Jack prodded. He knew Daniel needed to finish the story.

 

“He came after me one day. I’d decided I’d had enough. He wasn’t too much bigger than I was. I punched him in the stomach. Then I grabbed the belt and started swinging it at him. I got in a few licks before he grabbed hold of it. I ended up in the hospital later that day.” Daniel sat rubbing Danny’s back.

 

“That wasn’t nice of him,” Danny confirmed.

 

“No, it wasn’t, Danny. So, although I know you’re not abusing him, Jack, if you ever did, it would be the last time. I’m not so sure I wouldn’t flashback and take it too far.” Daniel had hated the feeling of conquest he’d had when he’d hit his foster father. Just as he hated the feelings he got when he had to fight the Goa’uld. It wasn’t who he wanted to be.

 

“I can understand now,” Jack replied. “You’re sure it doesn’t bother you if I do it?”

 

“Yes, it bothers me, but it’s your way. It was my dad’s way.” Daniel looked at Danny. “Danny didn’t experience what I did. He knows you spank him to correct his behavior, to keep him safe, right?”

 

“Uh huh. Daddy wants me to remember not to break the rules,” Danny agreed.

 

“Okay, then. Let’s take care of this. Come on over here, Danny,” Jack said. Danny got off Daniel’s lap and walked over to Jack. “Let’s see.” Jack shifted his leg so it rested on the coffee table. This freed his right arm. His placed a pillow over his legs to cushion Danny’s torso. “Drop your pants and lie over my lap.” Danny did has he was told. Then Jack noticed Daniel get up and go into the kitchen.

 

“Ready?” he asked.

 

“Yes, Sir,” answered Danny.

 

“Why are you getting this spanking?”

 

“Because I ran away from daycare with Rhonda and it was dangerous.”

 

“That’s right.” Jack brought his palm down on Danny’s backside. Danny startled when he felt the smack, but he didn’t cry. Jack continued the spanking just until Danny started crying. Then he stopped and rubbed Danny’s back, soothing both of them. “It’s okay, Danny. It’s over.” Danny’s crying slowed, and then finally stopped. He carefully moved off Jack’s lap, fixed his clothes and stood up. He started to walk away, when Jack held his arm. “You’re forgetting something, Danny.” Danny looked at his dad who was holding his arms out. Then realizing what he’d forgotten, he hugged his dad as tight as he could, without hurting him. “I love you, Danny. I don’t ever want to lose you,” Jack stated with conviction. When he’d first heard of what Danny had done, all he could picture was him being hurt or killed on the road to the base.

 

“I love you, Daddy. I won’t run away again, I promise.”

 

“I know. Time for bed now. Daniel will help you get ready.”

 

“Night, Daddy. Can I come out to say good night when I’m ready?”

 

“You’d better,” Jack insisted. “I don’t sleep well without my good night kiss.”

 

After Danny left, Jack settled himself back on the couch. Sighing to himself, he thought about Daniel’s story. No one should have to go through what he had. How Daniel had turned out to be the gentle soul he was, astounded him. He began to understand Daniel wasn’t as innocent as he seemed.

 

 

Part 20: Fights and Lego’s™

  

“I don’t want to go to school today. I want to stay home with you,” Danny whined at breakfast the next morning.

 

“Danny, you’re going to school today, and that’s it.” Jack looked at Daniel. “Daniel already let you miss two days as it is.”

 

“Jack,” Daniel defended himself, “he was too upset to concentrate. It’s no good going to school when all that happens is you get yelled at for not paying attention.” Daniel could remember his early school days when no one cared about a little boy who could only think of his dead parents, and not the daily lessons.

 

“Well, I’m back. He’s got nothing to worry about, so he can concentrate. Right, Danny?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny answered without enthusiasm.

 

“Unless, of course,” Jack mentioned, “there’s another reason you don’t want to go to school.”

 

“No, Sir.” There was another reason, however Danny wasn’t ready to tell his dads about it, yet. He wanted to take care of the problem for himself.

 

“Good, it’s settled then. Daniel will drive you to school and pick you up. At least you don’t have to go to daycare,” Jack stated trying to make Danny feel better.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny told him. “I’ll go get my backpack.” After placing his dishes in the sink, he left to get his things.

 

Jack questioned Daniel, “Any idea what that was all about?”

 

“No, I don’t know any more than you do. He certainly didn’t seem to want to go to school though.”

 

“No, he didn’t. Are Carter and Teal’c coming over for dinner tonight?” SG-1 had made plans to get together tonight to reconnect after the separation, and to have fun with Danny.

 

When Danny was picked up after school, he wasn’t in any better of a mood. He didn’t say anything to Daniel though, not wanting to bother him. At home, he greeted Jack, and then went to his room to read.

 

Daniel checked on Jack. “Need anything?” he asked.

 

“Yeah, I need to know what’s wrong with Danny.”

 

“I don’t know, Jack.” Daniel sighed, pinching his nose. “He’s not talking. Just leave him be for a while. I’m sure he’ll tell us when he’s ready.”

 

Jack didn’t like Danny going silent, nor did he like waiting. “If he doesn’t tell us soon…”

 

“He’ll tell us,” Daniel interrupted. “I know you want to force the issue, but this time, give him a little time. Besides, Sam and Teal’c will be here soon. I need to get things ready,” Daniel said, changing the subject.

 

“Fine, we’ll try it your way this time,” Jack conceded. “Do you need any help?”

 

“No, I’ve got everything taken care of, just get yourself ready.” Daniel exited the room.

 

About a half-hour later, Jack was cleaned up and had moved to the living room. “When did you say they were coming?” Jack asked as the bell rang.

 

“Now,” answered Daniel with a smirk. “Danny, Sam and Teal’c are here!” he called down the hall as he went to answer the door.

 

Danny ran into the room excited to see his ‘Aunt Sam’ and ‘Uncle Teal’c’. He gave them each a big hug when they walked into the house. Then he stared at the big bag Sam had with her, hoping it was for him, but too polite to ask.

 

Sam picked up on his interest. “Yes, it’s for you, Danny. Why don’t you see what’s in the bag for yourself?”

 

Danny looked to Baba for permission. “Go ahead, Danny. She said it was for you.”

 

“Thanks, Aunt Sam, Uncle Teal’c,” he said as he pulled a big bucket out of the bag. He looked confused.

 

“Do you know what it is?” Danny shook his head. “It’s Lego’s™. You build things with them.” Sam crumpled up the bag, saying, “Bring it into the family room and I’ll show you what to do with them.”

 

When Sam emptied the bucket on the coffee table everyone started building with them until dinner was ready. Sam built a nuclear reactor, Teal’c a staff weapon; Daniel a pyramid, Danny a camel, and Jack built himself a jet.

 

Danny had been thinking about his problem for a long time. He finally came up with a possible solution, but he needed Teal’c’s help. After dinner, he asked Teal’c to come into his room. “Uncle Teal’c,” he said uncertainly.

 

“Yes, Danny Jackson O’Neill.” Teal’c said with his usual formality.

 

Danny was worried Teal’c would tell his dads about his problem, and he wanted to keep it between the two of them. “I need your help with something, but I don’t want you to tell my dads.”

 

“I do not keep secrets from your fathers,” Teal’c replied.

 

Danny faltered. “It’s not a secret, really. I just have a problem, and I want to solve it myself, but I need your help.”

 

Teal’c raised an eyebrow. “If I help you, then you are not solving the problem yourself, are you?”

 

Danny sighed. “Uncle Teal’c, can I just tell you what I need. If you don’t want to help, that’s fine, just don’t tell my dads.”

 

“I can not promise that, Danny Jackson O’Neill. However, if I do not believe it is necessary to tell your fathers, I will not. Please go on.”

 

Danny decided to take the chance. If Teal’c wouldn’t help him, he’d have to tell his dads anyway. “Okay. The problem is there’s a bully at school.”

 

“A bully?” Teal’c questioned.

 

“A bully is someone who teases you and hits you just because they think it’s fun,” Danny explained. “Anyways, this bully has been bugging me since I started school. Yesterday, the bully wanted to fight me. I didn’t want to, so I ran away. Then everyone called me a chicken.”

 

“Why have you not informed your teachers of this problem?” Teal’c asked.

 

“Then I’d be a tattletale, which is worse than a chicken.” Danny saw Teal’c start to speak. “Never mind what they mean. I need you to teach me to fight.” Danny said quickly, finally getting to the point.

 

“Have you not been taught to fight yet?” On Chulak, all young boys were trained to fight at an early age.

 

“No,” Danny answered, “I never needed to know in Egypt. Well, will you teach me?”

 

“And you don’t want to ask your fathers to teach you, because…”

 

“They have enough going on right now. I want to deal with this myself,” Danny insisted.

 

“Then I will help you in this endeavor, Danny Jackson O’Neill,” Teal’c stated.

 

Danny hugged him, something Teal’c was getting used to. “Can we start tonight?” Danny asked, eager to learn.

 

“Indeed. I will start with some defensive moves.” For the next half-hour, Teal’c showed Danny how to block punches and then twist the opponent’s arm behind his back. Danny learned quickly, but all to soon, it was time for Sam and Teal’c to go home. No one had questioned what Danny and Teal’c had been doing in his bedroom.

 

Danny avoided the bully the next day, mainly because he had to stay in from recess to make up work from the days he’d missed school.

 

When Daniel brought him home that afternoon, he entered the living room to find Jack playing with his new Lego’s™. “Daaad,” he whined. Jack had taken apart everything made the night before to build one huge jet fighter.

 

Jack’s faced colored. “Hi, Danny. Did you have a good day at school?” he asked, as he placed his construction on the table.

 

“Fine. I made up all the work I’d missed.” He looked at the Lego’s™. “What am I going to build with?” Jack had used almost all the blocks in the bucket.

 

“Don’t worry. We can take my jet apart. However, I think I have some Lego’s™ stored in the attic,” he said, glancing at Daniel, “if you and Daniel want to look for them.”

 

“Sure, Jack.” Daniel grinned. “You can never have too many blocks. Danny why don’t you go put your backpack in your room, then we’ll go on a survey expedition in the attic.” Daniel said, making it sound like an adventure.

 

“Okay,” Danny answered.

 

Up in the attic, Daniel and Danny began looking through the multitude of boxes set along the wall.

 

Daniel found the Lego’s™, just as Danny opened up a box of photo albums.

 

“Danny, I found the Lego’s™,” Daniel called out. When Danny didn’t reply, he turned around to find Danny sitting on the floor with an album open in his lap. Daniel went over and sat down beside him. “What are you looking at?”

 

“A bunch of photos.” Danny looked up at Daniel. “They’re of Daddy and Charlie.”

 

Daniel was startled. “You know who Charlie is?”

 

“Yeah,” Danny whispered.

 

“How do you know about him?” Neither Daniel nor Jack had told Danny about Charlie.

 

“I’m not sure. I just know,” Danny said crinkling his forehead. “I know he was Daddy’s son, and that he died.” Danny flipped another page over, showing a picture of a smiling boy in a baseball uniform. “Why doesn’t Daddy ever talk about him?”

 

“It makes him sad,” Daniel answered. “He misses him.”

 

“But we miss our parents and we still talk about them. I think I’d miss them more if we didn’t talk about them.” Danny liked being able to talk to Daniel and Jack about his mom and dad. “If I asked Daddy to tell me about Charlie, do you think he’d be mad?” Danny was curious about this boy who could have been his brother.

 

Daniel put his arm around Danny. “I can’t answer that, Danny. Only Jack can. I do think you should ask him though.” The subject was bound to come up someday. It might be better for Jack to talk now. “Why don’t we bring the Lego’s™ and the album downstairs. You can bring Charlie up by asking him about the photos.”

 

“Will you stay in the room?” Danny was worried about upsetting Jack.

 

“Yes, but I think it’ll turn out okay.” Jack had dealt with some of his feelings about his son, when the energy being had turned into Charlie.

 

“Okay,” Danny replied, as he stood up with the album under his arm. “Are there very many blocks in the box?”

 

“This entire box is full of them.” Daniel grinned.

 

“Good. Maybe Daddy will leave some for me to build with.” Danny grasped his baba’s hand, walking back down to the living room.

 

 

Part 21: Memories

  

Jack heard Daniel and Danny before they even entered the room. He called out, “Did you find the Lego’s™?”

 

“Yeah, Jack. Danny found something else, too.” Daniel gently pushed Danny into the room.

 

“What’d you find, Danny?” Jack asked, then noticed Danny looked uneasy. “What’s up?” he questioned, with concern.

              

“Um,” Danny said hesitantly. “I found a photo album. It has pictures of you and Sara and Charlie.”

 

“Oh,” Jack replied. Then he asked, “What do you know about them, Danny?”

 

“I know Charlie was your son, and Sara was your wife, but that’s about all.” Danny looked worried, still holding the album under his arm.

 

Jack couldn’t handle seeing Danny so nervous. “Danny, come here. Sit down by me.” Danny still looked unsure of himself as he sat next to his dad. “Did you want me to tell you about the pictures?” Danny nodded his head, handing Jack the photo album. Jack took it from him. Before opening it, he asked, “Who told you about them?”

 

“Nobody did, Daddy. I’m not sure how I know about them. I just do. You’re not mad I asked about them, are you?” Danny lowered his eyes, afraid of the answer.

 

Jack pulled Danny into a hug. “Why would you think I’d be upset?”

 

“I’ve been here a while now, and you’ve never mentioned him. I didn’t know why. I thought maybe you didn’t want me to know you had a son before me.”

 

Squeezing Danny tighter, he said, “Danny, I was very sad when Charlie died, and I loved him very much. I would love to tell you about him. He would have loved having a little brother like you. I’m just sorry the two of you will never know each other.” Jack blinked back some tears. He still felt guilty over how his son had died, but he had begun his healing when the crystal entity had transformed into his son. He was ready to let his new son know about Charlie. Opening the album he saw a picture of him and Charlie at their cabin. Charlie was about the same age as Danny.

 

Daniel sat behind Jack and Danny on the end table so he could see the photos also. Daniel had very few pictures left of his time with his parents because no one had thought to save them for him. “Where was that picture taken, Jack?”

 

“That’s up at the cabin. Sara and I took Charlie up there for a week during the summer he was five.”

 

Danny piped up, “That’s how old I am now.”

 

“Yep. We had a good time on that trip. We fished, hiked, swam, and just enjoyed each other.” Jack remembered the trip very well. He’d just come back from a mission, and needed the time to reconnect with his family.

 

“You still have that cabin, don’t you, Jack?” Daniel asked.

 

“As a matter of fact I do. Haven’t been there in a long time though. I’ve had people taking care of it, but I don’t really know what shape it’s in.” Jack hadn’t been able to handle going to the cabin since his son’s death.

 

Danny looked back at his dad. “Do you think, maybe, sometime, we could go there?” he asked shyly.

 

Jack had to think about it. Was it time for him to make some new memories with his new family? “You know, I think that would be a great idea. What do you say, Daniel?” Yep, it was.

 

“I think it’s a great idea.” Daniel figured it would be some good bonding time. “You’re out of commission for six weeks with your leg. Maybe we could go the week before you’re cleared for duty. I could ask General Hammond for the week off.”

 

“I’ve never been camping before,” mentioned Danny.

 

“What do you mean? Didn’t you camp with your parents on the digs?” Jack asked.

 

“That wasn’t camping, Daddy. That was work. Besides it was the desert. This will be in the mountains.”

 

“That it will, Danny. That it will,” Daniel said, rubbing Danny’s head. “It’ll be a whole lot colder, too.”

 

“Cool,” Danny said, picking up on Jack’s lingo.

 

The rest of the evening was spent comfortably paging through the photo album and listening to Jack tell stories about his family.

 

 

Part 22: Trouble at School

 

Daniel dropped Danny off at school the next morning and then drove to work. Jack was well enough to be left alone, and Daniel needed to translate some artifacts brought back by other teams. Only an hour and a half later, his phone rang. “Hello,” he said, after picking up the phone.

 

“Hello, is this Dr. Jackson?” someone asked.

 

“Yes, it is. May I ask who’s calling?” Daniel thought he recognized the voice, but wasn’t positive.

 

“It’s Principal Summers, Dr. Jackson. I’m sorry to have to call you at work, but Danny’s been in a fight today. Someone needs to come pick him up and talk to me.”

 

Daniel mentally groaned. Aloud he said, “I need to make arrangements with the General, but I’m sure I can come. It’ll take about thirty minutes. Will that be okay?” Daniel wasn’t looking forward to asking Hammond for more time off to take care of Danny’s problems.

 

“That will be fine. He’ll be waiting in the office. If you have any problems with getting here, just call.”

 

“I will. Bye.”

 

“Good bye, Dr. Jackson.”

 

Daniel hung up the phone. Frustrated, he dialed the General’s number. After the secretary put him through, the General answered. “Dr. Jackson, how may I help you?”

 

“I’m sorry, Sir, but I need to take some time off today to pick Danny up from school.”

 

“What’s the problem this time?” Hammond asked, concern evident in his voice.

 

“He got in a fight. I don’t have all the details yet.”

 

“I’m sorry to hear that. Hopefully there was a good reason.”

 

Daniel sighed. “Doesn’t really matter if it was a good reason or not, Sir. The school has a strict policy of suspension for fighting.” Jack had strict rules against fighting, too, although he didn’t feel the need to tell the General that.

 

“I’m sorry to hear that. Good luck, Son.”

 

“Thank you, General. I’ll catch up on my work tomorrow.”

 

“Do what you need to. Good bye.”

 

“Good bye, Sir.”

 

Daniel arrived at the school office to find Danny sitting on the bench again. Danny looked up sadly, but didn’t say anything. He stepped up to the counter, saying, “Good morning, I’m Dr. Daniel Jackson. I’m here to see Principal Summers.”

 

The secretary said, “Yes, Sir. He’s expecting you. I’ll let him know you’re here.”

 

A moment later, Mr. Summers came out of his office. “Please come in, Dr. Jackson.”

 

Daniel entered the office and sat in the chair the principal offered. “So what happened?” he asked.

 

“During morning recess, Danny and another student were caught by a teacher fighting. They were both sent to the office.”

 

“Did Danny tell you what the fight was about?” Daniel hoped Danny hadn’t gone silent again.

 

“As a matter of fact, he did. He said Nat had been bothering him and he got tired of it. When he didn’t back down, she threw a punch at him.”

”She!” Daniel interrupted. Great, fighting a girl would only make things worse.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. The student he fought with was Natalie. She’s a student in his class,” Mr. Summers explained. “Unfortunately, we have no witnesses to the punch he says she threw. The teacher only saw Danny twist her arm behind her back and push her against the wall.”

 

“Okay. So what happens now?”

 

“Well, as you know, we have a strict policy against fighting. Danny will receive a two-day suspension. As it happened so early this morning, we’ll count today as one of the days. He can come back to school on Friday.”

 

“That will be fine. We’ll be discussing what will happen in the future at home. Should I take him now?” Daniel wanted to get Danny’s story as soon as he could.

 

“Yes. Sign him out at the counter. Then you may leave. Thank you for coming so quickly and dealing with the matter.” The principal always appreciated when parents accepted the consequences of their children’s actions.

 

“You’re welcome,” Daniel said, shaking his hand.

 

Daniel stood in front of Danny who was still sitting on the bench. He looked ready to cry. “I’m going to take you home now, Danny. Do you need to get anything from your classroom?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny said quietly.

 

“Do you want me to come with you?” Daniel hated it when Danny looked so sad.

 

“Yes, Sir.” Danny stood, finally looking up. His Baba didn’t look angry. Rather, he looked sad. Daniel held out his hand. Danny gratefully accepted the reassurance of the touch.

 

“Okay, let’s go and then I’ll sign you out.”

 

After getting Danny’s things, they signed him out and headed home. Partway there, Daniel changed his mind, heading in another direction. Danny noticed, speaking up, “This isn’t the way home, is it?”

 

“No,” Daniel answered. “We’re going to stop at the park first so I can talk to you.”

 

“Oh,” Danny responded glumly. He didn’t think the talk would be pleasant.

 

Daniel parked the car and he and Danny walked down to the pond. Daniel knelt at the edge, trying to skip rocks. “So, what was the fight about?” he asked, not making eye contact, hoping Danny wouldn’t feel intimidated.

 

Danny picked up a rock and threw it in. “She wouldn’t leave me alone.”

 

“So you shoved her against the wall?”

 

“Yeah. I tried telling her to leave me alone, but when I stood my ground this time, she tried to punch me.”

 

“This time?”

 

Danny didn’t want to tell him about the previous times, but figured he should. “When she tried to fight me on Monday, I ran away.” Danny hung his head even lower. “Everyone called me ‘chicken’,” he muttered.

 

“So you decided to fight back this time,” Daniel stated.

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell us about what had happened on Monday?” Daniel asked, worried about why Danny was keeping things to himself.

 

“Daddy had just come home. I didn’t want to bother anyone. I wanted to solve my own problems.”

 

“Danny, you can always tell us anything. We need to know what’s bothering you, in order to help you.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Danny replied quietly. “Is Daddy going to spank me?”

 

“Probably,” Daniel answered. “You know how he feels about fighting.”

 

“I know,” Danny said wearily.

 

Daniel felt he’d missed something and decided to delve deeper. “What was Natalie bugging you about?” Danny didn’t answer. He just kept throwing the rocks in the water. Daniel covered his hand, making Danny look at him. “Danny?” He saw the tears falling down Danny’s face, and pulled him into his arms. Standing up, he walked over to a nearby bench and sat down. He comforted Danny a little longer, and then asked again, “Danny, what was she bugging you about?”

 

Danny finally answered, sniffling, all of the emotions he’d been holding back spilling out, “She’s the one that says you’re not my parents. She said you only take care of me because you have to. She also gets mad because I do my schoolwork better than she does. She told all the other kids that I was weird and they shouldn’t play with me. So nobody will play with me. I don’t have any friends at school. I hate it there.” Danny sobbed on Daniel’s chest.

 

“Shh, it’s okay,” Daniel soothed. “It can’t be that bad.”

 

“Yes it is. Nobody will stand up to her.” Then Danny released the rest of his feelings. “I want to go home, and I don’t mean to Jack’s. I want to go back to Egypt. I want my parents back. I don’t care if they die in three years. I want those three more years you had.” He pulled away from Daniel, beating his fists on Daniel’s chest. “I want my mom and dad. Send me back. Do whatever you have to, but send me back!” he wailed.

 

Daniel pulled Danny back into a tight hug to save himself from the blows of Danny’s small fists. “I can’t send you back. You know that. If I could give them back to you I would, but I can’t.” Daniel knew how much losing his parents hurt Danny first hand.

 

“I don’t care! I don’t care!” Danny struggled to free himself.

 

Beginning to notice people staring at them, Daniel realized he needed to move their discussion to a more private place. Still trying to comfort Danny, Daniel carried him back to the car. After belting the crying child in, Daniel sat down in the driver’s seat, laying his head on the steering wheel. Not knowing what else to do, he drove home.

 

 

Part 23: Explaining

  

On the drive home, Danny cried the whole way until he finally fell asleep. Not wanting to disturb him, Daniel carefully took him out of the car without waking him. When they entered the house, Jack was relaxing on the couch. “What are…” he began, before Daniel shushed him. Then he noticed Danny asleep in Daniel’s arms.

 

Daniel whispered, “I’m going to put him to bed, then I’ll come out and tell you what’s going on.” Daniel settled Danny down, kissed his forehead, and went back to the living room to explain everything to Jack.

 

“What’s going on, Daniel?” Jack asked, as soon as he sat down.

 

“Danny had some trouble in school,” Daniel answered. “I had to go pick him up.”

 

“What kind of trouble?” By the way Daniel was stalling, he could tell he wouldn’t like the answer.

 

“He got in a fight at recess with another student,” Daniel replied, not yet wanting Jack to know it was a girl. He knew Jack’s views on fighting girls, even if he didn’t agree.

 

Unfortunately, that was Jack’s next question. “Whom’d he fight with?”

 

Daniel sighed. “Natalie. I’ve never met her though.”

 

“Her! He fought a girl,” Jack exclaimed. “What is with that boy?”

 

“Jack, calm down. Let me explain what happened first.”

 

“He’s fighting with girls, again. He’s knows that’s unacceptable.” Jack had gone over the rules about fighting after the incident with Kayla.

 

“He knows it’s unacceptable, Jack,” Daniel defended, “but there’s more to it than that. This girl is the one who’s been teasing him since he started school there. Apparently, she’s also the one who started the fight.”

 

“It doesn’t matter, he shouldn’t be fighting, especially girls.” Jack couldn’t get his head away from his ingrained belief that you don’t fight girls.

 

“Jack, she’s the one who threw the punch. Danny was only defending himself.”

 

“Then how come Danny was sent home?”

 

“No one saw the punch,” Daniel admitted. “They only saw Danny twist her arm behind her back and push her against the wall.”

 

“What!? Where did he learn that?”

 

“I don’t know, Jack,” Daniel said wearily. He still hadn’t told Jack about the rest of the issues. “It doesn’t matter, there are more problems than just the fight.”

 

“Other problems? The fight’s not enough.” Jack said sarcastically.

 

“Yes, Jack,” Daniel said, frustrated. “You weren’t there when he broke down.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Jack asked with more concern. “What do you mean he broke down?”

 

“He’s miserable at that school, Jack. He said he has no friends because this girl told everyone else not to play with him.” Daniel finally broached the hardest part. “He wants to go home.”

 

“He is home,” Jack responded, not understanding.

 

“He wants to go home to Egypt. He wants to be sent back to be with his mom and dad.” Daniel wouldn’t mind being with his parents again either.

 

“We can’t do that,” Jack stated. “He knows that.”

 

“It doesn’t matter what he knows, Jack. He’s five-years old, and he wants his mom and dad.”

 

“I thought he was okay living with us.” Jack had assumed Danny had adjusted to his new life.

 

“Jaaacck,” Daniel informed him. “He is okay with it, but you never stop wanting your own parents back. Believe me, I know.”

 

“Sorry, Daniel. I do understand, but what can we do except continue to love him and explain things to him.” Jack had dealt with death many times in his life, however he’d never had to help a child grieve.

 

“I don’t know. I don’t think he totally believes us. We need to find a way to convince him we can’t send him back. He needs to grieve.” Daniel had been thrown so quickly into the foster system, he’d never had a chance to grieve either.

 

“Daniel?” Jack asked, worried about the tears he could see in his friend’s eyes. “Are you okay?”

 

Daniel blinked back the tears. “I’m fine, Jack.”

 

Jack wished he could get up and go to his friend. “You’re not fine, Daniel. Tell me what’s wrong.”

 

“It’s nothing, Jack,” Daniel denied.

 

“Daniel!”

 

“Fine, Jack.” Daniel stood up and paced. “I was just thinking about the fact I don’t even know where my parents are buried. The social workers wouldn’t let me go to the funeral, and I haven’t been able to get myself to find out since.”

 

“I’m sorry, Daniel,” Jack said sincerely. “It sounds like you both need some closure.”

 

“Yeah, maybe,” Daniel said shrugging, “but right now we need to take care of Danny.” Daniel changed the subject. “I think we need to pull him from that school.”

 

Jack allowed the diversion, but kept the thought of how to help them both on the back burner. “If we pull him, what do we do with him?”

 

“I don’t know, Jack. I haven’t thought that far ahead. I just know I can’t stand the thought of him being miserable.” Daniel remembered being an outcast in some of the schools he’d attended.

 

“I agree. Maybe Danny will have some ideas.”

 

“Maybe.”

 

 

Part 24: Shutting Down

 

Daniel went to check on Danny after his talk with Jack. He found him still sleeping soundly, so he left him alone. When another hour went by, without a sound from Danny, he began to worry. Checking on him, he realized Danny hadn’t moved at all since he’d laid him on the bed. That wasn’t normal for this child; Danny had always been a wiggle worm. Daniel sat down next to him on the bed and shook Danny’s shoulders. No response. He tried talking to him. “Danny, it’s time to wake up now,” he said gently. Checking to make sure he was still breathing, Daniel turned him over. Danny’s eyes were open, however they were unfocused, staring at nothing. Daniel’s worries increased. He’d never seen Danny so unresponsive. He’d hoped he never would. He’d never understood the fear his caretakers had expressed, until now.

 

He left Danny on the bed and went to tell Jack. “Jack, you need to go sit with Danny. I’m going to call Janet.”

 

“Daniel,” Jack exclaimed, grabbing his crutches, “what’s wrong? Why do you need to call the doc?”

 

“Danny’s shut down. He’s unresponsive. I need her to check him out. We need to get him back.” Daniel left to call Janet. Hearing Jack call out to him, he responded, “Just go sit with him for now. I’ll explain everything after I talk to Janet.”

 

Jack chose to not argue the point. Instead, he hobbled into Danny’s bedroom. Danny was still lying on his back, staring past the ceiling. Jack sat on the bed at Danny’s head, running his fingers through the long brownish-blonde hair. He realized Danny needed a haircut. He tried talking to him. “Danny, it’s Daddy. You need to wake up now.” Danny barely blinked. “Come on, Danny. I want to talk to you. I need you to tell me what’s wrong.” Nothing. Daniel walked into the room and sat on the rocker. “Well?” Jack asked him.

 

“Janet’s on her way over.” Daniel sighed, leaning back in the rocker. “Ugh, I never thought I’d be dealing with this from the outside.”

 

“What are you talking about, Daniel?” Jack asked, now concerned for both Danny and Daniel.

 

Daniel looked over at Danny. “He’s shut down, Jack. Tuned out. He’s awake and aware, but choosing not to respond.”

 

“And you know this how?” Jack inquired.

 

“How do you think, Jack?” he asked tiredly. “I used to do it when things got to be too much for me to handle. I’d take a break from the world.”

 

“How do we bring him out of it?” Jack asked, continuing to rub Danny’s head. “He’s scaring me, he’s so quiet.”

 

“I don’t know. I don’t ever remember coming out of it until I was ready.”

 

“What’s the longest you ever stayed like this?” Jack couldn’t imagine standing by and watching Danny like this for very long.

 

“Three days,” Daniel stated flatly. It’d been after he’d been beaten and hospitalized.

 

Daniel heard the doorbell ring. “That must be Janet,” he said, getting up to answer the door.

 

A few moments later, Daniel returned with Janet. She immediately began checking Danny over. After listening to his heart, checking his pulse and blood pressure, she checked his reaction to stimuli. He reacted only slightly. Sitting down at Danny’s feet, she began asking questions. “What brought this on?” she asked, looking at Jack.

 

Jack looked towards Daniel to answer. Daniel explained about the discussion Danny and he had in the park.

 

“And he was fine until you brought him home?” she questioned.

 

“He fell asleep in the car on the way home. He hasn’t talked since then.” Daniel held his head in his hands.

 

“And you’ve done this before?”

 

“Yeah, about five or six times between the time my parents died and my finally leaving foster care.”

 

Janet considered this. “And you don’t remember what brought you out of it.”

 

“No, I only remember waking up when I was ready to, when I felt secure.”

 

“Is he alright, Doc?” Jack finally asked.

 

“Physically he’s fine. Like Daniel said, he’s just shut his brain down. We have to take care of him until he decides he wants to rejoin us.” Janet had seen this in adults, but never in a child. “Keep talking to him. Make him feel safe and secure.”

 

“Do you think it will take long?” Jack asked, worried for his new son.

 

“I hope not,” Janet answered. “I’ll come back in the morning. If he hasn’t come out of it by then, I’ll need to keep him in the infirmary and start an IV to hydrate him. If there’s any change before then, call me.”

 

“We will, Janet. Thank you for coming,” Daniel said, getting up to show her out.

 

“Thanks, Doc,” Jack said.

 

“You’re welcome,” Janet replied.

 

When Daniel left the room with Janet, Jack settled himself against the headboard. He gathered Danny into his arms, rubbing his back, talking softly. “Danny, I miss hearing your voice. Daniel and I decided you don’t have to go back to that school you were in. I wish you’d told us how miserable you were.” There was no response from Danny. “I know you want your mom and dad back. If there was any way to do that for you I would, but I can’t. All I can do is love you.” Jack placed a kiss on the top of Danny’s head, wishing for his son to come back, remembering the son who never did, letting the tears flow for both.

 

Daniel watched Jack from the doorway and decided to leave them alone. He had his own memories to deal with.

 

A few hours later, Daniel returned. He took Danny from Jack and settled them in the rocker. “Jack, go get something to eat. It’s my turn now.” Surprisingly, Jack left without argument.

 

Daniel held Danny’s head close to his chest, rocking. “Danny, you need to stop this retreat. I never realized just how scary it was for those around me. We can’t solve anything until you talk to us. I want our parents back, too. However, I learned long ago I couldn’t make it happen. I love you, Danny. More than you can imagine. More than I ever thought I could when I first saw you. I was afraid, of getting close to you. Afraid of losing a part of myself.” He stopped talking for a while and just rocked back and forth. A short time later, he heard soft crying and felt shudders in Danny’s small frame. Looking down, he saw Danny’s thumb finally pop into his mouth, an action of self-comfort. “Oh, Danny,” he said. He lifted Danny to his shoulder, rubbing his back.

 

“I’m sorry,” Danny cried softly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

 

“I know, baby. I know,” Daniel crooned. “I’m glad you’re back.”

 

“What did I do?” Danny questioned.

 

“You protected yourself by retreating, but I don’t want you to do that anymore. Jack and I are here to protect you now. You have to let us do it.”

 

“I’m never going back, am I?” Danny asked.

 

“No, you’re not,” Daniel replied honestly.

 

Danny scanned the room. “Where’s Daddy?”

 

“He’s resting. Are you ready to see him?” Danny nodded. “Okay.” Daniel arose with Danny in his arms and went to find Jack. They found him lying on his bed, eyes shut. Daniel set Danny on the ground. Danny climbed on the bed. Then hugged his dad.

 

Jack wrapped his arms around Danny tight. “You’re back,” he said.

 

“I’m back, Daddy. I’m sorry I scared you. I didn’t mean to.”

 

“Don’t do it again, Bug,” Jack stated. “I couldn’t handle it.”

 

“I won’t, Daddy. I love you.” Danny lay down beside Jack.

 

“I’ll call Janet, let her know he’s okay,” Daniel said from the doorway.

 

“Okay,” Jack replied, not letting go of his son.

 

 

Part 25: Danny Explains

 

Janet was thankful Danny had come out of his retreat so quickly. Instead of bothering them again that night, she told them she’d be by the next morning. The rest of the day and night Jack, Daniel, and Danny just enjoyed being with each other. No one talked about what had happened, choosing to wait for a while. Danny didn’t leave Jack’s side the entire time, even sleeping with him that night.

 

The next morning, all of them were in the living room when Janet stopped by. Janet checked him over physically and then started asking him questions about what had happened. Danny had climbed onto Daniel’s lap after Janet finished with him. “So, Danny, do you remember what happened?” she asked.

 

“Sort of,” Danny answered.

 

“Are you ready to talk about it?” she prodded.

 

“I guess so,” he replied, but didn’t continue.

 

Daniel pushed him to talk. “Go on, Danny. You need to talk about it. What do you remember about when you first shut down?”

 

“It was in the car, after our talk in the park.” Danny hugged himself. “I just couldn’t take any more. I wanted my mom and dad back so much, and you wouldn’t take me back. I fell asleep. The next thing I knew, I was someplace warm. It felt safe.”

 

“Do you know where you were?” Jack asked.

 

“I’m not sure, but I think it was Egypt. There wasn’t anyone else there, but it didn’t bother me to be alone.”

 

“Did you know what was going on here?” Danny asked. “Do you remember us talking to you?”

 

“Yeah, I heard everything,” Danny said shyly. “I’m sorry I didn’t wake up when you wanted me to. I wasn’t ready.”

 

“It’s okay, Danny. We understand,” Jack comforted.

 

“I also felt things,” Danny said quietly.

 

“What things?” Janet asked, curious.

 

“When Daddy was holding me, talking to me, I felt his fear.” Danny glanced at Jack. “I felt how I reminded you of Charlie,” Danny whispered, “when he died. I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean to make you feel so sad.” Danny was trying to hold back his tears.

 

“Come here, Bug,” Jack requested, dealing with his own emotions.

 

Danny got off Daniel’s lap and ran into Jack’s arms. “I wanted to come back then, but I still wasn’t ready.”

 

“What did make you come back?” Jack asked.

 

“Baba did,” Danny replied, looking at Daniel. “When I realized how afraid he was, too. I knew I couldn’t keep scaring everyone. I’m sorry I waited so long. I didn’t really understand what I had done.”

 

Jack became serious. “We don’t want you to do this again, Danny. You need to tell us how you’re feeling before it goes this far.”

 

“Yes, Sir. I thought I could handle it by myself.”

 

“You don’t have to, Danny,” Daniel commented. “That’s what we’re trying to tell you. That’s what took me so long to learn. You need to trust us to help you. It’s our job, because we love you, not because we have to.”

 

Janet decided it was time for her to leave and let them continue working things out. “I need to head to the mountain now. I’ll let myself out.”

 

“Thanks for coming, Janet,” Daniel said.

 

“Yeah, thanks Doc,” Jack added.

 

Danny walked over to Janet. He reached up for a hug. Janet bent down to accept it. “Thank you, Dr. Janet,” he said, hugging tight.

 

“You’re very welcome, Danny,” she said, kissing the top of his head. “Take care.”

 

 

Part 26: Family Rules 

 

After Janet left, they continued talking. “So, what do we do about school?” Jack asked.

 

“What do you mean, Daddy?”

 

“Do you like the school you’re going to now?” Daniel questioned.

 

Danny worried at his thumb. “I like the stuff I learn.”

 

“What about the rest of it? Do you like the other kids and the teachers?”

 

“No,” Danny whispered, still worried about causing problems.

 

Jack asked, “If you didn’t have to, would you want to go back to the school?”

 

“No.”

 

“The problem is, we don’t know what to do with you if you don’t go to that school,” Daniel stated. “Do you have any idea?”

 

“Yes,” Danny replied quietly, “I want to go to Rhonda’s school.”

 

“What about if you get bored?” Jack asked.

 

“I don’t care,” Danny insisted. “Rhonda’s in honors classes. I could be too. I just want to have friends.”

 

“We could supplement his schoolwork with more challenging material at home,” Daniel suggested. “Sam might have some ideas.”

 

“Okay, Danny,” Jack said. “We’ll look into it. In the meantime, you can study at home until we find a place for you to go.”

 

“So you mean I don’t ever have to go back to my old school?” Danny asked eagerly.

 

“No, Daniel will stop by tomorrow and withdraw you. Is there anything you left at school that you need?” Jack inquired.

 

Danny thought for a moment. “No, I brought everything home with me yesterday. I do have some things I have to return though.”

 

“You can give them to Daniel tonight.” Now Jack had to deal with the final issue. “One last thing, we need to deal with your fight.”

 

“Oh, that,” Danny mumbled, dropping his head.

 

“Yeah, that,” Jack said, lifting Danny’s chin with his finger. “Was there a reason for the fight?”

 

“She made me mad,” Danny answered defending himself. “Besides, she threw the first punch. I was only defending myself.”

 

“Yes, I was wondering about that,” Jack questioned. “How did you learn a move like that?”

 

Danny didn’t want to get Teal’c in trouble. “Do I have to tell you?” he asked.

 

“Yes,” Jack insisted.

 

“I asked Teal’c to teach me,” Danny replied quickly.

 

“Teal’c? When did you ask him, and why would he teach you without telling us?” Jack had never even thought of Teal’c teaching Danny to fight.

 

“Monday night. I told him about the bully and asked him not to tell you.” Danny didn’t want to get Teal’c in trouble. “He thought I should have already been taught to fight, so he showed me some defensive moves.”

 

“Like twisting an arm behind the back,” Daniel said.

 

“Yeah, he said I was a fast learner,” Danny replied, before realizing he probably should have left that part out.

 

“Oh really,” Jack said, raising his eyebrows. “So you think fighting was the right thing to do?”

 

“She didn’t give me any other choice,” Danny insisted. At least not any other choice he could think of.

 

“Could you have told the teacher?”

 

“Then I would have been a tattletale.” Danny had watched other kids being teased for that. “Besides, they wouldn’t have believed me.”

 

“How do you know? Did you ever tell anyone what she was doing?” Jack asked.

 

“No,” Danny muttered.

 

“Danny,” Jack said sternly.

 

“No, Sir. I didn’t try,” Danny answered more respectfully.

 

“Then you don’t know whether or not they would’ve believed you.”

 

“No, Sir. I don’t.” Danny admitted, knowing he was in trouble now.

 

“So you didn’t do everything you could’ve to avoid a fight.”

 

“No, Sir.”

 

“And you knew the rules about fighting, and the consequences if you did,” Jack stated, leading him.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny replied. “But she started it,” he whined, trying one last time.

 

“Danny Jackson O’Neill.” Jack had had enough. It was time to end the discussion. “That is no excuse and you know it. It takes two people to fight.”

 

“Jack,” Daniel said, trying to help Danny, without contradicting Jack. “Remember what we talked about.”

 

“Daniel, I remember very well,” Jack replied. “Is there a problem?”

 

“No, Jack.” Daniel didn’t like seeing Danny in trouble, but after Jack’s conversation with Danny, he realized Danny did have other choices.

 

“Good,” Jack stated. To Danny, he asked, “So, what should we do about your breaking the rules?”

 

“Normally you spank me, Sir,” he answered, wishing he hadn’t been asked.

 

“Is there any reason not to do what I would normally do?” Jack wanted to see if Danny would take responsibly for his actions.

 

“No, Sir,” Danny answered truthfully, “but I still don’t want a spanking.”

 

“No one wants a spanking, Danny,” Jack agreed, “but do you deserve one based on the rules of this family?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny agreed, reluctantly.

 

“Ready to get it over with?” Jack asked, patting his lap.

 

“Yes, Sir.” Danny walked over to Jack’s right side. He noticed Daniel get up and go to the kitchen.

 

Jack put a pillow over his lap to cushion his cast. He looked at Danny. Tears were already starting. Jack lowered Danny’s pants, but left on the boxers. This wouldn’t take long. He just wanted to reinforce the rules they lived by. “What are you getting this spanking for, Danny?” he asked, once he had Danny over his lap.

 

“F-for fighting. I’m sorry, I won’t d-do it again,” Danny stuttered.

 

“If you choose to fight again, you know what happens, right?” Jack was making sure Danny understood.

 

“Yes, Sir. If I fight, I get spanked.” Danny just wanted it over with. He was tired of talking.

 

Jack was satisfied. He brought his palm down on Danny’s backside. It didn’t take many swats before Danny was crying hard. Jack flipped him over, cradling Danny in his lap. “It’s over, Bug. All done. You know I love you.” Jack rubbed his hand up and down Danny’s back.

 

Danny quieted. “I love you, Daddy. I’m sorry I disappointed you.”

 

“You’re forgiven, Danny.” Jack kissed his head. “Are you hungry?” Danny nodded his head. “I think Daniel made dinner. I can smell it cooking.”

 

Danny sniffed. “Spaghetti?”

 

“Smells like it,” Jack confirmed. “Ready to go eat?”

 

“Yep,” Danny answered, “his sauce tastes a lot better now.”

 

“It sure does.” Jack didn’t mention Daniel used sauce from a jar now. “Let’s see if he needs any help.”

 

“Sure, Daddy,” he said, getting off the couch and handing Jack his crutches.

 

 

Part 27: Jack’s Surprise

  

Daniel went back to work the next day, after withdrawing Danny from his school. Jack watched Danny and took care of finding out if Rhonda’s school could accommodate him. He also made a few phone calls to arrange a surprise for Daniel and Danny. He only hoped his plan wouldn’t backfire on him. A week later, his plan was in full swing. He’d arranged with Hammond for Daniel to have Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off. Danny would start at his new school the Monday after that. He’d also bought the tickets and packed the bags with no one noticing. Friday night when Daniel came home, he sprung the news. “Daniel, Danny,” he called out. “Come into the living room.”

 

Daniel had just hung up his coat and put away his briefcase. Not knowing what Jack wanted, he met Danny as they entered the room. “Do you know what’s up?” he whispered to Danny.

 

“Uh, uh,” Danny answered. “Daddy’s been on the computer a lot though.”

 

“Hmm,” Daniel muttered, as he and Danny sat down on the chair. “What do you want, Jack?”

 

“I have a surprise for all of us,” Jack informed them. “We’re all going on a trip.”

 

“A trip!” Danny exclaimed. “Where?”

 

“Well,” Jack said teasingly, “that’s part of the surprise. A car is picking us up in thirty minutes.”

 

“Thirty minutes! I haven’t even packed, Jack.” Daniel didn’t really enjoy last minute plans.

 

“I’ve already packed everything we’ll need,” Jack said. “The bags are in my closet.”

 

“Jack, what about work? I can’t just take off,” Daniel insisted.

 

“Already taken care of. You don’t have to be back until Thursday.”

 

“Am I going to like this surprise, Jack?” Daniel asked, worry evident in his voice.

 

Jack answered truthfully, “Honestly, Daniel, I don’t know. I certainly hope so. Whether or not you like it, I think you need it. Just trust me.”

 

“Okay, Jack. I’ll trust you. I’ll put the bags by the front door and see if I need anything else.” Daniel set Danny down and walked out of the room.

 

Danny walked over to Jack. “Did you remember my camel?” he asked.

 

“I put it in your backpack this morning,” Jack assured him. “Why don’t you go to the bathroom now, so you’re ready to go.”

 

“Okay, Daddy.” He left the room and then turned back, asking, “Will I like this trip?”

 

“I hope so, Danny,” Jack said sincerely. “Now scoot.”

 

“Yes, Sir.” Danny ran off to do what he’d been told.

 

The military car arrived right on time. The driver placed the bags in the trunk and everyone climbed in the backseat.

 

 

Part 28: Daniel Figures It Out

  

For the plane ride, Jack had bought first class tickets. Danny was impressed with the big seats and the movie on the flight over. Jack and Daniel enjoyed the legroom. Daniel had noticed the destination when they arrived at the gate, however he chose to trust Jack and not ask him about it. Thinking about the reason Jack would want them to visit New York, worried him though. Fortunately, Danny was enjoying the excitement of the plane ride too much to notice his apprehension. Jack was aware and began to worry he’d made a mistake.

 

When they arrived in LaGuardia, Jack already had a car ready to take them to their hotel. Jack had reserved a two-bedroom suite so they could be comfortable. Jack and Danny would share one room, and Daniel would get the other. After they’d settled in, Jack tucked Danny into bed. All the excitement had worn him out and he fell asleep quickly. Jack went back into the middle room, grabbed a water bottle and sat on the couch. Daniel was already sitting in the chair opposite him.

 

“Why are we here, Jack?” he asked tiredly.

 

“I think you’ve already figured it out, haven’t you?” Jack inquired.

 

Daniel sighed. “You found out where my parents are buried, right?”

 

“Yeah,” Jack admitted. “We don’t have to visit them if you don’t want to though. Danny doesn’t know why we’re here yet. If you don’t want to go, we’ll just go sight-seeing.”

 

“I’m not sure, Jack. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I realized we were flying to New York.” Daniel scolded, “You should have told me.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Jack replied. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come. When you told me you didn’t know where your parents were buried, I thought you and Danny would benefit from visiting their graves.”

 

“Perhaps,” Daniel said. “I’ll think about it.”

 

“That’s all I ask, Daniel,” Jack stated. “We’re here until Wednesday afternoon. Just let me know.”

 

“Okay.” Daniel stood up. “I’m heading to bed. Good night, Jack.”

 

“Night, Daniel.” Jack so hoped he’d done the right thing. He also hoped Daniel wouldn’t be having nightmares tonight.

 

Jack didn’t hear anything from Daniel’s room all night. Early in the morning, he woke to a small child jumping on his bed.

 

“Daddy! It’s time to get up. The sun’s up. I want to go see stuff,” Danny said excitedly, all the while bouncing on the bed.

 

Jack groaned, so much for sleeping in. “Okay, okay. Give me a minute. Why don’t you go wake Daniel up?”

 

“Can I? What if he gets mad?” Danny asked.

 

Jack thought, ‘Getting me angry didn’t seem to bother you.’ However, he said aloud, “I don’t think he’ll be angry, but if he is, I’ll tell him I told you to.”

 

“Okay,” Danny said, jumping off the bed and running into Daniel’s room. He jumped on the bed and started bouncing, “Baba, wake up! I already woke Daddy up.”

 

“Ugh,” groaned Daniel, “coffee.” Daniel needed his caffeine fix.

 

Danny lay across Daniel’s chest. “You have to get up to get coffee. Pleeeaase,” he pleaded.

 

“Okay, give me a minute,” Daniel said. “Go bug Jack some more.”

 

“He told me to bug you,” Danny said innocently.

 

“He did, did he? We’ll just have to take care of that.” Daniel rolled Danny off him onto the bed and tickled him.

 

Danny giggled. “Stop! I give up! I’ll go bug Daddy!” When Daniel released him, Danny rolled off the bed and ran back to the middle room.

 

Jack had just hung up the phone after ordering breakfast from room service. “Danny, you need to take a bath now.”

 

Danny stopped dead. “I don’t want to. I’m not dirty.”

 

“Yes, you are. You were too tired last night for your bath, so you have to take it this morning.” Danny stood pouting, giving his dad his puppy dog eyes. Unfortunately, they didn’t work. “We’re not leaving this room until you take a bath, Danny. If you take too long, we’ll get you a babysitter and Daniel and I will go out without you.”

 

That did it. No way was Danny going to get left in the hotel room. “Fine,” he muttered, stomping off to the bathroom.

 

“Watch your attitude, young man, or I’ll hire the babysitter anyways,” Jack threatened.

 

“Sorry, Sir,” Danny said politely. “Can Baba help me with my bath?”

 

“If you managed to wake him up, I’m sure he will.” Jack knew Danny was excited, but he wasn’t about to let his attitude take hold. “You go get started and I’ll tell him to come in and help.”

 

“Yeahsureyebetcha,” Danny quipped, in imitation of his dad. Jack just smiled.

 

 

Part 29: So Does Danny

 

Daniel knelt next to the tub and was shampooing Danny’s hair, when Danny asked, “What’s wrong, Baba?”

 

“Nothing’s wrong,” Daniel answered.

 

“Yes, there is. You’re worried about something,” Danny insisted. “You’ve been worried since we got on the plane.”

 

“Nothing gets by you, does it?” Daniel commented. Danny just looked at him with concern. He finished rinsing the shampoo out of Danny’s hair. “You know, Jack’s right, you do need a haircut.”

 

“Baba,” Danny said, as sternly as he could. “Stop changing the subject.”

 

“Fine, I’ll tell you.” Daniel took a deep breath. “Jack brought us here for a reason.”

 

“To visit our parents,” Danny replied without thought.

 

“Um, yeah.” Daniel was startled. “How do you know that?” Danny shrugged his shoulders. Daniel picked Danny up out of the tub, stood him on the floor and wrapped a towel around him. He picked Danny up and walked out of the room.

 

“Are we going to go?” Danny asked quietly in Daniel’s ear.

 

“Do you want to?” he whispered back.

 

“Yes.” Danny laid his head on Daniel’s shoulder, sucking his thumb.

 

Daniel saw Jack setting the breakfast on the table. He figured he might as well tell him now. “Jack, I guess we’re going to visit our parents.”

 

“You’re sure?” Jack asked, somewhat surprised by Daniel’s quick decision.

 

“Yeah,” Daniel replied. “Danny wants to go.”

 

“You told him?” Jack hadn’t expected that.

 

Daniel sighed. “No, he already knew why we were here.” Daniel sat Danny down on the chair, still wrapped in the towel.

 

“Oh,” Jack said, not thinking of anything else to say. “Okay. We’ll go after breakfast.”

 

“That’ll be fine, Jack.” Daniel sat down next to Danny. “Let’s eat.”

 

 

Part 30: The Cemetery

  

Jack had arranged to have a driver and car available to make it easier to get around. After everyone was ready to go, Jack gave the driver the cemetery’s address. The driver let them out at the gate.

 

“Jack do you have the map so we can find the graves?” Daniel asked quietly.

 

“Don’t need it,” Danny stated. He took hold of Daniel’s hand and started walking.

 

Daniel looked back at Jack, who shrugged his shoulders. Then he followed, slowed by his crutches.

 

Danny led them across the grass to an area in the far right corner. He released Daniel’s hand, walked up to a dual headstone, and knelt down. Using his finger, he traced the grooves of the names on the stone. The first name was Claire Jackson. When he finished tracing that one, he moved on to Melborne Jackson. Then the inscription, ‘Beloved Parents.’ Someone had been nice enough to purchase a nice headstone.

 

Daniel had stayed back. He held his arms tight across his chest. His eyes were fixed on the stone, but he didn’t utter a sound.

 

Jack caught up with them. When he saw Danny kneeling in front of the headstone, he maneuvered himself so he could sit on the ground next to him. Danny caught his eye. “I’m never going to see them again, am I?” he asked quietly.

 

“No, you’re not,” Jack said simply.

 

“I miss them,” Danny stated.

 

“I understand.” Jack pulled Danny into a hug.

 

Danny didn’t seem to be upset, just resigned to the truth. He put his head on Jack’s shoulder. “Baba’s angry,” he whispered in Jack’s ear.

 

“I thought he might be,” Jack agreed. “I didn’t mean to make him angry.”

 

“He’s not angry at you,” Danny said, turning around and looking at Daniel. “He’s angry at them.”

 

Jack looked over at Daniel who had not moved. “Daniel? Are you okay?” Daniel didn’t respond. “Daniel?” he called again.

 

“Huh,” he mumbled. “What do you want, Jack?”

 

“I asked if you were okay,” Jack said with concern. Danny had turned around and sat down on Jack’s lap.

 

“I’m fine, Jack,” Daniel replied. “It’s a lot to take in.”

 

Danny spoke up, “It’s okay.”

 

Daniel shook his head. “What are you talking about, Danny? What’s okay?”

 

“It’s okay for you to be angry,” Danny answered. “They’re sorry.”

 

“Why would I be angry?” Daniel questioned flatly.

 

Danny walked over to Daniel and tugged on his shirt. Daniel looked down at him. “They left you alone. They didn’t take care of you. That would make me angry.”

 

“It wasn’t their fault.” Daniel whispered, staring at the headstone again. “It was an accident.”

 

“The accident isn’t what you’re mad at, Baba.” Danny hugged his leg. “They didn’t make plans for you. That’s what you’re angry at.”

 

“No, it’s not,” Daniel denied. “It’s not.”

 

“Daniel, it’s okay to be angry.” Jack said seriously.

 

Daniel dropped to the ground, hugging his knees. “No, it’s not.”

 

Danny wormed his way onto Daniel’s lap. “Yes, it is. I was taken away from them. They didn’t have a choice. But they should have planned to take care of you. They blew it.”

 

Jack scooted over to sit by them. He put his hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “Daniel, Danny’s right. They should have taken care of you and they didn’t. It’s alright to be angry.”

 

Daniel shook his head. “I loved them. I can’t be angry with them.”

 

Danny held Daniel’s head between his hands. “Yes, you can. Just because you’re angry with someone doesn’t mean you stop loving them. Do you and Daddy stop loving me when you’re angry?”

 

Daniel finally focused on Danny. “I’ll never stop loving you, no matter what you do.” He held Danny tightly. “It’s just so hard. I was so alone.”

 

“You’re not now,” both Danny and Jack said at the same time.

 

Daniel’s tears finally came. “No, I’m not.” Jack joined the hug. “I just miss them so much, even after all this time.”

 

“You never stop missing the people you love, Daniel,” Jack said, his emotions more apparent than he wanted.

 

“I think my mom thought my grandfather would take care of me. When he wouldn’t, it hurt so much. I thought I wasn’t good enough. I decided I’d take care of myself from then on. I didn’t need anybody, ever again,” Daniel admitted.

 

“Daniel, can you forgive them?” Jack asked, knowing forgiveness is a very hard thing to give.

 

“It was an accident, there’s nothing to forgive,” he insisted.

 

“Daniel,” Jack said sternly, “you know that’s not what I meant.”

 

“I know,” Daniel replied, “it’s just, I’ve felt this way for so long. It’s hard to change.”

 

Danny pushed back from Daniel. “I forgave you and Daddy for giving me to the Simms.”

 

“That you did, Danny,” Daniel said. “Mom and Dad had friends who would have raised me, but they lived in Egypt. Without a will, the state of New York wouldn’t give them custody. They were so busy with their lives, they never thought about it. All they had to do was write it down. It’s hard to forgive that.”

 

“I know it’s hard,” Jack said, “but can you?” Jack noticed Daniel staring at the headstone again. “Danny, why don’t we leave him alone for awhile?”

 

Danny looked to Daniel to make sure. “I think I could use the time alone, Danny. Don’t go too far though.” Danny climbed off Daniel’s lap. “I’ll let you know when I’m ready,” Daniel told him.

 

Jack managed to stand back up. “Come on, Danny. We won’t go far.” Jack hobbled off a little way to where some stone benches were and sat down. Danny followed and climbed on the bench beside him.

 

Daniel sat on his parent’s grave. He didn’t speak aloud, but he worked though a lot of issues in his head. He let them know how he’d felt when they left him. How he was so angry to be left alone. All he’d ever wanted was to feel secure, to have someone want him. After about a half hour, he finally forgave them, and he cried.

 

When Danny saw Daniel wipe his tears and stand up, he ran over to him. Daniel picked him up. “They are sorry, you know,” Danny said.

 

“I believe you.” Curious, Daniel asked, “How do you know, though?”

 

Danny laid his head on Daniel’s shoulder. “I just know,” he whispered. “Did you say good bye?”

 

“Yes, did you?” Daniel questioned, accepting Danny’s answer. He didn’t know how Danny knew so many things, but he believed what Danny said.

 

“Yes,” Danny replied, “can we go now?”

 

“Sure,” Daniel answered.

 

By this time, Jack had made it over to them. “What do you want to do now, Danny?”

 

“Eat. Can we eat in the park?” Danny had seen Central Park on the drive over. It had fascinated him.

 

“Sound good to you, Daniel?” Jack asked.

 

“Sounds good,” he agreed.

 

 

Part 31: Central Park

  

Jack told the driver to take them to the merry-go-round at Central Park. He knew there would be places to eat, and thought Danny might like to ride the merry-go-round. Overwhelmed by everything there was to see, Danny started to run off. Hearing, “Danny Jackson O’Neill!” stopped him in his tracks. He turned around to see Jack staring at him. “Just where do you think you’re going, young man?”

 

Danny thought of the best answer he could come up with. “I’m going to come stand by you, Daddy,” he answered as he walked back to his dads.

 

“Good answer,” Jack said. “Central Park is huge and there are a lot of people around. You need to stay with us, or you’ll get lost.”

 

“Yes, Sir.” Danny’s mind was running a mile a minute. He asked, “Not that I plan to get lost, but what should I do if it happens?” Danny had started thinking of worst-case scenarios after reading the book.

 

Daniel knelt down beside him. “Danny, you see all those policemen riding the horses.” Danny nodded. “If you do get lost, find one of them and tell them you’re lost.”

 

“Okay, Baba,” Danny said, satisfied.

 

“Why don’t you hold my hand?” Daniel suggested.

 

Danny held his hand and started swinging it. “Can we ride the merry-go-round first?”

 

“I thought you were hungry,” Jack pointed out.

 

“Oh yeah,” Danny replied. “After we eat then?”

 

“After we eat,” Jack agreed.

 

After they ate, Danny convinced his dads to ride the merry-go-round four times in a row. Jack was frustrated because he had to sit on one of the ride’s benches, while Danny and Daniel got to ride the moving horses.

 

They finally told Danny it was time to see other things. Danny reluctantly agreed. Next stop was the zoo. The penguins intrigued Danny. Living in the desert his whole life, Danny couldn’t imagine enjoying the cold and ice. Then Danny acted like the monkeys he saw, making Jack and Daniel laugh. Visiting the zoo wore Jack out, so they decided to head back to the hotel to rest.

 

“Did you have a good day, Danny?” Jack asked, settling onto the couch.

 

“Ya think,” he said. “It was great. Can we go back tomorrow?”

 

“What more did you want to see?” Daniel asked.

 

“I saw a map while we were at the park,” Danny replied, “and it showed a museum. Can we go there?”

 

“Sure,” answered Jack. “You’re a museum nut like Daniel, aren’t you?” Museums were not a favorite of Jack’s, but he would go to them if Danny wanted. “Sound good to you, Daniel?”

 

Daniel startled. “What? Oh the museum. Sure, sounds great,” he answered, although he didn’t sound great.

 

Jack and Danny looked at each other, a silent query passing between them. ‘Is Daniel okay?’ they both thought. Deciding not to press the issue, Jack said, “It’s been a long day. Why don’t we order room service and call it a night?”

 

“It’s too early to go to bed,” Danny whined.

 

Jack scolded him, “If you keep whining, bedtime will be even earlier.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny responded. “Do I at least get time to write in my journal?”

 

“I’ll order dinner. You can write in your journal until it comes. Then I’ll decided how much more time you get.” Jack couldn’t get over how much a five-year old could enjoy writing in a journal. He could barely write his name at that age.

 

“Okay,” Danny said, going to his room to get his journal. After retrieving it, he curled up on the chair and began writing.

 

Dinner arrived, and everyone sat down to eat. Jack and Danny discussed the day’s events, but Daniel remained quiet. Even though Jack and Danny noticed, they didn’t say anything, thinking Daniel was still processing his time at the cemetery.

 

After dinner, Jack asked, “Danny, do you want to take your bath now, or in the morning?”

 

“Can’t I just skip it altogether, Daddy?” Danny said hopefully.

 

“Danny,” Jack warned.

 

“Just kidding, Daddy,” Danny said, grinning. “I’ll take it now. Do I have to wash my hair?”

 

“Yes, you do,” Jack insisted. “If you’d let me cut it short, you wouldn’t have to wash it as much.”

 

“Baba’s hair is long,” Danny pointed out.

 

“I know,” Jack said, glaring at Daniel with a smile, “and he washes it every day.”

 

“Oh,” said Danny, resigned to the situation. “Are you going to wash my hair, Baba?”

 

“I’m pretty tired, Danny,” Daniel answered. To Jack, he said, “Can you take care of it?”

 

“Sure, Daniel. Get a good night’s sleep,” Jack replied. “Come on, Danny. Let’s go get it over with so you can get to bed.” Danny groaned.

 

 

Part 32: New York Museum of Art

  

The next morning, Danny again woke up first. Instead of waking his dad first, he went to wake up his Baba. He was worried about him, however this time he didn’t know what was going on. He climbed up on the bed quietly. He lay down next to Daniel and rubbed his head. “Baba, wake up. It’s morning.”

 

“Ugh,” Daniel groaned. “What time is it?”

 

“I don’t know. I didn’t look at the clock, but I’m awake, so it must be time to get up,” Danny insisted.

 

“Is Jack up yet?” Daniel asked, as he sat up on his elbows and opened his eyes.

 

“No,” Danny admitted. “I woke you up first.”

 

“Thanks a lot,” Daniel said, goodheartedly. “Go wake him up and I’ll start the coffee.”

 

“Okay.” Danny ran off to wake his dad.

 

Daniel got out of bed, started the coffee and then went to get dressed. He wished Danny would forget about wanting to go to the museum, but knew there was little chance of it. Danny would enjoy the museum and for once, didn’t seem able to read his mind. He didn’t want to spoil it for anyone by telling them why he didn’t want to go. So, he decided to make the best of it, and not say anything.

 

Jack and Danny were dressed and ready, when Daniel came out of his room. “Daddy says we can eat breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Are you ready to go?” Danny was a bundle of energy.

 

Daniel grabbed a mug of coffee to go. Hugging the mug to warm his hands, he swallowed some and said, “Sure, I’m ready. Let’s go.”

 

Breakfast was quiet. Everyone ate their fill and then they went to the museum. Jack and Danny each got a map. Daniel just followed along. Danny studied the map, and then asked, “Do we have time to see everything, Daddy?”

 

“I don’t know, Bug. Let’s pick a direction to start and see what happens,” Jack suggested.

 

“I want to go this way,” Danny said, pointing to the right.

 

“Okay,” Jack said, “let’s follow the yellow brick road.”

 

Danny looked at Jack quizzically. “There isn’t a yellow brick road to follow, Daddy,” he informed Jack.

 

Jack rubbed the top of Danny’s head. “Haven’t you ever seen “The Wizard of Oz”?”

 

“Uh, uh,” Danny answered.

 

“Daniel, we have got to rent that movie for him to see,” Jack stated. “You’ve watched the movie, haven’t you?”

 

“Um, no,” Daniel admitted. “I’ve read the book though.”

 

“For crying out loud. I guess we’ll all have to watch it then,” Jack insisted.

 

Danny was tired of talking. He wanted to see things. He grabbed Daniel’s hand, saying, “Come on, Baba,” while he dragged Daniel down the hall.

 

Daniel let himself be pulled along. They discussed the paintings and sculptures they saw. Jack surprised them both by knowing a lot about the art. Neither one expected it. When they turned the corner, Daniel saw the sign, ‘Egyptian Exhibit’. He stopped cold.

 

Danny let go of his hand and continued on, excited to see things from where he grew up. Looking in the display cases, he spotted something he recognized. “Daddy, Baba!” he called out too loudly.

 

Jack chastised him, “Shh, Danny. Don’t yell.”

 

“Sorry,” he apologized, “but look.” Danny pointed to a pottery shard. “I remember when we found that piece,” he whispered. “There are a lot of pieces I remember finding.”

 

Jack looked into the display case and read the ID cards. ‘Water Vessel, Egyptian, found by Jackson expedition 1969.’ These were artifacts found by Danny’s parents. Jack looked around for Daniel. He spotted him standing in the middle of the room, staring at a mock up of an Egyptian tomb entrance. Daniel’s face was white. Jack went to stand next to him. “Daniel?” No response. Jack touched his shoulder. “Daniel, are you okay?” Still no response.

 

Danny had noticed his Baba’s reaction and come over to him. He reached up and grabbed Daniel’s hand. Neither one said anything, holding each other’s hand tight.

 

Jack decided to let Daniel choose when to speak.

 

The three of them stood in silence. Finally Daniel spoke, his voice hesitant. “This is where they died.”

 

Jack knew who ‘they’ were. He rubbed Daniel’s back in support.

 

“I was sitting in the corner. They told me to stay out of the way until they’d finished setting up.” Tears were starting to fall. Daniel continued his story. “I was writing in my journal. I heard something funny. I looked up. The cover stone was swinging.” Daniel stopped. He wiped his eyes. “I saw it fall and heard my parents scream. I didn’t know what to do. I just sat there. No one noticed me. They were all trying to help pull the stones away. I watched. I saw them pull out my parents. I knew they were dead. They took them away. The workers started clearing the stones. I was still sitting in the corner. I don’t know how long I sat there before someone noticed me. The social workers took me to a group home. No one ever really talked about what had happened. Once I was in foster care, I avoided talking about it myself.” Daniel felt a tug on his arm.

 

Danny was looking up at him, tears running down his face. Daniel picked him up. “I’m sorry I wanted to come here,” he cried into Daniel’s neck.

 

Daniel rubbed his back. “I’m not,” Daniel told him. “I needed this. I needed to tell someone what had happened. I’m just glad I wasn’t alone.”

 

Jack placed his arm around Daniel’s shoulder. “I’m glad you weren’t alone either,” he comforted.

 

Daniel pulled himself together and asked Jack, “Do you want Danny and me to give you a tour of our parents’ exhibit?”

 

“Ya think,” Jack quipped. “I want to know everything.”

 

For the next hour or so, Daniel and Danny explained all about the artifacts and where they were found. Some of them only Daniel knew about, as they had been discovered when he was older than Danny. It was a healing experience for them all.

 

 

Part 33: Danny’s Journal

 

The museum trip took them all day. They only took a break to eat lunch in the museum cafeteria. Before they were ready to head back to the hotel, Danny got to shop in the gift shop. He was very careful in making his selections. He chose a t-shirt with pyramids on it (one for him and a matching one for Rhonda), a journal with pyramids on the cover, and pyramid pencils. Back at the hotel, Danny once more wrote in his journal before dinner.

 

While Daniel was giving Danny his bath, Jack got curious. He wanted to know what a five-year old would write in a journal. He picked up Danny’s journal and sat down on the chair. He was surprised when he opened it. The writing looked like scribbles. Jack was confused. He knew Danny could write because he’d seen his school papers. Not realizing how long he’d sat turning the pages, he heard, “Daddy, what are you doing?” Startled, Jack dropped the book in his lap. “Um,” Jack stammered.

 

Danny had finished his bath and wanted to say good night to his dad. “Were you trying to read my journal, Daddy?” he asked.

 

“Yeah,” Jack admitted. “I was wondering what you were writing about.”

 

Danny walked over and sat on Jack’s lap. “So, what did I write about?” he asked, with a knowing grin.

 

“I don’t know what you wrote about,” Jack answered, letting Danny have his fun. “I couldn’t read it.”

 

“You could’ve asked me to read it to you,” Danny scolded, as only a child can. “I would’ve, you know.”

 

Jack noticed Daniel leaning against the door jam. “You going to help me out here?” he pleaded.

 

“Nope,” Daniel replied chuckling. “You got yourself into it, you get yourself out.”

 

“Thanks a lot, Daniel.” Jack asked Danny, “Would you read it to me?”

 

“Sure,” Danny answered. “I’m not trying to hide anything. I just decided I liked languages so much, I wrote my own.” Danny looked over his shoulder at Daniel. “Baba knows it. It’s how he writes in his journals.”

 

Surprised, Jack asked Daniel, “You do? Why haven’t I ever noticed?”

 

Daniel looked smug. “First, you never read anything I write. Second, I only write that way in my personal journals. Keeps them more secure.”

 

Jack was indignant. “I do to read what you write.” Daniel raised his eyebrows. “Okay, I skim your mission reports,” Jack admitted. He was once more amazed at how brilliant Daniel was. “You really developed your own language when you were five?”

 

“No,” Daniel answered, “I was four. It’s developed a lot since then. I’ve had to add a lot more words.”

 

Danny’s eyes lit up at this. “Will you teach me, Baba?” he asked.

 

“Of course.” Daniel gave Danny a conspiratorial wink. “We’ll have to do it when Jack’s not around though.” Danny winked back in agreement.

 

“Hey!” Jack said, in mock indignation. “That’s not fair.”

 

“You can always develop your own language, Jack,” Daniel said teasingly.

 

“Yeahsureyebetcha,” Jack responded. To Danny, he said, “Time for bed.” He held Danny’s hand as he stood up.

 

“Aw, Daddy,” Danny whined. “Five more minutes? I’ll read you my journal.”

 

“Not tonight, Bug.” Jack walked by Daniel. “Say good night to Baba.”

 

Danny reached up and hugged Daniel. “Night, Baba. I love you. Sleep well.”

 

“Good night, Danny,” Daniel said, hugging him back. “I love you, too. Happy dreams.”

 

“You, too,” Danny said, releasing him.

 

Jack tucked Danny into bed, placing a kiss on his forehead. “Love you, Bug.”

 

“Love you, too.” Danny curled up around his camel, popped his thumb in his mouth and fell asleep.

 

 

Part 34: Tourist Time

 

The next day Jack took them to the Empire State building. Unfortunately, Jack didn’t know both Daniel and Danny were afraid of heights. Staying well away from the windows, Daniel buried his fears as best he could. Danny buried his head in Jack’s shoulder, only lifting his head once to see the view.

 

“Sorry, guys,” Jack apologized. “I didn’t realize you’d be afraid.”

 

“That’s okay, Jack,” Daniel responded. “I didn’t say anything because I was hoping Danny wasn’t afraid yet. I guess I was wrong.”

 

Jack rubbed Danny’s back. “You ready to go back down now, Bug?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny answered. “It is beautiful, even if I don’t like being up here.”

 

Jack chuckled. “Okay, let’s head back down.” He passed Danny off to Daniel because he had to use his crutches. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the lobby.

 

“Where to now?” Danny asked, once everyone was back in the car.

 

“Now,” Jack said, messing Danny’s hair, “we go back to the hotel and you take a nap.”

 

“A nap!” Danny complained. “I’m not tired. Why do I have to take a nap?”

 

“No complaining, young man,” Jack scolded. “I’ve got a surprise for you tonight and you need to get some rest if you want to go with us.”

 

Danny pouted. “Is it a good surprise or a bad surprise?”

 

“It’s a good surprise,” Daniel answered.

 

Danny glared at his baba. “You know what it is, too?”

 

“Yes, I do,” Daniel replied, “and I think you’ll like it.”

 

“You’re sure?” Danny didn’t want to take a nap without good reason.

 

“Yes, he’s sure,” Jack butted in, tired of the conversation. “So, when we get back to the hotel, you’re taking a nap without a fight. Understood?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny grumbled. Catching Jack’s glare at his tone of voice, Danny added respectfully, “No arguing.”

 

“Good,” Jack said. “That’s settled then.”

 

Danny couldn’t resist one last try. “Can I at least write in my journal first?”

 

“Danny!”

 

“Before I forget what I saw today,” Danny pleaded.

 

“Jack, come on,” Daniel said, in Danny’s defense. “Twenty minutes couldn’t hurt.”

 

“For crying out loud.” Jack wasn’t one to give in, but they both had a point. “Twenty minutes, not one minute more.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny and Daniel said together, sharing a look. They didn’t win against Jack often.

 

“You two are going to make me gray before my time,” Jack grumbled.

 

Danny wrote in his journal and took his nap. Not remembering actually falling asleep, he was surprised when Jack woke him up and said it was time to get ready to go. They still wouldn’t tell him where he was going, which frustrated him to no end. Of course, Jack was enjoying every minute of the suspense.

 

Once in the car, Jack handed the driver a slip of paper telling him where to take them. Danny pestered both Jack and Daniel the whole way trying to find out where he was going. Soon they pulled up at Madison Square Gardens. When the driver stopped at the entrance and they’d exited the car, Danny asked, “Now will you tell me why we’re here?”

 

Jack smiled. “I have a friend who got us tickets to a Rangers’ game?”

 

“Rangers?” Danny said, confused. “What are Rangers?”

 

Jack sighed. “New York Rangers. The hockey team.” Danny still looked confused. “Never mind, you’ll see when we get inside.” Before they went to their seats, they stopped at the team shop. Jack bought Danny a jersey, a small hockey stick, and a souvenir puck. Daniel bought the snacks and then they all found their seats.

 

Daniel was a bit surprised. He knew Jack’s friend had given him the tickets, but he hadn’t expected rink side seats. “Nice seats, Jack,” he commented.

 

“Thanks,” Jack replied.

 

Danny didn’t sit in his own seat much. Most of the time Jack held Danny on his lap and pointed out the important aspects of the game. Danny did his best to keep up with the action, but even with his nap, he couldn’t stay awake. He finally crashed during the third period and Jack passed him over to Daniel, so he could pay attention to the game. Daniel was more the happy to hold Danny. It gave him an excuse to not pay attention. When the game ended, they all went back to the hotel and got a good night’s sleep.

 

 

Part 35: Lego’s™ take 2

 

The next morning, Jack wasn’t sure what they should do. He decided to ask the driver if he had any ideas when they got in the car.

 

“I know the perfect place,” the driver said. “Leave it to me.”

 

The next thing they knew, the car had pulled up in front of FAO Swartz. “You guys will have a great time here,” the driver assured them.

 

Danny got out of the car, overwhelmed by the music, crowds and noise. “What is this place, Daddy?”

 

“This is a toy store, Bug. A really, really, big toy store,” Jack answered. He’d never been to one, but had heard about them.

 

Danny grabbed Daniel’s hand and held tight. He was afraid of getting lost in the crowd. They walked past the stuffed animals, went up the escalator to the next floor, and found dolls. Not interested in those, they rode the escalator up to the third floor. Oh boy, construction toys. Jack crutched his way over to the Lego’s™ immediately. Daniel and Danny caught each other’s eyes. ‘Oh no!’ they were both thinking.

 

“Come here, guys. I didn’t know they had all these cool kits,” Jack said, picking up two at once. “Look, these cars have little engines with pistons that go up and down.”

 

“Those are nice, Jack, but I think Danny’s more interested in the desert Lego™ sets,” Daniel pointed out, showing Jack where Danny was carefully looking through the boxes.

 

“Oh,” Jack said, sounding disappointed. “Maybe we’ll get some of the Techic™ sets, too. He’d get into them if they were around.”

 

“Whatever you say, Jack.” Daniel went over to Danny to help him pick out what he wanted. Jack kept looking at the Techic’s™.

 

“So, Danny,” Daniel asked, “Which one do you like best?” Daniel could tell he was really interested in the larger kit, but Danny pointed to one of the smaller ones. “You’re sure you only want this little one?” Daniel picked up the big box, holding it out. “This one looks a lot more interesting.”

 

Danny shook his head. “It’s too expensive,” he said quietly. “You’ve bought me too much already.”

 

“Danny,” Daniel said reassuringly, “if I didn’t want to get the bigger kit for you, I wouldn’t have asked.”

 

“Oh,” Danny replied, hanging his head and rubbing his thumb. “I didn’t want to be any trouble.”

 

Daniel pulled him into a hug. He thought Danny had gotten past worrying about that. “Stop worrying so much about being trouble. We love you. You may get in trouble, but you are not trouble.”

 

Danny held on tight. “Yeah. When I get in trouble, Daddy gets that look on his face,” he whispered in Daniel’s ear.

 

“Yes, he does,” Daniel agreed, chuckling. “So, the big kit?” Danny nodded. “Good. Think we’ll ever get Jack out of here?”

 

“Nope,” Danny replied, looking over at Jack. He had piled about ten kits on the table next to him, and was still looking at more. “Not without a truck.”

 

“Ya think,” Daniel quipped. “Let’s go get him.” Daniel put Danny’s box under his arm. Taking Danny’s hand, they walked over to Jack. Jack didn’t even notice them. “Jack, Danny picked out what he wants. It’s time to go.”

 

“Sure, Daniel,” Jack said. “Just help me with these boxes.”

 

“Daddy,” Danny said, “I think you have too many.”

 

“Nonsense, you’ll love these. I found the kit that has the motor to make the cars run.” Jack was too involved in what he was doing to notice Daniel step in front of him.

 

“Jack, leave the Lego’s™ alone, and back away slowly,” Daniel said firmly.

 

Jack finally looked up and noticed Daniel’s face, firm, but with a twinkle in his eye. “Daniel!”

 

“Jack.”

 

“Daniel.”

 

“Jack,” Daniel said one last time, “If you get all those, we’re going to need another suitcase.”

 

“But,” Jack started to say.

 

Daniel interrupted him. “Danny picked one kit, you can pick one kit. We can always buy more later.”

 

“Yeah, Daddy,” Danny pitched in. Then he backed behind his baba, afraid he’d said the wrong thing.

 

Jack didn’t even notice Danny’s comment. “Two kits?” Jack pleaded.

 

Daniel pulled Danny out from behind him. Then asked, “Do you think Jack should get two kits, Danny?” Danny nodded. “Okay, Jack. Two kits.”

 

Jack spent another ten minutes trying to decide which ones he wanted. Finally making his selection, with another push from Daniel, they paid for their items and left.

 

The rest of the day was spent in the car, getting a guided tour of the city from the driver.

 

 

Part 36: Cemetery take 2

 

Wednesday was the last day they had to spend in New York. They flew out that afternoon. While eating breakfast, Jack asked, “Is there one last thing you guys want to do before we leave?”

 

Danny looked at Daniel, and Daniel looked at Danny. An unspoken message passed between the two of them. Jack picked up on it. “The cemetery,” he stated. Danny and Daniel nodded in agreement. They didn’t know when they’d get to New York again. “Fine by me,” Jack said. “After breakfast we’ll pack up and then go to the cemetery. That way we can go straight to the airport from there.”

 

“Sounds good to me, Jack,” Daniel replied. “Thanks.”

 

An hour and a half later, they were back at their parents’ cemetery. The three of them walked back to the gravesite, remembering the route. Danny once again knelt in front of the headstone. “Do you think they know I didn’t want to leave them?” he asked no one in particular, as he traced the names again.

 

Daniel knelt down next to him. “They know, Danny. They know.” He put his hand on Danny’s shoulder.

 

Danny shrugged it off, turning to look at him. “How do they know, Baba? I just disappeared. Maybe they thought I ran away or Abdul came back and took me,” he said sadly.

 

“Danny,” Daniel responded, “you remember when you told me they were sorry for leaving me.” Danny nodded. “Well I know, they knew, you didn’t want to leave them. You have to trust me on this.”

 

Danny started to cry. He wrapped his arms around Daniel’s neck. “I love you, Baba, but I still want them back.” He put his head on Daniel’s shoulder, crying hard.

 

“I know, baby. I know,” Daniel comforted. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting them back. I still do, too. I always will.” He stood up, holding Danny in his arms. His own tears falling.

 

Jack came and stood by them. “Danny,” he said, rubbing Danny’s head, “We never stop missing the people we love. It’s okay.”

 

Daniel held Danny until the tears subsided, for both of them. “Ready to go now?” he asked Danny.

 

“Yes,” Danny answered. Then he asked, “Can we visit again another time?”

 

Jack answered, “We’ll come back again. Don’t worry.” He looked at his watch. “We need to head to the airport now.”

 

“Sure, Jack,” Daniel said. He carried Danny back to the car. They drove to the airport and flew back to Colorado Springs.

 

 

Part 37: Trouble On Base

 

Back in Colorado Springs life got back to normal. Daniel went back to work and Jack watched Danny until he started at his new school on Monday. Thursday and Friday though, Jack began physical therapy so he could be cleared for active duty. Instead of taking Danny to daycare or finding a babysitter, Jack got clearance to bring him along. The first day went fine. Danny sat in the back and read a book. He was just happy to not be stuck in daycare. On Friday however, Danny became bored. He was tired of reading and wanted to go work with Daniel. His baba had been teaching him Goa’uld, and he wanted to work on it some more. He hoped he could help with translations soon.

 

His dad was in the middle of some intensive work, so Danny decided to find Daniel’s office on his own. He knew Daniel’s office was on a lower level. Since he didn’t have an elevator card, he took the stairs. When he got off on the level he thought the office was on, it didn’t look familiar. Rather than go back or ask for help, he made the choice to look around on his own. He passed a few airmen who took no notice of him. He’d been on base before, although he was always accompanied by one of his dads. At some point he turned the corner, went through a door and ended up in the gate room. SG-3 was preparing to depart, and the Stargate kawooshed, startling him.

 

Next thing he heard was General Hammond’s voice through the loud speaker, “Danny Jackson O’Neill! What are you doing in the gate room? Airman, bring that child to my office immediately!”

 

The airman didn’t think twice about following the order. He picked up Danny around the waist like he was a sack of potatoes. Then he carried him to General Hammond’s office and deposited him in front of the desk. Danny was too shocked by the method of transport to say anything.

 

Hammond wasn’t. He dismissed the airman with instructions to find and bring back Colonel O’Neill. Danny’s heart sunk. “Young man, why were you in the gate room, alone no less? Aren’t you supposed to be with Colonel O’Neill?” Hammond asked, irritation evident in his tone and on his face.

 

“Y-yes, S-sir,” Danny stammered, rather nervously. He’d never been in this much trouble with the General before. “I-I was looking for B-baba and I got l-lost.”

 

“And why were you looking for Dr. Jackson on your own?” Hammond questioned, eyes boring holes into Danny. “Does your father know you left the therapy room?”

 

“N-no, S-sir.” Danny was having a hard time keeping his tears from falling. “I-I didn’t tell him. I’m sorry, Sir. I d-didn’t mean to be any trouble.” His tears won the battle and began falling down his face. He quickly wiped them away, continuing to stand at attention.

 

Hammond’s resolve to be stern with young Danny was beginning to waver, until he realized what could have happened to Danny if there had been an emergency in the gate room when he’d walked in. “Do you know how dangerous it is to roam around this base without an adult?”

 

“I didn’t think of that, Sir,” Danny admitted. “I won’t do it again. I just wanted to find Baba.”

 

“It certainly won’t happen again, young man,” Hammond stated. “I’m beginning to regret ever allowing you on base in the first place.”

 

Danny thought he’d collapse. He had to be allowed on base. He wanted to work on translations with his baba. He knew he’d really blown it. “Please, Sir,” he pleaded. “Please don’t ban me from the base. I’ll never wander around again. I promise. I want to work with Baba on translations.”

 

Now Hammond was confused. “What are you talking about, Danny?”

 

Danny wondered if he’d be in even more trouble if he told the General Daniel had been teaching him Goa’uld. However, he knew he’d be in worse trouble if he lied about it. “Baba’s been teaching me Goa’uld, Sir,” Danny answered quietly, staring at the floor.

 

“Danny, look at me when you’re talking to me,” Hammond scolded.

 

Danny lifted his head immediately. “Yes, Sir. S-sorry, Sir.”

 

“How long has Dr. Jackson been teaching you?” Hammond asked. He didn’t remember giving permission for this. Picking up his phone he asked his secretary to send Dr. Jackson to his office.

 

“A couple of weeks, Sir.” Danny tried to protect his baba. “I asked him to when I saw the language one day.”

 

At that point Jack knocked on the door, stopping the conversation. “Enter,” Hammond ordered.

 

Jack walked into the office in his sweats. He’d come directly from therapy, not having noticed Danny had left the room until the airman told him why he was wanted. The doctor had removed the cast and he was walking with a cane, making him more mobile. When he realized Danny had left without permission, he was angry with him, but he also knew there’d be trouble with the General for letting Danny get away. Deciding to let Hammond take the lead, Jack stated respectfully, “You wanted to see me, Sir.”

                                                           

“Have you been informed of our current trouble, Colonel?” Hammond asked.

 

“I was told Danny had been found in the gate room, General,” Jack replied.

 

Hammond questioned, “Were you aware he’d left the therapy room, Colonel?”

 

“No, Sir,” Jack answered honestly. He looked down at Danny for the first time. He saw how nervous Danny was, but was unsure whether he was afraid of being punished or of the General. At this point he was a little afraid of the General himself.

 

Danny just wished he could crawl into a hole. However, he remained at attention like his father and tried to be brave, even though he couldn’t stop his tears. He was starting to understand he’d not only gotten himself in trouble, but also both of his fathers.

 

“When I allowed you to bring him with you to physical therapy, it was with the understanding he would be watched, was it not?” the General asked, steel in his voice.

 

“Yes, Sir. It was,” Jack answered. Taking full responsibility for his part in the problem, Jack added, “I apologize for leaving him unsupervised.”

 

“You know better than anyone how dangerous this base can be.” Hammond scolded him.

 

“Yes, Sir.” Jack couldn’t do anything but agree.

 

“Danny,” the General said, addressing him. Danny jumped, surprised at being included in the conversation again. “How did you manage to get as far as the gate room without being stopped?”

 

“I don’t know, Sir,” Danny admitted. “I wasn’t sneaking around.”

 

“Did you see anyone while you were walking around?” Hammond asked.

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

“And no one stopped you or asked you where you were going?”

 

“No, Sir.”

 

“Colonel,” Hammond began, “we will be talking about this incident again privately. In the meantime, I want you to write a memo to all base personnel about proper procedure to follow regarding unaccompanied minors on the base.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Jack said. “I will do that as soon as I deal with Danny’s behavior. If that is alright with you, Sir.”

 

“Have it ready for me to review on Monday, Colonel. Dismissed.” The General returned to the papers on the desk.

 

Danny looked at Jack to see what to do. Jack indicted he should follow him out the door, so he did. On their way out, they saw Daniel coming in.

 

“What’s up, Jack?” Daniel asked, wondering at Jack’s state of dress. “I was told the General wanted to see me.”

 

“Danny here managed to be in the gate room when SG-3 was departing,” Jack answered, tapping Danny on the head. “I don’t know why he wants to see you.”

 

Danny hugged Daniel. While looking up at him, he cried, “I told General Hammond about your teaching me Goa’uld. I didn’t mean to get you in trouble. I’m sorry.”

 

Daniel rubbed Danny’s head. “Calm down, Danny. I’m sure it’s not that bad.”

 

“Come on, Danny,” Jack said. “We’ve got a few things we need to talk about in my office. We’ll meet you in your office when we’re done, Daniel.”

 

“Okay, Jack,” he said, giving Danny one last pat.

 

Danny followed Jack to his office, dread written all over his face.

 

 

Part 38: Paying the Consequences

 

As soon as they entered the office and Jack closed the door, Danny burst out crying, “I’m sorry, Daddy. I know I shouldn’t have left the room. I wanted to find Baba. I was bored and you were busy. I didn’t mean to get you and Baba in trouble. It’s all my fault.”

 

Jack took the crying child into his arms and sat down on his chair. He knew he had to deal with Danny feeling guilty for everything that had happened, before he dealt with the rules Danny had broken. “Danny,” he said, trying to get his attention. “Danny, look at me.” Danny looked at his dad, wiping the tears from his eyes. “You are only responsible for yourself. Do you understand what I’m talking about?” Danny shook his head. Jack tried to explain. “What rules did you break?”

 

“I left the room and wandered off,” Danny answered between hitched breaths.

 

“That’s right. You will be held responsible for breaking those rules.” Jack went on, “But I have rules I have to live by, too. One of those rules is I’m responsible for watching you, whether or not you follow my rules.”

 

Danny looked confused. “But if I didn’t leave, you wouldn’t be in trouble with General Hammond. That makes it my fault.”

 

“No, it doesn’t.” Jack tried again. “I’m in trouble with General Hammond because I broke the rules I agreed to when he allowed you to come on base. It was my responsibility to make sure you followed those rules.”

 

“But you told me to stay and I didn’t.” Danny still didn’t understand.

 

“I was too preoccupied with what I was doing to keep an eye on you. If I couldn’t watch you, I shouldn’t have brought you,” Jack insisted. “That makes it my fault.”

 

“But you trusted me,” Danny said.

 

“Yes, I did,” Jack agreed. “However, you’re five-years old and I’m the grown up, that makes it my responsibility to watch you.”

 

“So, does that mean I’m not in trouble?” Danny asked hopefully.

 

“Not on your life, young man,” Jack answered sternly. “You’re in a whole lot of trouble, but only for what you did, not for my being in trouble with the General.”

 

“Oh,” Danny replied. His stomach was tying itself in knots. “I’m getting a spanking, right?”

 

“Ya think,” Jack answered. Not giving Danny any more time to worry about his spanking, Jack flipped him over on his lap and lowered his pants and boxers. Danny stiffened. He hated waiting for the first swat. However, Jack wasn’t one to break tradition. “What are you being spanked for, Danny?”

 

“For not staying where I was supposed to,” Danny cried out. “For wandering off. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again,” he promised.

 

“You’ve said that before, Danny,” Jack reminded him. “Therefore, this spanking will be worse than the last one. If you make the mistake of wandering off again, the next spanking will be even worse,” Jack stated sternly. He knew how much trouble the adult Daniel could get into when he wandered off. He hoped he could break Danny of this habit, before he got himself into more trouble than he could handle.

 

Danny cringed. The last spanking had been bad enough. Even though he knew he deserved it, he pleaded, “Please, Daddy. Don’t spank me. I’m sorry.”

 

“I know you’re sorry, but you also know the family’s rules and what happens when you break them.” Jack landed his first swat, not giving Danny a chance to plead anymore. This time he didn’t stop when the heavy crying started. He landed a few more swats to make his point and palm felt. Pulling up Danny’s pants and holding him tight to his chest, Jack began comforting him. “It’s over, Bug. All over. Shh. I love you, and I want to keep you safe,” he soothed, rubbing his back.

 

Danny’s cries lessened and his breathing eased. “I k-know, D-daddy. I l-love you, too. I w-won’t do it again.”

 

“I know, Bug. I know.” Jack knew he would try not to do it again, but knowing the adult Daniel, this wouldn’t be the last time he’d deal with this behavior. “Let’s go wash your face and then go find Daniel.”

 

Danny looked up at Jack. “Daddy,” he asked shyly.

 

“Yes, Danny.”

 

Danny wasn’t sure if he should ask his question, but he had to know. “If you spank me for breaking our rules,” he said, hesitating, “does General Hammond spank you for breaking his rules?”

 

Jack couldn’t help smiling at the idea. “No, Danny. General Hammond doesn’t spank me for breaking his rules.” ‘Although he probably wants to,’ he thought. Instead of voicing his thought, he said, “He does something much worse.”

 

Danny couldn’t think of anything worse than a spanking. “What does he do?” Danny asked, afraid for his dad.

 

“He assigns me extra paperwork,” Jack told him. Jack noticed Danny was confused, and said, “Never mind, Danny. Just trust me, it’s pretty bad.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny said, carefully getting off Jack’s lap. “Let’s go find Baba.” He took Jack’s hand and walked with him to wash his face and then find Daniel.

 

When they got to Daniel's office it was empty, so Jack and Danny decided to wait. Every time Jack picked up something Danny knew he shouldn't, he took it away from his dad and put it away. Frustrated, Danny finally grabbed something he knew Daniel wouldn't worry about and gave it to his dad to play with.

 

After about a fifteen-minute wait, Daniel walked in the door. “Hi, guys,” he said.

 

“Hey, Daniel,” Jack replied. “How did your talk with Hammond go?”

“Are you in trouble, too?” Danny asked, worried for his baba.

Daniel messed up Danny's hair. “A little bit, Danny. The General was upset I didn't ask him about teaching you Goa'uld first,” he admitted. “However, he says as long as you know you can't ever speak it or write it outside of the base, I can keep teaching you.”

 

“You already told me that, Baba,” Danny said, confused. “You know I know what I'm allowed to talk about.”

 

“I know, Danny,” Daniel assured him, “but I should have talked to the General first. That was my responsibility.”

 

“Is General Hammond going to make you do more paperwork?” Danny asked innocently.

 

Daniel, confused, looked over to Jack for help. Jack gave him an 'I'll explain it later' look. “Sure,” Daniel answered, making it a point to remember to ask Jack what he’d agreed to.

 

“I'm sorry, Baba,” Danny said sincerely.

 

“Don't worry so much, Danny. Everything's all right. Okay?”  Danny nodded.

 

The phone rang, and Daniel answered it. When he hung up, he said, “Jack, Hammond wants to see you now. I'll watch Danny.”

 

“Okay,” Jack replied. “Be good, Danny.”

 

“I will, Daddy.” Danny wished he hadn’t gotten everyone in trouble. After Jack left, Daniel began to work with him on Goa’uld again. He was definitely a fast learner.

 

 

Part 39: Hammond’s Proposal

 

Hammond’s office door was open when he arrived. Jack poked his head in, and Hammond, talking on the phone, waved him in. Jack stood at attention until the General motioned for him to sit down.

Hammond hung up the phone, and then began the conversation. “Colonel, you do realize Danny cannot wander around the base on his own,” he said, getting right to the point.

“Yes, Sir,” Jack replied. “I am sorry I didn’t supervise him completely.”

“Putting that aside, Jack,” Hammond said, switching to the use of Jack’s first name, indicating the conversation was now personal, “just how smart is Danny?”

“He’s extremely smart, George,” Jack answered. “But I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”

“What I’m wondering about is,” George said carefully, “will he be able to learn Goa’uld well enough, so that he actually could help with translations?”

“Yeahsureyebetcha,” Jack answered. “There’s no doubt about it.”

“Is it something he would want to do?”

“Of course,” Jack responded. “Are you wanting to hire him to work here?” he asked, incredulous.

“Not exactly,” Hammond said. “But you know how short-handed we are with people who can do translations.”

“I know that. I see how much overtime Daniel puts in.” Jack thought for a moment. “But George, he’s five-years old.”

“I understand, Jack,” George insisted. “And I’m leaving the matter entirely up to the three of you. However, if you decide to let him help out, I’ll clear it for him to be on base, supervised of course.”

“I’ll consider it and I’ll talk to Daniel and Danny,” Jack conceded. “Is there anything else?”

“Actually, there is one more thing.” Hammond looked serious. “I’m worried I scared Danny too much.”

“I don’t think so,” Jack said.

“I don’t want him to be afraid of me, Jack,” George admitted.

“He’s not afraid of you,” Jack said. Then he amended, “He has a healthy respect for your authority, as do I, Sir.”

“Fine then,” Hammond said. “Let me know what the three of you decide. Oh, and have that memo to me by Monday, Colonel,” the General added, changing back to professional mode.

“Yes, Sir,” Jack responded appropriately.

“Dismissed.”

 

 

Part 40: Talking to Teal’c

 

As Jack was returning to Daniel's office, he ran into Teal'c. Remembering he wanted to talk to him about teaching Danny to fight, he asked Teal'c to come with him to his office for a minute. Teal’c followed close behind.

 

“Teal’c,” Jack said, not knowing how to start the conversation.

 

“Is there a problem, O’Neill?” Teal’c asked.

 

“Um, yes,” Jack answered. “Did you know Danny got in trouble for fighting at school?”

 

“I did not know this,” Teal’c answered.

 

Jack rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, and when I asked him how he learned to fight, he said you taught him.”

 

“Is this a problem, O’Neill?” Teal’c inquired.

 

“Yes, Teal’c, it is a problem,” Jack stated. “Did Danny tell you why he wanted you to teach him to fight?”

 

“I believe he said there was a bully bothering him.” Teal’c didn’t look at all bothered by the conversation.

 

Jack groaned. “Did he happen to tell you the bully was a girl?”

 

“Why would the bully being male or female be an issue, O’Neill?” Teal’c responded.

 

“Little boys aren’t supposed to fight little girls, Teal’c,” Jack said, assuming it would be obvious.

 

“If the girl is instigating the fight, why should the boy not defend himself?” Fighting was fighting as far as Teal’c was concerned.

 

“For crying out loud, Teal’c!” Jack grumbled. “You and Daniel…” Jack started, but didn’t finish.

 

“Daniel Jackson and I, what, O’Neill?”

 

“Never mind, Teal’c, never mind,” Jack said, shaking his head. “Just, if Danny asks you to teach him to fight anymore, tell Daniel or me first. Okay?”

 

“Certainly,” Teal’c said. Then he added, “I had assumed you or Daniel Jackson would have already instructed him if you’d had the time, or I would not have done so.”

 

“I don’t think Daniel or I thought he needed to know how to fight at his age,” Jack admitted.

 

“Age is not a factor in protecting yourself, as you should know, O’Neill.”

 

“I suppose not,” Jack answered unwillingly. “Listen, we’ll talk later. I have to go meet Daniel.”

 

“Very well. We’ll continue this discussion at another time,” Teal’c said, and left the room.

 

Jack went back to Daniel’s office after his discussion with Teal’c, only to find Daniel and Danny deep into a dialogue in Goa’uld. “For crying out loud, guys. Don’t you ever take a break,” Jack said good-naturedly.

 

“Oh, hi Jack,” Daniel greeted him. “How’d your meeting with Hammond go?”

 

“Fine, Daniel,” Jack answered, while indicating they’d talk later. “I think it’s time for Danny and me to head home.”

 

“Aww, Daddy,” Danny whined, “can’t Baba and I keep working?”

             

“Danny,” Jack scolded. “No whining. It’s time to go.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny said, getting off the cushioned chair Daniel had let him use. “Are you coming home now, too,” he asked Daniel.

 

“Not yet, Squirt,” Daniel said, giving him a hug good bye. “I have some more work to finish. I’ll be home soon though.”

 

“Bye, Baba,” Danny replied. “I love you.”

 

“Love you, too,” Daniel said. “Bye, Jack. I’ll get something to eat before I leave, so don’t wait on dinner.”

 

“What? You’re making me cook?” Jack asked mockingly. “Don’t worry about it, we’ll get take out. Bye, Daniel.”

 

 

Part 41: The Decision and The Haircut

 

Daniel didn’t get home until late that night, which made Jack realize how much they needed more translators at the SGC, even if it wasn’t Danny. Not having had time to talk to Daniel about what Hammond had asked, he brought it up the next day while they were watching Danny play outside.

 

“He’s five-years old, Jack,” Daniel said. “Do you really want him working on the base?”

 

“I didn’t say that, Daniel,” Jack answered. “I said Hammond was interested in it. You said yourself, he loves learning the language.”

 

“Playing with a language is a whole lot different than having to work with it.” Daniel wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about the General’s proposal.

 

“Answer this question for me then,” Jack replied. “When you were five-years old, what was the one thing you wanted to do most?”

 

“That’s not fair, Jack,” Daniel insisted, knowing Jack already knew the answer.

 

“Just answer the question, Daniel,” Jack insisted.

 

“Fine,” Daniel stated with resignation. “I wanted to work on the digs with my parents. Happy now?”

 

“So, why don’t we talk with Danny and see what he wants?” Jack suggested.

 

“We’re the parents, Jack.” Daniel didn’t think Danny should be making a decision like this. “It’s not his decision to make.”

 

“You’re the one always insisting he has some say in his life,” Jack said. “Why are you changing your mind now?”

 

“I’m not changing my mind. Not really,” Daniel denied. “Okay, we ask him if he wants to, but,” he said, holding up one finger, “we control how often he gets to be on base.”

 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Jack agreed. “I don’t want to burn him out either. If he’s not enjoying himself, he doesn’t have to come. Agreed?”

 

“Agreed,” Daniel conceded.

 

“Good,” Jack said. “Danny can you come here for a minute?”

 

Danny looked up from his dig site. He’d noticed his dads talking quietly, which could only mean they were talking about him. He got up, wiped his hands on his pants and then ran over to his dads. “Yes, Daddy?”

 

Jack picked him up and sat him on his lap. “Do like learning that new language?” he asked, not saying Goa’uld outside of the base.

 

“Sure I do,” Danny answered. “It’s fun.”

 

“When you get better at it, would you like to help Daniel translate it on base?”

 

Danny’s eyes grew wide with excitement. “Really!?” he said, looking from Daniel to Jack. “When can I start?”

 

“Whoa, Danny, slow down there,” Daniel said. “You’ve still got a lot to learn before you’re ready.” Danny looked crestfallen. “But since General Hammond would prefer me not to teach you off base, you’ll still get to come work with me.” Danny jumped off Jack’s lap and ran over to hug Daniel. “Only twice a week after school,” Daniel insisted.

 

“That’s okay,” Danny replied. He figured after he started, he could get his baba to let him come more often. “Do I get to wear BDUs?” He loved the look of everyone on base in uniform, and wanted to fit in.

 

Jack and Daniel laughed. “I’m not sure they make them your size,” Jack answered. When he saw the disappointed look on Danny’s face, he added, “But we’ll see if we can find something for you.” The smile he received was worth whatever it would take to get Danny some BDUs.

 

Danny thought of one more question. “Do I get my own locker, too?”

 

“Danny!” Jack said in exasperation, shaking his head.

 

Daniel stepped in. “You can share my locker, Danny. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” Danny said happily.

 

“Now,” Jack said, “let’s move on to a more important topic.”

 

“Huh?” was the dual reply.

 

“You need to get a haircut today.”

 

“Baba or me?” Danny asked. He liked his hair the way it was.

 

“Both of you really,” Jack suggested. “But today, you get one, Bug.” Danny groaned. “I can give you a haircut myself, or Daniel can take you to get one.”

 

“I’ll take him to get one, Jack,” Daniel insisted. “Don’t worry.”

 

“I don’t want a haircut,” Danny whined. “Danny!!” he got from both fathers at once. He knew he didn’t have a chance. “Yes, Sirs.”

 

“Go wash up,” Daniel said. “We’ll get it over with quick.”

 

Danny glared at him, but didn’t dare say anything more. Daniel gave him a look saying, ‘don’t push your luck’, and Danny retreated into the house. “Change your pants, too,” Daniel called after him.

 

A short time later, Danny and Daniel were in the car heading to the haircutters. “I don’t see why I have to get a haircut,” Danny grumbled from the back seat, “You have long hair.”

 

“Not as long as yours,” Daniel argued. “Besides, you’re the one complaining about how often you have to wash it.”

 

“What if I don’t complain any more?” Danny rebutted, still trying to get out of it.

 

“Danny, enough!” Daniel said firmly. “You’re getting a haircut and that’s it. You’re just lucky I didn’t let Jack give you a haircut.”

 

“I don’t feel lucky,” Danny muttered.

 

“Do you have any idea how short Jack would have cut it?” He could see Danny’s questioning gaze in the rearview mirror. He held up his fingers about a half-inch apart. “This short,” he said.

 

“Oh,” Danny said in surprise. “How short will you make me cut it?” he asked with concern.

 

“Not as short as Jack would,” Daniel answered. “We’ll decide when we get there.”

 

“So, I get some say,” Danny responded.

 

“Yes, I will take your opinion into account,” Daniel agreed. Finally, they arrived.

 

There was a half hour wait, so Daniel and Danny looked through some magazines showing different haircuts. “I like that one,” Danny said, pointing to a picture.

 

“Danny,” Daniel scolded, “his hair is longer than yours.”

 

“So?”

 

“Danny!”

 

“Okay,” Danny conceded, “I’ll keep looking.”

 

Twenty minutes later Danny pointed to another picture. This haircut had short sides and back, with the top portion about an inch and a half long. “You’re sure?” Daniel asked. “It’s a big difference.”

 

“I like it,” Danny insisted. “Better than anything else I’ve seen so far. Besides, if I get it cut this short, maybe Daddy won’t bug me to have another one too soon.”

 

“That’s probably true,” Daniel agreed.

 

“Danny?” They heard his name called.

 

“I guess it’s your turn, Squirt,” Daniel said, ruffling his long hair one last time.

 

“You could get your hair cut instead of me, you know,” Danny teased.

 

Daniel cuffed him playfully across the head. “Get a move on.”

 

Both of them went to the chair to get Danny settled. Daniel showed the hairdresser the picture of the cut Danny wanted. She agreed his hair would look good with that style. “You know, sir,” the hairdresser stated, “we are running a father/son discount this week. If you get a haircut too, you save five dollars.”

 

Danny’s eyes lit up. “Come on, Baba. Don’t make me go through this alone,” he pleaded.

 

Daniel considered the offer. He looked at Danny’s hopeful eyes and gave in. “Fine. I’ll get a haircut, too. Happy now?”

 

“Very,” Danny answered smiling.

 

Thirty minutes later, both of them were finished with their haircuts. Danny kept running his fingers across his head. “It feels funny, Baba,” Danny said, not quite complaining.

 

“I know, Danny,” Daniel agreed, running his fingers through his own hair. “You’ve never had it this short before. You’ll get used to it.”

 

“If you say so, Baba,” replied Danny. “Have you ever had your hair as short as mine?”

 

“Oh yeah,” Danny answered. “One of my foster fathers couldn’t stand boys with long hair. He brought out his clippers once a month and gave all the boys crew cuts.”

 

“Crew cuts?” Danny questioned.

 

“You know the Marines on base.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Their haircuts are crew cuts,” Daniel explained.

 

Danny looked at Daniel curiously. “You’d look funny with your hair like that.”

 

“Don’t I know it,” Daniel agreed.

 

When they arrived home, Daniel sent Danny in first to show Jack his haircut. Jack ran his hands through Danny’s hair. “It looks good, Bug,” Jack insisted. “It’ll be a lot easier to take care of.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny agreed.

 

Daniel walked into the room. Jack gasped in shock. He opened and closed his mouth, but no words came out.

 

Danny said, “He looks good, doesn’t he, Daddy?”

 

“Ya think,” Jack exclaimed, finally finding his voice. “Daniel, I nag you for months to get your hair cut, and this little bug gets you to cut it in one trip?”

 

Daniel had his hair cut to about two inches all over in a more mature style. “What can I say, Jack,” Daniel answered. “They were running a father/son discount. I couldn’t resist.”

 

 

Part 42: A New School

 

Monday morning came quickly. Jack had been cleared for driving and light duty, meaning he was stuck doing paperwork. Danny was nervous. Today was the day he would start at his new school. Jack and Daniel had met with the principal of Rhonda’s public school. Since it was not their home school, Danny would be attending on a variance. That meant the school would do their best to meet Danny’s needs, but if Danny caused problems, or they weren’t satisfied, the variance would be pulled.

 

“Daddy?” Danny asked, sitting at the kitchen table picking at his food. “You’re taking me to school, right?”

 

“Yes, Danny,” Jack assured him.

 

“I wanted Baba to come, too,” Danny insisted.

 

“Daniel had an early meeting,” Jack said, exasperated. “You knew that.”

 

“I know,” Danny said sadly. “Why can’t I come to work today, though?”

 

“Danny!” Jack said sternly. Danny cringed and his head dropped. Knowing Danny was nervous about attending school again, he said more gently, “We agreed that you could come to work on Tuesday and Thursday whenever we’re on base. The other days you go to daycare. Now finish your breakfast so we won’t be late.”

 

Danny pushed his plate away. “I’m finished.” He’d barely touched the food.

 

Jack chose not to argue the point. “Drink your milk then, and put your dishes in the sink. Then get your backpack.”

 

Danny chugged his milk down leaving a huge milk mustache. He put his dishes in the sink. As he was going to get his backpack, Jack nabbed him. He pulled Danny into a backwards hug. “It’s going to be okay, kiddo,” Jack assured him, kissing the back of his head. Then he wiped off Danny’s mustache with his napkin. “Hurry up and meet me at the back door.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny replied. He was still nervous, but he felt better.

 

When they arrived at the new school, Jack walked with Danny to his new classroom. Danny held his hand tightly. They’d agreed to place him in a first grade class instead of kindergarten, and he would attend the honors classes with the other first and second graders. At least Rhonda would be in those classes with him. Jack opened the door and walked in with Danny. The rest of the students were on the playground until the bell rang.

 

Miss King, his new teacher, greeted them. “Good morning,” she said, bending down to Danny’s level. “You must be Danny Jackson O’Neill, my new student.” She was a pretty young woman in her late twenties, with short brown hair and glasses.

 

Danny looked up at Jack in surprise. “I get to use my whole name?” he asked excitedly.

 

Jack had kept this as a surprise. He’d had to enroll Danny under his legal name, but arranged for the teachers to use the name Danny wanted to go by. “Yeahsureyebetcha,” Jack quipped. “Baba and I are still working on making it legal, but you get to use it at school.” Danny gave him a big hug.

 

“Would you like me to show you your desk and cubby, now?” Miss King asked.

 

“Yes, Ma’am,” Danny said politely.

 

“Just a minute, Danny,” Jack said. “Give me a hug good bye. I have to go now.”

 

Danny hugged his dad hard. “I love you, Daddy.”

 

“I love you, too, Bug,” Jack replied. “Remember, you’re riding the van to daycare today.”

 

“With Rhonda, right?” Danny asked, making sure.

 

“Yes, with Rhonda,” Jack assured him. “Daniel or I will pick you up. Be good.”

 

“I will, Daddy,” Danny said. “I promise.” Jack rubbed Danny’s new short hair and left.

 

 

Part 43: What’s Halloween?

 

Danny enjoyed his new school. He was assigned a buddy to show him around. Before lunch he had his honors classes. Rhonda told him she’d missed him and liked his new haircut. The work was easy, but he didn’t care, he enjoyed it all the same. In the afternoon he had science, social studies, and art. He kept his mouth shut, unless he was asked a question because he didn’t want to seem like a know-it-all on the first day. By the time he got home, he was worn out.

 

At dinner, Danny asked, “What’s Halloween?”

 

Daniel told him the whole history of Halloween. From the fifth century celebration of the Celtic New year, through the Roman celebration of Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. Ending with the Irish immigrants playing of pranks on this day.

 

“Oh,” was Danny’s reply.

 

Jack looked at him. He could see the confusion on his face. “Was that what you wanted to know, Danny?”

 

“Um, not really,” Danny answered. “I really wanted to know why all the kids were talking about dressing up.” Daniel groaned. “It was really interesting what you told me though, Baba,” he added, not wanting him to feel bad.

 

Rather than let Daniel tell the history of costumes, Jack said, “On Halloween night kids dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating.”

 

“Trick-or-treating?”

 

“Yes,” Jack replied. “You walk from house to house, knocking on doors. When someone answers, you say, ‘trick-or-treat’ and they give you candy.”

 

“Am I going to go trick-or-treating?” Danny asked.

 

“Do you want too?” Daniel asked.

 

“I guess so,” Danny answered. “Rhonda wanted me to go with her. I didn’t know what she was talking about, but I didn’t want to tell her that. So, I said I had to ask the two of you first.”

 

“I’ll talk with Siler and see what he says,” Jack responded. “Now it’s time for your bath, and then bed time.”

 

Now it was Danny’s turn to groan. “Bed time?! It’s too early,” he complained.

 

“You’ve had a busy day,” Jack said firmly. “Besides, you want to come to work tomorrow, right?” Jack was using his ace-in-the-hole.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny agreed. He put his dishes in the sink and then went to take his bath. As Daniel was washing his hair, he asked, “How am I going to get to the base tomorrow?”

 

“First you go to daycare. Then as soon as I can, I’ll come pick you up,” Daniel answered. “You’ll get to stay until either Jack or I go home. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” Danny agreed, “but don’t be late, please?”

 

“I’ll do my best,” Daniel promised. Daniel dried Danny off and then tucked him in bed.

 

 

Part 44: First Day at Work

 

Danny had another good day at school. He was getting used to the routine and enjoyed having classes with Rhonda. When he arrived at daycare though, all he could think about was how soon Daniel would come to pick him up. At the daycare whoever had homework would stay in the study room until they were done. Even though Danny had finished all his work at school, he told them he had some so he could stay inside until his baba showed. Finally, about a half hour after he’d arrived, Daniel showed up. Danny heard him talking in the office and quickly packed up his stuff. Then he went to meet Daniel.

 

Daniel picked him up and hugged him right away. “How ya doing, Squirt?”

 

“Good,” Danny answered leaning back. “You’re late,” he accused.

 

Daniel looked at him sternly. “I told you I would pick you up as soon as I could. If you can’t handle that, you can stay here.”

 

Danny laid his head on Daniel’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Baba. I was just anxious. Don’t make me stay, please.”

 

“Danny.” Daniel sighed. He hated to make Danny unhappy. “I’m not going to leave you here, but I don’t want to go through this every time I pick you up.” He rubbed Danny’s back.

 

“I won’t say anything about your being late any more. I promise,” Danny assured him quietly.

 

“Okay,” Daniel agreed. “You’re all signed out, so let’s get going.” Daniel buckled Danny in his booster seat and then drove to the mountain.

 

When they arrived at the mountain, Daniel gave Danny his badge and they descended to the lower levels. Danny was surprised to find they weren’t heading directly to Daniel’s office. “Where are we going, Baba?” Daniel just smiled at him, and didn’t answer, making Danny even more curious.

 

Turning the corner, Danny realized they were in front of the locker room. Daniel opened the door for him. Walking in, Daniel led Danny over to a locker. Written on the nameplate was ‘Danny Jackson O’Neill’. “I get my own locker!” Danny exclaimed. Jumping up, he tried to touch his name, but couldn’t reach that high.

 

“General Hammond insisted,” Daniel told him.

 

“Cool, but I don’t have anything to put in it,” Danny said sadly.

 

“Open it up,” Jack said, coming out from behind a row of lockers.

 

“Daddy!” Danny yelled, giving him a hug.

 

Jack hugged him back. “Come on, open it,” he said again.

 

Danny opened up the locker to reveal three sets of BDUs; blue, green and tan. “I get my own uniforms!” he screamed. “Thank you,” he said, turning around to his dads. “Is blue the color of the day?” he asked, noticing Jack and Daniel were both wearing blue.

 

Jack messed his hair. “Ya think?” Then he said, “You go ahead and get changed. I’ve got to go to a meeting. I love you.” When Danny had expressed an interest in wanting a uniform, Jack had logged onto the net to see if he could find some. He’d located a clothing shop that specialized in military wear for children in Denver and had the uniforms sent. The excitement on Danny’s face was all the thanks he needed.

 

“I love you, too, Daddy,” Danny answered. Then he turned around and immediately began changing.

 

“Baba?” Danny asked, after he was done changing. “Can I see General Hammond today?”

 

“I don’t see why not,” Daniel answered. “Is there a specific reason you want to?”

 

 “I want to thank him for giving me my own locker,” Danny answered. Then he added sheepishly, “And to promise I won’t wander around anymore.”

 

“Ahh,” Daniel replied. “Let’s go to my office and I’ll call to find out what time we can see him. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” Danny agreed, taking his baba by the hand. “Let’s get to work.”

 

Daniel called and arranged to meet with the General at 1630 hours. Exactly on time, Daniel and Danny showed up at his office. “Enter,” General Hammond ordered.

 

Danny walked in and stood in front of the desk. Then he stood ramrod straight and saluted. “Sir, thank you for giving me the locker, Sir,” he stated, imitating what he’d seen others do.

 

General Hammond smothered the huge grin growing on his face. “You’re welcome, young man,” he said seriously, returning the salute.

 

Danny finished off the salute. “Um, General Hammond, Sir,” Danny stammered.

 

“Yes, son,” the General prompted.

 

Danny stared at the floor and crossed his arms. Then he said quickly but clearly, “I’m sorry for wandering around the base, and I promise it will never happen again.”

 

“Danny,” General Hammond said gently. Danny still had his head down. Hammond stood up and came around to the front of the desk. He put his hand under Danny’s chin to lift it. Danny’s eyes were watery. The General got a lump in his throat. He carefully knelt down next to him and said, “Danny, it’s over and done with, all forgiven. I know it won’t happen again.”

 

Danny leaned over and wrapped his arms around Hammond’s neck, hugging tight. “Thank you, Sir,” he whispered in his ear.

 

Hammond wrapped his arms around his young friend and hugged back just as tight. “You’re welcome, Danny,” he whispered back. Ending the hug, he stood back up and asked, “How is your first day at work going?”

 

“Great, Sir,” Danny answered. “Baba and I have been working on the Goa’uld language. I can read most of it already. I just need to learn the grammar in order to speak it on my own.”

 

The General looked over Danny’s head to Dr. Jackson. ‘Really?’ he mouthed.

 

Daniel nodded his head. Then he said proudly, “Danny’s a very quick study, Sir.”

 

Hammond rubbed the top of Danny’s head. “I’m happy to hear that. I’m sure he’ll be a big help to you.”

 

Danny beamed at hearing Hammond’s words. He was glad he was doing something right.

 

“Is there anything else, gentlemen?” the General asked.

 

“No, Sir,” they answered together.

 

“Dismissed.”

 

 

Part 45: Halloween

 

At dinner that night, Danny again asked about Halloween. “Daddy, did you talk to Sgt. Siler about the Halloween party today?”

 

“Yes, Danny. I did,” Jack answered, purposely returning to his dinner without continuing, to tease Danny.

 

“Weeelllll?” Danny cried in frustration.

 

“Well,” Jack answered, “you didn’t tell us the party was for the adults too.”

 

Daniel looked up in interest at this. He hadn’t had a chance to talk to Jack on base. “Oh,” he said.

 

“Yeah,” Jack replied. “Costumes required for everyone.”

 

“Oh!” Daniel said, understanding Jack’s hesitancy. “What are you going to dress up as, Jack?”

 

“Me?” Jack exclaimed. “Who said I was going? I think I’ll stay here and pass out candy.”

 

“Daddy!” Danny whined. “You have to go. It won’t be any fun if you don’t both go.”

 

“Yeah, Jack,” Daniel agreed. “It’ll be fun to see you dress up.”

 

“Ya think?” Jack responded sarcastically. Then he gave in. “Fine, I’ll go as an Air Force officer.”

 

“Daaaddddy,” Danny argued seriously, “that’s not dressing up. You’d have to go as a Marine for it to be dress up.”

 

“For crying out loud, Danny,” Jack replied in indignation. “A Marine? Not on your life.”

 

Danny looked heartbroken. “If you don’t dress up that means you can’t go to the party,” he said sadly.

 

“Danny.” Jack sighed. “I’m just teasing you. I’ll figure out something to dress up as, and I am going. Daniel and I wouldn’t miss it.”

 

Danny felt a lot better then. “So, what are you dressing up as?”

 

Jack looked to Daniel. “You have any ideas, Daniel?”

 

“Hmm, let’s see, Superman?” Daniel suggested with a twinkle in his eye.

 

“And wear tights,” Jack cried. “No way!”

 

Daniel thought for a minute. “I could be Indiana Jones and you could be my father,” he teased.

 

“Daniel!”

 

“Okay, okay,” Daniel laughed. “You like the 007 movies, right?”

 

“Yeah,” Jack agreed.

 

“What about James Bond?”

 

“Yeahsureyebetcha,” Jack answered. “The young Sean Connery. That would be good. Hey, you and Danny could be Indiana Jones and the young Indiana Jones.”

 

“Huh,” Danny asked confused.

 

“I don’t think he knows what you’re talking about, Jack,” Daniel said.

 

“It’s a character in a movie,” Jack told him. Danny still looked confused. “I know. I have it on tape. We can watch it tonight after dinner and then decide. How does that sound?”

 

“Okay,” Danny agreed. He shoved the last forkful of mashed potatoes in his mouth. “I’m finished,” he mumbled with his mouth full. “Can we watch it now?”

 

“Danny!” Jack reprimanded. “Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

 

Danny finished what he was chewing. “Sorry, Sir,” he apologized. “Now?”

 

“After we clean up the dishes,” Daniel answered, picking up his own and taking them to the kitchen.

 

Danny took his own in and then helped clear the table. Once everything was clean, they sat down to watch the movie. Danny didn’t understand it all, but he liked the idea of Indiana Jones and the young Indiana Jones, so agreed to dress that way with Daniel. Costumes decided on, Danny was tucked in bed for the night.

 

On Saturday Danny was anxiously awaiting Siler’s party. He’d already dressed in the khaki shirt and brown pants. His raider hat, brown leather jacket, and belt with a child size bullwhip were waiting by the garage door. Daniel had found similar items. However, for some reason he owned his own bullwhip. A fact Jack had decided to find out the reason for. Jack had managed to find all the things he needed to dress as James Bond 007.

 

Finally, four o’clock arrived and it was time to leave for the party. The kids were going to trick-or-treat from four-thirty to six, and then everyone would return to the house for games. Danny was the first child to arrive. Rhonda answered the door in her cowgirl costume. “Hi, Danny. You’re costume looks great. Your dad even let you have the bullwhip,” she said.

 

“Yeah, but I’m not allowed to take it off the belt,” Danny said as he looked up at Jack. “Your costume is good too, Rhonda.”

 

“Thanks,” she said. “Come on in, Col. O’Neill, Dr. Jackson. You’re the first ones here. My parents are in the backyard getting ready. They said to go on out.”

 

“Okay, Rhonda,” Jack said. They went through the house and into the backyard, finding Dave and Sandy Siler setting out last minute decorations. “Yeehaw, Siler,” Jack said teasingly, noticing his cowboy costume. “Round up any cattle lately?”

 

“Very funny, Colonel.” Siler groaned. “You manage to capture any bad guys?”

 

“Every week,” Jack said. “Every week. Need any help?”

 

“Sure,” Siler said, handing him a bag of apples. “Pull all the stems from these and put them in the bucket of water over there.”

 

“Kids going to play bobbing for apples tonight?” Daniel asked.

 

“Ya think,” Jack said sarcastically. “Get over here and help out, Indy.”

 

“Actually, Jack,” Daniel replied, “I think I’m safer helping Sandy out with the decorations. I’ll be over on the other side of the yard.”

 

“Chicken!” Jack yelled, throwing an apple at him.

 

Daniel easily caught it and bit into it. “Yep. Thanks for the apple, Jack.”

 

The next guests to arrive were Cassie, Janet, Sam and Teal’c. Cassie was dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, with Janet as the Tin Man, Sam as the Scarecrow, and Teal’c as the Cowardly Lion.

 

“Great costumes guys,” Jack said, as he welcomed them to the party. “If I’d known I could have dressed as the Wizard.”

 

“Are you sure you have the smarts for the part,” Sam teased.

 

“Hey, what is this,” Jack said pitifully, “pick on Jack O’Neill night?”

 

“Yep,” Daniel answered, “and it’s about time.”

 

“Funny, funny. Just wait until it’s bobbing for apples time,” Jack warned.

 

Right then Hammond and his daughter and granddaughters entered the back yard. Everyone had to stifle their laughter. They were dressed up as a mummy family, General George Hammond included.

 

“Sir,” Sam said, chuckling, “your costumes are great.”

 

“Thanks, Captain,” Hammond responded, patting the girls’ head. “Tessa and Kayla chose the theme.”

 

Danny poked Daniel to get his attention. Daniel kneeled down to his level. “Mummies don’t really look like that,” Danny whispered seriously.

 

“I know, Danny,” Daniel whispered back. “It’s the way movies portray them. Don’t say anything, okay?”

 

“I won’t, Baba,” Danny agreed.

 

Siler spoke up, “Well now that everyone’s here, I say the adults go trick-or-treating and the children stay home.”

 

“Daaaddddy,” Rhonda groaned, “stop teasing.”

 

“Oh, right,” Siler corrected. “The kids go trick-or treating. Who’s brave enough to supervise them?”

 

No one spoke, they just all looked at each other, with the children looking at them. Finally Daniel answered, “I’m up to it. Anybody joining me?”

 

“I’ll come,” replied Sam. “You coming with us Murray?”

 

“O’Neill has informed me I would be better off staying here,” Teal’c insisted.

 

“I’ll come, too,” Bonnie said.

 

“Can we just go now,” Cassie complained. “It’s getting late.” This was her first time trick-or-treating, too.

 

“Sure, let’s go,” Daniel agreed. “Does everyone have bags?”

 

“Yes!” all the children replied excitedly.

 

Finally, they all left the house to head up the street to the first house. Danny was excited, but nervous also. He held on tight to his baba’s hand. “Are you sure people aren’t going to be mad we’re asking them for candy?” Danny asked.

 

“I’m sure,” Daniel answered, pushing Danny ahead of him. “Go stand with the rest of the kids and say trick-or-treat when the door is answered.”

 

Danny’s voice could barely be heard when all the kids yelled trick-or-treat, but his thank you could be heard clearly. By the third house, Danny had lost his apprehension. He was running with the rest of the group, no longer needing his baba’s reassuring hand.

 

After they’d gone down the street and back along the other side, they stopped back at Siler’s house to exchange the chaperones. This time Jack, Siler, and Janet took the kids down the other side of the neighborhood.

 

Trick-or-treating over, the party began. First up was bobbing for apples. Danny couldn’t get his mouth open big enough to bite one, so after getting his head completely wet, he reached in and grabbed one. After all the kids had had a turn the adults egged each other on. Jack’s big mouth nabbed one easily, a fact everyone commented on. While Daniel was bobbing, Jack took his revenge by pushing Daniel’s head all the way under. Daniel came up spluttering. He shook his head quickly, splattering Jack before he could get away.

 

When the games were over, the children sat around to inspect their loot and trade each other for favorites. The adults all sat around a fire pit to talk.

 

“So, Daniel,” Siler asked. “You actually know how to use that bullwhip?”

 

Daniel smiled, but didn’t answer.

 

“Come on, Siler,” Jack replied. “You don’t really think Daniel could handle a whip, do you?”

 

“I wouldn’t be so certain, Sir,” Sam put in. “Daniel’s an enigma. I think there’s a whole lot of things we don’t know about him yet.”

 

“Right, Carter,” Jack teased. “If he really knows how to use that thing, I’ll cook all the meals on the next mission.”

 

With that statement, Daniel stood up. “Get ready to cook, Jack,” he said smugly.

 

Siler’s backyard was large. Daniel found an empty spot where he could stretch out the bullwhip. Everybody else quickly followed to watch Daniel, including the children. “You sure about this?” General Hammond asked, with concern. He didn’t want to see anyone hurt.

 

“Don’t worry, Sir,” Daniel insisted. “I know what I’m doing.” Daniel shook out the whip and then snapped it with a loud crack. Some of the kids jumped and covered their ears at the sound. He did it three more times to warm up. Then he spied a stick on the ground. He took two steps forward, cracked the whip and split the stick cleanly in two.

 

Everyone clapped. “Beginner’s luck,” Jack muttered.

 

Next, Daniel spotted a branch above him. He cracked the whip, wrapping the end around the branch. He gave it a few tugs to shake it, and then he snapped the whip again to release it.

 

Jack groaned. He knew he’d be cooking.

 

“Hey, Jack,” Daniel asked. “You want to grab that stick and stand at the other end? I’ll break it in half while you’re holding it.”

 

“I may have to cook, Daniel,” Jack conceded, “but I’m not crazy.”

 

“I trust your skills with the bullwhip, Daniel Jackson,” Teal’c said. “I would be happy to hold the stick.” Teal’c picked up the stick, walked over to the other end, and held it out to his side.

 

Daniel focused himself, and cracked the whip. The stick snapped in two, one half still residing in Teal’c’s hand. Everyone cheered, including Jack. Then Daniel recoiled his whip.

 

When everyone sat down again, Sandy asked, “Where’d you learn to handle a bullwhip like that?”

 

Daniel answered, “I was on a dig in South America. The dig leader would show off with his whip in the evenings. I asked him to teach me.”

 

“Can I see your whip, Daniel?” Siler asked.

 

“Sure.” Daniel handed it to him. “He gave it to me when I snapped a stick he was holding in his mouth.”

 

Siler examined the whip. He noticed Daniel’s name was carved in the handle. “Nice,” he said, handing it back.

 

Daniel then steered the conversation on to something else, embarrassed by the attention, but happy Jack would have to cook.

 

Meanwhile, the children had gathered on the other side of the yard. “You’re dad was sure good with the whip,” Tessa commented. “Do you think you could do it?”

 

“I’m not supposed to play with it,” Danny told her. He did want to try though, thinking it would be cool to be able to do what his baba did.

 

Rhonda pushed. “Just try it once, Danny. No one will know. They’re too busy talking.”

 

Danny looked over at the adults. They did look busy, and Danny really wanted to try it. “Okay,” he agreed, taking the whip off his belt. He shook it out like he saw Daniel do. He lifted the whip, snapped it, and screamed.

 

Hearing the scream, the adults ran over to the children. Jack got to Danny first. Danny was sitting on the ground, holding his right arm to his chest, trying not to cry. Jack knelt down in front of him. He saw the whip on the ground. “Danny, what happened?” Jack asked.

 

Danny didn’t say anything, so Rhonda spoke up. “He was trying to use the whip because we asked him to. I think it hit him on the arm.”

 

“Is that what happened, Danny?” Jack asked. Danny nodded. “I need to see your arm.” Jack took Danny’s right hand so he could stretch out the arm. Danny yelped. “Shh, it’s okay, Danny. I know it hurts.”

 

Realizing her services might be needed, Janet sent Cassie to her car to get her bag. Then she sat down next to Danny. Very carefully they took off Danny’s coat and pushed up his shirtsleeve. There was an angry red welt across his forearm. Cassie handed her mom the medical bag. “Danny,” Janet said. Danny looked up at her with tear filled eyes. “We need to get you inside so I can examine your arm better. Okay?” Danny nodded. Jack carefully picked him up and carried him inside, trying not to jar his arm. Daniel also followed them in, picking up the whip on his way. Everyone else stayed outside, so as not to crowd them.

 

The welt looked even worse in the light. Danny’s tears started falling. “It’s okay, Honey,” Janet comforted. “I’ll put some cream on this, and it’ll probably still hurt, but it will feel a whole lot better.” Janet grabbed some antiseptic-numbing cream from her bag. She spread it over the welt and wrapped it in gauze. “There you go, Danny. Does it feel any better yet?”

 

Danny nodded his head and said quietly, “Yes, Ma’am. Thank you.”

 

“You’re very welcome,” Janet replied. “I’m going to give your dads some of the cream so they can put it on when it hurts.” She turned to Jack. “You can use this every four to six hours for as long as it hurts. You can also give him some children’s acetaminophen if he seems to need it. Keep it wrapped for a few days for protection and cushioning. He’ll be fine, but it will take awhile for the welt to go away.”

 

“Thanks, Doc,” Jack said. “We appreciate the help.”

 

“Thanks, Janet,” Daniel added.

 

“You’re welcome. Glad I could be of help,” Janet said. “I’ll head back outside and leave you guys alone.”

 

Jack picked up Danny and sat him on his lap. Danny looked nervous. “I’m sorry, Daddy,” he said quietly.

 

“What are you sorry for, Danny?” Jack asked.

 

“For playing with the whip when you said I couldn’t,” Danny answered, not meeting Jack’s eyes.

 

“Why didn’t I want you playing with the whip?” Jack questioned, lifting Danny head.

 

“You thought someone might get hurt,” Danny replied.

 

“That’s right,” Jack said, “and someone did get hurt, didn’t he?”

 

“Yes, Sir.” Danny answered quietly, the tension clear in his voice, “Am I going to get a spanking?”

 

Jack seemed to think about it. Then he answered, “I think this time, you kind of spanked yourself, didn’t you?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny agreed, grateful he wouldn’t also be getting a spanking in addition to getting hurt.

 

Daniel commented, “I think it’s time to head on home. It’s getting late.”

 

Jack agreed and carried Danny back outside to get his candy and say their goodbyes and thanks yous. Then they went home to bed.

 

The next day as Daniel was reapplying the cream on his welt, Danny asked, “I know I wasn’t supposed to play with the whip last night, but…” Then he trailed off.

 

“But, what?” Daniel asked, wrapping the gauze.

 

“But,” Danny asked hesitantly, “could you teach me how to use one for real? Someday?”

 

Daniel placed the tape on the gauze and rolled up his sleeve. He showed Danny a three-inch scar on the underside of his upper arm. “I got that scar while I was practicing,” Daniel explained. “Are you sure you really want to learn?”

 

Danny felt the scar and thought of his own welt. “Is my arm going to have a scar like that, Baba?” he asked worriedly.

 

“I don’t think so,” Daniel assured him. “This scar formed because I cut myself pretty deep. It happened the same way you hurt your arm though.”

 

“Okay,” Danny said. “I think I’ll wait awhile before I learn.”

 

“That sounds like a plan, Squirt,” Daniel replied, messing his hair. “Have you cleaned your room yet?”

 

Danny groaned. “No, Sir,” he answered. He hated cleaning his room.

 

“You’d better get a move on then, Danny,” Daniel told him. “Jack will be home soon. After I vacuum I’ll come in and see how you’re doing.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny grumbled, as he got of the chair and trudged to his room.

 

 

Part 46: To the Cabin or Not

 

That night at dinner, Danny asked, “How come we aren’t going to the cabin?”

 

“Danny,” Jack answered. “We already talked about that. When we talked about going to the cabin, I didn’t expect my leg to heal this quickly. I had to go back to work earlier than planned.”

 

“It’s not fair,” Danny whined. “You promised.”

 

“Danny Jackson O’Neill!” Jack said sternly. “The matter is closed. I don’t want to hear any more whining.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny said quietly. He began pushing his food around on his plate, not really eating any more.

 

Daniel noticed Jack getting ready to scold Danny again and intervened. “Danny, are you done eating?” he asked.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny answered sadly.

 

“Put your dish in the sink and then go play in your room for awhile,” Daniel suggested.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny agreed.

 

After Danny left the room, Jack spoke up in anger, “I know what you’re doing, Daniel. He needs to learn not everything will not go his way.”

 

“Believe me, Jack,” Daniel stated. “He already knows that. We’d already told him we’d go to the cabin.”

 

“It wasn’t a promise,” Jack insisted.

 

“It sure felt like it to me,” Daniel challenged. “You know we can still take a few day’s off before you’re cleared for active duty.”

 

“That’s not the point, Daniel,” Jack argued. “We’ve taken too much time off as it is.”

 

“I don’t think that’s it at all, Jack,” Daniel replied, thinking he might have figured it out. “I think you’re having second thoughts about sharing your memories with us.”

 

“That’s not it,” Jack said too quickly. He wondered when he had lost control of this argument. “Okay, so that is it,” he said, giving in. “I’ve thought about it and I don’t know if I’m ready to go there yet.”

 

“Then be honest with Danny about it, Jack,” Daniel insisted. “He thinks he did something wrong.”

 

“No, he doesn’t. He just thinks I had to go back to work early.” Jack wasn’t ready to admit the truth to himself yet.

 

“Jack!” Daniel said in frustration. “Tell him what’s going on or I will.”

 

“For crying out loud, Daniel, it’s not that simple.” Jack ran his fingers through his hair. “Fine, we’ll go.” Jack would rather deal with going to the cabin, than talk. “I’ll talk to Hammond and we’ll take three days off next week. He has fall break then, right?”

 

“Yes, he does,” Daniel answered, “but that doesn’t solve the problem.”

 

“It’ll be fine, Daniel,” Jack assured him. “I’ll make it fine. Trust me.”

 

“Fine,” Daniel said. “I’ll go tell him. You’re sure you can handle it?”

 

“I’m sure, Daniel,” Jack responded.

 

Daniel found Danny in his room playing with his Lego’s™. He’d built a house with no windows and only one door. A Lego™ man was inside the house and Danny was adding the roof. He looked so serious. Daniel, afraid of disturbing him, sat on the floor next to him. Danny continued to build. “Danny, what are you building?” he asked.

 

“A safe place,” Danny whispered, “for the little boy.”

 

“Why does the little boy need a safe place?” Daniel was beginning to worry about what Danny was thinking.

 

“Everyone needs a safe place,” Danny answered simply. “You know that, Baba.”

 

“Yes, I do know that,” Daniel replied. “Is there a reason the little boy needs his safe place tonight?”

 

“He made his daddy angry,” Danny said quietly. “He didn’t mean to, but he did. Then his daddies argued. So he needed a safe place.”

 

“Does he know what his daddies argued about?” Daniel questioned. Danny seemed more comfortable talking this way, so Daniel continued to let him.

 

Danny nodded. “His daddy is scared.”

 

“What’s his daddy scared of?” Daniel wanted to know just how much Danny had heard.

 

“He’s scared of sharing his other son,” Danny answered. “He doesn’t think he can go back to the cabin.” Danny looked up at Daniel for the first time. Tears were falling down his cheeks. “I’m sorry, Baba. I won’t ask to go to the cabin anymore. I promise,” he cried.

 

Jack had been standing in the doorway, listening to their conversation. Not able to take it anymore, he walked into the room, picked Danny up, and sat on the rocker with him. “It’s okay, Danny,” he comforted, tears in his own eyes. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

 

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” he said again. “We don’t have to go to the cabin. I shouldn’t have ever asked about Charlie.”

 

“You have every right to ask about Charlie, Danny,” Jack assured him. “I’m the one that needs to deal with this, not you.”

 

“You still feel sad, don’t you?” Danny asked.

 

“Yes, I do,” Jack admitted. “I miss him a lot.”

 

“I still miss my parents,” Danny agreed. Then he thought of something. He looked at Jack and asked, “Daddy, you remember when we visited my parents’ graves in New York?”

 

“Yes, of course I remember,” Jack replied, wondering what Danny was getting at.

 

“It made me feel better,” Danny told him. “Maybe if we visited Charlie’s grave, you might feel better.”

 

Jack didn’t say anything. He hadn’t visited Charlie’s grave since the funeral. He wasn’t sure he was ready, but he also knew he couldn’t keep raising Danny and not deal with it.

 

Daniel spoke up, “What do you think, Jack? It did help Danny and me.”

 

Danny added, “You wouldn’t be alone.”

 

“Okay,” Jack agreed. “When do we go?”

 

“Tomorrow,” Daniel told him. “After work.”

 

“Tomorrow,” Jack repeated. If he didn’t do it soon, he knew he’d chicken out. “Okay,” he agreed.

 

“Good,” Danny said.

 

Jack seemed to remember Danny sitting on his lap. He gave him a hug. “Thanks, Danny.”

 

“You’re welcome, Daddy,” he said hugging him back.

 

“Now, young man. I think it’s your bedtime,” Jack told him.

 

“Okay,” Danny said. He was tired. “One thing first.” Danny climbed down from Jack’s lap. He walked over to his Lego™ house. Then he opened the door and put in two more Lego™ men. He turned to Daniel and stated, “Now everyone’s in their safe place, Baba.” He hugged Daniel tight and then got ready for bed.

 

 

Part 47: Charlie

 

The next day after work, Jack and Daniel picked Danny up at daycare and drove to the cemetery where Charlie was buried. Jack parked the truck and helped Danny out.

 

“It’ll be okay, Daddy,” Danny assured him, grabbing his hand.

 

Jack looked down at his new son and squeezed his hand. “I know, Danny. It’s just hard.”

 

Daniel walked up next to them. Danny took his hand also. Then they walked to Charlie’s grave.

 

Jack may not have visited the grave since the funeral, but he would never forget where it was.

 

Danny let go of their hands when they were a few feet away. He walked over to the headstone and knelt in front of it. He traced Charlie’s name with his finger, like he’d done with his parents. “He misses you, Daddy,” he said quietly.

 

“I miss him, too,” Jack replied, kneeling next to Danny and putting a hand on his shoulder.

 

“He’s not here anymore though,” Danny told him.

 

That shocked Jack. “What do you mean?”

 

“He’s not here in the cemetery,” Danny answered. “He’s never been here.”

 

Jack was speechless. He didn’t understand what Danny was talking about.

 

“Where is he then?” Daniel asked. He’d sat down on the other side of Danny.

 

Danny looked over at his baba. “He’s in Daddy’s heart,” he said simply. “He always has been.”

 

Jack’s tears fell at last. That was so much like what the crystal entity had told him. He just couldn’t forget why his son had died. Still couldn’t stop blaming himself.

 

“He needs you to talk about him, Daddy,” Danny said, wiping tears from Jack’s face with his hands. “Otherwise, he has to hide inside you. He doesn’t want to do that.”

 

“I don’t want that either, Danny,” Jack told him, pulling Danny into a hug. “I’ll try to share him.”

 

Daniel joined the hug. “We’d like that, Jack.”

 

Jack wiped the rest of his tears from his face. “Thanks, guys,” he said. “Can I have some time alone?”

 

“Sure, Jack,” Daniel answered. He took Danny’s hand and they walked around the cemetery to give Jack some privacy.

 

A short time later, Jack joined them. “I’m ready to go now,” he told them. He felt better than he had in a long time.

 

Danny looked up at him. “I love you, Daddy.”

 

“I love you, too, Bug.” Jack picked him up and carried him back to the truck.

 

 

Part 48: Teal’c’s Time

 

Jack and Daniel packed the truck Tuesday morning before work so they could leave immediately from the base.

 

Danny could barely concentrate on anything that day. “What time are we leaving?” he asked for the umpteenth time.

 

“In another hour, Danny,” Daniel answered patiently.

 

Fortunately for Daniel, Teal’c entered his office. “Daniel Jackson. I am here to inquire if Danny Jackson O’Neill may come work out with me in the gym.” Sam had informed him Danny was driving Daniel crazy and he’d decided he might be able to help.

 

Danny looked at Daniel, excitement evident in his expression. “Please, Baba,” he pleaded. “I’ll be good and do whatever he tells me to.”

 

“You’re sure, Teal’c?” Daniel asked. He knew Danny could be a handful when he was like this.

 

“I am certain, Daniel Jackson,” Teal’c replied.

 

“Fine then,” Daniel said waving them away. “I need him back in an hour, showered.” He stared at Danny, knowing he hated taking showers.

 

“Thank you, Baba,” Danny said. He ran off, grabbed Teal’c by the hand, and walked out of the office.

 

After changing clothes, Teal’c and Danny entered the gym. There were a half-dozen other men in there also working out.

 

“What are we going to do, Teal’c?” Danny asked excitedly. He was literally bouncing up and down.

 

“You, Danny Jackson O’Neill, are going to stop bouncing,” Teal’c informed him. Danny immediately stood still. “Am I right to assume you would like to spar.”

 

“Spar?” Danny looked up at Teal’c in confusion.

 

“Practice fighting,” Teal’c explained.

 

Danny’s eyes lit up. Then clouded over. “Daddy said I couldn’t,” he said sadly.

 

“I have recently spoken with your fathers,” Teal’c assured him. “They will allow me to teach you to fight, if you promise not to use what you learn outside of our practice sessions.”

 

“I promise, Teal’c,” Danny agreed, starting to bounce again. One look from Teal’c stopped him cold.

 

“Very well,” Teal’c said. “We will begin on the mats.”

 

Teal’c and Danny walked over to the mats. Teal’c kneeled on the mat so he would be closer to Danny’s height. It helped a little. Then Teal’c proceeded to show Danny different holds and movements, allowing Danny to practice what he had learned until he could accomplish the skill with ease.

 

The entire time the other men in the gym were watching them surreptitiously. They knew Danny was the son of both Colonel O’Neill and Dr. Jackson. Most of the men and women on base didn’t have a problem with this, but some did. Either because they didn’t feel a child should be on base, or because of his fathers. Two of these men were currently in the gym. “Why are you wasting your time with the runt, Teal’c?” Peterson asked stupidly.

 

Danny’s head dropped to his chest and his arms crossed tight around his middle.

 

Teal’c defended Danny. “Who I choose to associate with, is indicative of who I feel is worthy of my time.”

 

Danny understood what Teal’c meant and lifted his head in surprise.

 

Peterson was too dense to get it. “Whatever,” he said, and then he walked off to the showers with his friend. He was at least smart enough to not confront Teal’c physically.

 

“Thanks, Teal’c,” Danny said.

 

“No thanks is necessary, my young friend,” Teal’c told him, laying a hand on his shoulder. “I was only stating the truth.”

 

Danny beamed. Then he hugged Teal’c. They sparred for ten more minutes before it was time for them to shower.

 

Danny entered the locker room with Teal’c and looked around. He spied the gang showers. “Um, Teal’c,” Danny said uncertainly.

 

“Yes,” Teal’c replied, beginning to undress.

 

“I’ve never taken showers like this before,” he said, worried. There were three other men currently showering.

 

“I will assist you in any way you might need,” Teal’c assured him.

 

Danny still was embarrassed, but he didn’t want to say any more. He undressed himself and joined Teal’c in the showers. He washed himself as quickly as he could, including his hair, which he hated doing. Then he turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his whole body. After he dried off, he dressed in the clothes he’d be wearing to the cabin.

 

Teal’c was ready at the same time. “You did not seem to need any assistance, Danny Jackson O’Neill,” he commented.

 

“No,” Danny said shyly. “Thanks anyway.”

 

“Are you ready to return to Daniel Jackson’s office?” Teal’c asked.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny answered.

 

Teal’c returned his charge to Daniel Jackson freshly scrubbed and beaming. Then he left.

 

“I take it you had a good time,” Daniel stated, smiling at him.

 

“Ya think,” Danny said. Then he whispered, “Teal’c called me his young friend.”

 

“That’s a great honor,” Daniel told him. “Teal’c doesn’t call many people his friend.”

 

Danny just smiled back.

 

 

Part 49: Cabin-Skylight

 

Soon Jack walked into Daniel’s office ready to leave for the cabin. “Come on, Daniel,” Jack said, picking up Danny. “Let’s get a move on.”

 

Daniel put away what he was working on, shut down his computer, and left with Jack and Danny.

 

The cabin was about three hours away driving. For the first hour, Danny talked non-stop. He told them about what Teal’c had taught him, about the stupid soldier who bugged them (Jack was determined to find out more about him from Teal’c), and about school and daycare. At the point Jack thought his ears would fall off, Danny ran out of steam and fell asleep.

 

Daniel and Jack enjoyed the rest of the trip talking and listening to music.

 

When they arrived at the cabin, Danny woke up and looked around. “Wow, this is cool!” he yelled out. “Hurry up and let me out of here, Daddy!” Jack turned around and gave him the look. “Sorry, Daddy,” he said apologetically. “Will you please get me out?”

 

“Yes, Danny,” Jack said, “but when you get out, you need to stay close and not run off. Daniel and I need to unload the truck.”

 

“I won’t run off, Daddy,” Danny promised. He hated having to wait. Jack finally let him out of the truck and he ran into the cabin ahead of his dads. Then he ran back out. “Which bedroom is mine?” he called out.

 

“Patience, Danny,” Daniel told him.

 

“I’m a kid, I’m not supposed to have patience,” Danny informed him. “Besides, Daddy doesn’t have any patience either,” he teased, and then ran back into the cabin to explore.

 

Daniel stared at Jack. “He’s right you know,” he told Jack.

 

Jack didn’t say anything in reply. He just walked past Daniel to put the box he was carrying in the kitchen.

 

It was a very nice cabin. On the first floor there was a living area with a large fireplace, the kitchen, a bathroom, and one bedroom. On the second floor there were two more bedrooms and another bathroom. A wide porch surrounded the entire cabin. The lake was a few yards straight off the front and Jack knew there was a rowboat stored in the shed. The nearest neighbor was nearly a mile away.

 

Danny ran back down the stairs. “Can I have the corner bedroom with the skylight?” he asked.

 

“Yes, you can have that bedroom, Danny.” Jack handed him a bag. “Go put your stuff in the dresser.” He wasn’t surprised at the bedroom choice Danny made. Charlie had always slept in that room because you could see the stars from your bed. “So, Daniel. Do you want the upstairs bedroom next to Danny, or the downstairs one?”

 

“Which one do you normally use, Jack?” Daniel asked.

 

“The first floor one,” Jack answered.

 

“I’ll take upstairs then,” Daniel told him, as he headed upstairs to put his bag away.

 

Danny came into Daniel’s room and jumped up on the bed. “Can we go exploring tonight? Please?” he pleaded.

 

Daniel hung up some shirts. “It’s too late tonight, Danny. We’ll explore in the morning. After we unpack we’ll eat dinner and then it’s your bedtime.”

 

“But I slept in the car,” Danny pouted. “I’m not sleepy.”

 

“Danny!” Daniel scolded.

 

“Well I’m not,” Danny insisted, wanting the last word.

 

Daniel sighed. Maybe the cabin wasn’t such a great idea. “Why don’t you go see how Jack is doing?” he suggested.

 

“Fine,” Danny replied petulantly. “Maybe he’ll be more fun.” He rolled off the bed to head out the door.

 

“Danny Jackson O’Neill!” Daniel didn’t like reprimanding Danny, but sometimes he needed it.

 

Danny stopped in the doorway. Then slowly turned around. He realized he’d gone too far. “Sorry, Baba,” he apologized. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

 

Daniel gave him an ultimatum. “Either watch your attitude or you’ll be going to bed right now.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny said quietly, head down. “May I go see what Daddy is doing now?”

 

“Yes, you may,” Daniel told him. “Tell him I’ll be down in a minute to help with the rest of the unpacking.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny replied. Then he walked out the bedroom door. As soon as he reached the stairs he ran down them.

 

Daniel thought, ‘It’s going to be a long five days.’

 

After unpacking his things, Daniel went downstairs to see what else needed to be done. He expected to find Danny driving Jack crazy. Instead, he found Jack getting dinner ready. “Where’s Danny?” Daniel asked.

 

“I told him he could go outside as long as he stayed on the porch,” Jack told him. “I also turned on the outside lights.”

 

“Oh,” Daniel replied. “Do you need any help?”

 

“No, I’m just heating up soup. I think I can handle it,” Jack said teasingly. “Why don’t you go keep an eye on Danny?”

 

“Um, yeah, okay,” Daniel said hesitantly. “It’s your turn to tuck him in tonight, right?”

 

“Chicken,” Jack teased. “Yeah, it is. Don’t worry though. I’ve got a trick that always put Charlie to sleep, even when he was this wired.”

 

“Good,” Daniel agreed, waving his hand at the door. “I’ll go keep an eye on him then. About fifteen minutes?”

 

“Yeah, that should work,” Jack replied. “I’ll call you guys when I’m ready.”

 

Daniel went outside to find Danny sitting on the railing looking out at the lake. He quietly sneaked up behind him and then tickled his tummy, grabbing him so he wouldn’t fall. “What’s up?” he asked after Danny stopped giggling.

 

“It’s quiet here,” Danny replied. “Like on the desert. A different quiet though.”

 

Daniel sat down with Danny on a porch swing and listened. He could hear an animal running through the brush, an owl hooting, and the water gently hitting the shore. It was peaceful. “It is nice,” Daniel agreed. “I can see why Jack likes this place.”

 

“Yeah,” Danny muttered, snuggling in. He looked up at Daniel. “My bedroom used to be Charlie’s room. I found some of his toys in the closet. Do you think Daddy will let me play with them?” he asked.

 

“I’m sure he will, Danny,” Daniel assured him, wondering where all of Danny’s energy had disappeared.

 

They sat on the swing enjoying the peace until Jack called them in to eat.

 

“What are we going to do here, Daddy?” Danny asked between spoonfuls.

 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Jack teased, “sit in the house and read all day.”

 

“Sounds good to me,” Daniel agreed.

 

Danny wasn’t sure if they were telling the truth or not, until he saw Jack smile. “Hey,” he said indignantly, “stop teasing.”

 

“Okay,” Jack said. “We’re going to do some fishing and some hiking and some boating. Might even roast some marshmallows.”

 

“Cool,” Danny said. Then he got a puzzled look on his face. “What’s a marshmallow?”

 

Jack looked shocked. “You’ve never had a marshmallow?”

 

“Uh, uh,” Danny replied shaking his head. “I don’t think so.” He looked over to Daniel for confirmation.

 

Daniel agreed, “Probably not.”

 

“For crying out loud!” Jack exclaimed. “You’ve probably never had s’mores either, then.”

 

Both Danny and Daniel shook their heads.

 

“Tomorrow night for sure then,” Jack assured them. “Campfire and s’mores. Right now though…” Jack noticed Danny had finished eating. “…you need to take a bath and go to bed.”

 

“I already had a shower today,” Danny complained. “Right before we left.”

 

Jack checked with Daniel. “Yeah,” Daniel confirmed. “After he worked out with Teal’c.”

 

“Okay, then,” Jack said getting up from the table, “straight to bed then.”

 

Danny groaned, but stopped when he got the look from his dad. “Yes, Sir,” he said, getting up and putting his dishes in the sink. Then he went upstairs and Jack helped him change into his pajamas.

 

Daniel came in and hugged Danny good night, and then stood in the doorway to see what Jack’s trick was.

 

Jack tucked Danny under the covers, turned off the light and lay down next to him. Then he looked up through the skylight at the stars. Pointing out different stars and constellations, he and Danny soon fell asleep. Daniel left them there and went to sleep himself.

 

 

Part 50: Cabin-Fishing

 

Jack opened his eyes the next morning to see Danny’s face.

 

“Morning, Daddy,” Danny said. “Sun’s up.”

 

‘Yes,’ Jack thought, running his fingers through Danny’s messy hair, ‘my son is up, and it’s a great feeling.’ Aloud he said, “Morning, Bug. Ready to go fishing today?”

 

Danny sat up in bed and started bouncing. “In the boat?” he asked excitedly.

 

“Yes, in the boat,” Jack agreed. He looked down at himself and realized he’d fallen asleep in his clothes. “I think I need to take a shower before breakfast though. Why don’t you go wake up Daniel?”

 

“Sure,” Danny answered. He bounced off the bed and ran into Daniel’s room.

 

After breakfast, Jack and Daniel got the rowboat out of the shed and sat it in the water. Jack checked it over to make sure there weren’t any leaks. Determining the craft seaworthy, he called Danny over.

 

Danny walked slowly over to the short dock. He was nervously rubbing his thumb.

 

Jack couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Danny had been so excited earlier. “Danny,” he said gently. “What’s wrong?”

 

Danny shook his head slowly. “I don’t know how to swim,” he said quietly. “What if I fall in?”

 

Jack gave him a hug. “It’s okay not to know how to swim. That’s what the life vest is for. If you fall in it keeps you floating.” He held out the child’s life vest he’d brought down with the boat.

 

Danny took it from him and looked it over. Then he put it on, and Jack tightened the straps. As he pulled the crotch strap through Danny’s legs, Danny asked, “What’s that one for?”

 

Jack answered, “This one is so that the vest can’t slip off the top of your head.” Then he buckled the strap and tightened it.

 

Danny looked at his dad. “Where’s your vest?” he asked.

 

“Mine’s in the boat,” Jack replied. “I know how to swim.” He noticed Danny still looked nervous. “Do you want me to wear it?” Danny nodded, so Jack put his vest on. “Better now?”

 

“Yes,” Danny answered. “How come you don’t have that other strap?”

 

Jack laughed. Danny didn’t miss anything. “My shoulders are bigger so it won’t come over my head. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” Danny said. He turned to Daniel. “Are you coming with us, Baba?”

 

“Not this time, Squirt,” Daniel answered. He helped Danny into the boat. “I’ll have lunch ready when you get back.”

 

“Can’t swim either, Daniel?” Jack asked, untying the boat.

 

“I can swim, Jack,” Daniel replied. “Didn’t learn until college, but I can swim. I just thought you two would enjoy fishing more by yourselves. See ya.” Daniel pushed the rowboat out.

 

“See ya, Baba,” Danny said waving.

 

Jack rowed them out to where he thought there might be fish. Then he set Danny up with a child-sized rod and reel. He attached the bobber and Danny hooked the worm. “Eeww,” he said, wiping his hands on his pants.

 

Jack threw the line into the water, cranked the handle once, and handed the reel to Danny. “If the bobber bounces, pull up quickly on the rod to hook the fish. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” Danny agreed. He sat on his seat in the boat holding the rod, intently watching the bobber, for about fifteen minutes. Nothing was happening. He started looking around to see if anything else was more interesting. Jack had packed an ice chest with juice and water, so Danny got one out and drank it. He watched the bobber some more. Nothing. Then he leaned over the edge of the boat and ran his fingers through the water. “Daddy?” Danny questioned.

 

“Yes, Bug?” Jack asked, noticing Danny was bored.

 

“Is fishing supposed to be fun?” he asked, watching the water drip from his fingers.

 

“It is when you’re catching fish,” Jack answered truthfully.

 

“Oh,” Danny said. “I’m not catching any fish though.”

 

“We haven’t been fishing more than thirty minutes, Danny,” Jack said. “It takes time.”

 

“Oh,” Danny replied again.

 

Jack reeled his line in. “I’ll tell you what,” he said. “Why don’t I teach you how to fish with a lure?” Danny looked at him curiously. “It’s a way of fishing where you get to do more, even if you don’t catch a fish. Reel your line in.”

 

“Okay,” Danny said, as he sat up and reeled his line in.

 

Jack took Danny’s rod from him and cut off the bobber. “I’m going to attach a sinker first, until you learn how to cast. We don’t want you catching the hook on anything while you’re learning.”

 

“Okay,” Danny agreed, not having a clue what Jack was talking about.

 

After Jack had tied on the sinker, he picked Danny up and sat him on his lap. Then he handed the rod back to Danny. “Okay, Bug. See this button on the bottom of the reel.” Danny nodded. “You push it in and hold it. Then you bring the rod back.” Jack was showing him what to do as he told him. “Swing the rod forward, and let go of the button.”

 

Danny watched the line fly across the water. “Cool!” he said. Then he reeled it in.

 

“Now you try it,” Jack told him.

 

Danny put his thumb on the button, brought the rod back, and swung the rod forward. Plunk! The sinker dropped right in front of the boat. “It didn’t work,” Danny said sadly.

 

“Just reel it in and try again, Danny,” Jack told him. “You let go of the button too late.”

 

“Okay,” Danny said, willing to give it another shot. He tried again. This time it went a little farther.

 

“That’s good, Danny,” Jack said. He put Danny back on his bench. “You keep practicing on that side of the boat, and I’ll fish on the other side. When you get the feel of it more, I’ll switch you to a lure and then you can try and catch some fish.”

 

This way of fishing was a little more fun for Danny. At least he was doing something other than waiting. On the sixth cast, the sinker hit Jack in the head. “Sorry, Daddy,” Danny said quickly.

 

Jack rubbed the back of his head. “It’s okay, Danny. That’s why you’re not using a hook yet. Go ahead, keep practicing.” He went back to his fishing.

 

Danny was relieved his dad wasn’t angry. A couple casts later, he hit himself on the head. “Ouch,” he yelped, rubbing his head.

 

Jack chuckled. “See what I mean.”

 

Danny nodded and went back to his practicing. A half an hour later Jack asked him if he wanted to switch to a lure. “Nope,” he told him. “I’m having fun doing it this way.”

 

“Okay,” Jack replied. As long as Danny wasn’t bored, he guessed it didn’t matter if he caught any fish.

 

A couple hours later Jack decided he’d had enough. He hadn’t caught any fish, but he’d had fun watching Danny get better and better with his casting. “Reel your line in, Danny,” he told him. “It’s time to go back.”

 

“Yeahsureyebetcha,” Danny said, as he reeled in his last cast. “Can I row us in?”

 

Jack didn’t want to point out that Danny was way too small to row the boat, so he said, “Come sit by me and you can help.”

 

“Okay,” Danny said. He put his rod in the bottom of the boat and carefully made his way over to his dad.

 

Jack lifted him onto one knee and gave him the end of one oar. “You help me with this one, Danny.” Slowly but surely they made their way back to the cabin dock.

 

Daniel had noticed them coming in and went down to help. “So, how was the fishing?” he asked as Jack threw him the rope.

 

“Great,” Danny said, lifting up his arms to be lifted from the boat. “I learned how to cast.”

 

“That he did,” Jack added. “He learned fast.” Jack placed the equipment onto the dock.

 

“Can I practice more after lunch?” Danny asked, as Daniel helped him off with his life vest.

 

“You can cast from shore,” Jack agreed. “I think I’ve had enough of the boat for today.”

 

Danny started to run off to the cabin when he heard Jack call him back to put his things away. “Sorry, Daddy,” he said. Then he grabbed his things and put them away in the shed.

 

Daniel asked Jack as they were carrying in the rest of the equipment, “Is there going to be any fish for dinner tonight?”

 

Jack didn’t even bother to answer. He walked past Daniel to put the things away and went into the cabin for lunch.

 

 

Part 51: Cabin-Campfire and S’mores

 

After lunch, Danny spent his time casting from the shoreline. By dinnertime Jack knew he was definitely ready for a lure the next time they went out.

For dinner Jack grilled steaks and a hamburger for Danny. While Jack was cooking, Daniel and Danny built the campfire. After spending so many years in the desert, both of them were used to building fires.

When dinner was finished, they sat around the campfire waiting for it to die down so they could roast marshmallows. Danny had gathered some pinecones and placed them by his chair. Every so often he would pick one up and throw it into the fire to watch the sparks fly.

Jack wasn’t happy with this activity. “Danny,” he said sternly, “stop throwing things into the fire.”

“Yes, Sir,” Danny replied automatically. He dropped the pinecone he was holding back onto the pile. A few minutes later, he forgot about what his dad had told him and picked up another pinecone. Then he threw it in the fire and the sparks flew, in more ways than he’d planned. Next thing he knew, Jack had picked him up around the chest and delivered a firm swat to his backside. “Ow!” he exclaimed in surprise, more so than pain.

“I told you to stop throwing things into the fire,” Jack stated. Then he placed Danny back on his chair and sat down again himself.

“Yes, Sir,” Danny said quietly. “I’m sorry.” He dropped his head and stared at his hands as he rubbed his thumb. Nothing moved except for his hands. Not a sound was made.

Daniel watched Danny carefully. He seemed very withdrawn. Much more than a simple swat on the backside should cause. Daniel glanced over at Jack and gave him a look that said, ‘You broke him, you fix him.’

Jack caught Daniel’s eye and got the message. If he thought Danny was just trying to manipulate him, he would have ignored him, but Danny seemed truly upset. “Danny,” he called gently. No response. “Danny,” he said a little louder, “come over here.”

Danny shook his head, and whispered, “I’m fine, Daddy.”

Jack got up and walked over to pick Danny up. Danny flinched. ‘Whoa,’ Jack thought. ‘Something is definitely wrong.’ “Danny, can I pick you up?” he asked. Danny shrugged his shoulders, so Jack picked him up and returned to his chair. With Danny on his lap Jack asked, “Danny, what’s wrong? Are you upset because I swatted you?” Danny shook his head. “What is it then?”

Danny spoke into Jack’s chest, “You scared me.”

“How did I scare you?” Jack questioned, rubbing Danny’s back.

“When you picked me up and spanked me,” Danny told him. Then he looked up at Jack. “You never did it that way before. You’ve always told me before you spanked me.”

“And that scared you,” Jack responded.

Danny nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

“I’m sorry I scared you, Danny,” Jack said sincerely. “That’s not what I meant to do.”

“I know,” Danny replied. “I’m sorry I didn’t stop throwing the pinecones when you told me to. I just liked watching the sparks fly.”

“Did you know why I wanted you to stop?” Jack asked. Danny shook his head. “When you make the sparks fly, that’s little pieces of fire. If they land on anybody, they would burn.”

“Oh,” Danny whispered. “I just thought they were pretty.”

“We also need the fire to die down so we can roast the marshmallows over the coals,” Jack informed him.

“Okay,” Danny said. He was quiet for a few moments. Then he requested, “Daddy, can you please tell me if you’re going to spank me, even a little one?”

Jack hugged him tight. “Yes, Danny. From now on I will tell you before you get a spanking, even one swat.”

“Thank you,” Danny said feeling more relaxed as he hugged his dad back.

Jack sat holding Danny for a few more minutes. When he thought Danny was calmer, he asked, “Are you ready to make s’mores now?”

“Sure, Daddy,” Danny answered. “How do you make them?”

Jack was in his element now. “First,” Jack said, reaching behind him to grab the bag of marshmallows, “you have to roast the marshmallow.” He handed Daniel and Danny each a marshmallow and a roasting stick. Then he took one for himself. “Put the marshmallow on the end of the stick,” he said, demonstrating the technique. “Then you stick it over the coals and turn the stick. Don’t let it touch, or you’ll be eating charcoal.” Jack’s marshmallow caught fire and he blew it out.

Danny stared in surprise. “Is that the way you’re supposed to do it?”

Daniel laughed. “It’s the quick way of doing it. You can also keep turning the marshmallow until it turns a golden brown.”

“I thought you said you’d never roasted marshmallows before, Daniel,” Jack commented, putting his own back over the coals to cook more.

“No,” Daniel replied, “I said I’ve never had s’mores before. I’ve roasted plenty of marshmallows. Some people have raved about them.”

“Some people have raved about them,” Jack muttered under his breath teasingly. Louder he asked, “Is yours done to perfection, Daniel?”

“As a matter of fact, it is,” Daniel insisted, inspecting his perfectly golden marshmallow.

“Mine is too,” Danny said looking at his, which was black on one side and brown on the other. “At least I think it is.”

“Yours is great,” Jack told him. Then he took a graham cracker, broke it in half and placed the chocolate on one half. “Okay, Danny. Put your marshmallow on the chocolate.” Danny did so and Jack put the other half of the graham cracker on top. “Now pull the stick out.” After Danny removed the stick, Jack handed him the s’more. “Now squish it together so the marshmallow oozes out and eat it.”

Danny looked at his s’more, carefully inspecting all sides.

“Danny,” Jack insisted, “don’t study it, bite it.”

Danny bit into one corner and the marshmallow dripped onto his chin. “It’s good,” he mumbled with his mouth full. “Make yours, Baba.”

Daniel made his and bit into it. After he finished his first bite, he agreed, “It is good. Thanks, Jack.”

“You’re welcome,” Jack said, halfway through with his. “Who wants another one?”

Danny shoved the last bit into his mouth and held up his sticky hand.

“Okay,” Jack told him. “One more.”

When they had finished their s’mores and Jack had doused the fire, Daniel gave Danny his bath and tucked him in. Jack pointed out the constellations again, but this time he stayed awake and returned to his own bed after Danny had fallen asleep.

 

 

Part 52: Cabin-Hiking and Jigsaw Puzzles

 

The next day, Daniel packed a picnic lunch and they went hiking after breakfast. Danny wanted to explore everything he saw on the hike. His dads kept a close eye on him, so he didn’t get far. However, he did have a lot of fun.

 

Around lunchtime, Jack found the meadow he wanted to have the picnic in. They spread out the blanket and feasted. Danny was allowed to explore the meadow after lunch, as long as he stayed within eyesight. A while later, they headed back to the cabin.

 

About thirty minutes into the hike, Danny had worn himself out. Daniel picked him up and carried him the rest of the way. Soon Danny fell asleep with his head on Daniel’s shoulder. When they arrived back at the cabin, Daniel carefully carried Danny up to his room without waking him up.

 

An hour later, Danny came down the stairs rubbing his eyes. “I didn’t want to take a nap,” he grumbled.

 

Daniel picked him up and brushed back his hair. “Sometimes, our bodies decide to take naps even when we don’t want to,” he told Danny.

 

“That’s not fair,” Danny muttered. He still hadn’t completely woken up yet. “What are we going to do now?” he asked.

 

“I don’t know,” Daniel replied. “What do you want to do?”

 

“I saw some jigsaw puzzles in my room,” Danny answered. “Can we put one together?”

 

“Sure,” Daniel said, setting him down. “Why don’t you go pick one out and bring it down?”

 

“Okay,” Danny replied. Then he ran upstairs to pick one out.

 

Daniel cleared of the coffee table to create a space to work. He was expecting Danny to bring back a child’s puzzle, but no, Danny brought back a five hundred piece adult puzzle. “Danny, are you sure this puzzle isn’t going to be too hard?” he asked.

 

“Uh uh,” Danny insisted. “I can do this one.” He held out the box. The cover had a picture of the Egyptian pyramids. “Please?”

 

“Okay,” Daniel agreed. “Dump it out and we’ll turn all the pieces right side up.” Both of them started turning the pieces over and sorting as they did. “Have you ever put a jigsaw puzzle together, Squirt?”

 

Danny nodded. “Yeah. Daycare always has one out and sometimes Rhonda and I work on it.” He continued to flip and sort pieces, separating out the colors and the edge pieces.

 

Jack walked in and saw what they were doing. “Can I help to?” he asked.

 

“Sure, Jack,” Daniel said. “Pull up a chair.”

 

Jack sat down to help. He started to flip pieces over, but wasn’t sorting them correctly. Danny didn’t say anything. He just picked up the pieces and moved them to the right spot. When all the sorting was done, Danny picked a section of the puzzle he thought would be easy. Then he gave those pieces to his dad and started building the edge.

 

“Are you trying to tell me something, Danny?” Jack asked, catching on to what Danny was doing.

 

Danny shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t want to say anything but he wouldn’t lie either.

 

“Who do you think helped Charlie put this puzzle together?” Jack asked with a little bit of indignation.

 

“Sara,” Danny told him, continuing to put the puzzle together. He had almost the entire side of the edging done.

 

Daniel couldn’t help but chuckle. Then he pretended to be busy with his pieces, ignoring Jack’s stare.

 

Jack groaned. Danny was right of course, how, he had no idea. Sara had been the one to help Charlie with the puzzles. He never wanted to let Charlie know he had a hard time doing them. No time like the present to change things. “Yeah, you’re right, Bug,” Jack agreed. “Sara was the one to help Charlie. I’m not very good at them.”

 

“That’s okay, Daddy,” Danny comforted. “You only get better with practice. I’ve been working on the puzzles at daycare.”

 

Jack, hearing his own words coming out of Danny’s mouth, grinned. “Practice, huh,” he said. “Well, can I practice with you?”

 

“Of course,” Danny answered. “That’s why I gave you those pieces. It’s like you putting on the sinker instead of a lure. You have to start somewhere.”

 

Jack messed up Danny’s already messy hair even more. “Okay, Bug.” Then he got busy on the section Danny had given him.

 

Two hours later Jack finally finished his section. Meanwhile, Danny and Daniel had finished all the outer edging and about a fourth of the inside. Jack placed his section where it fit in the puzzle. “You did good, Daddy,” Danny praised, as he fit in yet another piece of the puzzle.

 

“Thanks, Bug,” Jack said, standing up and stretching. “I think I’ve had enough for now. I’ll fix dinner tonight and you two can keep working.”

 

“Thanks, Jack,” Daniel said, grateful for any chance to avoid cooking.

 

The puzzle was almost finished by the time Jack had dinner ready. They took a break to eat and then finished the puzzle before Danny’s bedtime.

 

 

Part 53: Cabin-Lost

 

At breakfast the next morning, Jack announced he’d found some things he needed to fix inside the cabin. Daniel wanted to start reading a book he hadn’t had time for, so Danny decided to play outside by himself. However, Daniel did sit on the porch swing to read, so he could watch Danny as he played in front of the cabin.

 

All the animals he was seeing fascinated Danny. He started to imitate them; flapping his arms to fly like a bird or scurrying around like the bugs. Daniel had to laugh quietly at his antics. Then he went back to his reading.

 

Some time later, Jack came outside to see how things were going. Scanning the area, he asked, “Daniel, where’s Danny?”

 

Daniel startled out of his reading. “What? Oh, he’s just acting like the animals, Jack.”

 

“Where, Daniel?” Jack asked again. “I don’t see him.”

 

Daniel put his book down and stood up to look around. “He was just there, Jack. He can’t have gone far.” He looked at his watch and realized more than an hour had gone by. Now he began to worry. “Jack, I’m sorry. I didn’t notice him leave. I’ll go look for him.”

 

“For crying out loud,” Jack exclaimed, as he put his hammer down on the railing. “We’ll both go looking for him. Do you have your cell phone?”

 

“Yeah,” Daniel replied, feeling guilty for not watching Danny more carefully.

 

“Okay, I have mine,” Jack stated. “You take the right and I’ll take the left. Whoever finds him calls and we’ll meet back at the cabin.”

 

“Sure, Jack,” Daniel said, as he took off calling Danny’s name.

 

Meanwhile, Danny hadn’t intended to wander off. While he’d been watching the animals, a small rabbit had caught his attention. Hopping after it, he followed the rabbit until it dove into its burrow. Sorry to see the rabbit disappear, he stood up and looked around. Nothing looked familiar. He couldn’t see the cabin or anything else that he knew. At first he started to panic. He ran around for a while trying to see if he could recognize something. When he couldn’t, he started to cry. He sat down, wrapped his arms around his legs, put his head on his knees and sobbed.

 

Finally, his brain kicked in. He realized he was sort of doing what he was supposed to. His dad had told him, if he ever was lost to stay in one spot. Well, he was doing that now. Then he was to stay calm. Having a little trouble with that. Last, he was to call out every once in a while, but not constantly or he’d lose his voice. He could start doing that now. “Daddy! Baba!” he yelled out. When he received no response, he put his head back on his knees. He hoped someone would find him soon.

 

Daniel traipsed through the forest. “Danny!” he called out over and over. He tried to follow a pattern so he could cover as much area in as short a time as possible. After fifteen minutes of searching, he thought he heard something. “Danny!” he yelled as loud as he could.

 

Danny lifted his head from his knees. “Baba!” he called, thinking he heard Daniel.

 

Daniel definitely heard Danny that time. “Danny! Stay where you are and keep calling me! I’ll find you!” he screamed. Danny kept yelling baba and in a short time, Daniel found him. Danny was sitting on the ground, his face streaked with tears. Daniel ran over to him and picked him up, holding him tight.

 

Danny tucked his head into Daniel’s neck and started crying again. Daniel tried to comfort him. “Shh, Squirt. I’ve found you. It’s okay now.” He rubbed Danny’s back. Then he started back to the cabin, pulling out his cell phone and calling Jack on the way.

 

Danny never completely stopped crying the whole way back. Jack was already there when they reached the cabin. When Daniel had called to tell him Danny had been found, much of his worry left him. However, on his way back, his anger grew. What was it going to take to make Danny stop wandering off? This was the third time. He knew Danny would be expecting a spanking and he intended to give him one.

 

Daniel walked up the steps to the porch, Danny still in his arms. “Jack?” he said warily. He didn’t like the look on Jack’s face.

 

“Is he okay?” Jack asked, concern and anger vying for dominance.

 

“He fine,” Daniel answered. “Just got a good scare though.”

 

“Danny,” Jack said sternly. Danny pulled his head away from Daniel to look at his dad. “I want you to go stand in the corner. I’ll talk to you in a minute.”

 

Daniel put Danny down. He started to walk into the cabin. Then he turned his head around to look at Jack. Danny’s pitiful expression temporarily broke Jack’s resolve. He knelt down and held his arms out. Danny ran into them, holding on tight, his tears starting anew. Jack picked him up and carried him into the cabin. Then he sat down with him in the chair. “Shh, Danny.” Jack comforted. “You’re back now. You’re safe.”

 

After a moment Jack realized Danny was crying so hard he was beginning to hyperventilate. “Danny. You’re having a hard time breathing because you’re crying so hard. I’m going to cover your nose and mouth with my hands. It’ll help you breathe better.” Danny nodded, and Jack did as he said he would. Slowly, Danny’s breathing eased. Jack took his hands away. “Okay, Danny. I need you to relax now.” Jack held him and rubbed his back, while Daniel went to get Danny a drink.

 

When he came back, Danny was cradled in Jack’s lap. Daniel gave him the water to drink. Then pushed Danny’s hair back from his forehead. “What was that all about, Squirt?” he asked in concern.

 

Danny drank some of the water. “I just got scared,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”

 

“You don’t have to be sorry for being scared,” Daniel told him. “Why were you so scared? Was it just because you got lost?” Danny shook his head. “What then?” Daniel asked.

 

Danny took a deep breath. “It reminded me.”

 

“Reminded you of what?” Jack questioned.

 

“Of where you found me,” Danny replied. “I was all alone again.”

 

“But we found you,” Jack comforted, “both times.” Danny shook his head. “Talk to me, Danny. I need to know what you’re thinking.”

 

“You didn’t find me,” Danny insisted. “Not for a long time.”

 

He was starting to get upset again and hyperventilate. Jack covered his nose and mouth again. “Deep breaths, Danny.” Danny’s breathing eased again. “Are you talking about now or the first time?”

 

“It was longer the first time,” Danny informed them. He drank some more water.

 

Jack looked at Daniel. No one had ever thought to ask Danny how long he’d been on the planet. They’d just assumed they’d found him right away. “How long were you there before we found you, Danny?”

 

“I don’t know,” Danny replied. “It was dark when I first opened my eyes. I was scared and closed them again. The next time I opened my eyes it was light. It felt like forever before anyone found me.”

 

“I’m sorry, Danny,” Daniel said. “We didn’t realize you’d been alone so long.”

 

“Danny,” Jack said, recapturing his attention. “Have you remembered anything about why you were there yet?”

 

“I don’t remember anything,” Danny said carefully, “but I did know some things I didn’t know before.”

 

“Like what?” Daniel asked.

 

“When I saw Daddy the very first time,” Danny said cocking his head towards Jack, “I knew he was the one who was going to take care of me.”

 

“You did?” Jack said in surprise.

 

“Yes,” Danny answered. “That’s why I got so mad when you gave me away. I knew it had to be you.”

 

Daniel asked, “What about all the other things you seem to know?”

 

Danny thought for a moment. “It’s like, when I need to know something, I just know it. I don’t think I know them before I need to though. I’m not really sure. Feelings are different though. It’s like I’m connected to both of you.”

 

“I have a feeling that might be the case,” Daniel stated, processing what Danny had just told them.

 

“Now,” Jack said firmly, remembering what had started this whole conversation, “we have to deal with your wandering off again.” Danny dropped his head to his chest. Jack lifted it back up with his finger. “Why did you wander off, again?”

 

Danny knew he was in big trouble. “I was following a rabbit,” he replied sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to wander off.”

 

“For crying out loud!” Jack had a hard time believing a rabbit had caused all this trouble. “You were chasing a rabbit!”

 

“Not chasing the rabbit,” Danny said, needing to be precise, “I was hopping after it. When it went into it’s hole, I didn’t know where I was.”

 

“You didn’t realize you’d hopped into the forest,” Jack asked in disbelief.

 

“I sorta knew,” Danny responded. “I just didn’t realize I’d gone so far. I was concentrating on the rabbit. I’m sorry.”

 

Jack sighed. Now he had to decide what to do. The last time Danny had wandered off he received a spanking and been promised the same if he did it again. However, the last time had been intentional. This time had been an accident, if following a rabbit could be considered an accident. He decided he needed to talk to Daniel. “Danny,” he said. “I’m going to talk to Daniel for a little while. We’ll be right outside.”

 

Daniel looked a little surprised by this statement. Jack had never consulted him before when he’d disciplined Danny.

 

“Do I have to stand in the corner?” Danny asked, remembering what his dad had said earlier.

 

“No,” Jack answered, “but I don’t want you taking one step off this chair. Understood?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny replied.

 

Jack stood up with Danny and set him back on the chair. Then he motioned to Daniel to follow him outside. Once they were outside, Jack asked, “What do you think?”

 

“About what?” Daniel asked, not sure exactly what Jack was asking.

 

“Daniel,” Jack groaned. “About his punishment. What else?”

 

“I don’t know, Jack,” Daniel replied. “You’ve never asked me before. Are you asking me if you should spank him?”

 

“Yes. He was so upset over being lost, I’m not sure if that isn’t enough.”

 

Daniel had to think about it. He was at fault for not keeping a better eye on Danny. However, Danny had been told to stay close to the cabin. Danny knew the rules and the consequences. He counted on those boundaries in his life, even if the consequences weren’t pleasant. Daniel hadn’t had those boundaries. In every new home he was placed in, he’d had to learn a whole new set of rules. When he broke those rules, either he’d been ignored or punished too severely. Danny needed consistency, now more than ever. He asked Jack a question. “What did you tell him the last time he wandered off?”

 

“That he’d get another spanking,” Jack told him.

 

“Then I think you should do it.”

 

“You’re telling me to spank him?” Jack asked incredulously. This advice was coming from Daniel, who wouldn’t spank Danny himself.

 

“No,” Daniel said carefully, “I’m telling you to be consistent. Danny may not like getting spanked, but he needs to count on you to define his boundaries. One of those boundaries being, he can’t wander off.”

 

“I agree with you,” Jack stated. “However much my backside appreciated getting away with something, my heart didn’t. Okay, time to get it over with.” Jack went back into the cabin, not expecting Daniel to follow. He’d always left when Danny was spanked. This time, however, Daniel did follow Jack back in. Jack stood in front of Danny who was still sitting on the chair.

 

“Daddy,” Danny said, speaking up first, “before you spank me, can I go to the bathroom?”

 

“Of course,” Jack said surprised. “Come right back.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny said, running off to use the bathroom.

 

“What do you make of that, Daniel?” Jack asked, as he sat down in the chair. “Oh, and what are you doing in here? You always leave when Danny is spanked.”

 

“First, I think Danny is feeling guilty for wandering off,” Daniel answered. Then he added guiltily  “Second, staying is kind of my punishment for letting him wander off.”

 

“Okay,” Jack said, deciding to talk to Daniel about it later.

 

Danny came back from the bathroom and stood in front of Jack. He wasn’t looking so sure of himself now. Jack picked him up and sat him on his lap to discuss the coming punishment. “Do you have anything else to tell me, Danny?” he asked.

 

“I’m sorry,” Danny said. “I didn’t mean to wander off or make you worry about me. I know I deserve a spanking…” He started to tear up, unable to finish what he was going to say.

 

“Danny,” Jack said gently. “What’s wrong?”

 

“I’m scared,” Danny admitted tearfully. “Last time it hurt so much, and you said it would be worse the next time.”

 

“Yet you wandered off again,” Jack stated. Danny nodded. “Knowing what would happen,” he continued.

 

“I got distracted,” Danny said in his defense.

 

“Does that make it okay?” Jack asked.

 

“No, Sir,” Danny replied.

 

“Ready to get it over with?” Jack questioned. Again Danny nodded, not able to talk. Jack undid Danny’s pants flipped him tummy down on his lap, and lowered his pants and boxers. He asked the question he always asked, “Why are you getting this spanking, Danny?”

 

Danny choked out, “For wandering off, again.”

 

Jack started the spanking right off. Danny started crying from the start. However, Jack was determined to deliver as promised. This spanking would be worse than the last one, but not by much. He glanced at Daniel sitting across from him, wincing at every swat. He had to finish this off quickly. After applying a few more hard swats, Jack stopped. He carefully pulled up Danny’s boxers and removed his pants. Then he turned him over on his lap to comfort him. “It’s over, Bug,” he said while rubbing Danny’s back. Checking on Daniel, he noticed him looking almost as upset as Danny. “You’ll be okay.”

 

Danny began to hiccup as his crying slowed. “I’m s-sorry,” he stuttered.

 

“I know you are, Danny,” Jack responded. “I know. I forgive you. I just want you to stay safe.”

 

“I know, Daddy,” Danny replied, wiping away his tears. “I love you.”

 

“I love you too, Danny,” Jack told him while hugging him close. “Any better yet?”

 

Danny nodded. Then he noticed his baba had stayed in the room. He saw that Daniel’s eyes were watery. Carefully easing himself off Jack’s lap, he walked over to Daniel. “Baba,” he said gently, “I love you, too.”

 

Daniel embraced Danny tight. “I love you too, Danny. I’m sorry I didn’t watch you more carefully.”

 

Danny placed his head on Daniel’s shoulders. “I’m tired,” he mumbled.

 

Daniel replied, “It’s been a long day, Squirt. You want me to lay you down for a nap?”

 

“Uh huh,” Danny answered. “Will you stay with me?”

 

“Sure,” Daniel replied. Then he stood up and carried Danny upstairs to take a nap. They both fell asleep quickly.

 

Daniel and Danny slept through lunch. After two and a half hours, Jack decided he’d better wake them up or Danny wouldn’t sleep tonight. Entering Danny’s room, Jack saw Daniel sleeping on his back with Danny’s arm flung across his chest. This time Jack remembered the camera and took a picture before he woke them up.

 

When they got downstairs, Jack decided to tell Danny his restrictions to keep him from wandering off. Danny was trying to avoid sitting down, so he stood in front of Jack. “Danny, I don’t want you leaving the porch unless one of us is with you for the rest of the time we are here,” Jack told him.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny replied. He didn’t plan on going anywhere without his dads anyway. Getting lost once was more than enough.

 

“So, is there anything you want to do for the rest of the day?” Jack asked him.

 

“I saw some blocks in the bedroom,” Danny answered. “Can I build with them?”

 

“Sounds good to me,” Jack responded. “Why don’t you get them and bring them down here?”

 

Danny retrieved the blocks from his room and played with them until dinnertime.

 

 

Part 54: Cabin-Daniel’s Guilt

 

After dinner Jack gave Danny his bath, built a fire in the fireplace, and then read to him until his bedtime. When Danny was tucked in and sleeping soundly, he decided it was time to talk with Daniel. Daniel had headed back downstairs after saying good night to Danny to clean the kitchen, so Jack went to find him.

 

Daniel was washing the dishes, so Jack grabbed a towel and started drying. “How are you doing, Daniel?” he asked gently.

 

“Fine, Jack,” Daniel answered, continuing to wash. “Did Danny fall asleep?”

 

“Yeah,” he replied, “kept saying he wasn’t tired and then as soon as he closed his eyes he fell right to sleep.” Jack dried a few more dishes then commented, “You seemed to take Danny’s spanking pretty hard.”

 

Daniel didn’t even look at him. Instead he finished washing the last pan, and said, “I’m going to bed now, Jack. I’ll see you in the morning.” He turned to go and was stopped by Jack’s hand on his arm. “Is there something you need, Jack?” he asked looking at Jack’s hand.

 

“Yes, Daniel,” Jack said. “I need for you to be honest with me.”

 

“About what?” Daniel asked, even though he knew.

 

“Daniel,” Jack said, exasperated. “Let’s go sit down.” Stopping Daniel’s protest with a look, Jack guided him to sit down. “What is bothering you, Daniel?” When he didn’t say anything, Jack asked, “Was it the spanking Danny got?” Daniel shook his head. “Daniel, you need to give me a clue here.”

 

“It was my fault he got lost in the first place, Jack,” Daniel said quietly. “Yet he’s the one that got punished.”

 

“So. What?” Jack asked, trying to figure it out. “You’re feeling guilty?”

 

“I guess so,” Daniel replied. “I should have been watching him. Instead I got too involved in my book.”

 

“Yes, you did,” Jack agreed. “I’m sure it won’t happen again, though.”

 

“So that’s it,” Daniel said wearily. “Danny gets spanked and I get off scot-free.”

 

Jack wasn’t sure what to say to that. However, he did ask, “Daniel, do you want me to punish you, too?” Daniel shrugged his shoulders. “If that’s what it’ll take to get rid of your guilt, I’ll do it,” Jack told him.

 

Daniel wasn’t quite prepared for Jack’s offer. He thought for a minute. Then he decided to tell Jack why this whole issue was bothering him so much. “Jack, when I grew up in foster care, there were a lot of rules you had to learn,” he explained. “Some of the rules the parents had, others were unwritten among the foster kids. Every time I was placed in a new home, I had to figure out the new rules. I got very good at slipping under the radar. Unless the home was abusive, I could get out of almost any punishment. I learn to lie, blame others, or just act really sorry, whether I was or not. Most of the parents didn’t enforce the rules they did have. I guess it took too much effort to worry about a foster kid who was leaving in three months. It wasn’t a good way to grow up.”

 

“So you were never held accountable for your actions as a child,” Jack responded.

 

“No,” Daniel answered. “Also, when I was on my own, I was only accountable to myself. I figured out what I wanted in life, and I went after it. Sha’re was the first person I ever had to think about on a daily basis, other than myself.”

 

“And now you have a little five-year old son you also have to think about,” Jack said, trying to connect what Daniel was telling him. “You feel like you failed him, and you want someone else to call you on it.” Daniel nodded in agreement. “You’re doing a pretty good job of punishing yourself, Daniel.”

 

“It’s not the same thing,” Daniel insisted.

 

“No, it’s not,” Jack agreed. “You’re being harder on yourself than anyone else would be. Therefore, I think you do need someone else to punish you.”

 

Daniel looked up at Jack finally. “Do you have a punishment in mind?” he asked with trepidation. He’d brought it up and he was willing to accept whatever Jack had thought of.

 

“Yes,” Jack replied. “I have the perfect punishment for the infraction.”

 

When Jack didn’t continue, Daniel asked warily, “And that is?”

 

“You didn’t keep an eye on Danny because you were reading a book, right?” Jack questioned.

 

“Yes,” Daniel agreed.

 

“Therefore, the punishment is you aren’t allowed to read anymore the rest of the time we’re here, unless you’re reading a book to Danny,” Jack informed him.

 

“That’s it,” Daniel asked, unsure of whether it was enough.

 

“Daniel, you’ve already put yourself through watching his spanking,” Jack explained. “The way you were reacting, I thought I was actually spanking you. So, yes, the rest of the punishment is enough.”

 

Daniel thought about it. Jack had a point. “Okay,” he agreed, “no more reading, except to Danny.”

 

“And if you break this restriction,” Jack added, “I’ll take a belt to you.”

 

Daniel looked at Jack in shock. Jack looked serious. He took a deep breath and said, “That’s fine, Jack. I think I will go to bed now. It’s been a long day. Good night.” He stood up to head to his room.

 

“Good night, Daniel,” Jack replied. He didn’t know if he could follow through on what he told Daniel, but he didn’t think he’d need to.

 

 

Part 55: Cabin-Nightmares

 

In the middle of the night, Jack and Daniel woke to screams coming from Danny’s room. Daniel arrived first and woke him up. Settling Danny on his lap, Daniel attempted to calm him down. Jack sat down on the bed offering his support. Finally Danny calmed down enough to talk. Daniel asked, “What was the dream about, Danny?”

 

Danny shook his head, thumb stuck in his mouth.

 

Jack tried. “Was it about getting lost?”

 

Danny again shook his head. “I was dreaming I wasn’t real.”

 

“What do you mean you weren’t real?” Daniel asked, still holding Danny tight.

 

“I was thinking about how I got taken from Giza and put in that place,” Danny explained. “I was trying to figure out how we can both be here.”

 

Jack was trying to follow Danny’s train of thought, but he was having trouble. “You mean you and Daniel?” he questioned.

 

“Uh huh,” Danny agreed. “If I was taken from Giza in 1970, how could Baba still grow up and be here now? If I’d disappeared, how come he didn’t?”

 

Daniel was following his thinking. “You’re wondering if you really did disappear?”

 

“It’s like…” Danny paused in thought. “It’s like if I was taken, then you replaced me. However, we both have the same memories up to the point you found me. It’s confusing.”

 

“Ya think,” Jack replied. “If you’re not real, what do you think you are?”

 

Danny dropped his head onto Daniel’s chest and whispered something neither Jack nor Daniel could hear.

 

Daniel prompted, “What was that, Danny?”

 

“What if I’m a clone?” Danny questioned, lifting his head. “I was watching this movie about pod people taking over the earth by cloning the people around them. What if I’m like them?”

 

Jack insisted, “You are not a pod person, Bug. Dr. Fraiser checked you out. Remember? She said you were as human as the rest of us.”

 

“I know,” Danny replied, not sounding convinced.

 

“There’s something else, isn’t there, Squirt?” Daniel inquired.

 

Danny nodded. Then he blurted out, “If I disappeared once, who’s to say I won’t disappear again?”

 

Neither Jack nor Daniel knew what to say to that. There wasn’t any way to make sure he wouldn’t disappear again. With everything they’d experienced so far, they knew anything could happen. However, they needed to reassure Danny. “Danny,” Jack said, “I know all this thinking you’ve been doing is scary. Nobody can be sure of what might happen from one minute to the next.”

 

Danny looked less than reassured.

 

“However, we can’t live our lives worrying about what might happen,” Jack explained. “Do you like living with us?” he asked.

 

“I love living with both of you, Daddy,” Danny insisted.

 

“We love having you as our son,” Jack stated. “So you have to stop worrying about what might happen and enjoy what you do have. Do you think you can do that?”

 

“I want to,” Danny told him. “But…”

 

“But what?” Daniel asked.

 

“But it’s hard to turn off my brain,” Danny explained. “It’s always thinking and trying to make sense of things. How I’m here, doesn’t make sense.”

 

Daniel hugged him. “I do understand how hard it is to turn off your brain, Danny, but Jack’s right.” Jack looked totally surprised by Daniel agreeing with him. Daniel continued, “You have to believe you’re going to live with us from here on out and try not to worry about it. If it’s within our power, we won’t let anything happen to you.”

 

“Promise?” Danny asked.

 

“Promise,” Jack and Daniel said together.

 

“Do you think you can go back to sleep now?” Jack asked.

 

Danny shook his head.

 

“Do you want one of us to stay with you?” Daniel questioned.

 

Danny nodded. “Please?” he pleaded.

 

Jack looked at Daniel questioningly. Daniel spoke up, “I’ll stay with you, Danny. Just for tonight.”

 

Danny snuggled in close to Daniel and Daniel slid down to get more comfortable. Jack covered them both with the comforter, kissed Danny goodnight, turned out the light, and left the room. When he reached his own room he sat down on the bed and rubbed the back of his neck. He wished he could take all these worries away from his son. A five-year old shouldn’t have to think of these things. He decided to ask Carter to look into it when he got back to the base.

 

 

Part 56: Cabin-Fishing take 2

 

Saturday morning, Daniel was awoken by a small child bouncing on him. “Morning, Baba,” Danny said happily.

 

“Morning, Squirt,” Daniel answered back. “You seem in a good mood today.” He hugged Danny then sat up against the headboard.

 

Danny continued to bounce happily next to him. “I am,” he replied. “I guess talking last night helped. I want to go fishing today.”

 

“I’m sure Jack will take you if you ask him to.” Daniel noticed Danny’s bounce diminish. “What, Danny?” he asked.

 

“I want you to come, too,” Danny informed him, using his hurt puppy look for added emphasis.

 

“Danny,” Daniel said with a sigh, “I’m not much for fishing. I’d rather stay here and read.” After he said it, Daniel remembered Jack’s restriction and cringed. Danny gave him a curious look. “What now?”

 

Danny wasn’t sure if he should mention what he knew, since he didn’t know how he knew it. He decided to anyway. “What about what Daddy said?” he questioned.

 

“What do you know about what Jack said?” Daniel asked. He still didn’t understand how Danny knew things and had thought Danny had been asleep when he and Jack talked.

 

Not sure if his baba was upset with him, Danny answered, “You’re not supposed to read here anymore because reading is why you weren’t watching me.” When Daniel didn’t respond, Danny added, “I don’t blame you for that, you know. Getting lost was my fault, not yours.”

 

Daniel pulled Danny into another hug. “I don’t know how you know these things, Danny, but you’re right. However, your getting lost was partially my fault.” Danny looked like he was going to argue the point, so Daniel stopped him. “It doesn’t matter anymore, Squirt. And yes, I’ll go fishing with you if the boat will hold three people.”

 

“It does, Baba,” Danny replied, beaming. “I already asked Daddy that.” He hopped off the bed and headed out the door. “I’ll tell Daddy you’re coming,” he called out on the way downstairs.

 

Daniel sighed. Fishing. He’d never been fishing in his life. ‘How do I get talked into these things?’ he thought. Then he remembered the fact he was a dad to a wonderful five-year old boy, and he knew how.

 

So Jack, Daniel, and Danny went fishing after breakfast. Jack put Danny in the front of the boat, so he could cast easier. Daniel sat in the middle and Jack in the back. Jack set Danny up with a lure and then told him which side of the boat to cast on. Then he worked on getting Daniel set up. “You ever been fishing, Daniel?” he asked.

 

“Um, no,” Daniel admitted. “Not a clue what to do.” He looked at the rod and reel Jack had handed him.

 

“Don’t worry, Daniel,” Jack reassured him. “I’ll set you up with a bobber system.” Danny groaned. “Cool it, Bug. There’s nothing wrong with using a bobber.”

 

Danny said under his breath, “Not if you want to be bored.” Jack gave him a friendly glare, so Danny whispered to Daniel, “If you get bored, I’ll teach you to cast.”

 

“Sure, Squirt,” Daniel whispered back.

 

Jack had finished with Daniel’s line and showed him how to cast it out. “Just watch the bobber. If you see it bob, yank the rod up and then reel in the line. Got it?” he asked.

 

“I think I can handle that, Jack,” Daniel told him. Daniel sat and watched the bobber, and watched, and watched, and watched.

 

About fifteen minutes later, Danny yelled, “I think I’ve got one!”

 

Jack could see the bend of Danny’s rod indicating he had something on the line. Jack guided him on how to bring in the fish. “I think you’re right, Danny. Take it easy and play with it. Pull up on the rod, and then lean it back down as you reel it in.” He watched Danny do exactly as he was told. Slowly the fish inched closer and closer to the boat. “Daniel, grab the net by your feet.”

 

Daniel looked at his feet and noticed the net. He picked it up and leaned over the side of the boat Danny was bringing the fish in on. When the fish came close enough, he snagged it with the net and lifted it up. Danny had caught a fair-sized trout, big enough to keep. “Great job, Danny,” Daniel exclaimed. Then he added, “Um, Jack. What do I do now?”

 

Jack grinned at him, saying, “Pass it back to me and I’ll take the lure out and put it on the stringer.”

 

Daniel passed the net to Jack and then stared at his bobber again. All of the sudden, the bobber jerked down below the water and he jerked up on the rod, snagging the fish. “Jack, I think I’ve got one now,” he stated excitedly.

 

Jack groaned. First Danny, then Daniel, he was supposed to be the fisherman. “Just do what you saw Danny do, and I’ll net it for you.” He followed Daniel’s line, as the fish was pulled closer to the boat. Then he netted the fish and lifted it up. Another trout. It was smaller than Danny’s, but not by much. Jack removed the hook, added it to the stringer and reset Daniel’s line. “Nice catch, Daniel,” he told him.

 

“Thanks, Jack,” Daniel replied. “Beginner’s luck.”

 

“Hey, Baba,” Danny said. “Now we both get to have fish for lunch.” He looked at Jack and added, “Don’t worry, Daddy. I’ll catch one for you to eat.”

 

Jack couldn’t help but smile. “You do that Danny,” he told him. Thirty minutes later that’s just what he did. Danny had caught another trout. Jack congratulated him. Then he strung it and went back to his own fishing.

 

Almost an hour passed and no one had caught any more fish. Both Daniel and Danny were getting bored. “Jack,” Daniel asked, “isn’t it time to go back for lunch?”

 

Jack would sit all day in a boat to catch a fish, but not when he had a five-year old with him. “Sure, Daniel. Why don’t you row us in and I’ll leave my line out. Okay?”

 

“Fine with me,” Daniel agreed. He reeled his line in, released the worm, and laid the rod in the bottom of the boat. Danny did the same and then sat by Daniel to help him row.

 

Unfortunately for Jack, he didn’t catch a fish on the way in. After everything was unloaded from the boat, Jack announced, “Come on, Danny. It’s time to clean the fish.”

 

Danny wasn’t sure what he meant by ‘clean the fish’, but he followed along next to him.

 

Jack walked over to a small table he’d placed outside. He laid the string of fish on the table. He told Danny to wait outside for him and went into the cabin to get the filet knife. He’d already sharpened it in preparation for the fish he was supposed to have caught. Then he went back outside.

 

Danny was staring at the fish still wriggling on the table. “Aren’t they supposed to stop wriggling?” he asked, never taking his eyes off the fish.

 

“They will soon enough,” Jack answered, as he took the first fish from the stringer. He placed the fish on the center of the table, held it down, and chopped off its head. “There,” he said. “See Danny, it’s not wriggling anymore.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny replied. He’d jumped when Jack had cut off the head, not thrilled at what he was watching.

 

Jack noticed Danny’s squeamishness, but accepted it as natural from a five-year old and continued. “Come over here, Bug,” Jack requested. “See, you put the knife in right here.” He demonstrated as he spoke. “Then slide it back to here. Then you open it up and scoop out all the guts.” Jack threw the insides in a pail he had ready. “Finally, you rinse it out. Then it’s ready to cook.” He observed Danny’s interested look and asked, “Do you want to do the next one, Danny?”

 

Danny was somewhat grossed out by the cleaning of the fish, even though he found it interesting. However, he did not want to do it himself. “No thank you, Daddy,” he said diplomatically. “You’re so good at it, I’ll let you do it this time.”

 

Jack chuckled. He knew a con job when he heard one. He didn’t comment on it though. “Sure, Bug,” he replied, “I’ll do your fish.” He saw Daniel walking by and asked, “Hey, Daniel?”

 

Daniel turned around, replying, “Yes, Jack?”

 

“Are you gonna clean the fish you caught?”

 

Daniel took in the mess on the table and Jack’s hands. “I think you’d do a much better job of it, Jack. If you don’t mind?”

 

“Ya think,” Jack quipped. ‘Great,’ he thought. ‘Stuck cleaning all the fish and I didn’t even catch them.’ He wasn’t truly upset. Cleaning fish wasn’t that big a deal to him. However, he did have a plan. “If I clean them, you cook them, right?”

 

Daniel thought about it for a moment. It wasn’t a bad deal. He knew some good ways to cook fish. “Deal, Jack,” he answered, going inside to put some things away.

 

Jack finished cleaning the fish and sent Danny inside to give them to Daniel. Then he cleaned the work area. When he finished, he entered the cabin to the smell and sound of fish frying. “Smells good, Daniel.”

 

“Thanks, Jack,” Daniel replied. “Lunch will be ready in about ten minutes.” He’d already asked Danny to set the table.

 

Jack went to clean up and then returned to the kitchen. He found Danny already sitting at the table. “That hungry, Bug?” he teased, messing up his hair.

 

“Baba said to sit down,” Danny replied. He motioned for his dad to come close. “I think I was bugging him too much,” he whispered conspiratorially.

 

“Ahh.” Jack understood. When Danny was full of energy, he was a handful. He sat down at the table and joined him. “Did you enjoy fishing this time, Danny?”

 

Danny nodded his head eagerly. “You’re right, Daddy. It’s a lot more fun when you catch something.” Then he remembered his dad hadn’t caught any fish and added gently, “I’m sure you’ll catch one next time.”

 

“Don’t worry about it, Bug,” Jack said affectionately. “I’m glad you caught the fish this time.”

 

At that moment, Daniel arrived at the table with the fish in the skillet. “Lunch is served,” he said cheerily. Then he placed one fish on each plate and returned the pan to the sink.

 

Danny examined the fish on his plate. It didn’t look like he thought it should. He was poking it with his fork when Daniel sat down. “Dig in,” he insisted.

 

Spearing a flaky piece of fish on his fork, he slowly brought it to his mouth. He chewed the piece of meat, trying to decide if he liked it. Swallowing as quickly as he could, he washed it down with his milk. Then he poked at the fish some more, pulling the flakes up, but not eating anymore.

 

Daniel noticed Danny playing with his food. He asked, “Is there a problem with your fish, Squirt?”

 

Danny didn’t want his baba to think he didn’t like his cooking, so he asked, “Are you sure this is the fish I caught?”

 

“Yes,” Daniel replied. “I caught the smallest one and you caught the two bigger ones.”

 

“Oh.” Danny continued to poke at the fish. Daniel hadn’t made anything else for lunch, so there was nothing else for him to fill up on.

 

Finally Jack had had enough. “Danny, what is wrong with your fish?” he asked with irritation.

 

Danny looked down at his plate. Then he said quietly, “Nothing’s wrong with it, Sir. I just don’t like the taste. It’s…fishy.”

 

Jack groaned. “It’s fish, Bug. It’s supposed to taste fishy. Haven’t you ever eaten fish before?” Danny shook his head. Jack didn’t like the idea of making him eat the fish, but he also didn’t believe in making separate meals for children. He came up with a compromise. “Danny, if you’ll try two more bites of the fish…” Danny scrunched his nose. “…and you still don’t like it, you can have some of the leftover soup from last night. Deal?”

 

Danny looked from his dad to the fish. He really didn’t even want to eat two more bites, but he was really hungry. Having survived the first bite, he figured he could survive two more. “Deal,” he agreed. He picked up another piece of fish with his fork and got his milk ready. Then he chewed, swallowed and drank. It wasn’t any better than the first. One down, one to go. Following the same procedure, he downed the second bite and then looked at his dad hopefully.

 

Jack sighed. “Still don’t like it?” Danny shook his head. Jack took his plate and set it next to his own. Even if Danny didn’t like it, he did. Then he heated Danny up some soup and gave it to him.

 

Danny ate the soup quietly. He was worried about something, but didn’t want to ask in case the answer was no. Finally, he could stand it no longer. “Daddy,” he said quietly. Jack looked at him. “I’m sorry I didn’t like the fish.”

 

Jack smiled at him. “It’s okay, Bug. You tried it at least.” He went back to eating.

 

“Daddy,” Danny said quietly again.

 

Jack looked at him again. “Yes, Danny.”

 

Danny was rubbing at his thumb. “Does this mean I can’t go fishing again?” he asked into his lap.

 

Picking Danny up and settling him on his lap, Jack asked, “Do you like to fish?” Danny nodded his head vigorously. “Well, I like to eat fish and your baba likes to eat fish, so you catch them and we’ll eat them,” Jack declared. “Right, Daniel?”

 

“Sounds good to me,” Daniel agreed.

 

Danny looked up and hugged his dad. “Thanks, Daddy. I love you.”

 

“I love you too, Danny,” Jack said, hugging him back and kissing his head. “Eww!” Jack teased, “You are washing your hair tonight.”

 

“Daaddy!” Danny whined. Then he got off Jack’s lap and walked over to Daniel. He held out his arms and Daniel picked him up. “I love you too, Baba,” he said, hugging tight.

 

“And I love you, Danny.” Daniel hugged Danny back.

 

Danny settled himself in Daniel’s lap. “Can we go exploring again?” he asked cheerily.

 

“Again?” Daniel and Jack asked at the same time, glancing at each other then at Danny. “Sure,” they agreed.

 

So Jack, Daniel, and Danny went off on another exploration of the woods.

 

 

Part 57: Cabin-Last Day

 

Sunday was the last day they had at the cabin before they had to return to real life. Jack would check in with Janet, and more than likely be cleared for active duty. Therefore, SG1 would go back on the mission rotation and arrangements would be made for Danny to stay with others while they were gone. It wasn’t an ideal solution, but it was the best they could come up with. Everyone could feel the pressures of life returning.

 

“So, Danny,” Jack asked, “anything in particular you want to do today?” They were sitting around the table eating a breakfast of French toast with lots of syrup.

 

Danny looked down at his plate of food and shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t care what they did; he just didn’t want to go home. He stabbed another piece of food and put it in his mouth.

 

“Daniel,” Jack inquired, “you have any ideas?”

 

“Nothing in particular, Jack,” Daniel answered. “We do need to pack up at some point though.” At hearing this, Danny dropped his fork on his plate and slumped down on his chair so his head was barely visible.

 

“Danny, sit up and finish your breakfast,” Jack ordered.

 

“I’m finished,” Danny replied without sitting up. He knew he was pushing his luck, but he didn’t care right now.

 

Before Jack could respond, Daniel asked, “What’s the problem, Squirt?” He had a feeling he knew what was going on, but he wanted to hear it from Danny.

 

“Nothing,” Danny answered noncommittally.

 

“Danny!” Jack said firmly. He didn’t want to go back either and his own irritation was getting the better of him.

 

Danny sat back up on his chair and picked up his fork again, but he didn’t start eating.

 

Jack put his own fork down and took the time to really pay attention to his son. “Danny,” he said more gently this time.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny answered, not looking up from his plate.

 

“Danny, look at me.”

 

Danny reluctantly looked up, eyes sad.

 

“Come here, Bug.” Jack held his arms out and Danny climbed onto his lap. “What’s the problem? And don’t say nothing this time.”

 

“I like it here,” Danny answered.

 

“And why is that a problem?”

 

“I don’t want to go home,” Danny replied softly. “When we go home I have to go to school and daycare and you both go back to work, and since you’re better now you’ll go on missions. I’ll miss you guys.” He snuggled into his dad’s arms.

 

“Oh, Danny.” Jack sighed. He didn’t want to go back either. However, no matter how much he would love to retire and stay home with his son, Earth and the SGC still needed him. Soon, he promised himself, he’d figure out another way. “I understand how you feel, but if you spend all day worrying about it, you won’t have any fun. Do you really want to spend the last day like that?”

 

“No,” Danny admitted.

 

Jack looked to Daniel. He could tell Daniel felt the same way. Trying to break the somber mood, he suggested, “Let’s get everything packed up, so we don’t have to worry about it. Then we’ll drive to these caves I know of and explore them until we have to go home. How does that sound?”

 

Danny began to show some interest. “What are the caves like?” he asked.

 

“Well,” Jack began, “you have to crawl in through the opening. Then it opens up into a cavern. There are stalagmites and stalactites, crystals, and all sorts of other things.”

 

Daniel spoke up, “I take it you’ve been there and know it’s safe.” He thought it would be interesting, but he knew it was easy to get lost in a cave if you didn’t know what you were doing.

 

“Yes, Daniel,” Jack explained. “I used to go there all the time with Charlie. I know my way around the caverns. We can take a lunch and eat inside. What do you say, Bug, Daniel?”

 

“Sure,” they both agreed.

 

“What about breakfast, Danny?” Jack asked. “You’re going to need a lot of energy to explore the caves.”

 

“I think I could eat more,” Danny answered, sliding off of Jack’s lap and sitting back on his own chair. Then he proceeded to finish off his French toast as quickly as he could. “I’m done,” he announced.

 

“Okay, then,” Daniel said, “you go pack up your room, while we pack ours. Then we’ll pack the truck and head out.”

 

Danny got off his chair, carried his plate to the sink, and ran off to his room.

 

“Thanks, Jack,” Daniel said. “I’ll do the dishes.” He stood up and began clearing the table.

 

“You’re welcome, Daniel,” Jack replied. “But if I help, it’ll go faster.”

 

So Jack and Daniel cleaned up the cabin, made sure Danny didn’t forget anything, and packed up the truck. Then they headed off to check out the caves.

 

The caves were just as Jack had promised. Small enough not to turn into a tourist trap, but large enough to keep them occupied until it was time to head home.

 

Danny fell asleep on the drive home, waking only long enough to help get himself ready for bed and be tucked in. He slept soundly and dreamt of the fish he’d caught.

 

 

Part 58: Back to Work

 

The next morning everyone woke up groggy. No one was very excited at the thought of returning to work, but real life took over again. Jack and Daniel had a briefing for a mission they were going on the next day and had to catch up on their backlog of work. Danny went back to school and then to daycare.

 

After the briefing, Sgt. Siler stopped Jack to talk to him about Danny. “Colonel, I was wondering something.”

 

“Yes,” Jack replied, leaning against the wall.

 

“I know Danny normally stays with General Hammond when you and Daniel go on missions, but Rhonda’s been bugging me about letting him stay with us,” Siler told him. “She missed playing with him while you guys were at the cabin.”

 

Jack thought about it. “You do know Danny’s a handful to take care of.”

 

“No worse than my daughter.”

 

Jack laughed at that. “I’ll have to talk to Daniel, Hammond and Danny, but I’m sure it won’t be a problem. We’re only supposed to be gone two nights.”

 

“That would be great. I made Rhonda promise not to tell Danny about me asking you,” Siler said, smiling, “not that I expect her to keep that promise. She and Danny talk about everything.”

 

“That’s for sure,” Jack replied. “I’ll get back to you before we leave for the day, alright?”

 

“No problem. We’re looking forward to him staying with us.”

 

‘That’s what you think,’ Jack thought. Then he went to discuss it with Daniel and General Hammond. They both agreed to the plan. Nobody thought Danny would object to staying with Rhonda. Jack informed Siler that Danny would be staying with his family. They would drop off his bag at daycare for Siler to take with him when he picked up Danny and Rhonda.

 

Daniel picked up Danny and drove home. He didn’t mention anything about staying with the Silers, although Danny kept looking at him curiously. “Did you have a good day at school?” he asked.

 

“It was fine,” Danny answered. “I already got all my work done.”

 

“How was daycare?”

 

“Good, Rhonda and I worked on puzzles today.” Danny looked at Daniel carefully.

 

“Okay, Danny. What do you want to know?” Daniel asked.

 

“Who am I staying with when you go on your mission tomorrow?” Danny asked quietly.

 

“Don’t you always stay with the Hammonds?” Daniel responded, knowing that Rhonda was told not to say anything to Danny.

 

“Yeah,” Danny answered slowly. Then he asked, “Is that who I’m staying with this time?”

 

“Why do think it would be any different this time?” Daniel asked, trying to stay serious.

 

“Baaabaaa,” Danny whined exasperated. “Stop answering my questions with a question.”

 

“No, you’re not staying with the Hammonds this time,” Daniel finally told him. “Sgt. Siler asked if you could stay with them this time. We agreed, as long as you want to.”

 

“Of course I want to,” Danny replied excitedly. “Rhonda and I made lots of plans for the next couple of days.” Then Danny got quiet. He remembered Rhonda had told him not to say anything about him coming to her house.

 

Daniel noticed Danny go quiet. He figured he knew what was wrong. “It’s okay, Danny. Sgt. Siler figured Rhonda would tell you. Nobody’s in trouble.”

 

Danny breathed a sigh of relief.

 

When they finally drove up to the house, Danny quickly gave Jack a hug and a kiss and then went to pack everything he would need for Rhonda’s house.

 

After dinner, Jack went to check on what Danny had packed. Opening the bag he found some Lego’s™, digging equipment, books, and other toys. Jack laughed. “Danny, are you sure you packed everything you need?”

 

Danny looked into his bag. “Yeah.”

 

“Don’t you need some clothes to wear, toothbrush and underwear?” Jack pointed out.

 

“Daaadddy,” Danny said slowly. “That’s the stuff you pack. I pack the important things.”

 

“Oh,” Jack said grinning, “is that how it works.”

 

“Of course,” Danny replied seriously. “Will you help me remember to put my camel in the bag in the morning?”

 

“I wouldn’t let you forget it,” Jack assured him. “You go get ready for bed and I’ll pack the unimportant stuff for you.”

 

“Okay,” Danny said, running off to the bathroom.

 

Jack gathered the clothes and toiletries Danny would need and packed them into his bag. Then he and Daniel tucked Danny into bed and kissed him goodnight.

 

 

Part 59: Staying with the Silers

 

The next day Sgt. Siler picked up Danny and Rhonda at daycare. Jack had dropped off his bag and booster seat before going to the mountain, so Siler settled Danny and Rhonda in his car and headed home. Upon arriving at the house Siler set Danny up in the guest room. Danny was unusually quiet while he helped him unpack. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

 

Danny nodded his head, but didn’t reply. He laid his camel on the bed and sat down. Finally he said, “Did my dads tell you I sometimes have nightmares?”

 

Siler sat down next to him on the bed realizing what the problem was. “Yes, they did. I have nightmares too sometimes.”

 

“Oh,” was all Danny said.

 

“If you have a nightmare while you’re here,” Siler told him, putting his arm around Danny’s shoulder, “you can come wake Sandy or me up if we don’t hear you. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” Danny agreed satisfied. “Can Rhonda and I play now?”

 

“You can play until dinnertime, which will be in about a half hour,” Siler answered. “Stay inside though.”

 

“Sure,” Danny answered, sliding off the bed and grabbing his toys. “I have a new Lego™ kit we’re going to build.” Then he went off to find Rhonda.

 

Siler shook his head. Knowing Danny was a smaller version of the Daniel Jackson he knew, he couldn’t figure out how Daniel had ended up without a family.

 

The two kids built with the Lego’s™ until dinner, only stopping once to say hi to Rhonda’s mom when she came home from work. After dinner they continued to play until bedtime. Finally it was time to take baths, brush teeth and be tucked in. Sandy took care of Rhonda and Siler got Danny ready. Pulling the covers up under Danny’s chin, he reminded him, “Remember to come get us if you need anything tonight, Danny.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny replied. “Can you leave the door open?”

 

“Sure,” Siler answered. “Want me to leave the light on in the bathroom?”

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

Siler bent over and kissed Danny on the forehead and gave him a hug. Then he left the room to say goodnight to his daughter.

 

Sandy Siler also came in to say goodnight to Danny. After she left, he rolled over, hugged his camel tight, stuck his thumb in his mouth, and fell asleep.

 

 

Part 60: Danny’s First Snow

 

Danny slept fine that night. Everyone woke up the next morning, ate breakfast and headed to where they needed to be. The weather forecasters had predicted heavy snowfall that day, and for once they were right. It snowed most of the day, but stopped by the time the van came to take Rhonda and Danny to daycare.

 

That evening, Siler left the base to pick Rhonda and Danny up from daycare. As he entered the office, he noticed two children sitting in chairs facing opposite corners, two very familiar looking children. Rhonda quickly snuck a look at her dad and then just as quickly faced the corner again when she caught the look in his eye. Danny didn’t even chance a look.

 

“Sgt. Siler,” the secretary called out. “I’m glad you’re here. As you can see, there’s been a problem. The director would like to speak to you before you take the children home.”

 

“I’d be happy to,” Siler replied, as he made his way to the director’s office. “Good evening, Miss Johnson.” He shook her hand. “I hear there seems to have been a problem today.”

 

Miss Johnson shook hands and pointed to a chair for him to sit on. “Yes, actually. It happened about twenty minutes ago. That’s why the children are still in the corner.”

 

“That’s not a problem.” Siler knew what kind of discipline the center used and approved of it. “What did they do?”

 

The director continued. “As you know it snowed today.” Siler nodded. “All the children were very excited and wanted to play in it. We explained that they could play, but there weren’t to be any snowball fights.”

 

Siler sighed. He could tell what was coming next. “And Rhonda and Danny decided to have one.”

 

“Yes,” confirmed Miss Johnson. “From what the playground supervisors told me, Rhonda and Danny moved to the far side of the playground. They seemed to just be digging in the snow. After a while, some of the kids were complaining about being hit with snowballs. When the supervisor walked over to see what was happening, they pelted her with snowballs.”

 

“I see,” he said. “And then they ended up in the office and the corner?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Other than that, will there be any other consequences from the center?” He was hoping they weren’t being suspended.

 

“If you agree,” Miss Johnson told him, “neither child will be allowed on the playground for the next two days.”

 

“Oh, I agree, Miss Johnson,” Siler stated firmly. “That’s being very generous. I’ll also be talking to them both and I will inform Danny’s fathers. Is there anything else?”

 

“No, I believe that’s all.” The director and Siler stood up and exited the office.

 

Siler walked out to the reception area. “Rhonda, Danny, come here please.”

Danny and Rhonda got off of their chairs and looked at each other nervously before walking over, heads down.

 

“Look at me you two,” Siler insisted. They looked up at him with sad puppy dog eyes. Fortunately, Siler was used to it. “Both of you have lost playground privileges for the next two days. Understood?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” the children said together.

 

“Go get your things and meet me back here,” he ordered.

 

Danny and Rhonda ran off to get their things from their cubbies.

 

Danny glanced at Rhonda while he grabbed his backpack. “We’re in a lot of trouble, aren’t we?”

 

“I know I am,” she answered, grabbing her own things. “I don’t know about you. I don’t think my dad will do anything to you.”

 

“He’ll tell my daddy,” Danny responded. “That’s bad enough.”

 

“Yeah,” Rhonda agreed. “We’d better hurry up. Making him wait will only make things worse.”

 

Gathering their coats, they went back to the office. Siler buckled them into their booster seats and drove home. No one said a word.

 

 

Part 61: In Trouble

 

When they got home, Rhonda and Danny put their things away and then went with Siler into the den. He sat them both on the couch and then sat on the chair across from them. “So,” he started, “want to tell me what happened?”

 

Rhonda and Danny looked at each other in silent communication before Rhonda began. “It’s just, there was so much snow.”

 

Then Danny interrupted, “And I’ve never been in snow.”

 

“Ever,” Rhonda added. “And then I told him about snowball fights.”

 

“And I talked her into showing me,” Danny admitted quietly. “It’s my fault.”

 

“No it’s not,” Rhonda insisted, looking right at Danny. “I wanted to do it as much as you.”

 

Siler broke in at that point. “Never mind who’s fault it was. You both heard the teachers tell everyone no snowball fights, right?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” both of them said sheepishly. “That’s what made us think of them,” Rhonda added quietly.

 

Siler groaned. “How come you hit the playground supervisor?” he asked, curious.

 

Danny glanced at Rhonda. “That was an accident.”

 

“Yeah,” Rhonda agreed. “See we were hiding in the hole we dug…”

 

“And we were using the shadows to know when someone was within range…”

 

“And we threw the snowballs at her before we knew it was an adult,” Rhonda finished.

 

Danny grinned. “You should’ve seen the look on her face though.” Siler gave him a stern look and Danny stopped grinning. “We apologized to her.”

 

“And that’s when we got taken to the office.” Rhonda dropped her head as she finished. “We are sorry.”

 

“We won’t do it again,” Danny added.

 

Siler thought for a moment. He understood the appeal of snow, especially for Danny, but the kids had to understand they couldn’t disobey the adults in charge. Knowing he needed to leave Danny’s discipline to his dads, he said, “Danny, it’s up to your dads to decide how to discipline you.” Danny looked as though he was going to cry, but Siler didn’t have any other choice. “I want you to go to your room and stay there until I finish with Rhonda.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny replied shakily, fighting tears. He got off the couch and gave Rhonda a sympathetic look before he went to his room and lay down on his bed, holding his camel close. He knew Rhonda would be getting a spanking, as he knew he would when his dads got home. It had seemed like so much fun at the time.

 

A short time later Siler came to the door. “Hi, Danny.”

 

“Hi,” Danny said quietly.

 

Siler came in and sat on the bed next to him. “It’ll be okay,” he assured. Danny merely nodded. “Why don’t you come on out and play with Rhonda now.” Danny stared up at him. He figured he’d still be in trouble. “I don’t hold grudges, Danny. I’ve taken care of Rhonda; your dads will take care of you. It’s over. I know both of you will follow the rules next time.”

 

“I will,” Danny promised. “I’m sorry I caused trouble again.”

 

“You’re a little boy,” Siler said, pulling him into a hug. “You’re going to get into trouble. Just learn from it. Okay?”

 

Danny leaned into the hug, needing the comfort. “Yes, Sir,” he agreed.

 

Siler released him from the hug and pushed him off the bed. “Rhonda’s getting a puzzle started in the family room. Why don’t you go help her out?”

 

Danny smiled at him and went to work on the puzzle with Rhonda.

 

After dinner and the kids were put to bed, Dave and Sandy Siler relaxed. He told his wife about what had happened, not able to keep from chuckling when he mentioned Danny talking about how the supervisor had looked covered in snow. “I mean, I know they shouldn’t have done it, but it was Danny’s first time in snow and they hadn’t been allowed out in it at school,” Siler explained.

 

Sandy thought about it for a moment. “I agree they needed to be disciplined. I have an idea though.” Then she proceeded to explain her idea to her husband. He agreed, and said he’d talk to the Colonel and Daniel about it. Finally, they too, went to bed.

 

Next thing Siler knew, something was tapping his cheek. He opened his eyes to see two big blue eyes staring at him. The camel had been tapping his cheek, since Danny’s thumb was stuck securely in his mouth. “Bad dream?” he asked, once he was awake enough to speak. Danny shook his head. Siler thought for a moment. “Nervous?” Danny nodded. “About getting in trouble when your dads pick you up?” The tears started to flow. Siler picked Danny up and carried him back to his room. Then he sat down with him on the bed and held him in his lap, snuggling him. “It’ll be okay, Danny. Your dads are going to understand.”

 

Danny whispered, “I wasn’t supposed to be any trouble.”

 

Siler was beginning to understand Danny’s worries. “Are you afraid you won’t be allowed to stay with us again?”

 

Danny nodded. “If I’m trouble you won’t want me,” he mumbled around his thumb.

 

“Danny,” Siler said. Danny had his head facing his chest. He pulled Danny away from him a little so he could look at him. “Danny, there is nothing you can do that will make me stop liking you. You and Rhonda are best friends. That’s a good thing. Getting into trouble and dealing with the consequences is part of growing up. As long as you’re honest with me, I’ll understand.”

 

“Will you tell my dads that?” Danny asked, needing assurance.

 

Siler hugged him tight again. “Of course I’ll tell your dads.” He laid Danny back down on the bed. “Do you think you can get back to sleep now?” Danny nodded, but didn’t look too sure of himself. “Want me to stay with you for awhile?” Danny nodded more vigorously. “Okay, roll over on your tummy. I’ll rub your back and tell you a story about your dads.” Danny rolled over, clutching his camel and sucking on his thumb. Then he fell asleep listening to Siler’s story.

 

 

Part 62: Dealing with Trouble

 

The next day, the Silers got the kids off to school. Danny was still quiet and nervous. His dads were due back today and he’d have to deal with the consequences of the snowball fight.

 

Meanwhile, SG-1 came back on schedule from their recent mission, a rarity for them. After the team was checked out in the infirmary and finished debriefing, Siler stopped Jack and Daniel and let them know he needed to talk to them. Deciding to meet in Daniel’s office, Siler told them the story of the snowball fight at daycare. Jack groaned, but Daniel started laughing.

 

“What in the world are you laughing about, Daniel?” Jack asked, irritated.

 

“Sorry, Jack,” apologized Daniel, “I was just remembering my first snow.”

 

Daniel didn’t continue, so Siler asked, “Well?”

 

“Well what?” Daniel asked, being difficult.

 

“Daniel,” Jack said, exasperated by his friend, “tell us!”

 

“Oh, that what,” Daniel said still chuckling. “It was in my first foster home. Living in Egypt, I’d never been in snow. I’d read about it, but that was all. The first time it snowed I was so curious about it. The foster mom bundled us up and sent us outside. I took off my gloves so I could feel it. Next thing I knew, I was smacked on the back of the head with snow. My foster brother had thrown a snowball at me and even then I didn’t know what it was. It took my foster sister to show me how to make a snowball. Then we had an all out war.”

 

Jack just stared at Daniel not saying a word. Siler was chuckling.

 

Daniel stared back. “What, Jack? Did you think I didn’t have any happy memories?”

 

Jack spluttered, “Yes, I mean no. I mean; you just never talk about any.”

 

Daniel shrugged. Then he asked Siler, “So how did you take care of it?”

 

“Well, I talked to both of them,” he answered. “They know what they did was wrong. Rhonda got a spanking. Danny knows this. I told Danny I would talk to the two of you and he’s pretty nervous.”

 

“Ya think,” Jack quipped. “I’m sorry he was such a problem for you.”

 

“That’s the other thing,” Siler explained. “Danny’s worried he’s not ever going to be able to stay with us again. I don’t have any problem with having him stay over. My wife and I love having him stay, no matter what he does. I told him that, and I promised him I’d tell you too.”

 

“You’re sure?” Jack questioned.

 

“Colonel,” Siler insisted, “even with as much trouble as Danny and Rhonda get into, they’re good for each other. In fact, after you deal with Danny, my wife had an idea of how to let the kids know the snowball fight itself wasn’t the problem.” Siler then proceeded to explain the plan to Daniel and Jack, who were all for it.

 

Daniel had a lot of artifacts to catalogue from the recent mission, so Jack was able to leave first and pick up Danny from daycare. He found Danny and Rhonda working on a puzzle in the playroom while the rest of the kids were playing outside. Danny looked up at him shyly and Jack held out his arms. Danny ran into them, hugging tight. He laid his head on Jack’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”

 

“I know, Bug,” Jack assured him. “We’ll deal with it when we get home. Say good bye to Rhonda and grab your stuff.” He released Danny and then signed him out.

 

When they got home, Jack had Danny put his things away. Then he took him into the den and sat Danny on his lap. Rather than go over the whole incident again, he asked a pointed question, “What part of the snowball fight got you in trouble, Bug?”

 

Danny looked at him quizzically. He thought the whole thing was what got him in trouble. “I’m not sure what you’re asking, Daddy.”

 

Jack clarified it for him. “Was it that you threw snowballs, or that you didn’t obey the teachers when they told you not to?”

 

“Oh,” Danny said, understanding now. “I didn’t obey the teachers. It’s just…” he trailed off.

 

“Just what, Bug?”

 

“It was fun,” Danny admitted. “Why weren’t we allowed to do it if it was fun?”

 

Jack had the answer to that question. “Because not everyone likes snowball fights. Quite a few of the kids complained about getting hit with your snowballs.”

 

“Oh.” Danny leaned back against his dad again.

 

“When you have a snowball fight, everybody has to agree to it. Otherwise, it’s not fun for everyone. That’s why the teachers said no snowball fights.” Jack looked at Danny to see if he understood. He seemed to. “Ready to get this over with?”

 

Danny nodded. He knew what was coming, been worrying about it all day at school. Jack undid Danny’s pants and lowered them and his boxers. Then he laid Danny over his lap. “What’s this spanking for, Danny?”

 

“Not obeying the teachers,” Danny answered. Then he shivered.

 

Jack decided to get it over with quickly. A few hard, fast swats were all he administered. Danny was crying quietly when Jack pulled up his clothes and turned him back over, holding him close. “It’s all over, Danny.” He kissed Danny’s head.

 

Danny snuggled into his dad. “I’m sorry,” he said again. “I’ll obey next time.”

 

“I know you will,” Jack agreed, “and if you don’t, we deal with it.” Danny nodded. When Danny stopped crying, Jack wiped his face off. “Daniel will be home soon. What do you say we get dinner started?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny agreed. “What are we having?”

 

“What do you want?”

 

“Macaroni and cheese,” he answered, “with pepperonis.”

 

Jack laughed. Danny had some strange tastes. “Okay. Corn, too?”

 

“Sure.”

 

“How about some chicken nuggets to go with it?” Jack suggested.

 

“Sounds good.” Danny got off Jack’s lap and they both went into the kitchen to start dinner.

 

 

Part 63: The Plan in Action

 

On Saturday, Danny, Daniel and Jack worked on cleaning the house in the morning. About eleven o’clock the doorbell rang. Daniel and Danny were straightening the living room, so Daniel told Danny, “Why don’t you open the door?” Danny looked up surprised. Normally he wasn’t supposed to open the door. “Go ahead,” Daniel assured him.

 

Danny walked to the front door wondering what was going on. He opened it slowly to find Siler, Sandy and Rhonda standing there. “Hi,” he said stunned. No one had told him they were coming over.

 

“Danny,” Daniel said with a grin, “ask them to come in.”

 

“Oh,” Danny said in surprise. He turned back to the door. “Come on in.” He whispered to Rhonda, “What are you doing here?”

 

“I don’t know,” she whispered back, shrugging her shoulders. “Mom and Dad just told me to bundle up. That we were going somewhere.”

 

Jack came out of the kitchen. “Siler,” he said, slapping his shoulder. “Right on time. I think lunch is just about ready too. Made baked macaroni. Good to see you too, Sandy, Rhonda.” Then he looked at Danny. “Danny, there’s three more place settings on the counter. Why don’t you go finish setting the table for our guests?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” he answered, still wondering what was going on.

 

“I’ll help,” Rhonda said.

 

While Danny and Rhonda went into the dining room, the adults talked. “I’m glad the weather held out for our plan,” Sandy said.

 

“Definitely,” Daniel agreed. “It couldn’t be better.”

 

“So when are we going to let the kids know what’s going on?” Siler asked.

 

“As late as possible,” Jack told them. “Let’s go eat lunch first.”

 

By the time they entered the dining room, Danny and Rhonda were finished. The kids remained fairly quiet while the adults talked. They wondered if they were in trouble again, but it didn’t seem like the adults were angry. Finally lunch was over and the table cleared. “Danny,” Jack said getting his attention. “Why don’t you go get your warm jacket and gloves on? You might want your hat too.”

 

Danny looked at him quizzically. “What’s going on, Daddy? Why do I need to get my warm clothes on? Where are we going?”

 

“Well,” Jack answered, leading him on, “you don’t have to get your jacket, but you might freeze during the snowball fight we’re all going to have.”

 

Danny and Rhonda looked at each other eagerly. Rhonda spoke up first. “I thought we got in trouble for having a snowball fight.”

 

“Remember, Rhonda,” Siler told her, “it wasn’t the snowball fight that got you in trouble, it was having one when the teachers said not to.”

 

Danny piped up, “Daddy said it’s okay if everyone wants to fight.” He looked up at Jack expectantly. “Right, Daddy?”

 

“Absolutely, Bug,” Jack agreed. “And everyone here is wanting to have a snowball war, right?”

 

Everyone agreed and started to put on their warm clothes.

 

“Now the only thing left, is to pick sides.” Jack looked expectantly at the kids who immediately grabbed hands. “Do you want one of us on your side, or do you want it to be adults against kids?”

 

Danny and Rhonda conferred for a moment and then Danny spoke up, “We want Baba.”

 

Jack was slightly shocked. He’d expected them to pick him. However, he tried not to show it. “Okay then,” he said. “Siler, Sandy, it looks like we need to make plans. Everybody gets fifteen minutes and then we meet outside and the war is on.” Jack showed the Silers into the kitchen to discuss their plan of attack.

 

Meanwhile Daniel, Danny and Rhonda met in Danny’s room. Daniel was curious. “So guys, why did you pick me?”

 

Danny answered, “Mainly, we want to be able to throw snowballs at Daddy.”

 

“And we can’t if he’s on our team,” Rhonda added.

 

“Besides,” Danny continued, “we thought you’d like to hit him with snowballs too.”

 

Daniel agreed wholeheartedly with that idea. “Sounds like a plan to me. What’s our strategy?”

 

Rhonda replied. “We were hoping you’d have some ideas. Remember, we need to get my mom and dad good, too.”

 

Daniel thought for a moment and then huddled them all together to explain his plan.

 

Fifteen minutes later they all met in the backyard. The weather had been good to them. It’d snowed quite a bit the rest of the week. The two teams nodded to each other and then Jack’s team turned around to get ready. The moment their backs were turned, all three were pelted with snowballs. “Hey,” Jack yelled, turning around to see Daniel and the two kids running behind some bushes to make more snowballs.

 

Daniel shrugged his shoulders. “You said the war started in fifteen minutes. You didn’t say we couldn’t make ammunition beforehand.” Then he threw one more snowball at Jack hitting him square in the chest, before running off to join the kids.

 

Jack took off to catch up to Siler and Sandy who were trying to build the fort Jack had planned. “Okay, people. We need to get a move on or we’re going to get nailed.”

 

They quickly threw together the fort and then searched for their victims. At that moment, Siler was nailed with a snowball on the top of his head. He looked up to try to find the source and found himself with a snowball to his face. Jack searched for the culprit and found Danny had shimmied up a tree and was being fed snowballs by Daniel. Instead of aiming for Danny, he caught Daniel unaware and nailed him in the chest.

 

Daniel stepped back in shock, aimed one at Jack and let loose. Jack ducked just in time to let the snowball fly past him and hit Sandy in the shoulder. Then he grabbed Danny out of the tree and headed for cover.

 

Rhonda was the next to get in her sniper shots. She managed to get her mom and dad before her dad nailed her in the leg. Then she regrouped and found her teammates. They quickly planned their next attack and took off in separate directions.

 

Half an hour later, Daniel’s team had managed to get in two to three shots for every one of Jack’s team. Siler called a team meeting. By a vote of two to one, Jack’s team decided to surrender. Sandy waved the white flag.

 

Daniel, Danny and Rhonda came out of hiding. “Had enough?” Daniel asked.

 

“I haven’t,” Jack argued, brushing snow off his pants, “but they have. So yes.”

 

“Good,” Danny said, running up to Jack. Jack picked him up and Danny planted a snowball on top of his dad’s head. Then he laughed.

 

Jack glared at him and Danny got quiet, thinking he was in trouble. Then Jack got a mischievous glint in his eye and still holding onto Danny, planted him in the snow and started covering him with snow. Rhonda ran to her friend’s aid and jumped on Jack’s back. Siler scooped his daughter up and also planted her in the snow.

 

Daniel looked at Sandy and she looked back at him questioningly. Daniel held up his hands in surrender. “I give,” he said. “Not planning on landing in the snow.” Sandy agreed and they watched the others turning white.

 

When the kids finally cried ‘uncle’, Jack and Siler let them up and carried them into the house, with Daniel and Sandy following. When everyone had changed out of their cold, wet clothes, they sat around the fire in the living room and sipped hot chocolate.

 

Danny was the first to speak. “That was really fun.”

 

“Yeah,” Rhonda agreed.

 

Jack laughed. “It sure was. Can’t wait for the next one.”

 

The others agreed and everyone sat around, talking comfortably until it was time for the Silers to leave.

 

 

Part 64: The Surprise Call

 

Jack picked Danny up from daycare and drove him home. Daniel would be working late tonight so Jack feed Danny and let him play for a while after dinner. Finally he said, “Time to get ready for bed, Danny.”

 

Danny wasn’t exactly interested in going to bed and tried the tested method of pretending he hadn’t heard.

 

All too familiar with this method of prolonging the bedtime, Jack walked over to him and lifted Danny’s chin. “I said it’s time to get ready for bed, young man.”

 

“Just a few more minutes, please?” Danny asked, trying the second line of attack, including the puppy dog eyes.

 

“Sorry, Bug,” Jack told him, not falling for it. “Time’s up.”

 

“Why can’t I wait until Baba comes home?” Danny began, getting really close to whining.

 

“Because he’s going to be coming home late and you have school tomorrow.” Jack picked Danny up and held onto him. Then he headed into the bathroom. “You need to brush your teeth.”

 

“I don’t wanna! I wanna wait until Baba comes home!” Catching Jack’s glare as his dad put him down, Danny realized he’d gone too far. He quietly brushed his teeth and took care of everything else. Then they went into his room and he changed into his jammies. Finally he climbed up on his bed and clutched his camel. “Daddy?” he said hesitantly.

 

“Yes, Danny?” Jack sat down on the bed next to him.

 

“I’m sorry,” Danny apologized. “I just don’t like to go to bed when Baba isn’t here.”

 

“I know, Bug.” Jack pulled him onto his lap. “But you need your sleep.”

 

“No I don’t,” Danny said yawning. “Do I still get a story?” Although he could read anything he wanted too, Danny still enjoyed the comfortable feeling he got when he was read to.

 

“Can’t miss the story,” Jack replied, picking up the book from the end table. They were in the middle of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

 

Danny settled his head on Jack’s chest and soon fell asleep.

 

When Daniel finally made it home, he entered the house and searched for Jack. He found him in the den talking on the phone. Jack motioned for him to sit down and wait. As he sat down he heard Jack ending the call, saying, “Goodbye, I love you.” That wasn’t the way Jack usually ended his calls. Daniel looked at him curiously.

 

Jack fumbled as he sat down across from Daniel. “Oh, uhm, that was my mom.”

 

As far as Daniel could remember, Jack hadn’t mentioned his parents to him. “What did she want?”

 

“She wanted to know why I had a son I hadn’t told her about,” Jack informed him. “Apparently a friend of hers lives here and found out about Danny. She called my mom and told her. Then my mom called me.”

 

“Was there a reason you didn’t tell her?” Daniel didn’t know what type of relationship Jack had with his mom.

 

“Not really,” Jack explained. “It’s just ever since Charlie died, we haven’t talked much. Charlie was their only grandchild and it just hurt too much.”

 

Daniel was even more curious now. “What did you tell her?”

 

“I explained that Danny’s parents were friends of mine and had just died. That they wanted me to raise him and I’ve only had him a few months.” The phone call had been a surprise and Jack wasn’t sure exactly what to say.

 

“Was there anything else?” Daniel noticed Jack hadn’t mentioned telling them about him.

 

“Yeah,” Jack said hesitantly. “They want us to come out for Thanksgiving.”

 

“Oh,” Daniel said in surprise. He wasn’t sure whether us meant the three of them, or just Danny and Jack. “Are you and Danny going to go?”

 

Jack clued into the fact Daniel wasn’t sure if he was included in the invitation. “The invitation’s for all three of us. I told them you were also Danny’s dad and we were raising him as a team.”

 

“Okay. So are we going?” Daniel was glad Jack had been open with his parents. He knew he was also Danny’s father, but they’d never had to deal with telling any members of Jack’s family. He didn’t have any family he needed to worry about telling.

 

“I told them I had to talk to you and Danny first.” This would be a family decision and Jack knew it.

 

“Where do they live, Jack?” Daniel asked, not knowing anything about them.

 

“Oh, they live in Fountain Hills. It’s near Phoenix, Arizona. They moved there when they retired about five years ago. They have a nice three bedroom house next to the desert preserve.” Jack had visited as often as he could with Charlie.

 

“Do you want to go and can we get the time off?”

 

“Yes, I think I do,” Jack said answering the first question. “I’m pretty sure we can get the time off too. We’re not scheduled for a mission over Thanksgiving. Do you think Danny will want to go?”

 

“Of course I want to go,” Danny answered from the doorway, still clutching his camel and stuffing his thumb back in his mouth. Then he walked over to Daniel and climbed on his lap. “You didn’t come say goodnight to me,” he complained.

 

“I just got home, Squirt,” Daniel said, snuggling Danny. “Jack and I started talking. I haven’t had a chance. Did our talking wake you up?”

 

“No,” Danny answered. “I had a dream about Paqui.”

 

“Paqui?” Daniel questioned. “Who’s Paqui?”

 

Danny looked over at Jack who stared back at him in surprise. “Paqui is Daddy’s daddy. He told me he wanted me to come visit.”

 

Daniel looked to Jack. “Jack?”

 

“Charlie used to call my dad, Paqui.” Jack hadn’t heard that name since Charlie had died, and knew he hadn’t ever mentioned it to Danny. “We never knew why. He just starting calling him that when he was about nine months old and it stuck.”

 

“So are we going to go visit them,” Danny asked, yawning again. 

 

“Daniel, what do you say?” Jack knew what he wanted to do.

 

“I say if we can arrange it, we go,” Daniel answered. He was interested in meeting the parents that had created Jack O’Neil.

 

“Okay then. I’ll talk to Hammond tomorrow.” Jack looked at Danny. “And you, young man, need to go back to bed.”

 

“I know,” Danny replied. “Carry me to bed, Baba. Please?” He wrapped his arms around Daniel’s neck.

 

“Sure, Squirt,” Daniel said, picking Danny up and carrying him back to his room. He laid Danny on the bed and bent over, kissing his forehead. “I love you, Danny.”

 

“I love you too, Baba,” Danny responded. “Love you too, Daddy,” he called to Jack who was standing at the door.

 

“Love you, Bug.” Jack was happy both Danny and Daniel wanted to meet his parents. He just hoped the trip would go well.

 

 

Part 65: Worries

 

The next week was a busy one for the family. Hammond had approved the leave, but both Jack and Daniel had lots of work to finish before they could leave. Danny was still allowed to work every Tuesday and Thursday. He was already so good at the Goa’uld language Daniel had him translating texts for real. Daniel found he rarely had to correct anything Danny had worked on. Abydonian was the next language Danny expressed an interest in learning.

 

Teal’c had also become an integral part of Danny’s life. Every time he had an hour to spare on Tuesday and Thursday, he would come find Danny and they would workout in the gym. Amazingly Teal’c almost always had an hour available on those days. The others who worked out in the gym also got used to Danny and Teal’c working out together. Danny’s skills improved greatly too, and he was very proud of what he could do. As a thank you to Teal’c for taking time with him, Danny would write notes to him and slip them under his door as often as possible.

 

Most people had accepted having Danny on base. There were always going to be some who wouldn’t approve, but there hadn’t been any more problems since the first incident in the gym. The fact Danny’s fathers were well respected helped, but the biggest help came from him hanging out with Teal’c. No one wanted to mess with him.

              

Unfortunately one of Danny’s favorite places to hang out was the commissary. As often as possible he would try and talk his dads into eating dinner there before they went home. Having so many choices available to him was one of the appealing things. The fact the staff treated him like royalty and always had chocolate milk and chocolate, chocolate chip ice cream ready for him helped to. Daniel enjoyed the dessert as well. It was Jack who would have preferred to go home and eat, but for Danny, he could survive commissary food at least once a week.

 

On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, the family planned to leave from the base to go to the airport. Daniel picked up Danny from daycare and let him hang out for a while in his office before they had to leave. Danny seemed a little bit nervous to him. “Danny, did everything go okay at school today?”

 

“Yeah,” Danny answered. “We just had a Thanksgiving feast. It was nice enough.” He fiddled with the artifact he was supposed to be translating.

                        

“Then what’s wrong?” Daniel questioned.

 

Danny stopped fiddling and looked at his baba. “What if they don’t like me?”

 

“You mean Jack’s parents?”

 

Danny nodded.

 

Daniel picked him up and sat him on his lap. “Why do you think they might not like you?”

 

“Maybe they think I’m trying to replace Charlie.” Danny had been thinking about this ever since he knew they would be going.

 

“Do you think you’re trying to replace Charlie?” Daniel knew Danny wouldn’t feel better about it unless he could figure it out for himself.

 

“Of course not,” Danny insisted. “Nobody replaces someone who dies. You and daddy don’t replace my parents. You’re just new parents.”

 

“I think that’s how Jack’s parents are going to feel,” Daniel replied, holding Danny close. “You’re going to be a new grandchild for them, and they’re probably going to spoil you to death.”

 

“I don’t know how to act around grandparents. Nick never liked to have me around much.” Danny snuggled back against Daniel.

 

“I know, Squirt,” Daniel commiserated. “He never did end up wanting me around much.”

 

“No?”

 

“No.” Daniel really didn’t want to go into his life with Nick at the moment, so he tried to change the subject. “However, you know how to behave around adults. You’ll be fine.”

 

“If you say so,” Danny agreed. “When do we leave?”

 

Daniel looked at his watch. “Right about now, Danny.” He slid Danny off his lap. “Let’s go find Jack and get changed.”

 

“Okay,” said Danny, grabbing Daniel’s hand. “You’re sure they’ll like me?”

 

“I’m sure,” Daniel answered reassuringly, taking his son’s hand. “They’ll love you just like we do.”

 

 

Part 66: On To Fountain Hills

 

Jack, Daniel and Danny finally left the base and drove to the Springs airport to take a short flight to Stapleton International Airport in Denver. From there they flew to Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona. Jack knew it would be easier on everybody if they had their own transportation, so he rented a car at the airport and drove everyone to his parents house in Fountain Hills. The drive only took a little more than forty minutes.

 

Danny sat in his booster seat and stared out at the landscape. He knew he was in a desert, but it wasn’t like the desert he knew. Tall saguaros, with multiple arms, rose up out of the ground on the mountains as they drove past. Palo Verde trees and desert sage were also plentiful. They drove along the Beeline highway and entered the town of Fountain Hills. Jack knew a short cut to his parents’ house, but he drove through the middle of town anyway. There was something he wanted Danny to see.

 

“Cool,” Danny exclaimed as he spied the water shooting up out of the desert. “I’ve never seen a fountain that big.”

 

“That’s why they call it Fountain Hills, Bug,” Jack explained unnecessarily. “Do you like it?”

 

“Ya think,” Danny piped up. “Can we stop?”

 

“Not right now,” Jack told him. “It’s getting late and my parents are expecting us.” He drove through the winding streets towards the mountain preserve. Finally he parked in front of a pleasant two-story tan house. Its backyard faced the desert, with a simple chain link fence allowing for a fairly unobstructed view.

 

The moment they pulled up, the front door opened. Out stepped Jack’s parents. The older man was tall, gray haired and very handsome, in a rugged sort of way. The woman was also tall, but pleasantly round. She had dark brown hair. She appeared to be well able to take care of herself and her family. They walked down the pathway to greet their guests.

 

Jack saw his parents come out of the house as he stopped the car. He got out quickly, leaving Daniel to take care of Danny. “Hi, Mom, Dad.” He hugged his mom warmly, and then his dad. Turning back to the car, he saw Daniel and Danny ready to be introduced. “Mom, Dad. This is Dr. Daniel Jackson, and this young man is Danny Jackson-O’Neill.” He pointed out each in turn, even though it was unnecessary. “Guys. This is my mother and father, Shawn and Mary O’Neill.”

 

Daniel walked up to Shawn O’Neill and stuck out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir.” Shawn shook Daniel’s hand warmly. Then Daniel approached Jack’s mother prepared to shake her hand also.

 

She would have nothing to do with that. Wrapping Daniel up in a bear hug, she told him, “I’m so glad you could come to visit us.”

 

“Me too, Ma’am,” Daniel replied, trying to breathe through the hug.

 

Mary O’Neill released Daniel, giving him a playful slap on the arm. “Enough with that sir and ma’am politeness. I’m Mary and he’s Shawn. What do you wish to be called?”

 

“Daniel’s fine, Ma’a…,” he started. Then corrected when she gave him a look. “Mary.”

 

Danny had been watching the interchange nervously from behind his baba’s legs, hoping he wouldn’t be noticed to quickly.

 

Mary stooped down to face Danny head on. “So you’re young Danny, my new grandson.”

 

“Yes, Ma’am,” Danny said politely. Even with all of Daniel’s reassurances, he wasn’t at all sure this woman would like him.

 

Sensing his nervousness, and not wanting to startle the child, Mary touched him gently on his arm. “How about calling me grandma? Okay?”

 

Danny nodded. “Okay, Grandma. Can I get a hug, too?”

 

Laughing, Mary picked Danny up in her arms, hugging him close. “For crying out loud, little one. Of course you can get a hug. Any time you want.”

 

Hugging her back, Danny said, “Thanks.”

 

“So what am I?” Shawn said, standing next to his wife. “Chopped liver?”

 

“Sorry, Paqui,” Danny said, holding out his arms. When he saw the surprised look on his grandfather’s face, he worried he’d made a mistake. “I’m sorry, Sir. I guess I shouldn’t have called you that.” He dropped his head.

 

Shawn took Danny from his wife and held him close. “You can call me Paqui if you like. I’ve kind of missed hearing it is all.” He gave Jack a warm look. “Let’s stop hanging out here on the sidewalk and get in the house. I’ll carry my grandson in. You boys get the bags.” With that said, he walked into the house ahead of everyone else.

 

Mary stayed outside with Jack and Daniel. When Daniel went to open the trunk, she pulled her son off to the side. “We never really talked about sleeping arrangements, Jack.”

 

Jack wasn’t surprised by the question. He knew their living arrangement was unusual. “You have two spare bedrooms, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then Daniel will take one and I’ll take the other,” Jack explained. “Danny will end up sleeping with one of us. He tends to have nightmares and he feels more secure when we travel if he’s not alone.”

 

“That’ll be fine, Son,” his mom told him. “You can take the one you used to take if you want. We need to get inside before we get too cold though.”

 

“Sure, Mom,” Jack said, chuckling and giving her a sideways hug. Too cold? It was pleasantly warm to him. “Just let me help Daniel with the bags.”

 

Daniel had already taken the bags out of the trunk and laid them on the sidewalk. He’d heard most of the conversation, but kept to himself. He grabbed three bags and let Jack get the others. “Just show me to my room, Mary and I’ll unload this stuff.”

 

“Of course, Daniel.” Mary showed Daniel into his room knowing Jack could find his own way.

 

When the bags were dropped off, Jack and Daniel made their way to the living room, only to find Danny playing chess with Jack’s father already. Jack and Daniel sat down on the couch to rest.

 

Mary had gone into the kitchen, only to return with a plate loaded with sandwiches and drinks.

 

Jack immediately leapt to his feet to take the tray from her. “I’ll get that, Mom. You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble.” He laid the tray on the coffee table and helped himself to a sandwich, and then sat back on the couch. “Although I was never one to turn down your cooking.”

 

“Thank you, Mary,” Daniel said as he took a sandwich for himself.

 

Danny reached out and grabbed a sandwich, concentrating on the game at hand. Then he heard his dad clear his throat meaningfully. ‘Oops,’ he thought. “Thank you, Grandma,” he said politely.

 

A short time later, after the sandwiches were eaten, Jack saw how late it was getting. “Hey, Bug. It’s time for bed.”

 

“But we’re not finished with the game,” Danny complained.

 

“Don’t worry, Danny,” Paqui told him. “We’ll leave the board as is and finish the game tomorrow.”

 

‘Thanks, Dad,’ Jack mouthed to his father. He tapped Danny on his head. “Say goodnight, Bug.”

 

Danny walked up to his grandfather. “Good night, Paqui. I love you.” He held out his arms for a hug, which Shawn happily obliged him. Then he went over to Mary. “Good night, Grandma. I love you, too.”

 

Mary pulled Danny into a tight hug. Finally releasing him, she said, “I love you, too.”

 

Danny walked over to Jack. “Am I sleeping with you tonight?”

 

“If you want,” Jack answered.

 

“I want,” Danny replied. “You’re going to come in to say good night. Right, Baba?”

 

“Of course, Squirt. I’ll be in shortly, after you get your jammies on.” He messed up Danny’s hair.

 

Danny looked up at Jack hopefully. “Do I have to take a bath tonight?”

 

Jack scooped Danny up in his arms. “Not tonight. It’s too late for that. If you’re stinky, you’ll get one in the morning.”

 

“Daaaadddy,” Danny whined. “I’m never stinky. I just smell like a boy.”

                             

Jack laughed and headed off for the bedroom.

 

 

Part 67: The Interrogation

 

Daniel was left alone in the living room with Jack’s parents. “Danny seems to be a fine boy,” Mary commented.

 

“He is,” Daniel agreed, looking down the hallway they’d gone through. “We’re lucky to have him.”

 

“Yes, you are,” Shawn replied. “Which makes me wonder, just how did you and Jack get him?”

 

Knowing this question would come up at some point, Daniel replied the way the family had agreed. “His parents died in Egypt in early September. They had asked Jack to take care of Danny if anything ever happened to them. Jack was a little overwhelmed at raising a child alone and asked me to help.”

 

“Did you know Danny’s parents, too?” Mary asked with interest.

 

Daniel thought for a moment. They hadn’t discussed that question, but he couldn’t deny knowing the parents, which were his own. “Yes, I did. They were archeologists. That’s my field, too. Archeology and Linguistics.”

 

“Yet you and Jack work together?” Shawn seemed confused as to how his Air Force son wound up working with an archeologist.

 

“I’m a special consultant to the Air Force,” Daniel explained. He hated trying to explain his job to the outside world. He didn’t like to lie; yet he couldn’t tell the whole truth either.

 

“And your work is classified, right?” Jack’s dad had had to deal with the secretive nature of his son’s work for a long time.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Daniel agreed, hoping nothing more would be asked of him.

 

He was saved from any further questions when Danny called out, “I’m ready for bed, Baba. Are you coming to say good night?”

 

“I’ll be right in, Squirt,” Daniel answered. He stood up, and said, “Good night, Mary, Shawn.”

 

Mary pulled him into a hug. “Good night, Daniel. Will you ask Jack to come out and say good night to us?”

 

“Yes, Ma’am.” Daniel corrected, “Mary,” after she slapped him on the arm again. Then he walked back to the room he’d seen Danny enter. He saw Jack sitting on the bed, but Danny was nowhere to be seen, so he walked into the room.

 

“Arrgh!” Danny yelled as he tackled Daniel around the waist. He’d been hiding behind the door hoping to get the upper hand.

 

Daniel was definitely surprised, although ever since the snowball fight, trying to sneak up on each other had become a favorite game. He grabbed Danny under the arms and threw him in the air. “You got me, Squirt.” Then he sat on the bed with Danny on his lap. “Jack, your mom wants you to say good night to them.”

 

Jack looked at Daniel with a discerning eye. “Did they interrogate you?”

 

“A little,” Daniel admitted. “They wanted to know how we got Danny. I told them what we’d agreed to, and I also said I knew his parents, too. We hadn’t thought of anyone asking that.”

 

“Okay,” Jack replied. “No problem. I’ll go out and talk to them. Will you tuck Danny in?”

 

“Sure,” Daniel agreed, tickling his son. “He’ll be snug as a bug by the time you get back.”

 

Danny giggled trying to fend off the tickling. “Come back quick, Daddy,” he ordered in between fits of laughter.

 

“I will,” Jack agreed. Then he left the room.

 

Daniel laid Danny on the bed and pulled the covers up around him. “Time to sleep, Danny.”

 

“Uh, uh,” Danny responded, shaking his head. “You forgot something.”

 

“I did? What did I forget?” Daniel asked teasingly.

 

“Baaabaaa,” Danny whined. “You forgot my camel and my kiss and my story.”

 

Daniel pulled the camel from behind his back and handed it over. Then he laid down next to Danny and kissed his forehead. Finally he asked, “Do you want me to read from the book or tell you my own story?”

 

“Your own story,” Danny insisted. “Save the book for Daddy. He’ll be upset if I get ahead of him.”

 

“Okay,” Daniel agreed. Danny settled himself on his baba’s chest to listen to his story.

 

Meanwhile Jack walked back into the living room to talk with his parents. Not knowing quite what to say, he just sat down on the sofa and waited for them to start talking. It didn’t take long.

 

“I’m glad you were able to come visit, Jack,” his mother stated. “We’ve missed you.”

 

“I’m glad we could come too,” Jack agreed. “I’m sorry it took so long to make it back here.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell us about Daniel and Danny, Son?” his dad asked pointedly.

 

Jack knew his dad didn’t beat around the bush. “I’m sorry, Dad. It’s been a roller coaster ride since we got him and with my broken leg and all…”

 

Mary cut off her son. “Your broken leg! How did that happen and why didn’t you call us?”

 

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Jack apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t think of your wanting to know. It happened on a mission and it’s healed now. There isn’t a problem.” Now he remembered why he didn’t talk to his parents that often. “Anyway, we’re just getting settled into a family life. I’m sorry. I can’t apologize anymore than I have already.”

 

“Okay,” Mary agreed. “It was just hard to find out I had a grandson from a friend instead of my son. He’s a fine young man though.”

 

“Yes, he is,” Jack agreed proudly. “His parents had a lot to do with that though. We’ve only had him a few months now.”

 

“He obviously cares about both of you very much,” Shawn stated.

 

“Yes, he does. Just as we care about him. We’re all he has now.” Jack stood up. “I need to get back to him so he’ll fall asleep.” He went over to hug his mom. “I love you, Mom.”

 

“Love you, too. Sleep well,” Mary told him.

 

Then Jack went to hug his dad. “Love you, Dad.”

 

His dad hugged him back. “Night son. Love you, too. Take care of those boys.”

 

“I will, Dad.” With that Jack walked back to the bedroom to find Danny asleep on Daniel. He got ready for bed and traded places with Daniel so he could go back to his own room. “Good night, Daniel. See you in the morning.”

 

“Night, Jack,” Daniel said as he walked out. “See you in the morning. Are you going to send Danny in to wake me up?”

 

“Ya think?” Jack said quietly.

 

Daniel groaned. “I’ll try to be prepared.” He closed the door on the way out.

 

 

Part 68: Thanksgiving Day

 

The next morning, Danny pried Jack’s eyelid open. “Morning, Daddy. It’s Thanksgiving, isn’t it?”

 

Jack groaned. “Yes, Bug, it is. Want to go get Daniel up and I’ll get ready?”

 

“Sure, Daddy.” Danny looked at his dad questioningly. “Where’s his room?”

 

“I’ll show you.” Jack opened the door quietly. Then he pointed to the door down the hall. “It’s that one. Don’t be too noisy, though. I’m not sure my parents are up yet.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny said as he quietly padded down the hallway. Slowly opening the door, he peered in to check out the layout of the room. He spied a lump on the bed that looked like his baba. Crawling into the room and then to the side of the bed he carefully raised his head to pinpoint his target. Then he pounced on the lump, only to be grabbed from behind and thrown in the air. “Hey!” he complained. “That’s not fair.”

 

“Tough, Squirt,” Daniel said, hugging him. “You should have checked behind the door.”

 

“I thought I was quiet,” Danny whined.

 

“You were,” Daniel assured him. “Jack gave me a heads up though.”

 

“That’s cheating,” Danny accused, pushing himself back.

 

“No, it’s assuming a tactical advantage.” Daniel put Danny down. “You need to get dressed for breakfast.”

 

“My clothes are in Daddy’s room.” Danny had wanted to catch Daniel, not the other way around.

 

“Let’s go back to his room then.” Daniel was already fully dressed, used to what time Danny normally woke up.

 

“Okay,” Danny agreed taking his hand.

 

Once everyone was dressed, they went into the kitchen only to find Jack’s parents already up and breakfast waiting for them. “Good morning, sleepyheads. Does everybody like pancakes?” She pulled out a tray of them keeping warm in the oven and sat them on the table.

 

“Yes, Ma’am,” Danny said happily, climbing up on a chair.

 

Danny received a light cuff to the back of his head. “I told you to call me grandma, Danny.”

 

“Sorry, Grandma.” Danny gently rubbed his head, even though it didn’t hurt. “I’ll try to remember.”

 

Jack sat down on one side of Danny with Daniel on the other. Shawn sat next to Daniel. Pancakes, syrup, butter and fruit were all passed around until everyone had a full plate.

 

“We’ll start getting ready for the Thanksgiving dinner after breakfast is over,” Shawn told them, as they were busy eating.

 

“Sure, Dad,” Jack agreed. “What can we do to help?”

 

“I need help with deep frying the turkey and your mom needs help setting up the table,” his dad explained.

 

“Deep frying the turkey?” Jack questioned, dropping his fork. “When did you start deep frying turkeys? I thought they were roasted in the oven.”

 

“Your dad tasted one last year and now he wants to try it himself,” Mary answered. “I’ve been cooking the turkey for years, but now he decides he’s in charge.” She gave Shawn a wink to let him know she was only teasing.

 

“I’ve bought the kit and the turkey and the oil. With you and Daniel helping it’ll turn out great.” Shawn continued to eat, not noticing Danny staring at him.

 

Mary did though. “What’s up, young man?”

 

“Nothing,” Danny answered, dropping his head.

 

Daniel reached over and rubbed Danny’s back. “What’s wrong, Squirt?”

 

“Am I in trouble?” Danny asked quietly.

 

“Why would you think that, young man?” Mary asked.

 

“That,” Danny tried to explain. “I only get called ‘young man’ when I’m in trouble. Last night you called me, little one. I liked that.”

 

All the adults couldn’t help laughing. Danny blushed, not understanding their laughter. “You’re not in trouble,” his grandma assured him. “If you want to be called little one, then little one it is. However, it looked like something was bothering you before I called you that. What was it?”

 

“What do I get to help with?” Danny asked. “If Daddy and Baba are helping Paqui with the turkey, why can’t I?”

 

“I didn’t know you wanted to help,” Shawn replied. “However, we’re cooking the turkey in hot oil and it’s too dangerous for you to help with. You can help your grandma set the table though. We need it to look really nice.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny agreed, not sounding too happy. He went back to eating his pancakes.

 

Daniel decided to change the subject. “So are we going to get to hear any stories about what Jack was like as a kid?”

 

Jack choked as he was swallowing some pancake. “I don’t think we need to hear any stories about me.”

 

Mary noticed Danny’s face light up and continued the thought. “I’m not so sure about that, Jack. Haven’t you told them what you were like as a child?”

 

“Mom,” Jack implored, “do we really need to go there?”

 

“Come on, Grandma,” Danny pleaded. “Tell us a story.”

 

“Well,” she began, “there was the time when Jack was ten. He and his friend Jim decided to egg Mr. Larsen’s house.”

 

Danny looked at his dad in shock. “You egged someone’s house?”

 

Jack sighed. It looked like he wasn’t going to get out of this story being told. However, he could tell his version of it. “Yes, Danny. I egged Mr. Larsen’s house. It’s not something I’m proud of and I got in plenty of trouble for it. You sure you want to hear the story?” Daniel and Danny both nodded, so Jack reluctantly told the story.

 

Jim and I were hanging out and we got bored. We thought of the stupid idea of egging old Mr. Larsen’s house. He always yelled at us kids whenever we cut across his yard. So Jim and I raided the henhouse and then headed over to his place. It was getting dark and we figured if he came out of his house to yell at us we could just run away and not get caught. We’d each thrown about five of the eggs when our ears were gripped painfully. Mr. Larsen hadn’t even been home. He’d walked up behind us and pinched our ears causing us to drop the last of our eggs.

 

“What do you two think you’re doing?” he yelled at us, while still holding onto our ears.

 

“Nothing,” Jim tried to say.

 

I just kept my mouth shut.

 

“You’re Jim and Jack, aren’t you?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” I admitted. “We’re sorry. We’ll help you clean up if you let us go.”

“Not a chance, young man. I’m taking both of you home to your fathers.”

 

Jim got really scared. “Please, Mr. Larsen. I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t tell my dad.”

 

“Too late for that. Should have thought of what your father would do to you before you egged my house.” Mr. Larsen pulled on my ear again to get my attention, not that he didn’t already have it. “Whose house is closer?”

 

“Jim’s, Sir,” I admitted. “It’s just down the street.”

 

“Please,” Jim pleaded again. “I’m sorry.”

 

“What are you so worried about, young man? You think your dad’s going to beat you?”

 

Mr. Larsen didn’t seem to think that was a possibility, but I knew better. Jim wouldn’t answer. He just dropped his eyes.

 

“If you two promise to stay with me while I walk you home, I’ll let go of your ears.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” I agreed. He let go of my ear.

 

“And you,” he said, tugging on Jim’s ear.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Jim agreed quietly. He let go of Jim’s ear, too. Then he escorted both of us to Jim’s house first.

 

I could tell how scared Jim was getting each step closer we came to his house. We finally reached it and Mr. Larsen knocked on the door.

 

Jim’s dad answered it. “Mr. Larsen, is there a problem?”

 

“These two boys decided it would be fun to egg my house tonight.”

 

Jim wouldn’t meet his dad’s eyes.

 

“Thank you for letting me know. I’ll make sure it never happens again.” Jim’s dad glared at Jim. “Get up to your room this instant.” Jim edged past his dad and ran up to his room, not saying a word. “Is there anything else you need?”

 

“No, that’s all. I just have to take Jack home now.” Mr. Larsen looked at me as he said that and then we left the porch to go to my house. On the way he said, “Jim’s dad didn’t seem so bad. Why was he so scared?”

 

I figured it was up to Jim if he wanted to say anything, so I just shrugged my shoulders. When we reached my house I knocked on the door myself.

 

Dad answered it. “What can I do for you, Mr. Larsen?”

 

“Your boy egged my house tonight,” he explained.

 

“Jack, do you have anything to say for yourself?” Dad asked me.

 

“No, Sir,” I answered.

 

“Get in the den and find a corner, Jack,” he told me.

 

I cringed. I knew what was going to happen. I hurried into the den and found a corner. Then I waited for Dad to come in. It never took long, but it always seemed like forever.

 

“Come here, Jack,” Dad told me as he sat in his chair. I walked over to stand in front of him. “Why did you egg Mr. Larsen’s house?”

 

I couldn’t meet his eyes. “We thought it would be fun,” I tried to explain. “He’s always mean to us kids.”

 

“And that gives you the right to damage his property?”

 

“No, Sir.”

 

“Was he mean to you when he brought you home tonight?”

 

“No, Sir.” I hadn’t really noticed that until Dad asked.

 

“How many eggs did you throw?”

 

I couldn’t figure out how that could make a difference, but I answered anyway. “Five, Sir. I had one left when he caught us,” I admitted before he could ask.

 

“Okay, then.”

 

Dad stood up and I knew I wasn’t going to enjoy what would come next. Then I saw him take his belt off and I got scared. “Dad, please? I’m sorry. Don’t use the belt, please?”

 

“Do you deserve any less?” Dad asked.

 

There was nothing I could say to that. If I argued the point, I’d get myself in more trouble. I’d already learned that the hard way. “No, Sir.” I dropped my pants and he bent me over the arm of the chair.

 

“Why are you getting this spanking, Son?”

 

“I threw eggs at Mr. Larsen’s house.” Then I learned why Dad wanted to know how many eggs I had. I got six hard strokes with the belt. Hurt like anything. I was crying hard. When Dad stopped I pulled up my pants and he pulled me into a hug. I thought it was all over. I was wrong.

 

“Jack,” Dad said, “ you need to go wash your face and then go over to Mr. Larsen’s house and help him clean up. Your mom has a bucket and some sponges ready for you to take with you.”

 

I was about to protest. Then I decided to accept the rest of the punishment. I’d already told Mr. Larsen I’d help him clean, so what was the point. I washed up and headed back to Mr. Larsen’s house. He’d already started cleaning when I walked up to the front porch. “Mr. Larsen,” I said hesitantly, “I’m here to help you clean up.”

 

“Are you here because you want to be, or because your father made you come?” he asked pointedly.

 

“Both, Sir,” I answered honestly.

 

“Then why don’t you get started.” He pointed to the hose so I could fill my bucket.

 

I started cleaning the house with him. He didn’t seem so mean to me then. We started talking and I ended up enjoying being around him. When we were done he thanked me for helping him and said if my parents approved he wanted to hire me to help around the house sometimes. I was really surprised by that, but it was a way to get some pocket money for myself. Ended up working for him a lot until he passed away when I was seventeen.

 

Jack finished his story. Daniel and Danny just stared at him.

 

His mom asked, “What did happen to Jim? You didn’t mention anything about that then.”

 

“I was ten, Mom. I was just glad I only got the belt. Jim always got it a lot worse.”

 

“His dad beat him?” Daniel questioned.

 

Jack nodded.

 

“Was that the reason you boys always hung out at our house, Jack?” Shawn asked.

 

“Yes,” Jack replied. “He liked it here. We never knew what mood his dad would be in. It was safer here.” Jack looked at the gloomy faces around him. “For crying out loud. You’re the ones that wanted a story. Let’s clean up the breakfast mess and start getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner.”

 

“Sure, Jack,” Daniel agreed, ready for the distraction. “Why don’t you help your dad with the turkey and Danny and I will help your mom get ready in here?”

 

“You sure you don’t want to help set up the turkey, Daniel?” Shawn asked.

 

“I’m sure,” Daniel answered. “I doubt it will take three people to do it and I know Mary would like some extra help in the house, right?”

 

“Of course, Daniel,” Mary assured him. “With you and little one helping,” Danny smiled at the term of endearment, “we’ll be ready in no time.”

 

“That settles it then,” Jack stated. “Let’s go see how to deep fry a turkey, Dad.”

 

 

Part 69: More Stories

 

Danny was set to work setting the table, however he balked at setting out the china. “Grandma, I don’t want to handle the china. I’m afraid I might drop one.”

 

“I’ll do the china then, little one,” Mary assured him. “You do the silverware and napkins. Then we’ll do some decorations.”

 

“Okay, Grandma.” Danny went back to setting the table.

 

“What would you like me to help with, Mary?” Daniel asked.

 

“Oh, right.” Mary was used to doing everything herself, so she had to think about what he could do. “How are you at peeling potatoes?”

 

“I’m a master,” Daniel answered chuckling. “Just tell me where they’re at.” Mary pointed to the pantry and he quickly found the potatoes. Setting himself up at the sink, he started peeling while Mary worked on the stuffing. “So, was Jack always a handful as a child?”

 

“Mostly,” Mary admitted. “He was a sweetheart though. He never tried to get in trouble, but he liked to play pranks. He was always respectful though. I don’t ever remember him arguing about whether or not he was in trouble. One time he was feeling guilty about something he hadn’t been caught doing. He started doing extra chores and being extra polite. I learned quickly how to read him. Finally got him to admit he’d gotten in trouble at school the day before and hadn’t wanted to tell me about it. Once he told me about it, we dealt with it and things got back to normal.”

 

Daniel continued to peel the potatoes as he listened. He liked learning about what his friend had been like as kid. It helped him understand Jack better. “Was Jack a good student?”

 

“He worked hard at it,” Mary explained. She was almost done making the stuffing. “It wasn’t easy for him early on though. He had a lot of trouble learning to read. Once we got him some help in second grade though, it worked itself out. He never could take it easy though. Not if he wanted to keep his grades up.”

 

Danny had been listening to his grandma the whole time. He’d never thought of what his dad was like as a student. Learning had always come easy to him and he never really thought of what it would be like if it didn’t. It didn’t sound like much fun. “I’m done setting the table, Grandma.”

 

“Good,” Mary replied. “Now you need to make the name cards.”

 

“Huh?” Danny questioned, looking confused.

 

“Name cards,” Mary said again. “So everybody knows where to sit.”

 

“There are only five of us. How hard can it be to figure out where to sit?” Danny honestly didn’t understand what name cards were for, but he caught Daniel frowning at him. He changed his tone. “If you show me what to do I’ll make them though.”

 

Mary had finished with the stuffing and placed it in the refrigerator until it was time to cook it. Then she washed her hands. “Sit down at the kitchen table and I’ll get you what you need.”

 

Danny sat down at the table while Mary went into her room to get what he would need. “Sorry, Baba,” he said quietly. “I wasn’t trying to be difficult.”

 

Daniel had finished peeling the potatoes and started to cut them into smaller pieces. “I know, Danny. Name cards aren’t because we won’t know where to sit. It’s to make the table look nice.”

 

“Oh,” Danny replied quietly.

 

Mary came back with tag paper and markers. “Here you go, Danny. Just write everyone’s names on a piece of paper and then fold it over so it will stand up like this.” She showed him how to do it. “Then draw some pictures on them to make them look nice.”

 

“Yes, Ma’am,” Danny said politely as he got to work. He didn’t know which name to put on the card. Daddy or Jack, Baba or Daniel. In the end he decided to put one name on one side and the other name on the other side. Then he set about to make them look nice.

 

Mary started making the green bean casserole. She’d told Daniel about Jack, now she wanted to learn more about Daniel. “What were you like as a child, Daniel? Did you drive you parents nuts?”

 

Daniel thought about how to answer that question. “A little bit. I was pretty active in my early years.”

 

“Oh,” said Mary. “What kind of trouble did you give your parents when you got older?”

 

“I didn’t,” Daniel explained awkwardly. “My parents died when I was eight. I lived in foster homes after that.” He covered the potatoes with water and then covered the pan. He didn’t mind talking about his life, but he knew other people could be uncomfortable with it.

 

“I’m sorry about your parents, Daniel,” Mary said sympathetically. “That must have been hard.”

 

“It was,” Daniel agreed, “but it was a long time ago, too.” He felt small arms encircle his leg and looked down to find Danny hugging him. He picked Danny up in his arms and hugged him. “It’s okay, Squirt. I’m fine.”

 

Danny just held onto his baba.

 

“It must be helpful to Danny for you to have been through the same thing,” Mary commented.

 

Danny nodded and Daniel replied, “Yes, it is.” Daniel hugged Danny one more time and then put him back down. “So, are you all done with the name cards, Danny?”

 

“Uh huh,” Danny answered, running off to get them. “What do I do with them now?”

 

“Well, little one,” Mary said, putting her hand on his shoulder, “we put them on the table so everyone knows where to sit.” She inspected them with great care. “You did a wonderful job. Very nice. I like how you put your name for us and our given names on the cards. That makes them very special. May I keep them after dinner’s over?”

 

“Sure, Grandma,” Danny answered shyly, not used to grandparents making such a fuss over him. Mary gave him a hug and he hugged her back. Then he followed her into the dining room and picked out where everyone would sit. Shawn was placed at the head of the table with Mary on the other end. Jack would sit by himself on one side of the table and Danny and Daniel would sit on the other side. After all the cards were placed, Mary asked Daniel to check on how the turkey preparations were going.

 

When Daniel walked outside he found Jack and Shawn in deep discussion over how much oil they needed to place in the fryer.

 

“I read the directions, Dad,” Jack said in frustration. “You’re supposed to put the turkey in the pot and then put the water in.”

 

“No,” Shawn insisted. “You fill it with water and then put the turkey in. That’s how my friends did it.”

 

Daniel couldn’t help but laugh. Thus drawing attention to him.

 

“Well, Daniel. How do you think we should do it?” Jack asked, expecting Daniel to agree with him.

 

“Both ways will work, Jack. It doesn’t really matter. However, your mom expects the turkey to be ready in two hours and if you two don’t make up your minds, we won’t have any turkey to eat,” Daniel explained.

 

“See, Jack,” Shawn exclaimed. “I told you he’d agree with me.”

 

“What are you talking about, Dad? He agreed with both of us.” Jack stared his dad down for a split second, and then caved. “Fine, we’ll do it your way. Fill the pot with water, Dad. I’ll go get the turkey.” Jack walked into the house to get the turkey from the refrigerator.

 

Shawn began to fill the pot with water. “Jack’s a stubborn man, Daniel,” he commented.

 

“That he is, Shawn,” Daniel responded. “Do you need any help?”

 

“No thanks, Daniel. I think we have it covered, once my son admits his dad is right.”

 

Daniel just chuckled. “Good luck. So can I tell Mary the turkey will be ready on time?”

 

“Of course,” Shawn answered in a hurt voice. “Just make sure my wife has everything ready.”

 

“I’ll do that.” Daniel left Shawn to fill the pot and passed Jack carrying the turkey on the way into the house. “Good luck, Jack.”

 

“There’s no luck involved, Daniel. We’ll be fine once my dad realizes I’m right.”

 

“Of course, Jack. I’ll let you take care of everything.” Daniel went back into the house to see if Mary needed any more help.

 

 

Part 70: Photo Albums

 

Everything was done in the house. Mary had everything timed for when the turkey was done cooking. Now they had some time on their hands. “How would you boys like to see some pictures of Jack when he was little?” she asked Daniel and Danny.

 

Danny looked over at Daniel, smiling. “Sure, Grandma. I’d like that.”

 

“You two settle yourselves on the couch and I’ll be back in a minute with the photo album.” Mary walked off to her room and came back shortly with an album. She settled herself between Daniel and Danny on the couch. “I don’t have a lot of photos,” she explained, “but I do have some.” She opened up the album showing a bare bottomed little baby lying on a blanket. “This is Jack at four months old. Isn’t he a little butterball?”

 

Danny laughed and Daniel snickered. “Daddy was fat as a baby,” Danny commented.

 

“Yes, he was,” Mary agreed. “It didn’t last long though,” she said a little wistfully. Then she turned the page. “This was when Jack was two. We were visiting his grandparents and they let him have spaghetti.” Jack was sitting in his highchair covered with spaghetti strands and sauce, smiling happily.

 

Daniel thought it was strange seeing Jack as a child.

 

They continued to page through the album until Jack interrupted them. “Mom! What are you doing?”

 

“Just showing them what you were like as a child, Son,” his mom explained unnecessarily. “You were so adorable back then.”

 

Jack groaned and headed into the kitchen to grab two beers. No way was he going to be able to stop his mom, so he didn’t even try. On his way back outside, he commented, “Dad and I will be outside keeping an eye on the deep fryer if you need anything.”

 

“Sure, Jack,” Daniel replied brightly. “Too bad you had to grow up and stop being adorable.”

 

Jack glared at him as he walked out the door. He handed his dad a beer and sat down. “Do you know what they’re doing inside?” Then before his dad could answer, he added, “Mom brought out the baby pictures. Why’d she have to go and do that?”

 

“Relax, Jack,” Shawn told him. “She’s proud of you, that’s all.” He downed some of his beer. “So how’d you end up with Danny?” he asked pointedly.

 

“What?” Jack spluttered. He thought the questioning was done with last night.

 

“I just never thought you’d take on another child,” Shawn explained. “Wasn’t there another family that could take him? One with a more stable job.”

 

Jack sighed. “We did try to place him with another family, Dad,” he admitted. “It didn’t work.”

 

“Why not?” It wasn’t that Shawn didn’t like Danny; he just wanted to know what was going on.

 

“He’d already attached to me,” Jack tried to explain. “He wouldn’t accept anyone else.”

 

“So you just let him have his own way.”

 

“Dad, it’s not like that. Look, it’s hard to explain and I’d rather not get into it. Danny’s mine now and that’s all there is to it.” Jack finished off his beer.

 

“I thought he was Daniel’s, too.”

 

“Dad!” Jack took a deep breath to calm down. “Do you have a problem with Daniel and me raising Danny, or are you just enjoying grilling me?”

 

Shawn looked down at the ground. “I’m sorry, Jack. And no, I don’t have a problem you and Daniel raising Danny. It was a shock though. I’m trying to deal with the fact that you and another man are raising a grandson I didn’t know about for three months. It’s not something I ever expected of you.”

 

Jack sighed. “Do you think I’m gay, Dad?”

 

“Aren’t you?” Shawn didn’t look at Jack.

 

“Would it make a difference if I was?”

 

Shawn had to think for a minute. “No, I guess it wouldn’t. You’re still my son and I love you. Danny is a wonderful little boy and Daniel seems very nice.”

 

“You’re right, Dad. Danny is a wonderful boy and Daniel is very nice. Daniel is also married to a wonderful woman.” Jack watched his dad’s mouth drop. “She was kidnapped almost a year ago. We’re still trying to find her.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Shawn said quietly. “That must be very hard on him.”

 

“It is, Dad,” Jack explained. “He doesn’t like to talk about it much.”

 

“I can understand that. Is there anything we can do?” Shawn asked.

 

“No,” Jack answered. “We’re dealing with it. Just don’t ask him about it.”

 

“I won’t,” Shawn replied. “Why don’t you check the oil temperature and see if it’s ready for the turkey?” He tried to change the subject.

 

Jack stood up and looked at the thermometer. “It’s hot enough, Dad. Let’s put the turkey in. Then you can tell Mom it’s started cooking.” Jack grabbed the frame the turkey was on and carefully lowered it into the oil. It bubbled and spluttered and generally made a mess with the splatter. However, in a short amount of time the oil settled down and the turkey began cooking.

 

Shawn went inside to tell Mary the turkey was cooking. Daniel helped her get the rest of the food started cooking and Danny continued to sit on the couch leafing through the photo album again.

 

 

Part 71: At the Dinner Table

 

When all the food was ready and placed on the table, everyone sat down according to their name cards. Shawn said an Irish prayer and then carved the turkey. After they slowed down in their eating, the conversation began to flow.

 

Daniel asked, “So what stories can you tell us about Jack, Shawn? Mary’s already told us a few.”

 

“Let me think about that,” Shawn replied. He ate a few more forkfuls of turkey and mashed potatoes and then continued. “I know. There was that camping trip we went on when Jack was a little bit younger than Danny.”

 

“We just stayed at the cabin for five days, Paqui,” Danny said, interrupting.

 

“That sounds like fun,” Shawn commented. “Maybe you can tell me about it after I finish my story.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny responded, realizing he shouldn’t have interrupted. He really did want to hear another story about his daddy.

 

“Well, I decided the time was right to let Jack learn how to fish. My mother had made him waders so he could go in the water a little ways without getting wet,” Shawn told them.

 

“I remember those, Dad,” Jack commented. “I used them for a long time.”

 

“Yes, you did,” his dad replied. “May I continue the story now?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Jack answered; also realizing he’d just been chastised.

 

“Anyway,” Shawn continued. “I gave him his rod and reel and we walked down to the river. I told Jack he could go only a little ways out, but of course he went as far as he thought he could get away with. He cast out his line and then waited. Next thing I knew he was yelling out that he’d caught one. I watched him pull back on the rod to snag the fish. Then the fish took off, Jack lost his footing and landed smack dab in the water, face first. I rushed in and pulled him out. Stubborn kid was still holding onto the rod, soaking wet. The fish was still attached and I helped him reel it in. It was a big fish.” Shawn stopped and began eating again.

 

Danny couldn’t resist. “What did you do with Daddy?”

 

“Oh,” Shawn replied, as though there wasn’t anymore to the story. “I pulled him out of the waders which were filled with water and then carried him and the fish back to camp. Mary changed him into dry clothes and we cooked the fish for lunch. If I remember right, Jack, you didn’t care much for fish back then.”

 

“No, I didn’t,” Jack agreed. “You still made me eat it though.”

 

“I know. Just like you made Charlie eat the first fish he caught.” Shawn looked over at Danny. “Did you go fishing when you went to the cabin?”

 

“Yes,” Danny answered quietly.

 

“Did you catch any?” Shawn inquired.

 

“Yes.”

 

“How did you like it?”

 

Danny didn’t answer. He just got quiet. Jack stepped in. “He didn’t like it much, Dad. So I made him soup instead.”

 

“Gone soft, have you?” Shawn implied.

 

“No,” Jack insisted.

 

“You wouldn’t have made Charlie something else to eat,” Shawn pointed out.

 

“Danny isn’t Charlie, Dad,” Jack responded coldly.

 

“May I be excused?” Danny asked hesitantly.

 

Daniel was about to allow him, when Jack answered, “Not until everyone is finished eating.”

 

Danny put his hands in his lap and fiddled with them.

 

Mary and Daniel exchanged glances trying to figure a way out of the uncomfortable atmosphere. “Jack? Can Danny help me get dessert ready? I think we’re almost ready for it,” Mary asked.

 

“Fine,” Jack said, stabbing another piece of turkey.

 

Mary helped Danny off the chair and they went into the kitchen. Danny never said a word. “Danny, will you get the pie out of the refrigerator?”

 

Danny went and opened the refrigerator. He found the pumpkin pie and picked it up off the shelf. As he was walking over to hand it to Mary, his hands slipped and it fell to the floor, top down. He just stood there staring at it, not moving. Mary went over to comfort him, kneeling down beside him. She couldn’t get him to respond to her.

 

Daniel had heard something being dropped in the kitchen and went to investigate. He found Mary sitting on the kitchen chair rocking Danny on her lap. Daniel knelt down in front of Danny. “Danny, what’s wrong?” he asked quietly. No response. Daniel looked at Mary. “What happened?”

 

“I’m not sure,” Mary answered with concern. “He dropped the pie on the floor. I went over to tell him it was okay, and he wouldn’t respond. Is he okay?”

 

“He will be,” Daniel answered as he took Danny from her. “I’m going to take him for a walk. We’ll be back in a little bit. Tell Jack I’ll let him know what’s going on later.” Then Daniel walked out the back door, Danny still not moving in his arms.

 

Mary went back into the dining room. “You two should be ashamed of yourselves,” she told her husband and son as she sat back down.

 

“I didn’t do anything,” Shawn tried to deny.

 

“No, you just upset a very sweet little boy who was having a wonderful time until you two started disagreeing with each other.” Mary was extremely upset with both of her boys and they could tell.

 

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Jack answered. “We shouldn’t have disagreed in front of everybody.”

 

“You shouldn’t have disagreed at all,” his mom admonished. “How you raise Danny is your business and your dad should know that. However, you didn’t need to get your hackles up either.”

 

“Yes, Ma’am,” Jack agreed. “Where’s Danny? Is he okay?”

 

“Daniel took him for a walk. He got upset when he dropped the pie. Daniel said he’d tell you what’s going on later.”

 

“I should go check on them,” Jack said as he began to stand up.

 

“Sit!” Mary ordered. Jack sat. “Daniel has everything under control. You need to work things out with your father so this doesn’t happen again. I’m going to go get the other pie out of the freezer.”

 

After his mom left the room, Jack looked at his dad. “I’m sorry, Dad, but Danny isn’t Charlie. I’ll raise him the way Daniel and I see fit.”

 

“I’m sorry too, Jack,” Shawn replied. “I shouldn’t have tried telling you how to raise him. I shouldn’t have brought Charlie up either. It’s just that I miss him.”

 

“I miss him too, Dad. We’ll always miss him.” Jack sighed. “Danny already worried about you wanting him to replace Charlie. He wasn’t sure if you would like him.”

 

Shawn choked up hearing this. “I do like him, Jack. I love him. He’s wonderful. I’ll tell him that when he gets back, too.”

 

“I’m sure he’ll want to hear that, when he gets back.” Jack fiddled with what food was left on his plate. “I just hope it doesn’t take too long.”

 

 

Part 72: Fixing Things

 

Daniel carried Danny up the mountain the house backed up to. Once he was far enough away from the house to have some privacy he sat down on a rock and cradled Danny on his lap. “Danny, you’re safe,” he assured him. “Stop this withdrawal and start telling me what’s wrong.”

 

Slowly the tears began to flow, but it was better than the silence. Daniel held him tight, rocking him. After a few minutes Danny tried to talk. “I’m sorry,” he said through his tears. “I couldn’t handle it anymore. I knew he wouldn’t like me.” He buried his face in his baba’s chest.

 

“Danny?” Daniel lifted Danny’s head so he could look at him. “Shawn never said he didn’t like you.”

 

“He may not have said it, but I could tell. He’d rather have Charlie back.” Danny tried to lower his head, but Daniel wouldn’t let him.

 

“I’m sure he would like to have Charlie back,” Daniel admitted holding back his own tears. “Just like you’d like to have Mom and Dad back. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t like you.”

 

Danny wiped a tear from his baba’s cheek. “I love you,” he said as he wrapped his arms around Daniel’s neck. “I didn’t mean to scare you again.”

 

“I know you didn’t,” Daniel replied letting the tears fall. “I think you scared your grandma though, too.”

 

“I thought she’d be mad I dropped the pie,” Danny admitted.

 

“She wasn’t. The only people I think she’s angry with are Jack and Shawn.” Daniel pulled Danny a little bit away from him and wiped his face off with his handkerchief. “Are you ready to go back now?”

 

Danny nodded. “You need to clean your face, too, Baba,” he pointed out.

 

“Thanks, Squirt.” Daniel wiped his own face. Then he stood up with Danny in his arms.

 

“I’m tired,” Danny admitted, laying his head on Daniel’s shoulder.

 

“Me too,” Daniel agreed. “After we let everyone know you’re okay, what do you say to the two of us taking a nap before dessert?”

 

“I ruined the dessert, Baba,” Danny said sadly.

 

“You might have ruined that one, but I saw another pie in the freezer,” Daniel explained.

 

“Oh,” Danny said a little happier. “Okay then. A nap sounds good.”

 

Daniel carried Danny back down the mountain. Danny managed to fall asleep in the short time it took. Daniel knew the others needed to know Danny was all right, so he woke him back up and set him down before entering the kitchen.

 

Mary was sitting at the kitchen table. She looked at Danny when he entered. Danny stood next to Daniel until his grandma held her arms out to him. Then he ran into her arms.

 

“I’m sorry I worried you, Grandma,” Danny apologized. “I’m okay now.”

 

“I’m glad. I’m sorry you had reason to get upset.” She hugged Danny tight to her. “I love you, little one.”

 

“I love you, too, Grandma.” Danny enjoyed being embraced. “I need to go let Daddy and Paqui know I’m okay. Then Baba and I are taking a nap.”

 

“That sounds like a good idea, Danny.” Mary released him. “I think they’re still sitting at the table. We’ll have dessert when you wake up.”

 

“That’s what Baba said,” Danny explained. “I was going to help you clean up though.”

 

“Don’t worry about it, little one. I know two other boys who need to do some extra chores today instead.” She winked at him and he understood.

 

“See you when you wake up.”

 

“Okay, Grandma.” Danny and Daniel walked into the dining room to find Jack and Shawn.

 

Jack was still playing with his food. When he saw Danny walk in, he got up and walked over to him, kneeling down. Danny hugged his daddy tight.

 

“I’m tired, Daddy,” Danny explained. “Baba and I are going to take a nap and then Grandma said we’ll have dessert when we wake up.”

 

“That sounds good to me,” Jack agreed. “I’m sorry I upset you.”

 

“That’s okay, Daddy. I still love you.” Danny looked over at Shawn. “I’m sorry, Paqui,” he said quietly.

 

Shawn held out his arms. “Come here, Danny.” Danny walked over to his granddad and allowed himself to be picked up and placed on his lap. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m the one who’s sorry. You are a wonderful boy and I love you. I should have told you that.”

 

“But you’d rather have Charlie instead of me,” Danny said quietly, not sure if he should have said anything.

 

“I would love to have Charlie here, but not instead of you. I love you for who you are, my new grandson who I get to spoil,” Shawn hugged him and Danny hugged him back. “You go take your nap now. I think I might take one, too.”

 

“Uh, uh,” Danny told him. “Grandma said you and Daddy have to clean up.”

 

“Oh she did, did she?” Shawn chuckled.

 

“Yep. She said you and Daddy had to do extra chores,” Danny explained.

 

“I suppose that’s only fair,” Shawn agreed. “I love you, Danny. Have a good rest.”

 

“I love you, too, Paqui.” Danny slid off his granddad’s lap and then grasped Daniel’s hand. “See you later.”

 

Daniel let Jack know they’d talk later and then went to take a nap with his son.

 

 

Part 73: More Worries

 

About an hour later, Danny startled himself awake.

 

Daniel, who was already awake and watching Danny sleep, reached out to touch him. “Are you okay, Danny?”

 

Danny nodded, but he didn’t look okay.

 

“What woke you up?”

 

“Nothing,” Danny mumbled, sucking on his thumb.

 

Daniel wasn’t buying it. “Something woke you up, Danny. It didn’t look like it was something happy either.”

 

“I was dreaming about Daddy getting spanked with the belt for egging that house,” Danny finally admitted.

 

“And you got scared?” Danny nodded. “Of what?” Daniel asked.

 

“Is Daddy going to use a belt on me when I get in trouble?” Danny asked nervously.

 

Daniel finally understood what was going on. “Why would you think Jack would use a belt on you?”

 

“Cause his daddy used one on him.” Danny continued to suck his thumb whenever he wasn’t talking.

 

“So you think he’ll use it on you?” Daniel questioned. Danny nodded again and Daniel pulled him into a hug. “I don’t think Jack is planning on using a belt on you, Danny. However, I think if it worries you, you should ask him about it.”

 

Danny shook his head. “I don’t want to give him any ideas.”

 

Daniel held back his laugh. “Your talking to Jack about it isn’t going to give him any ideas, Squirt.”

 

“Will you ask him?” Danny asked quietly.

 

“If I do, Jack’s still going to want to talk to you about it,” Daniel told him.

 

“That’s okay,” Danny replied. “I just don’t want to bring it up.”

 

“Okay, I’ll talk to him first.” Daniel sat up on the bed bringing Danny up with him. “You ready to get dressed again and go have dessert?”

 

Danny shook his head. “Paqui will get mad at me,” he whispered.

 

‘Oh boy,’ Daniel thought, ‘this was going to be a long day.’ “Why would Shawn get mad at you?”

 

“I don’t like pumpkin pie and he doesn’t like it when you don’t eat what you’re given.” Danny was remembering the conversation about eating the fish.

 

“How do you know you don’t like pumpkin pie?”

 

“They had it at the feast at school and I tried it,” Danny explained. “It didn’t taste good so I threw it away. Paqui will get mad if I don’t eat it.”

 

“Sometimes different pumpkin pies taste different. Maybe you’ll like Mary’s.” Daniel was trying to deal with the problem while satisfying everyone.

 

“Maybe,” Danny replied uncertainly.

 

“You try two bites. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it. I don’t think there’ll be anything else for dessert though,” Daniel suggested, trying to find a compromise.

 

“But Paqui won’t like it if I don’t eat it all,” Danny tried to explain again.

 

“If he doesn’t like it, that’s his problem,” Daniel said, not unkindly. “Jack and I are your parents. We make the rules.”

 

“You sure?” Danny still didn’t want to make his granddad angry, but he didn’t want to eat food he didn’t like either.

 

“I’m sure,” Daniel assured him. “Let’s get dressed and go out and find out what’s going on.”

 

“Okay,” Danny agreed. “And you’ll talk to Daddy?”

 

“Yes,” Daniel replied. “I’ll talk to Jack. I love you.”

 

“I love you, too, Baba.” Danny hugged him before getting off the bed and getting dressed.

 

 

Part 74: Father and Son Discussion

 

While Daniel and Danny were napping, Jack and Shawn were busy cleaning up from Thanksgiving dinner. After taking all the dishes into the kitchen and putting away the leftover food, they set about washing the china. Mary had already told them they weren’t allowed to use the dishwasher on the china or the silverware.

 

Shawn started washing while Jack rinsed and dried. “I’m sorry for what happened at dinner, Jack. I didn’t think Danny would be so sensitive about it though.”

 

“Danny is a sensitive kid, Dad,” Jack tried to explain. “He worries about everyone and tries to please everyone. When he can’t, he gets upset.”

 

“So what,” Shawn questioned, “you just let him get away with everything?” He handed Jack another plate, but had to wait until Jack finished drying the last one.

 

“Dad, how we raise Danny is our business,” Jack pointed out. “But no, he doesn’t get away with everything. I’ve just learned to choose my battles. Food isn’t one of them.” He took the plate from his dad. “Does he seem like a spoiled brat to you?”

 

“No, I don’t see that in him. You just seem different than you did with Charlie,” Shawn tried explaining.

 

“I am different, Dad. Danny’s not Charlie either. He’s a little boy who’s just lost both his parents and has to adjust to a new family and culture. It hasn’t been easy for him.” Jack put down the dish he’d just finished drying. “It hasn’t been easy for any of us,” he said quietly.

 

Shawn quietly washed another few dishes. He had forgotten about why Danny had come to be his grandson. He’d just fit into the family so easily. “I didn’t think of that,” he admitted. “And yes, I have been comparing him to Charlie. I still miss him.”

 

“I miss him, too. I will forever miss my first child. However, it’s not fair to Danny if I try to treat him the same. He’s not, believe me he’s not, even if he looks like Charlie did.” Jack had not wanted to admit to himself how much Danny reminded him of Charlie, at least physically.

 

“I won’t interfere anymore, Son.” Shawn handed Jack the last dish and drained the water from the sink.

 

“I appreciate it, Dad,” Jack replied. Then they put away the plates in a more comfortable silence.

 

Once the kitchen was spotless, knowing Mary wouldn’t settle for anything less, Jack and Shawn went to clean up the mess from the deep fryer outside.

 

 

Part 75: Time to Bond

 

Daniel and Danny walked into the living room after they got dressed. Mary was sitting in her chair reading a book. She looked up from her book to spy Danny eyeing her warily. She placed her book on the coffee table and held out her arms. “I’m glad you’re awake, little one. Do I get a cuddle?”

 

Danny ran into her outstretched arms and snuggled on her lap.

 

“Hi, Mary,” Daniel said, and then asked, “Where are Jack and Shawn?”

 

“They’re cleaning the mess outside,” she told him. “At least they’d better be.”

 

“Okay, then,” Daniel said knowingly. “I think I’ll go see how far along they are.”

 

“You do that, Daniel. Tell them when they’re done we’ll have dessert.” Mary felt Danny tense up in her embrace. After Daniel had left the room, Mary asked Danny, “What’s wrong, little one?”

 

Danny sucked his thumb and held his camel, not saying anything.

 

Mary noticed the stuffed animal and decided on another tactic. “Who’s this?” she asked, tapping the camel gently.

 

“Camel,” Danny said, taking his thumb out of his mouth for only a moment.

 

“Well it certainly is a camel,” Mary commented. “I was wondering what his name was though.”

 

“Camel,” Danny stated again. “His name’s just Camel.”

 

“Oh, I see.” Mary ran her hand along the worn fabric of the animal. “It looks like you love him very much.” Danny nodded. “How long have you had Camel?”

 

“Since I was born,” Danny answered. “My mommy and daddy gave him to me.” Danny held Camel up for inspection. “It’s the only thing I have left,” he said quietly.

 

Mary gave the camel a gentle kiss and handed it back to Danny. “I can see you take very good care of him, Danny.”

 

“He takes care of me, too,” Danny replied, clutching his friend close to his chest.

 

“Is Camel hungry for dessert?” Mary asked, using a little child psychology.

 

“No,” Danny answered. “Camel doesn’t like pumpkin pie.”

 

“Does Camel like ice cream?” she questioned.

 

“Yes,” Danny answered for his camel.

 

“Then maybe I’ll put Camel’s ice cream on your dish and you two can share it, okay?”

 

“Paqui won’t get mad if Camel doesn’t eat what everybody else is having?” Danny questioned.

 

“Is that what Camel is nervous about?” Mary asked knowingly.

 

Danny nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

 

“Tell your camel not to worry,” Mary assured. “Everybody is having ice cream. The pumpkin pie is just extra. I could put a sliver of pie on your plate if Camel would like to try it though.”

 

“Okay,” Danny agreed. “Baba said your pumpkin pie might not taste like the one I had in school and that I should try it. I know my camel can’t eat and that you’re just being nice. Thanks, Grandma.” He reached up and hugged her neck and kissed her.

 

“You’re welcome, little one,” Mary replied, trying not to cry. This child was just too special to her. “Want to come help me get dessert ready?”

 

“I don’t want to drop it again,” Danny said worriedly.

 

“Don’t worry about it,” she told him. “You can handle the ice cream this time.”

 

“Yeahsureyebetcha,” Danny quipped, getting off Mary’s lap. “Let me put Camel away first. I don’t want him to get dirty.”

 

“You do that Danny and then meet me in the kitchen,” Mary said, while getting up.

 

“Sure, Grandma.” Danny hurried off to Daniel’s room while Mary went into the kitchen.

 

 

Part 76: Jack and Daniel

 

Daniel walked outside to find Jack and Shawn busy scrubbing out the grease pot. Everything else had been cleaned up and put away. “Hi, Jack, Shawn. How’s the cleaning up going?” he asked brightly.

 

“Fine, Daniel. Just fine,” Jack answered, a little bit irritably. “How was your nap?”

 

“Fine, Jack. Just fine. Danny’s in with your mom right now. As soon as everything’s cleaned up, we’re going to have dessert,” Daniel explained. Then he got a little serious. “I would like to talk to you first, though.”

 

Shawn spoke up. “You and Daniel go talk, Jack. I can finish up this pot.”

 

“You sure, Dad?” Jack asked, not wanting to leave his dad with too much work.

 

“Don’t argue with your elders, Son,” his dad said teasingly. “Go on. I’ll be fine. This is the last thing to finish and it’s almost done anyway.”

 

“Thanks, Shawn,” Daniel said. Then he and Jack walked out the back gate and up to the rock where Daniel had talked to Danny.

 

Jack sat down next to Daniel. “What’s up, Daniel?”

 

“I wanted to talk to you about what happened with Danny,” he explained. “He shut down again when he dropped the pie.”

 

Jack rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t know it was that bad. He’s not supposed to shut down anymore.”

 

“It didn’t last long,” Daniel said in Danny’s defense. “He just got overwhelmed by the argument you and your dad had and then he dropped the pie and he just couldn’t handle anymore.”

 

“It’s my fault,” Jack said, blaming himself.

 

“It’s nobody’s fault, Jack. It just happened. Danny thought your dad didn’t like him anymore. That he wanted Charlie instead of him.”

 

“We talked about that. My dad and I did, I mean. He’s sorry about the conversation and won’t compare them anymore. He didn’t really think Danny would even pay attention to what he was saying.”

 

“Danny pays attention to everything,” Daniel pointed out.

 

“I know, Daniel,” Jack replied. “Is that the only problem?”

 

“Um, no,” Daniel admitted.

 

“What else is going on, Daniel?”

 

“Remember that story you told this morning, about egging the house?”

 

“Ya think,” Jack responded. “My memory’s not that bad yet.”

 

“Well, Danny’s worried you’re going to use a belt on him,” Daniel said, rubbing his hands together.

 

“For crying out loud, Daniel. He’s only five years old. There’s no way I’d use a belt.” Jack couldn’t believe that simple little story had caused problems.

 

“You were only ten,” Daniel pointed out. “Do you plan on ever using a belt, Jack?”

 

“I really hadn’t thought about it, Daniel. I guess it would depend on what he did and how old he was.” This was too sudden for Jack to really have thought about it. “What do you think about it?”

 

“I’d rather you never use a belt, Jack. I know what your dad did was different, but I would have a very hard time accepting your using a belt, based on my own experiences,” Daniel explained.

 

Jack had forgotten about the story Daniel had told them. “Okay then. I won’t,” Jack agreed. “And if it ever comes to the point I think I need to use anything more than my hand, I discuss it with you first. Okay?”

 

“That sounds good to me, Jack. I think Danny would like to know, too.” Daniel was okay with Jack’s concession. As long as they agreed together on how to discipline Danny, everything would turn out fine.

 

“I’ll talk to him tonight,” Jack replied. “When I give him his bath.”

 

“Thank you for taking that on.” Most of the time giving Danny a bath wasn’t a problem, sometimes though; Danny just didn’t want to take one. Daniel had a feeling tonight would be one of those nights.

 

“You’re welcome,” Jack said sarcastically. “It looks like my dad’s done washing the pot. Let’s go down and have dessert.”

 

“Um,” Daniel said, hesitantly.

 

“What now?” Jack thought they’d dealt with everything.

 

“Danny says he doesn’t like pumpkin pie. He’s afraid your dad will get mad if he doesn’t eat it.”

 

“That’s not a problem. Dad said he won’t say anything more about what Danny does or doesn’t eat.” Jack didn’t have any plans of upsetting Danny any further.

 

“Good,” Danny agreed. “Let’s go have dessert then.”

 

Jack and Daniel walked back down the mountain meeting up with Shawn as he was putting the pot back in the box.

 

“Everything taken care of boys?” Shawn asked. He’d been keeping an eye on them while he was cleaning the pot, even though he couldn’t hear anything.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Jack answered. “Everything’s fine. Hungry for dessert though. All that cleaning we did burned off what I ate for dinner.” Daniel snorted and Jack gave him a dirty look.

 

“Let’s go inside then,” Shawn said, patting Jack on the back. “Food’s awaiting.”

 

 

Part 77: Plans for Friday

 

Inside, Mary and Danny had already set the table with dessert plates. They’d also brought out the pie, some whipped cream and the ice cream. Seeing his dad come in, Danny ran over and jumped in his arms.

 

“I see the nap did you some good,” Jack teased, hugging him. “Are you hungry?”

 

Danny hugged him back. “Yes, Sir. Grandma said we’re having ice cream and pie, with whipped cream, too.”

 

“Sounds good to me,” Jack replied. “I’m starving.”

 

“You just ate a turkey dinner, Daddy,” Danny said, confused.

 

“Yeah, but while you and Daniel were taking a nap and letting your dinners turn to fat, I was busy cleaning everything up and burning all those calories,” Jack tried to explain.

 

“Yeah right,” Danny said snorting.

 

“Hey!” Jack said indignantly. “You’ve been hanging around Daniel too much.”

 

“Uh, uh. I can never hang around either of you too much.” Danny hugged his dad again. “Let’s eat.”

 

Jack put Danny down and went over to the table. Everyone sat down in the same places they’d sat before. Mary had the food in front of her and began serving. She dished up a large slice of pie and whipped cream for Shawn. Then she asked, “What would you like, Daniel? Pie, ice cream or both.”

 

“I’ll take both, please. With whipped cream on both, too.” Daniel accepted the plate Danny passed to him.

 

Then Mary dished up Danny’s plate, not needing to ask what he wanted. She didn’t need to ask Jack either. She already knew his likes and dislikes. Once everyone had their dessert, they began eating.

 

Shawn noticed Danny was only served a sliver of pumpkin pie. However, he didn’t comment on it. He decided to try and find a neutral conversation to include Danny in. “What grade are you in school, Danny?” he asked.

 

“First grade,” Danny answered, after he swallowed his ice cream.

 

“What’s your favorite part of school?” Shawn asked, trying to get more information out of him.

 

“I like all of school,” Danny answered honestly, “but the best part is probably reading. We get to read some pretty interesting books.”

 

“I thought you learned to read in first grade,” Mary commented. She noticed that Danny had tried the pumpkin pie, but he didn’t finish it.

 

Danny shrugged his shoulders and continued to eat his ice cream.

 

“Danny’s mom taught him to read on the digs,” Daniel explained, knowing Danny didn’t like to talk about being smart.

 

“That’s nice,” Mary replied. “It must be a good memory to have.”

 

“Yes, Ma’am,” Danny answered. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk about his parents, but he knew he could say something he wasn’t supposed to if he talked about them too much.

 

Mary took the hint and stopped asking about his parents. “What do you guys want to do tomorrow?” she asked instead.

 

Danny and Daniel both looked to Jack for ideas. Neither of them had been to the Phoenix area before.

 

Jack thought for a moment. He knew what he would like to do, but he also knew what Daniel and Danny would probably like to do. “Danny likes museums a lot,” he told his mom.

 

“Museums?” Shawn said in surprise. Catching his wife’s glare, he added, “Museums sound great to me. He’d probably like the Heard Museum in downtown Phoenix. They have a lot of Native American displays there.”

 

Danny’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected Jack to suggest a museum. Shawn’s idea of a Native American museum was even better. He’d been learning about Native Americans at school. “That sounds cool,” he said with excitement.

 

“It sounds pretty interesting to me, too,” Daniel added.

 

“I guess we’re going to the museum tomorrow then,” Shawn said. He’d almost finished his dessert.

 

“What about going to ZooLights at night?” Mary suggested.

 

“ZooLights?” Daniel asked in confusion.

 

“You know, Mom. That sounds like a great idea,” Jack said, ignoring Daniel’s confusion. “Let’s not tell them what it is though. They like surprises.”

 

“Jack! We do not like surprises. What are ZooLights?” Daniel asked, frustrated with his friend.

 

“Trust me, Daniel. It’ll be more fun if you don’t know exactly what they are. Okay?” Jack had taken Charlie to ZooLights on previous trips to his parents. He knew both Daniel and Danny would enjoy them.

 

“I like surprises,” Danny said in support of his dad. “As long as they’re good surprises.”

 

“This is a good surprise, Danny,” Mary assured him.

 

“Okay,” Danny agreed, trusting his grandma.

 

 

Part 78: Jack and Danny

 

Having made plans for tomorrow, Mary assigned Jack and Shawn to clean up the dessert plates and she and Danny sat down to read a book. Daniel took some time to explore the mountain preserve behind the house. After the house was clean, Shawn and Danny finished their game of chess, which had been left untouched.

 

Noticing the game had ended and Danny had won, Jack said, “Nice game, Bug. However, you need to take a bath now.”

 

Danny groaned. “Daaadddy, I don’t need a bath. Pleeeaaase?”

 

Jack gave him the look that let him know there would be no arguing about taking a bath.

 

“Do I have to go to bed right after my bath?” Danny inquired, hopefully.

 

“We’ll see after you finish,” Jack told him. “It depends on how late it is and if you don’t get a move on right now.”

 

Danny jumped to his feet and grabbed Jack’s hand. “Come on then, Daddy. Let’s get it over with.”

 

Jack let himself be pulled into the bathroom. He left Danny to take care of business and went into his bedroom to get Danny’s pajamas. When he got back, Danny was undressed and ready for his bath. Jack ran the water in the tub then lifted Danny in and sat him down. He let Danny play for a little while before he started washing him. “Danny?” he said.

 

“What, Daddy?” Danny was splashing the water around to make more bubbles.

 

“Daniel said you shut down today,” Jack said gently.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny replied, stilling his movements.

 

“It’s okay, Bug,” Jack assured him. “I was just worried that you felt you needed to.”

 

“I’m sorry I made you worry.” Danny slowly moved his hand through the water.

 

“You need to talk to somebody when you start feeling that way,” Jack tried to explain. He ran some water over Danny’s head, stopping the conversation for a moment.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny agreed quietly.

 

Jack started shampooing his hair. “Daniel also said you were worried about me using a belt to spank you.”

 

Danny nodded.

 

“I don’t ever plan on using a belt. So don’t worry about it. I know my dad used one on me, but that was a long time ago. Things are different.” Jack was worried about Danny not talking much. He rinsed the shampoo out of Danny’s hair. “Are you okay, Bug?”

 

Danny nodded again.

 

Jack picked Danny up and wrapped him up snug in a towel. He grabbed another one to dry his hair. Then he sat down on the closed toilet. He rubbed Danny’s hair dry and said, “I need you to talk to me, Danny. I can’t read your mind.”

 

“Did you spank Charlie?” Danny asked quietly.

 

“Yes,” Jack answered.

 

“Did you use a belt on him?”

 

“No,” Jack replied.

 

“Would you rather have Charlie back than me?” Danny asked so quietly Jack could barely hear him.

 

Jack held him close and rocked him. “I would love to have Charlie back, Danny, but not instead of you. I would have loved for you and Charlie to have been brothers. However, Charlie did die and you are here. I love you so much, Bug. I wouldn’t trade you for anything.” Jack’s eyes' teared up as he said this.

 

“Even to get your son back?” For some reason, Danny was still feeling very insecure.

 

“For crying out loud, Danny. Haven’t you been listening to me?” Jack felt Danny tense up in his arms. “I love you. No matter what. I wish I knew how to convince you of that.” Jack’s tears fell down his face.

 

Danny reached up and wiped his dad’s tears away. “I think you just did.” He hugged Jack tight around the neck. “I love you, too,” he whispered in Jack’s ear.

 

Jack held on for a while, letting the feeling of closeness wash through him. Finally, he released Danny and helped him into his pajamas. “Do you want to stay up for a little longer, or are you ready for bed?” he asked, once both of them had washed their faces.

 

“I want to stay up longer, but I’m too tired to,” Danny admitted. “Are you going to come to bed, too?”

 

“I’m tired, also,” Jack told him. “Going to sleep sounds like a good idea. Let’s go say good night to everyone.”

 

“Okay, Daddy.” Danny held his arms up. “Carry me?”

 

Jack couldn’t resist. He picked up his son and carried him back to the living room.

 

 

Part 79: Another Interrogation

 

Jack and Danny said their good nights and went to bed. Daniel stayed up for a while longer talking with Jack’s parents.

 

Shawn asked, “How long have you and Jack known each other, Daniel?”

 

Daniel had to think about how to answer that. He decided stick as close to the truth as he could. “We met almost two years ago when I was doing a translation job for the Air Force.” He didn’t expand on it though.

 

“I think you’re a great guy, but you just don’t seem like the type of person my son normally makes friends with,” Shawn said.

 

Daniel couldn’t agree more, but he wasn’t sure how to explain how they became friends without telling Jack’s parents about the first mission. He gave it a shot. “Jack didn’t like me much the first time he met me. However, some of the translations I did made the mission a success. I guess I kind of grew on him.”

 

“You must have,” Mary said. “So you and Jack have worked together since then?”

 

“Um, no,” Daniel admitted. “I worked on another project for a year. Then the Air Force decided they needed me again. Jack and I have been working together ever since.”

 

“That’s not very long to end up raising a child together,” Mary commented.

 

“True,” Daniel replied, “but it works for us.”

 

“It certainly seems to,” agreed Shawn. “Do the two of you ever disagree?”

 

Daniel had to laugh. “Jack and I disagree about a lot of things, Shawn. Just mostly at work though. Jack’s the one who deals the most with Danny. I’m there for extra support.” He had to think about what he’d just said for a moment. It was a fairly accurate description, but it didn’t quite cover how their family worked. Choosing to leave it be for now, he hoped Shawn wouldn’t continue with this part of the discussion.

 

Jack had come into the room and overheard the last part of the discussion. He didn’t agree with Daniel’s statement, but would talk to him about it later. “Daniel?”

 

Daniel startled. He hadn’t noticed Jack walk into the room. “Hi, Jack.”

 

“Danny was hoping you’d come in and tell him another story,” Jack told him. “He really liked the one you told last night.”

 

“Sure,” Daniel answered, standing up. “Good night, Mary.” He gave Jack’s mom the hug he knew she expected. “Good night, Shawn.” Then he escaped to the room Danny was sleeping in.

 

Once Jack was sure Daniel had entered the room and closed the door, Jack angrily confronted his parents. “What the hell do the two of you think you’re doing? I want you to stop interrogating Daniel.”

 

“Just one minute, young man,” Shawn responded, standing up in front of his son. “You will not speak to your mother or me like that.”

 

Jack backed down and sat on the couch. He knew how his father felt about cussing, no matter how old you were. He also knew better than to yell at his parents. “I’m sorry, Dad, Mom. It just seems like every time the two of you and Daniel are alone, you grill him for information.”

 

“First of all,” his mom said in response, “we are not grilling Daniel for information. We’re interested in him and want to know more about him. That’s all.”

 

“It didn’t seem that way from my point of view,” Jack explained. “It feels like you’re prying to me. If you want to know something, I’d rather you ask me.”

 

“So we’re not allowed to talk to Daniel at all?” Shawn asked sarcastically.

 

“Of course you’re allowed to talk to him,” Jack said in exasperation.

 

“Then what are we supposed to talk to him about?” his mom asked.

 

Jack rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn’t thought about that. Talking about work was out, too tricky. Talking about the past was tricky too. If he didn’t want them asking questions about their family life, there wasn’t much left to talk about. “Okay,” he conceded, shrugging his shoulders, “there isn’t a whole lot to talk about. Whatever happened to small talk?”

 

“Jack,” Mary began, “we’ve barely heard from you in six months. Then we find out you have a son and are living with another man. We’re interested in what’s going on in your life.”

 

“Then ask me,” Jack said again. “I’ll answer your questions the best I can.”

 

Mary thought for a moment, and then asked, “Why are you and Daniel raising a child together? I can understand you not wanting to raise a child alone, but why with a man?”

 

That was a hard question to answer without giving away Daniel and Danny’s relationship. He tried his best. “When the Air Force asked Daniel to work for them again, he had to be relocated. It was sudden and he didn’t have his own place to live for a while. I told him he could stay with me until he got settled. It took a couple months for him to find his own place due to our work schedule and we got to know each other. When Danny came to live with me, I asked Daniel to help out. Danny attached to both of us and I asked Daniel to move in on a permanent basis. With our jobs, Danny needs two adults looking out for him. We’ve both been raising him ever since and it’s worked.”

 

“Speaking of your jobs,” Shawn pointed out, “are you still going on high risk missions like when you were married to Sara?” Jack nodded. “And does Daniel go on these high risk missions with you?” Jack nodded again. He had a feeling of where his father was going with his questions. “Then who is going to take care of Danny if both of you die on one of these missions? How is that fair to Danny?”

 

“First, Danny has an extended family at the base,” Jack informed his dad. “There are two other families who watch him when we can’t and they care about him as much as he cares about them. Second, Danny knows the risks our jobs entail. That’s why we tried to place him with another family. It didn’t work. Danny loves us and we love him. He’d rather live with people he loves and take the chance of losing us, than have to live with people he didn’t know. We didn’t take Danny on without considering all of the issues. Trust me, it wasn’t a simple choice.”

 

“Deciding to raise a child is never a simple choice, Jack,” his mother pointed out. “I’m glad you gave it a lot of thought. You talk as though Danny got to make the decision though. That’s not a decision for a child to make.”

 

“We all made the decision, Mom,” Jack tried to explain. “Daniel lived most of his childhood with people making decisions for him. He didn’t want Danny to go through that. If Danny hadn’t wanted to live with us, we would have found another place for him to live. He doesn’t want another place and we don’t want him to live with anyone else either.” Jack looked from his mom to his dad. He hoped the conversation would be over soon. “Is there anything else you want to know?”

 

“Do you love him?” his mom asked. When Jack looked at her confused, she added, “Daniel I mean. Do you love him?”

 

Jack had to think about how to answer that. “Daniel is the best friend I have ever had. I care about him and what happens to him. He is also the most compassionate person I’ve met. Daniel is a very special person. Yes, I do love him,” he admitted, “as a person and as a friend.” He noticed his mom’s raised eyebrow, reminding him of Teal’c a little, and added, “Do I want to have a romantic relationship with him? No. What I enjoy having is someone who is as invested in wanting the best for Danny as I do. I enjoy not living alone any more. There’s a lot to be said for living with a friend and not having to worry about any physical relationship.” He saw his dad’s mouth drop open. “You asked, I answered,” he pointed out.

 

Shawn closed his mouth. “You’re right, Jack. I guess I wasn’t expecting such a detailed answer.”

 

“Is there anything else, or can I go to bed now?” Jack was glad he’d had this discussion with his parents. It had actually helped him figure some things out for himself. However, he was getting tired.

 

“No, I think that’s all,” his dad told him. “I’m sorry if you felt we were prying. We didn’t intend for it to be that way.”

 

“I understand,” Jack replied. He stood up and hugged his mom. “Good night, Mom. I’m sorry I raised my voice.”

 

“It’s alright, Jack,” Mary assured him. “I love you.”

 

“Love you too, Mom,” Jack replied. Then he turned to his dad. “I’m sorry, Dad.”

 

His dad pulled him into a hug. “No problem, Son,” he said. Then he released him and smacked Jack’s backside. “Just don’t do it again.”

 

Jack rubbed absently where his dad had smacked him. “I won’t, Sir. Good night.”

 

“Good night, Jack. Take care of your family,” Shawn insisted.

 

“I will,” Jack assured him. Jack walked back to his room to find Daniel and Danny still awake and staring at him.

 

“Thought at least one of you would be asleep by now,” Jack commented.

 

“Not likely,” Daniel replied.

 

“You heard our conversation?” Jack wanted to know.

 

“No,” Danny told him. “I felt it.” He hopped off the bed and ran into Jack’s arms. “I love you, Daddy.”

 

“I love you, too, Bug.” Jack picked him up and carried him back over to the bed. “You didn’t need to worry about me.”

 

“He always worries about you,” Daniel pointed out. “Especially when he feels that you’re upset. I do, too.”

 

“I’m fine,” Jack assured them. “My parents just wanted to ask me a few questions. That’s all.”

 

“Then how come Paqui spanked you?” Danny asked in concern.

 

Jack looked at Daniel who looked just as shocked as he was. Apparently Danny hadn’t mentioned that part to him. “I thought you weren’t watching,” Jack insinuated.

 

“I wasn’t. Honest,” Danny refuted. He dropped his head to Jack’s chest. “I felt it.”

 

Jack rubbed Danny’s back. He figured he might as well explain. Nothing seemed to get by Danny. “It wasn’t really a spanking. It was more of a warning. I said some things to my parents I shouldn’t have and I raised my voice. My dad was just reminding me to behave.”

 

“Would he give you a real spanking if you did something really bad?” Danny wanted to know.

 

After thinking for a moment, Jack answered, “Probably. When I’m in my parents’ house I live by their rules, and accept the consequences.”

 

Danny hugged him tight. “Don’t do anything really bad then,” he warned Jack.

 

“I won’t, Danny. I’ll be more careful.” Jack lifted up Danny’s chin to look at him. “It’s not for you to worry about anymore.” Danny nodded. “You need to get some sleep now. We have a big day planned for tomorrow.”

 

“I still need a story,” Danny told him.

 

Jack looked over at Daniel. “I thought you were going to tell him a story.”

 

“We had other things to discuss,” Daniel explained. “We never got to the story.”

 

“I want Baba to tell the story still,” Danny requested.

 

“I’d like Baba to tell a story, too,” Jack agreed. Then he looked at Daniel. “You up to telling both of us a story?”

 

“Sure,” Daniel agreed grinning at him. “Get dressed for bed and I’ll tuck both of you in.”

 

Danny giggled. “Yeah, Daddy. Get ready for bed.”

 

Jack grinned back at them. Then he quickly got ready for bed, climbed under the covers with Danny, and fell asleep to the story Daniel told of Egyptian gods.

 

 

Part 80: Having Fun

 

The next morning everyone woke up, ate breakfast and headed off to downtown Phoenix and the Heard Museum. Danny was enthralled by what he saw. He’d been studying Native Americans at school, and this brought it alive for him. He especially enjoyed grinding his own flour in the stone grinder left out in the atrium. He even got Jack to try it out with him. Daniel had had his own experience grinding flour and chose to just watch. Soon enough it was time to head back home. First though, Danny asked to stop by the gift shop to buy presents for his friends. He picked out a coloring book for Kayla, a jewelry kit for Tessa and for Rhonda he chose an archeology dig kit. After paying for the presents and letting Danny pick out something for himself, everyone got back in the car.

 

On the way home they stopped at a pizza place for lunch. Danny was allowed to play in the tunnels until the food came. Danny tried to get someone to come in the tunnels with him, but no one was willing to attempt it. The adults just sat around the table and talked. Finally the food came and Danny emerged from the tunnels, hot and sweaty and ready to eat.

 

“The museum was great, Paqui and Grandma. Thanks for taking me.” Danny bit down on his slice of pizza and burnt his mouth on the melted cheese. He quickly grabbed his drink to cool the burn.

 

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, little one,” Mary responded. “I think you’re going to enjoy ZooLights just as much.” Danny nodded in agreement. “However, I think you might want to take a nap when we get home. It’ll probably be a late night.”

 

Danny groaned and looked at Jack who nodded at him. He capitulated. “Yes, Ma’am,” he agreed reluctantly.

 

“After you boys went to bed last night I saw on the news that there’s going to be a hot-air balloon launch at the fountain tomorrow morning,” Shawn told the group. “I thought maybe we could go watch.”

 

Danny’s eyes lit up, and he looked from Jack to Daniel. “Please?” he pleaded.

 

“You’ll have to wake up early,” Shawn pointed out. “They said the balloons start setting up around six-thirty and launch at seven.”

 

“I can get up early,” Danny declared. “I always do at home.”

 

Jack looked to Daniel, who answered, “If you don’t give us any problems with taking a nap, and go to bed as soon as we get home tonight, I don’t see why not. It sounds like fun.”

 

“I’ll do it,” Danny proclaimed. “I promise.”

 

“Okay,” Jack agreed. He looked at Danny who had almost finished his slice of pizza. “Do you want another slice of pizza, Bug?”

 

“No thank you,” Danny answered. “I’m full. Can I play in the tunnels again?”

 

Jack looked at everyone else who was still eating. “You can play until we’re done eating. We’ll call you when it’s time to go.”

 

“Okay,” Danny said, wiping his mouth and sliding off the chair. “Take your time eating.” He grinned at his family and ran off to the tunnels.

 

Jack groaned at Danny’s antics.

 

Shawn commented, “He’s quite a character. You’re going to have your hands full.”

 

“We already do,” Jack insisted. He waved at Danny who had reached an upper level window and was waving at him. “We wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 

A short time later everyone finished eating and then they collected Danny and headed back to the house. Danny kept his agreement to take a nap without arguing and was sound asleep in Jack’s bedroom.

 

Mary and Shawn were each reading a book and Jack had asked Daniel to go for a walk with him. He wanted to talk to him. They walked on a path up the mountain preserve.

 

After awhile, Jack spoke up, “I heard what you said to my dad last night.”

 

Daniel wasn’t exactly sure what Jack meant. “Oh,” was all he said.

 

“You’re not just part of this family for extra support,” Jack explained. “It’s a lot more than that.”

 

Daniel didn’t say anything. He just kept walking.

 

“Daniel, stop for a minute,” Jack said, standing on the path. “I want to talk about this.”

 

Daniel stopped walking and turned around, self-hugging. “It’s not a problem, Jack. Don’t worry about it.”

 

“Maybe it’s not a problem, but I still want to talk about it.” Jack sat down on a rock and waited for Daniel to do the same.

 

Finally Daniel found his own rock and sat hugging his knees. “I don’t have any problems with how our family works, Jack. I’m not sure what you want to talk about.”

 

“Does it bother you that I’m the one that makes most of the rules for Danny?” Jack asked, remembering what Daniel had told his dad.

 

“Jack, if I had a problem with it, I would tell you.” Daniel understood why Jack might worry about it, but it really wasn’t a problem for him. “You know more about children. I trust you with Danny. I trust you with myself, I guess.”

 

“I appreciate that, Daniel. However, you are very important to both of us.” Jack paused for a moment. “I’ve realized that even more since we’ve been here. I may not have liked my parents’ prying, but it’s definitely made me think of things in a different way.”

 

“How so?” Daniel asked, curious as to what Jack was thinking.

 

“My mom asked me if I loved you,” Jack told him.

 

“And…” Daniel prompted.

 

“I told her I did. I love you for the person you are and for the friendship we have. I’m glad I’m not raising Danny alone and I don’t ever want to,” Jack told him honestly.

 

“Thank you,” Daniel said quietly. “I meant what I said about trusting you with myself by the way. Danny’s getting the chance at a life I never had.”

 

“And you’re a big part of that life,” Jack replied. “He wouldn’t have it any other way. I wish you’d had that chance. You deserved more than you got.”

 

“It’s over and done with,” Daniel said, not wanting to delve into the past. “It made me who I am.”

 

“I wouldn’t want you any other way,” Jack assured him. Then he stood up and flipped open his watch to look at the time. “I think we’d better finish our walk. It’ll be time to go to ZooLights soon.” He held out a hand to help Daniel up.

 

Daniel accepted the help and rose to his feet. “I’d like to climb a little farther first though. You can head back down. I’ll be there in a little while.”

 

“You don’t want any more company?” Jack asked.

 

“I’d like a little time to think,” Daniel assured him. “I won’t be long.”

 

“Okay,” Jack replied. “I’ll get Danny up and ready to go.”

 

“Sounds good,” Daniel said. Then he turned and walked farther along the path up the mountain.

 

 

Part 81: ZooLights

 

Jack hiked back down the mountain and checked on Danny who was still sleeping. He sat down on the bed and slowly woke him up.

 

Danny rubbed at his eyes and said, “Good morning, Daddy.”

 

Jack laughed. “It’s not morning, Bug. It’s almost night and it’s time to get ready to go to ZooLights.”

 

“Oh yeah,” Danny said, coming more awake. “What do I need to wear?”

 

“Just put on pants and a shirt,” Jack told him. “We’ll take a coat with us.”

 

“Okay,” Danny replied, hopping off the bed and pulling on some pants. “Are we going right now?”

 

“As soon as Daniel comes back down the mountain. He went for a little hike.”

 

Danny shrugging into a shirt and ran his fingers through his hair. “How’s that?”

 

Jack inspected him. “I think we need to go in the bathroom and comb your hair.” Danny groaned. “You also need your shoes on.” Jack was looking at Danny’s bare feet.

 

“Ya think?” Danny said. He grabbed his shoes and socks and put them on. “Can’t I just leave my hair alone?” he pleaded.

 

“Not likely,” Jack informed him. “Let’s go.”

 

Jack wet Danny’s hair down and combed it out to look nice. Then they went into the living room to see what was going on.

 

“You look nice, Danny,” Mary commented. “Are you ready for ZooLights?”

 

“Sure, Grandma,” Danny answered her. “Daddy says we’re leaving when Baba gets back.”

 

“Then I guess we’re leaving now,” Daniel said as he walked in the door. “I just need to go clean up and I’ll be ready.”

 

“That’ll be fine, Daniel,” Mary replied. “I’ll let Shawn know we’re ready to go.”

 

Once everyone was ready they piled into the car and headed back to Phoenix. It didn’t take too long to get there. However, by the time they arrived it was dark, perfect for ZooLights.

 

Shawn parked the car and everyone got out and started walking towards the entrance to the zoo. Danny saw the lights on the bridge and ran over to them, ignoring the adults.

 

Jack scooped him up and carried him away from everybody else. He put Danny on the ground and knelt next to him. “Danny, what have we said about wandering off?”

 

“Not to,” Danny answered quietly.

 

“And if you do?” Jack prompted.

“I get in trouble,” Danny answered, dropping his head.

 

“I need to keep you safe, Bug, and I can’t do that if you wander off,” Jack reminded him.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny replied. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

 

“I have the wrist tether in my pocket,” Jack told him. “Do we need to use it?” After the trip to New York, Jack had purchased a wrist tether. He’d only used it once with Danny, but the threat of having to use it seemed to be enough.

 

“No, Sir,” Danny answered. “I’ll stay with you. I just got excited.”

 

“I know you did,” Jack replied. “I’m glad you’re excited, but I need to know where you are.”

 

“I won’t run off again,” Danny promised. “However, can I ask to go see something if it’s really interesting?”

 

“If you ask and wait for an answer, that’ll be fine,” Jack explained. “Deal?”

 

“Deal,” Danny agreed. “If I don’t then I have to wear the tether, don’t I?”

 

“Ya think?” Jack messed up Danny’s hair.

 

“Hey!” Danny complained. “You’re the one that made me comb it.”

 

Jack smoothed out the hair and headed back to the rest of the group with Danny in tow. “What do you think of it so far, Daniel?”

 

“It’s a great concept,” Daniel replied. “Are the lights all through the zoo?”

 

“Not everywhere,” Mary explained. “They set the lights up in certain areas that are easy to get to. You just follow the path. It’s a nice walk.”

 

“Cool,” Danny exclaimed, wanting to just take off. “Can we go in now?”

 

“Come on,” Shawn said, holding out his hand. “We’ll go pay and then go in.”

 

Danny happily accepted his paqui’s hand and walked off with him. Once they’d paid the entrance fee, everyone entered the main area of the zoo. Danny pointed out the frog that seemed to jump after a fly and eat it. The lights were flashing in succession to show the animation. “This is neat,” Danny cried out. “Come on, I want to see more.” He held onto Shawn’s hand and headed off after some more lights he could see. Jack, Daniel and Mary followed behind.

 

“What do you think of it, Daniel?” Mary asked, hoping for the best. She figured Danny would like it, but she wasn’t as sure of Daniel.

 

“It’s fantastic,” Daniel answered. “I’ve never seen anything like it. They do this every year?”

 

“Yep,” Jack answered. “We used to bring Charlie to it, too. I’ve always enjoyed it.” He looked ahead to where Danny and his dad were looking at the lighted beehives in the trees. “We’d better catch up.”

 

After they’d caught up with Danny and Shawn, they slowed their pace and enjoyed the lighted scenes. “How come we can’t see any animals?” Danny asked.

 

“Most of the animals are asleep,” Shawn explained. “You can still see the flamingos.”

 

They had just come upon those very animals and Danny looked at them for a while. “They look funny standing with only leg,” he commented.

 

“Yes, they do,” Daniel agreed. “But I don’t think they mind it.”

 

Danny laughed. “I guess not.” He noticed a whole bunch of lights on the other side of the manmade lake. “Those look cool.”

 

“We’ll get over there soon,” Mary assured him, “and they are cool. It’s one of my favorite spots.”

 

Finally they made their way over to the other side of the lake where the lights Danny had noticed were. At the moment, the lights weren’t blinking, but Danny had seen them blink as they were walking. Jack told him to just wait for a little bit, so they all sat on the bench and Danny situated himself on Daniel’s lap.

 

Suddenly all the lights in the fifty-foot trees went out. Then the music started playing and all the lights danced in time to the music. Danny was ecstatic. He’d never seen something like this before. He sat and watched, mesmerized by the display unfolding in front of him. All too soon it was over and the lights went dark and then shone solid.

 

“They stopped,” Danny complained. “I want to see it again.”

 

“If we wait, they’ll start up again with different music,” Mary assured him. “Do you want to wait?”

 

Danny nodded. So they all waited for the next show. It was just as good as the one before. When the second show was over, Daniel continued to hold Danny as they walked along.

 

Danny laid his head on his baba’s shoulder and whispered in his ear, “Mommy and Daddy would’ve loved that.”

 

“Yes, they would’ve,” Daniel whispered back.

 

Danny was tired, even though he’d taken a nap. He fell asleep on Daniel’s shoulder and was carried out to the car. Then they drove home and everyone went to the bed so they could get up early and go to the balloon festival.

 

 

Part 82: Hot-Air Balloons

 

Danny slept in Daniel’s room that night, so he had the pleasure of sneaking up on Jack. It didn’t work with him either. Danny decided he needed to talk with Teal’c to get some new strategies. In the meantime, everyone woke up, ate breakfast and then got in the car to drive to the hot-air balloon festival.

 

They had to park a ways away and then walk to the fountain. Danny swung himself by his hands between his dads as they walked. “Whoa,” he exclaimed when they got to the grass in around the fountain. There were about twenty vans and trucks parked on the grass and everyone was pulling out balloon baskets and large bags. Danny was tempted to run ahead, but was still attached to his dads’ hands. “Come on. Let’s go see,” he said, pulling on them.

 

Jack and Daniel let themselves be drug along by their son and the next thing they knew a very small dog ran up to them and rolled over on her back, waiting to get a belly rub. Danny happily obliged, letting go and bending over to rub the dog’s belly. “I’ve never seen a dog this small,” he told his dads, as the dog jumped up and began licking his face.

 

“Neither have I,” Daniel said, while looking around for the owner.

 

“Smokey, come back here,” said a young woman coming up to them and the dog. She picked up the dog and put her in a pouch she wore in front of her like an infant carrier. “Sorry about that,” she told them. “I just put her down for a second while we were setting up the balloon. She really likes kids though.”

 

“That’s alright,” Jack told her. “My name’s Jack O’Neill and this is Daniel Jackson, Shawn and Mary O’Neill and our son here is Danny.”

 

“My name’s Rhonda and my dog is named Smokey.” She bent down to talk to Danny. “Are you here to see the balloons launch?”

 

“Yes, Ma’am,” Danny said politely. “I’ve never seen them before.”

 

“I crew for one of the balloons here. So does Smokey. Do you want to help us?” Rhonda looked up at his dads. “Some of our crew didn’t make it today and we’re a little short handed. It’s not hard to do.”

 

“Please, Daddy, Baba. I want to help out,” Danny pleaded, still petting Smokey.

 

Jack looked at Daniel and his parents. They all nodded, so he said, “Okay, tell us what to do.”

 

“Great,” Rhonda said, leading them back to the balloon. “It’s nice when we get strong people to help. Smokey loves to help, but she can’t lift much.”

 

“I don’t suppose she could,” Daniel replied, laughing. “Just how much does she weigh?”

 

“She’s a big dog,” Rhonda answered. “At least she thinks she’s a big dog. She weighs three pounds eight ounces. A little more with her collar.”

 

“That is definitely small,” Jack agreed.

 

“Makes it easy to go up in the balloon with her though,” she commented.

 

“The dog goes up in the balloon?” Danny exclaimed. “Isn’t she scared?” He wasn’t so sure he would want to go up in a balloon.

 

“She loves it,” Rhonda said, as they came up to the balloon she crewed for. “She rides in the pouch and barks at birds that fly beneath us. If you guys help out, we might be able to take two of you up for a ride.” She came up to a woman who was standing by a basket that had been unloaded from a trailer. “Judy, I think Smokey might have found us some help today. This is Mr. O’Neill, Mr. Jackson and Danny.”

 

“It’s Colonel O’Neill and Dr. Jackson, but you can call us Jack and Daniel.” Jack shook Judy’s hand. “We’d be happy to help.”

 

“I’d love to have the help,” Judy said. “Some of our crew couldn’t come at the last minute. Rhonda can show you what to do. She and Smokey are crew chiefs.” Then she went to get some things out of her van.

 

Rhonda led them over to the trailer where there was a big red bag lying. “This is the balloon and we need to carry it over to the blanket in front of the basket, okay?”

 

“Sure,” Jack said as he, Daniel and Shawn took hold of the handles and carried the heavy bag over to the blanket and set it down.

 

Rhonda untied the opening and pulled out the part that connected to the basket and laid it down. “Now we need to get the fan out, but I only need one person to help with that.” Daniel volunteered and walked back to the trailer with Rhonda while Judy hooked the cords to the top of the basket.

 

Soon the fan was set and the balloon envelope attached. Jack and Daniel grabbed the bag and pulled allowing the balloon to come out of the bag like a snake. Rhonda grabbed the rope and told them, “This is the crown line. It connects to the top of the balloon. I hold that. What we need to do now is stretch out the envelope so it’s easier to fill with air.” She showed them what to do and soon the balloon was ready to be filled up with hot air.

 

Jack was shown how to hold one side of the throat to let the air in and Daniel held the other. Mary was instructed on what to do with the fan and Shawn stayed at the basket to help when it would lift up. Rhonda took the crown line and Danny stayed with her to watch the balloon fill up.

 

The fan was started and very soon the balloon began to inflate. “I thought this was a hot-air balloon, Rhonda,” Danny said. “The fan is only blowing cold air.”

 

“We have to fill up the balloon with cold air so Judy can light the burners and heat up the air to make the balloon lift up,” Rhonda explained.

 

“Oh,” Danny said as he continued to watch the balloon get bigger and bigger.

 

Finally Judy signaled that she was ready to start the burner and Rhonda increased her grip on the crown line. It was her job to make sure the balloon didn’t lift too fast or tip backward when it straightened up. Danny could hear the burner start as the fan was turned off. Slowly the balloon began to rise. Danny followed Rhonda as she and Smokey, who was sitting calmly in the pouch on her chest, moved in closer to the balloon. It was a fairly calm day and they had no problems with the lifting of the balloon.

 

Once the crown line was attached to the basket everyone gathered around it. “Thanks for the help everyone,” Judy said. “I have room for Rhonda and two of you if any of you would like to go.”

 

“Come on, Danny,” Rhonda said. “It’s really fun. Smokey loves to fly.”

 

Danny looked unsure, but interested. He looked up at Daniel. “Will you come with me, Baba? If you can do it, I think I can.”

 

Daniel had to think about that. He knew both he and Danny had trouble with heights, but he didn’t want it to take over Danny’s life. “You sure you have room for us?” he asked Judy.

 

“Of course,” she said. “But you need to decide soon. We’re ready to launch.”

 

Daniel looked at Jack. “Go on, Daniel. You and Danny will have a great time,” Jack said in encouragement.

 

“Okay, then,” Daniel replied. “What do we need to do?”

 

“First put Danny in the basket. Then Rhonda will get in and then you get in,” Judy explained. Everyone carefully got in the basket and then it was time to launch. “The rest of you can ride in the chase van with Roger. You’ll be there when we land.”

 

Roger was another member of the crew who had showed up late. He was a thin, older man with white hair and a friendly smile. “You’ll have a great time,” he said as he released the rope that attached to the basket.

 

Judy fired the burners and Danny covered his ears at the noise while grabbing Daniel tight.

 

“It’ll be okay,” Rhonda said over the noise. “You get used to the noise. Smokey did. It doesn’t bother her anymore.”

 

Danny looked at Smokey who was looking at him with her head lying on the edge of the pouch. He pet the dog on the head and it took away some of his fear.

 

“Danny,” Daniel said, getting his attention. “Look.” He pointed over the side of the basket to Jack, Shawn and Mary who were waving at him and taking pictures as he floated up into the air.

 

Danny waved back with one hand, his other clutching the waist of Daniel’s pants. Danny’s head barely reached over the edge of the basket, which actually made him feel more secure.

 

Daniel had a tight grip of his own to the frame of the basket, but he was enjoying the ride, more than he thought he would. “This is pretty fun,” he said, once they were high enough that Judy didn’t need to fire the burners as much.

 

“I’m glad you like it. What about you, Danny? What do you think?” she asked.

 

“I like it,” he answered, still staring over the edge of the basket at the ground. “Are we going to go any higher?”

 

“Do you want to?” Judy asked.

 

Danny nodded, so Judy fired the burner and they rose higher in the air.

 

When Judy shut off the burner, Smokey started barking. Rhonda looked around for a moment and then pointed to some birds flying below them. “See, I told you she liked to bark at the birds.”

 

Daniel and Danny laughed.

 

All to soon the flight was over and it was time to land. They found an open area in a park and landed the balloon. A short time later the chase vehicle pulled up and everyone pilled out. With everyone helping it didn’t take long to pack up the balloon envelope and basket. Then they drove back to the fountain and experienced the first timer’s ceremony. They tailgated for a while with the other ballooners and finally it was time to leave.

 

“Thanks for the ride,” Danny said to Judy and Rhonda. “I had a great time.”

 

“You’re welcome,” Judy replied. “Thanks for the help. It makes things so much easier.”

 

Rhonda bent down to Danny and let him hold Smokey for a minute before they left. “Smokey’s glad she made a new friend today. So am I,” she told him.

 

Daniel came up to them and also said his thanks. Then everyone said their good byes and they left.

 

“What did you think of flying in a hot-air balloon, little one?” Mary asked Danny when they were all in the car.

 

“It was scary,” Danny replied, “but also really fun. Not sure I’d want to go again, but I’m glad I did it once.”

 

“How about you, Daniel?” Mary asked.

 

“It was a worthwhile experience,” Daniel answered. “I think I’m with Danny on not want to do it again though. It did feel like floating on air when the burner wasn’t on though.”

 

“Yeah,” Danny piped in. “That was cool. Have any of you been up in a balloon?”

 

Nobody else had, but they talked about it all the way home. Once they got home it was time for lunch, so Jack helped his mom make it. Shawn and Danny played another game of chess with Daniel making suggestions to Shawn when he asked. He still lost though, much to Danny’s delight.

 

They all enjoyed a relaxing afternoon at the house and then went out to dinner that night. They went to a more adult restaurant, however they remembered to bring some tabletop activities for Danny to do and everyone had a good time.

 

 

Part 83: Time To Go Home

 

The next morning was Sunday and everyone was sitting around the kitchen table eating breakfast.

 

“Are you planning on going to church with us, Jack?” Shawn asked his son.

 

Jack dropped his head for a second. He hadn’t even thought about that. He’d been raised catholic, but hadn’t attended church much in the past few years. And not at all since Charlie had died. However, he also didn’t want to disappoint his parents either. He took the easy way out. “What do you want to do, Daniel?”

 

Daniel was interested in the religions of the world, but had not been raised with any one religion. Being raised in foster care meant he’d been to whichever church the family went to, if any. He wasn’t sure whether or not Jack wanted to go, but Jack had left it up to him. “I’d be happy to go to church,” he replied, “if you want to.”

 

“Great!” said Mary happily, not giving her son a chance to say no. “Go ahead and get ready. We leave in about thirty minutes. Our church is just a couple blocks away, so we’ll walk there.” She got up and started clearing the table.

 

Jack carried his plate to the sink and then went to his room. Daniel and Danny followed him.

 

“Are you okay with going?” Daniel asked in concern, once they had some privacy. Jack hadn’t said much. He just started getting some nice clothes out for himself and Danny to change into.

 

“It’s fine, Daniel,” Jack assured him. “I just forgot that my parents still attended church. It’s been awhile since I’ve gone.”

 

Danny had been following the conversation the entire time, not entirely sure what was going on. “What’s church?” he asked.

 

Jack didn’t seem to want to explain it to him, so Daniel sat down and pulled Danny onto his lap. He tried to explain. “Different people have different beliefs in a higher power. People who all believe in the same thing gather together to share their beliefs.”

 

“Do we believe in a higher power, Baba?” Danny asked innocently.

 

“I’m not sure what you believe, Squirt,” Daniel answered. “You’ll experience a lot of things in your life that will help you decide.”

 

“Okay,” Danny said, accepting the answer. “Why do I have to get dressed up though?”

 

Daniel laughed at the more important concern of a five-year old. “It’s just the way things are. Besides, I think your grandma and Paqui want to show you off to their friends.”

 

“Ah,” Danny said knowingly. He got off Daniel’s lap and began to undress so he could change into the dress shirt and pants Jack had picked out for him. As he was changing, he asked, “Will I have to be quiet there?”

 

“Mostly,” Jack said, finally answering one of Danny’s questions. “If you really need to ask about something though, you can whisper it to one of us.” Danny nodded.

 

Deciding Jack could handle any further questions; Daniel went to his room to change clothes. Once everyone was ready, they headed off. Mary and Shawn were in the lead, and Jack lingered in the rear.

 

Danny tugged on Daniel’s shirt and indicated he wanted to be picked up to ask a question. Daniel did so and Danny whispered in his ear, “Why is Daddy upset about going to church, Baba?”

 

“You’ll have to ask him that,” Daniel replied. “However, I think it’s been a long time since he’s been and sometimes that makes it hard for people to go back.”

 

“Is he going to get in trouble for not going?” Danny questioned in concern.

 

“Not exactly,” Daniel tried to explain. “He might think he will though. It’s kind of complicated.”

 

“Okay,” Danny said. He kissed Daniel on the cheek and then was put back down on the ground. Then he went back to hold his dad’s hand as they continued to walk to church.

 

The church fascinated Danny. He was even more interested once they entered and he saw everyone doing the same thing at the same time. He asked as many questions as he could get away with and when he got bored he picked up the Bible in front of him and began to read it, much to Mary’s delight.

 

When Mass ended, everyone gathered outside and Mary introduced her grandson to all of her friends. Danny was polite and accepted all the pinched cheeks and ‘aren’t you so cute’ comments, without complaint. After awhile, he noticed his dad hadn’t relaxed much yet. He went over to him and held his hand again.

 

Jack squeezed Danny’s hand and smiled at him. He’d made it through Mass and it hadn’t been as hard as he thought it would be; having Danny with him had helped. “Love you, Bug,” he said quietly.

 

“Love you, too, Daddy,” Danny answered. “Are we going back soon?”

 

“Soon,” Jack answered. “I don’t think there’s very many people left to meet.”

 

“Jack. Come over here with Danny. I want you to meet some more friends,” Mary called out.

 

Jack groaned quietly so only Danny could hear. Danny giggled. Then Jack picked him up and headed over to his parents. They endured another fifteen minutes of being shown off. Finally they started the walk home.

 

Since they would have to leave for the airport in a couple of hours, Jack, Daniel and Danny changed clothes and started packing for the trip home. They carried the luggage out to the car and Mary slipped a few items into Danny’s backpack when no one was looking.

 

They ate lunch at the house before they had to leave and share a few more stories. Finally it was time to say their good byes.

 

Mary scooped Danny up into her arms and hugged him tight. “You have to call me and write to me often. Understand, little one?” she admonished.

 

“I will, Grandma,” Danny agreed, giving her a kiss. “I’m glad we got to come here.”

 

“Me too,” she agreed. Then she passed him over to her husband and gave Daniel a hug. “You need to make sure you keep in touch. No more long absences.”

 

“I’ll do my best,” Daniel said, hugging her back. “If you ever need anything, just call. Okay?”

 

“I’ll will,” Mary agreed. Once she released him, she pulled Jack in for his hug. “I love you, Son.”

 

“I love you, too, Mom,” Jack said. “I’m sorry I hadn’t called in so long.”

 

“Just don’t do it again,” she reprimanded. “If you ever need anything or need someone to watch Danny, you just let us know.”

 

“Yes, Ma’am,” Jack agreed.

 

Shawn said his good byes to everyone and promised Danny he’d practice his chess. Then they got in the car, waved good bye as they pulled out, and headed back to the airport and Colorado Springs.

 

 

Part 84: Trouble for Danny

 

After Thanksgiving things got back to normal for the family. Danny was still working on base on Tuesdays and Thursdays; trying very hard to get Daniel to add another day he could come. A week later, SG-1 was scheduled for a diplomatic mission to a planet they’d previously visited. Normally they wouldn’t be assigned to a mission like this, but the inhabitants of the planet they’d met on first contact, insisted the negotiations be held with SG-1 and Hammond had agreed.

 

Aunt Bonnie picked up Danny from daycare the day his dads embarked on their mission. He’d had a good day at school and was excited to tell Bonnie about it. When they arrived at the house after picking up the girls, the children played for a while until dinner. General Hammond came home in time to eat with his family, which pleased Danny because that meant nothing was wrong at the base.

 

The next day the daycare van picked up Danny and Rhonda at their school and then headed to the next school to pick up more children. As they drove, a dark van pulled in front of them with another behind. On a quiet stretch of a two-way road, the van in the front slowed down to a stop and the van behind boxed the daycare van in between.

 

Danny immediately felt something was wrong and grabbed Rhonda’s hand. “Rhonda,” he said quietly.

 

She looked at him and could see the fear in his eyes. “What?” she asked just as quietly.

 

“They want me,” he stated. “Tell my dads I love them and to find me soon.”

 

At that moment someone opened the driver’s side door at the same time as the side door was opened. Both of the men wore ski masks and pointed guns at the kids and the driver. “You Danny?” the man in front of the kids asked gruffly.

 

Danny nodded.

 

“Get over here then,” he ordered, pointing the gun at Rhonda.

 

Danny let go of Rhonda’s hand and unbuckled his seatbelt. He stood up and the man grabbed him around the waist, pulled him out and slammed the door shut.

 

The man pointing the gun at the driver lowered the gun and shot out the tires, scaring everyone. Then Danny was carried to the first van. He was blindfolded and his hands were tied in front of him. “You try and take the blindfold off and I’ll tie your hands behind your back. Understand, kid?” the man grumbled at Danny. Danny nodded. He got slapped across the face. “Answer me when I ask you something.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny squeaked out, trying very hard not to cry. Finally he was laid down on the bench seat and left alone. They drove for a long time and after a while Danny fell asleep.

 

When the van stopped in front of a cabin in the forest, Danny was still asleep. Large hands roughly picked him up and carried him in under the man’s arms. He was tired of being carried that way, but he was more afraid of saying anything. Once they’d entered the cabin, Danny was placed on a chair and told not to move. He didn’t.

 

Hearing people moving about and doors opening and closing, Danny’s fears continued to rise. It seemed like an awful lot of things were being brought in, making him think he’d be here for a while. He heard the van start up and then he thought that it had left. “You hungry, kid,” someone asked him. It wasn’t the voice of the man who had grabbed him. “Yes, Sir,” he answered quietly. A sandwich was thrust into his hands. Sniffing it, Danny recognized the smell of peanut butter. He took a tentative bite and then continued to eat the sandwich quietly.

 

“So now what?” the man who had given him the sandwich asked someone.

 

“Now we find out what he knows, idiot,” the man who had hit him replied.

 

“I don’t know why I got into this. He’s just a kid,” the man Danny decided to name Engee said. “How is he supposed to know anything?”

 

“You saw the report,” Beegee, Danny’s name for the other man, answered. “He’s not just a kid.”

 

Danny had finished his sandwich and just sat there. Then he started to fidget without wanting to.

 

Beegee noticed, and complained. “Stop moving around, kid!”

 

Danny tried very hard to not move, but the call of nature couldn’t be denied. Engee asked, “What’s the problem, kid?”

 

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Danny said quietly, crossing his legs.

 

“Troublesome kid,” Beegee muttered.

 

Engee scooped Danny up and carried him to the bathroom. He stood Danny in front of the toilet and pulled down Danny’s pants. “Just go, kid. The toilet’s right in front of you. You can’t miss.”

 

Danny hated the fact he was being watched and that he was still blindfolded with his hands tied. However, physical needs won over. Soon Danny had finished and was just standing there. “I’m done,” he said quietly.

 

“What? Oh.” Engee pulled up Danny’s pants and carried him back into the other room and sat him on the chair again. Apparently he hadn’t been watching as closely as Danny had thought.

 

“You want a drink?” Engee asked.

 

“Yes, please,” Danny answered.

 

“Kid doesn’t need any water,” Beegee grunted. “He’ll just need to go to the bathroom again.”

 

Engee ignored him and handed the bottle of water to Danny anyways. Danny drank slowly, still listening and worried about what was going to happen to him.

 

He heard someone stand up and could feel someone breathing in his face. He dropped the water bottle and tried to pull his head back but the chair back wouldn’t let him.

 

“Listen, kid,” Beegee said forcefully. “It’s time to get things started. We want to know how you ended up on that planet they found you on.”

 

“I don’t know…” Danny began. Then he felt the hand connect with his face again. His head snapped to the side and he tried to reach up to rub his cheek but his hands were yanked back down. He could feel the tears behind his blindfold. Wishing he could just turn himself off like he’d done before, he worried the man in front of him wouldn’t care and would hurt him anyways.

 

“Take it easy,” Engee told Beegee. “You don’t need to hurt him.”

 

“I’ll get him to talk any way I want. Understood? I’m the one in charge.” The tone of his voice frightened not only Danny, but Engee too. Beegee turned back to Danny. “Answer me, kid.”

 

Danny had no idea how to answer without getting hurt again. He didn’t know how he’d ended up on the planet. “If I knew I would tell you,” he finally said. “I can’t remember.” He was having a hard time not crying.

 

Beegee shoved Danny backwards, knocking him and the chair over. Danny screamed when he hit the ground and started crying hard. Beegee kicked the chair and walked away.

 

Engee picked Danny up and held him on the couch. “I want to go home,” Danny cried as quietly as he could. “I want my dads.”

 

“You’ll get to go home,” Engee assured him. “As soon as you tell us how you got to the planet.”

 

“I don’t know how,” Danny tried to tell him again. “One day I was just there. Then my dads found me. I wanna go home.”

 

“Get the kid ready,” Beegee told Engee.

 

Danny didn’t know what was going to happen to him next, but Engee shifted him around so he was sitting back to front. Then his arms were held out in front of him. He hated not being able to see. Beegee put something tight around his arm, and then something cool was rubbed on his arm by the bend of his elbow. “Hold still, kid, or this is going to hurt worse than it should.” Danny cried again when he felt the needle go in his arm. He would’ve pulled away, but Engee held his arm still. Finally the needle was pulled out and a Band-Aid was placed on his arm. “Relax, kid. I just took some blood.” Danny could hear the door open and close, while Engee was still holding him.

 

“We’re going to let you get some sleep now. Don’t be too scared, but I’m going to be putting you in cage so you can’t get out.” Danny shook his head hard. “It’s either that or I have to tie you to the bed,” Engee told him.

 

“I won’t try to run away,” Danny pleaded quietly. “I’ll be good.”

 

“Sorry,” Engee replied, “but the other guy says it’s one way or the other. Which do you want?”

 

Danny just shook his head. “I don’t want to be tied up. Please.”

 

“Then I’ll put you in the cage.” Engee stood up with Danny still in his arms. He carried him across the room and then placed him in what was essentially a large dog kennel. A blanket and a pillow had been laid on the floor. “Leave the blindfold on or you’ll be in trouble. Understand?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny mumbled. He’d already curled into a ball and stuck his thumb in his mouth for comfort.

 

 

Part 85: SG-1 Returns

 

The moment the vans left, the daycare driver, Bill, tried to call the office but couldn’t find a signal. He knew someone would report the van as missing when he didn’t pick up at the next school, but he wanted to get help for Danny as soon as possible. Finally he was able to flag down a car. The driver promised to call the police and the daycare center as soon as they reached a phone. About twenty minutes later a police car showed up. The officer took a statement and then Bill and Rhonda were taken to the base to meet with complex’s security forces.

 

Sergeant Siler was waiting with General Hammond for Rhonda and Bill to arrive. “Daddy!” Rhonda yelled, running into his arms. “You have to find Danny. He looked so scared.” She’d been trying to stay strong while she talked to the police officer, but now that she was with her dad her defenses fell and she started crying in his arms.

 

“Shh, Honey,” Siler comforted, rubbing her back. “Danny will be fine. We’ll find him. Everything will be okay.” Rhonda continued to cry on his shoulder.

 

“Why don’t you take her home, Sgt. I think we have everything we need from her for now,” General Hammond suggested.

 

“Thank you, Sir. My wife’s going to meet us at the house. I’ve already called her,” Siler explained. Then he left, still carrying Rhonda.

 

The General turned to the security force he’d brought with him. “Talk with the police and get whatever information you need. I need to check on whether or not we’ve been able to contact his parents yet.”

 

He walked into the control center a short time later. “Any news on contacting SG-1, Sergeant?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Sgt. Davis answered. “Colonel O’Neill has been informed that SG-1 needs to return to base immediately. They are on their way back to the ‘gate and should arrive shortly, Sir.”

 

At that point the incoming wormhole klaxon sounded. “It’s SG-1’s code, Sir.”

 

“Open the iris,” Hammond said, as he left the control room to enter the gateroom. After SG-1 emerged, he ordered, “SG-1, report to the briefing room immediately.” Once he finished speaking, he turned around and walked away.

 

SG-1 was shocked to say the least. Rarely was the General so short with them and to report to the briefing room before post mission physicals was almost unheard of. They gave their weapons and packs to the airmen in the gate room and headed for the briefing room after the General.

 

General Hammond waited for the team to sit down before he gave them the news he wished he’d never have to give. “SG-1,” he began. Then he changed his mind. “Jack, Daniel.” Jack and Daniel knew something wrong and it was personal by his form of address. “Approximately four hours ago Danny was kidnapped from the daycare van by two unknown assailants.”

 

“What?!” Jack screamed, standing up and hitting the table.

 

“Colonel O’Neill!” Hammond said, responding to Jack. “Sit down and calm down. Getting upset will not help Danny.” Jack sat, but didn’t calm down. “We’re already doing all we can to find him. We contacted you as soon as we found out to come back.”

 

“We appreciate it, General,” Daniel stated, trying to remain calm himself. “What’s being done to find him?”

 

“We have people investigating the area he was kidnapped from and the van itself. So far there are no leads. We also have people looking into who might have a motive to take him,” the General explained.

 

“The NID,” Jack said with conviction. The rest of the team looked at him in confusion. He tried to explain, “The NID is a group of government agents who work mostly for themselves. We’ve been hearing rumors they’re interested in the Stargate program for themselves.”

 

“We’re looking into that possibility, Colonel,” Hammond assured him. “However, getting information on the group is very difficult.”

 

“How may we assist in locating Danny Jackson O’Neill, General Hammond?” Teal’c queried.

 

“The moment we believe we know where he is, you’ll be the first team in on the recovery,” Hammond answered. “For now, there’s not much you can do, I’m sorry to say.”

 

“There has to be something we can do to help, Sir,” Sam insisted.

 

“The security forces are doing all they can at the moment.” The General wished he had better news. “We need to let them do their job.”

 

“Of course, Sir,” Jack agreed to everyone’s surprise. “May we be dismissed?”

 

Hammond wasn’t at all surprised by Jack’s reaction. He knew Jack would officially leave matters alone, unofficially, who knew what would happen. “First you need to have your post mission physicals. Dismissed,” he agreed.

 

Jack stood up and the rest the team followed him to the infirmary. Physicals were performed quickly and everyone met in Daniel’s office.

 

“Carter, I want you to get information on the NID,” Jack ordered. “In the meantime Daniel and I will find out what information the security forces have already gathered. Teal’c, we’re going to need you when we find Danny. Everyone understand?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Sam replied.

 

“Understood, O’Neill,” Teal’c intoned.

 

Daniel remained silent and Jack was worried about him. “Daniel? We’ll find him quickly, okay?”

 

Daniel shook his head to clear it. “Of course, Jack. I’ll meet you in a minute.”

 

Sam and Teal’c left the men alone and went to work on what they could.

 

“Daniel, what’s wrong?” Jack asked in concern.

 

“I’m not sure,” Daniel tried to explain. “You know how Danny can feel things sometimes.” Jack nodded. “I think it’s working both ways, and what I’m feeling isn’t good.”

 

Now Jack was concerned. Danny feeling what they were feeling was strange enough. “Just what are you feeling?”

 

“Scared,” Daniel answered. “And hurt. My face hurts. We need to find him, fast.”

 

“We will, Daniel,” Jack replied. “This stuff you’re feeling, can it help us find him?”

 

“Not right now, Jack. It’s not telling me anything about where he is, just what he’s feeling. It seems very dark to me,” Daniel added.

 

“Okay, then. Let’s go see what we can find out about what they’ve found so far. Hopefully there’s a lead.” Jack and Daniel left his office to try and find their son.

 

There weren’t any leads and the information they did have wasn’t helping them. All they could do at this point was wait and worry.

 

 

Part 86: More Trouble

 

During the night Danny slept fitfully. They hadn’t untied his hands and his face still hurt from being hit. Unintentionally he’d also removed his blindfold and hadn’t noticed. Unfortunately for him, Beegee did as soon as he came to ask him more questions. Roughly pulling Danny from the cage, he backhanded him again. “I told you to leave the blindfold on, kid!” he screamed at Danny.

 

“I’m sorry!” Danny cried out, struggling to avoid being hit again.

 

“Stupid kid,” Beegee muttered, tossing Danny on the couch. “Doesn’t matter anymore anyways. The boss wants us to bring you to him. I doubt you’ll ever see home again.”

 

Danny’d had enough. If he were never going home, it wouldn’t matter if he shut down. He curled up into a ball and closed his eyes, and closed off the world around him.

 

 

Part 87: A Surprise Friend

 

Nothing had been accomplished in finding Danny that day. Jack and Daniel went home and tried to get some sleep, not an easy task.

 

The next morning Sam and Teal’c arrived at the house, but not with any good news. They did come to offer moral support. As they sat in the living room and talked about what they could do to find Danny, a bright light interrupted them.

 

A short, gray humanoid stood in the middle of the living room. “I am Thor,” he stated.

 

“Holy Hannah,” Sam cried.

 

“What are you doing here, Thor?” Daniel asked, the first one to come to his senses.

 

“We have been keeping an eye on you for sometime now,” Thor explained. “We also know of the plight young Danny faces and wish to help.”

 

“For crying out loud,” Jack cried in disbelief. “How do you know about us and how in the world can you help?”

 

“I believe Thor is the Norse god of thunder, Jack,” Daniel explained before Thor could answer. “It’s a good god. Like the image you saw on Cimmeria.”

 

“That is correct, Dr. Jackson,” Thor replied. “We have been interested in your race and this planet for some time now. I will be happy to explain more at some point, but right now your son needs help.”

 

“Then help him,” Jack insisted in frustration.

 

A second later a beam of light transported them to the middle of the cabin Danny was being held in. Beegee was about ready to hit Danny again to try to wake him up when Teal’c clamped down on his shoulders and threw him against the wall. Daniel ran to Danny who was lying limply on the couch, and pulled him into his arms.

 

Jack was about to check on Danny, when Engee entered the room from the bedroom. Seeing another kidnapper, he went after him and pinned him against the wall, his arm cutting off the other man’s supply of oxygen. “Who are you and what have you done to my son?” Jack yelled in his face.

 

“I’m nobody,” Engee insisted. “I didn’t hurt your son. Hugh was the one in charge. He hurt him. Not me.”

 

Jack pressed harder on the man’s throat making him gasp for breath, ready to kill him.

 

“Jack,” Daniel yelled at his friend. “Let Sam and Teal’c take care of him. Danny needs you.”

 

Grabbing the man by the shoulders, Jack hurled him to the floor where Sam quickly tied him up. Then she and Teal’c took the men outside to question them.

 

Jack sat down on the couch next to Daniel and Danny trying to control his anger so Danny wouldn’t feel it. He could see the bruises on Danny’s face in the shape of a handprint and hoped Teal’c was dealing with the piece of trash who had hurt his son.

 

Daniel rocked Danny in his arms and tried to talk him into coming back. It was obvious Danny had withdrawn into his own world and Daniel didn’t blame him one bit.

 

Jack placed Danny’s legs across his lap and rubbed his son’s legs, joining Daniel in trying to let him know he was safe.

 

Another light appeared and Thor again appeared in front of them. “I am sorry for what has happened. We knew your race could be violent, but we did not realize they would hurt a child or we would’ve kept a closer watch on him,” he told them. Then he placed his palm on Danny’s forehead and closed his eyes.

 

Danny’s bruises disappeared and he opened his eyes. Seeing his dads, he started crying and just held onto Daniel, not even noticing Thor was in the room.

 

“What do you mean, ‘you would’ve kept a closer watch on him’? How do you even know about Danny?” Daniel asked over the top of his son’s head, grateful Thor seemed to have healed him.

 

“We were the ones who sent him to you,” Thor admitted. “When you began to use the gate again after so many years we became more interested in you. Then when you traveled to one of our protected planets, we found out more about Jack O’Neill and realized he was missing something in his life we thought we could provide. I’m sorry if we were mistaken.”

 

“You weren’t mistaken,” Jack insisted. “But why Danny?”

 

“Dr. Jackson is important to the future of your planet. However, this young one will also be as important in his own way. I cannot explain anymore than that.” Thor seemed to have a sad look on his face. “If you wish, we can take him with us.”

 

“No!” both Jack and Daniel yelled at the same time, startling Danny.

 

Danny finally saw Thor standing next to him. “Who are you?” he asked quietly.

 

“I am a friend,” Thor replied. “Do you remember me?”

 

Danny closed his eyes in thought. “I think I do. You were on the planet before my dads found me,” he answered.

 

“Yes, I was,” Thor agreed. “You were a very brave boy.” Danny smiled a little at the praise. “Do you want to stay here with your dads, or do you want to come with me?”

 

“Stay here,” Danny insisted, starting to cry at the thought of being taken away again.

 

“Shh,” Jack comforted. “We have you back now and you’re not going anywhere. Right, Thor?”

 

“That is correct, Colonel O’Neill,” Thor agreed. “Danny will stay with you. We will do our best to keep a close watch on him though.”

 

“Please do,” Daniel agreed. “Thank you for your help.”

 

“I need to leave now,” Thor said as bright light took him away.

 

“We told you we’d find you,” Jack said to Danny.

 

Danny let go of Daniel and wrapped his arms around Jack. “I was so scared,” he cried into Jack’s shoulder. “Beegee was so mean to me.”

 

“Beegee?” Jack questioned.

 

“Bad Guy,” Danny explained. “Engee was the Nice Guy. He gave me food and water. Beegee is the one who hit me when I couldn’t tell him what he wanted to know. He said I was never going home again.”

 

“Well he was wrong,” Jack responded. “You’re safe now and we’re going to take you home very soon.”

 

“Good,” Danny said, laying his head back down. “I want Camel and my own bed.”

 

Jack hugged Danny one more time then passed him back to Daniel. “I need to check on what Teal’c and Carter are doing. Okay?”

 

“Sure, Jack,” Daniel answered. “We’ll be fine.”

 

 

Part 88: Taking Out the Trash

 

Jack walked out to where Teal’c and Carter had the two men trussed up on the ground. “Did they tell you anything?”

 

“Not much, Sir,” Sam replied. “This one,” she pointed to Engee, “is Ned. He seems to be a flunky without much information. The other one isn’t talking so far.”

 

Jack checked with Teal’c who nodded at him. Understanding Teal’c’s intent, he said, “Carter, why don’t you go inside and see if Daniel needs any help? Teal’c and I will keep an eye on these two.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Carter agreed, figuring they’d be doing more than keeping an eye on the two men. Then she reentered the cabin.

 

Jack turned back to Hugh and kicked him in the leg. “You hurt my son,” he growled. “No one hurts my family and gets away with it. Who told you to take him?” he gave him another kick.

 

“I’m not telling you anything,” Hugh grunted.

 

“Teal’c,” Jack said dryly. “I think we need to take this discussion farther away from the cabin. What do you think?”

 

“I agree, O’Neill,” Teal’c intoned. Then he picked up Hugh and threw him over his shoulder.

 

Jack pulled Ned to his feet and pushed him to walk. “Move it!” he insisted.

 

They were gone for about an hour. Then they came back with all the information they needed.

 

 

Part 89: Safe and Sound

 

Back at the cabin Sam and Daniel were taking care of Danny. They got him a drink of water and just held onto him making him feel safe.

 

Jack and Teal’c came back into the cabin, slightly disheveled. Jack sat down next to Daniel and Danny again.

 

Danny crawled onto his lap. “I want to go home, Daddy,” he told Jack.

 

“We’ll be home soon, Bug,” Jack assured him. To everyone else he said, “I’ve called Hammond. They were able to track my phone signal and will be sending a clean up team soon.”

 

“Good,” Daniel responded. “The sooner we get out of here the better. Is everything taken care of with the kidnappers?”

 

“They will bother us no longer, Daniel Jackson,” Teal’c informed him.

 

“Oh,” Daniel said, understanding the meaning. In this case, he couldn’t say he disagreed with their methods either. Looking across the room he saw the kennel Danny had obviously been kept in and agreed with the method even more. He’d never understood a parent’s need to protect their child at all costs, until now.

 

About an hour later the security force arrived to pick them up. Jack, Daniel and Danny went back to the base immediately while Sam and Teal’c stayed to help.

 

Once back on base Danny was checked over by Dr. Fraiser and released to his dads. They had a quick debriefing and then went home. Danny wouldn’t go to sleep by himself so Jack stayed with him this night and quieted the nightmares as they came.

 

Although they encouraged Danny to talk about what happened, he refused. The nightmares were their only clue.

 

 

Part 90: Great News

 

The next day Jack and Daniel received some great news and arranged to invite their friends over for a party the next night. They told Danny it was a party to celebrate his being home. They went shopping and cleaned the house to get it ready.

 

The first guests to arrive were Sam and Teal’c. Next were Janet and Cassie. When the Silers arrived Danny ran up and hugged Rhonda tight. He’d missed his friend and had been worried about her. The rest of the night they stayed close together. Finally General Hammond and his family arrived.

 

After dinner Jack had everyone gather in the living room. Then he and Daniel called Danny up to stand with them. “First, we’d like to thank everyone for coming to celebrate Danny’s homecoming with us.” Everyone clapped and Danny blushed. “However, there’s another reason we invited all of you to celebrate with us.” Jack picked Danny up and held him between him and Daniel. “Daniel and I are now officially and legally the proud parents of Daniel Jackson O’Neill. The adoption went through yesterday.” Everyone cheered.

 

Danny finally understood what was happening and hugged Jack hard. “You’re mine now, right?” he asked leaning back to look Jack square in the eyes.

 

“I’ve always been yours, Bug,” Jack told him. “But now it’s legal. Name change and all.”

 

Danny looked at Daniel. “You’re mine, too. Right?”

 

Daniel took Danny from Jack and held him close. “Absolutely, Squirt. Forever and always.” All three of them hugged for a moment then they rejoined their guests.

 

Danny ran over to Rhonda. “It’s legal now. Name change and all,” he confirmed. “Nobody can say they aren’t mine any more.”

 

Rhonda was just as excited as Danny was. She knew how much it meant to him for his dads to be his legally.

 

The party lasted a couple more hours until the children wore out and it was time for bed. Everyone congratulated Jack, Daniel and Danny once more before they left and then Danny was put to bed.

 

Part 91: Mission?

 

Danny continued to have trouble sleeping through the night. Either Jack or Daniel would sleep with him so they could calm him back down. Things were better during the day, however Danny refused to go back to school and neither Jack nor Daniel was too eager to make him. Arrangements were being made to have more security at the school and day care, but it was taking time. Instead, Danny went to work with his dads.

 

The biggest problem was missions could not be put off forever. SG-1 had left the negotiations when they’d had to come home early to save Danny. The people of P3X-447, the Hendrons, were still refusing to negotiate with any other team. They’d been told about the issue involving Col. O’Neill and Dr. Jackson and understood. However, they were eager to continue the talks about medical knowledge in exchange for mining naguada.

 

General Hammond sent for Col. O’Neill. Once Jack arrived and sat down, Hammond got right to business. “Col. O’Neill, we need to get SG-1 back to P3X-447. How soon do you believe this will happen?”

 

“I’m not sure, Sir,” Jack answered honestly. “Danny still won’t let us out of his sight unless he’s with either Teal’c or Carter. I just can’t see leaving him with anyone else right now. It’s too soon.”

 

“I understand the issue Colonel, but we can’t have SG-1 on stand-down forever.” Jack started to protest, but was cut off by the General’s raised hand. “What would you think of taking Danny with you on this mission?”

 

“What?” Jack exclaimed. “You want us to take Danny with us to P3X-whatever?”

 

“We told the Hendrons of your problem and they invited Danny to join you. Dr. Jackson said himself they were very family oriented,” Hammond pointed out.

 

“They are, Sir,” Jack agreed.

 

“And Danny has already been through the gate before.”

 

“Yes, Sir.” Jack wasn’t sure whether he wanted Danny on the mission or not. He didn’t like to take chances. However, the people were very open and pleasant all the times they’d already been there. “Are you sure about this, General?”

 

“It’s not the perfect option, I know,” Hammond agreed, “but the brass is breathing down my back to get SG-1 back into action. It’s the only reasonable solution I could come up with. What do you say?”

 

Jack was quiet for a moment. None of the options were ideal and he couldn’t make the decision himself. “I need to discuss it with Daniel and Danny first, Sir. However, I believe we could make it work.”

 

“Go talk to them, Colonel. Dismissed.” Hammond flipped through some papers and allowed Jack to leave; hoping things would work out.

 

 

Jack found Daniel working in his lab. He explained what Hammond had told him about the mission.

 

Daniel mulled it over. “The Hendrons are very nice people. I don’t have an issue about safety, but is it right for us to be taking Danny on missions?”

 

“It doesn’t seem like we have a lot of options this time,” Jack pointed out, “unless you want to leave Danny with someone here.”

 

“I’d prefer it, but I don’t think Danny would accept it right now,” Daniel commented.

 

“Ya think,” Jack quipped. “So, do we talk to Danny?”

 

“I guess so,” Daniel agreed. “He’s working out with Teal’c, but he should be back any time.”

 

Jack waited in Daniel’s office, fiddling with the ‘rocks’.

 

A short time later Danny arrived at Daniel’s office with Teal’c in tow. “Danny Jackson O’Neill is becoming a formidable warrior,” Teal’c intoned.

 

Danny beamed. He ran over to Jack and hugged him. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

 

“I came to talk to Daniel and find you,” Jack answered.

 

“You found me,” Danny replied.

 

“Yes, I did, and now we need to talk to you.” Danny got silent and dropped his head. “Relax, Bug,” Jack comforted. “It’s just that SG-1 needs to finish negotiations with the Hendrons. You remember us talking about them.” Danny nodded, still silent and gripping Jack. Jack sat down on the couch with Danny on his lap. He could tell Danny was getting upset. “What’s the problem, Bug?” he said gently.

 

“I don’t want you to leave,” Danny said quietly, starting to cry.

 

“Not even if you got to come with us?” Daniel asked.

 

Danny startled and looked up at Daniel. “Through the Stargate?” he questioned.

 

“Yes,” Daniel answered, “but only this one time. We’ve been to this planet a couple of times already and we know it’s safe. The next mission you’ll have to stay here.”

 

Danny decided not to worry about next time. “Do I get to wear my BDU’s?”

 

“Yes,” Jack agreed.

 

“And a backpack and vest?”

 

Jack laughed. “We’ll see if we can find one to fit you.”

 

“Can Camel come?”

 

“Yes, Camel can come,” Daniel assured him. “Anything else?

 

“When do we leave?” Danny asked with enthusiasm.

 

“Tomorrow morning,” Jack told him. “We’ll be gone about four days.”

 

“Okay,” Danny agreed. He thought about something for a moment then asked, “I can’t tell anybody about this, can I?”

 

“Nope,” Jack replied. “You can’t ever tell anyone about our jobs. Is that a problem?”

 

“No, Sir,” Danny answered. “Just wondering.”

 

Daniel watched Danny turn inward again. He rubbed Danny’s head and asked, “What else is bothering you, Squirt?”

 

Danny looked up at his baba. “Can the bad guys get me on this planet?” he asked hesitantly.

 

“No, Danny,” Jack assured him. “You’ll be safe.”

 

 

Part 92: Embarking

 

After another restless night of Danny’s nightmares, everyone arrived on base ready to embark. The quartermaster had managed to secure an undersized pack just for Danny. He didn’t get a vest, but at least the pack looked like his dads. What was contained in the pack was vastly different though. Tucked into Danny’s pack were his camel, his journal, and some snacks. Jack and Daniel had split up the other necessary items between themselves.

 

Danny saluted General Hammond when they entered the gateroom. “Morning, Sir,” he said.

 

“Morning, Son,” the General replied saluting back, wondering if Col. O’Neill would ever pick up his son’s good habits. “Ready for your mission?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny said confidently. He stared up at the Stargate. It’d been awhile since he’d been in this room. Stepping between his dads, he grabbed each of their hands. “At least I think so,” he said more quietly.

 

“You’ll be fine,” Hammond assured him, patting him on the shoulder.

 

Daniel squeezed Danny’s hand as the gate began to spin. “Chevron one, encoded,” Sgt. Davis called out.

 

Danny’s hand gripped tighter as each chevron engaged. As the seventh chevron locked and the Stargate kawooshed, Danny pulled back still holding his dads’ hands. “I forgot what it was like,” he said to himself.

 

Jack and Daniel just held his hands tightly as they let Sam and Teal’c walk up the ramp and go through the gate first. Safe planet or not, they didn’t want Danny to be the first one through. “Ready,” Jack asked, looking down at his son. Danny looked up and nodded, too nervous to talk. Keeping Danny between them, the three of them walked up the ramp and entered the wormhole.

 

 

Danny exited the wormhole held up by the arms of his dads so he wouldn’t tumble over. “Whoa!” he exclaimed. “That was scary, but fun. I forgot what it was like.”

 

“I’m glad you liked it,” Daniel replied. “However, we need to get to the town now.”

 

“Okay.” Danny headed off after Teal’c who had taken point, with Sam in the rear.

 

“Danny!” Jack called out, giving him a stern look.

 

‘Oops,’ Danny thought. ‘Just through the gate and already in trouble.’ He walked back to Jack and took his hand. “Sorry, Daddy. I’ll stay with you.”

 

“You’d better,” Jack ordered. “I brought the wrist leash if you don’t.” He wasn’t taking any chances off-world.

 

Danny shuddered. He’d only been made to wear the wrist leash once and he’d hated not getting to choose where he went. “Yes, Sir,” he replied quickly.

 

Daniel looked at Jack, not knowing he’d brought the tether, but understanding why. He held Danny’s other hand and walked towards the town.

 

It wasn’t very far before they reached the town. On the way they passed small farms and ranches. Everyone was outside either working or playing. Some of the kids waved as Danny passed by. Danny politely waved back as he walked along wondering about meeting people on a new planet.

 

A short time later, they arrived at the town hall where they would meet the representative they were negotiating with. Aaron met them at the entrance. “Welcome, welcome. We are so happy to see your return.” He knelt down to Danny. “And is this the child for which you needed to return so quickly?” He tapped Danny on the chin.

 

Danny had no idea what to say so he just looked up at Jack who answered, “Yes, it is. Aaron, this is Danny Jackson O’Neill. Danny, this is Aaron. He’s in charge of the town.”

 

Danny held out his hand. Aaron had become used to the visitors method of greeting and shook Danny’s hand. “My pleasure to meet you, Danny.”

 

“Nice to meet you, too, sir,” Danny said in greeting.

 

Aaron then addressed Col. O’Neill. “We have arranged to have you stay with a family this time. If that is suitable to you? They have a boy similar in size to this one.”

 

Jack and Daniel looked at each other, not seeing a problem with the arrangements. “Certainly, Aaron,” Jack agreed. “That would be nice.”

 

“Let me lead the way then,” Aaron said as he stepped from the entry into the streets. “It is not far.”

 

They walked and talked and a short time later arrived at a pleasant looking one-story house. A man, woman and young boy stood on the porch waiting to greet the visitors. They wore simple, clean clothes. The man’s face was rugged and tanned from outdoor labor. He wore a brown jacket with suspenders underneath to hold up his pants. The woman wore an apron to protect her clothes and a smile on her face, her arm across her son’s shoulders. The young boy wore overalls and moccasin type shoes. He appeared friendly, but nervous.

 

“Kerwin, these are the people who will be staying with you for awhile,” Aaron said. Then he introduced each member of SG-1 in turn and they shook hands. When he got to Danny he introduced him to the young boy. “Jared, this is Danny. He’s about your age.”

 

Jared waved at Danny and Danny waved back.

 

“Please come in,” Kerwin suggested as he opened the door for them. The team followed him inside the tidy house. “I’m sorry, but we only have two extra rooms. Will that be enough, or should we find more rooms for your group?”

 

Jack looked at Carter and Teal’c. “You two are fine sharing a room, right?”

 

“No problem, Sir,” Sam answered. Teal’c nodded his consent.

 

“We’ll be fine, Kerwin. Thank you,” Jack replied.

 

Problem solved, Jack, Daniel and Danny were shown to their room and Sam and Teal’c to the room next to theirs. Each room had two beds in it and a small dresser between the beds. Jack pulled off his vest and pack and laid it on the bed, as did the others. “What happens now?” Jack asked Daniel.

 

“It’s still early enough to start the talks. We should go back to the town hall,” Daniel answered.

 

Danny climbed on his lap when he heard talk of leaving. “Am I going with you?”

 

“No, Danny,” Daniel replied. “The talks are going to be boring for you. You’ll stay here with Sam and Teal’c. Maybe you can find something to do with Jared.”

 

Danny didn’t look like he wanted to be left behind, but they had already told him he’d be staying with Teal’c back on base and he didn’t want to chance arguing it. “Yes, Sir,” he said sticking his thumb in his mouth.

 

Daniel cuddled him for a moment before they all stood up and went to find the others. Sam and Teal’c had settled in and were ready to look around the area. Kerwin led Jack and Daniel back to the town hall, while Sam, Teal’c and Danny were left with Jared and his mom, Beth.

 

Sam started talking to Beth about the local plants. Danny and Jared stood and stared at each other. Finally Beth called out, “Jared, you need to get your chores done. Why don’t you take Danny with you?”

 

“Yes, Ma’am,” Jared answered. “Come on, Danny. I have to feed the horses.” He went out the back door and Danny and Teal’c followed.

 

“You have horses?” Danny asked with interest.

 

“Yeah, we have two,” Jared answered, leading them to the barn, “but they’re work horses, not riding horses. We also have a cow and chickens. I have to take care of those, too.”

 

“If you tell me what to do, I’ll help you,” Danny offered.

 

“Okay.” Jared handed him a bag of oats. “You have to put the oats in the tray by the stall door.” He looked behind them at Teal’c who was following them. He whispered, “Does he always follow you?”

 

“When my dads aren’t around,” Danny whispered back. “He makes sure I’m safe. He’s a nice person though. I like him.”

 

Jared didn’t look too sure of that. “Do you think he’ll help with the chores?”

 

“I can ask,” Danny responded. “Teal’c, will you help with the chores so we can finish quickly.”

 

“Yeah,” Jared answered. “When we finish with the chores we can go to the Town Square and play.”

 

“Certainly, Danny Jackson O’Neill,” Teal’c answered. “What should I help with?”

 

Danny looked at Jared for ideas. “You could feed the chickens,” Jared suggested. He handed Teal’c a tray of feed. “You spread the corn on the ground and say ‘here chickie, chickie. Here chickie, chickie.’”

 

Teal’c raised his eyebrow at Jared, but accepted the tray. Then he went outside and began spreading the feed, saying in a very low voice, “Here chickie, chickie. Here chickie, chickie.”

 

Danny and Jared watched from the barn trying to hold back their laughter. Seeing a man as big as Teal’c feeding chickens just wasn’t natural. Finally they turned back into the barn to finish the chores after Teal’c gave them a warning look. Their friendship however was sealed.

 

 

Part 93: Nightmares

 

Chores done, Sam stayed with Beth and Teal’c accompanied the boys to the Town Square. It was a gathering place for kids who had time to play. It wasn’t a playground by any means. Just a large grassy area where kids played the games their parents had played. Danny and Jared joined in the fun while Teal’c watched from the sidelines.

 

As the skies grew dark, Jared knew they had to return home. A short time after they arrived, Jack, Daniel and Kerwin also came home. After a pleasant dinner everyone retired to their rooms to get ready for sleep. Jack and Daniel enjoyed listening to Danny tell all about his day with his new friend, glad things were going so well.

 

Danny shared Daniel’s bed the first night. The house became quiet, at least for a few hours. Then Danny’s screams began. Even though Daniel was right next to him, he had a hard time waking Danny from his nightmare.

 

Sam and Teal’c understood what was going on and left their friends to take care of things. However, they did need to explain the nightmares to the family they were staying with when they came into the hallway to find out what was going on. Accepting the explanation, but worried about the young boy, they returned to their rooms after convincing Jared his friend was all right.

 

Meanwhile, Daniel was holding Danny and rubbing his back as he calmed down from the reoccurring nightmare. “Danny, do you want to tell me what the nightmare was about?” he asked, while Jack sat on the floor beside them.

 

Danny shook his head hard.

 

“It’ll help,” Jack said in encouragement.

 

“No,” Danny insisted, tiredly. “Don’t wanna.” He stuck his thumb in his mouth and held Daniel and his camel tight. He closed his eyes and soon his breathing evened out as he fell asleep again.

 

Jack shook his head as he returned to his bed. No matter what they’d tried, Danny still wouldn’t talk about what had happened. He knew if things didn’t change soon, they’d have to seek professional help.

 

 

Part 94: Jared’s Idea

 

The next morning everyone had breakfast together. No one brought up Danny’s nightmares, although there were worried looks. With Danny and Teal’c helping Jared, chores were again quickly finished and the boys went to play.

 

The second night didn’t go any better. Danny again woke the house with his screams of terror before he settled back to sleep, still refusing to talk about it.

 

While Danny was helping Jared in the barn, Jared asked, “How come you scream every night?”

 

Danny didn’t really want to answer, but Jared was his friend. “I have bad dreams. They scare me. Sorry if I wake you up.” He went back to feeding the horses.

 

“Don’t worry about waking me up,” Jared insisted. “I’m just sorry you have bad dreams.” Danny didn’t say anything else so he continued. “I know of a way to get rid of bad dreams.”

 

Danny stopped working and looked at his friend. “How?”

 

Jared walked over to where Danny was working and said quietly, “There’s a cave not too far away. There’s a special wall in the cave that takes away bad dreams when you touch it.”

 

Skeptical, but interested, Danny said, “I can ask my dads if I can go when they come back.”

 

“You can’t ask them,” Jared whispered. “It doesn’t work around adults. Only kids know about it.”

 

“I’m not supposed to go anywhere without someone,” Danny insisted, afraid of getting in trouble.

 

Jared patted him on the shoulder. “You will be with someone, me.”

 

In Danny’s five-year old thinking that made sense. “When do we go?”

 

“We should go now while Teal’c is busy with the chickens,” Jared suggested.

 

Danny agreed and the boys snuck out the back of the barn, avoiding Teal’c.

 

 

After Teal’c finished feeding the chickens, he went into the barn to put the feeding tray away and check on the boys. It was much too quiet for his liking. The boys weren’t in the barn. He tracked them out of the back of the barn and noticed their tracks led into the foothills. Deciding O’Neill and Daniel Jackson would want to know about Danny leaving, he quickly let Captain Carter know what was going on and then began following the boys’ trail after she left to go get the rest of the team.

 

After Sam quickly retrieved Daniel, Jack and Kerwin, they took off after Teal’c. No one was very happy to have to find a missing Danny again, but they were also worried about something happening to him. Once he and Jared were found safe and sound, who knew what the consequences would be. Since Teal’c had left an easier trail for them to follow, it didn’t take long to catch up to him.

 

 

Jared and Danny took off running as soon as they thought no one would hear them. It didn’t take long before they reached the cave’s entrance. “The wall’s right inside,” Jared told Danny as he entered the cave.

 

The entrance was small, barely big enough for a small adult to enter. Danny wondered what he would find inside. He didn’t want to let Jared think he was chicken so he followed his friend in. The only light entering the cave was from the hole they’d entered. Danny moved away from the entrance to let in the light and allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness. “What do I have to do now?” he asked hesitantly.

 

Jared walked over to one wall. “You just think about your dream and touch the wall,” he explained. “That’s all.”

 

Danny still wasn’t so sure about any of this, but if he wouldn’t have any more nightmares it was worth a shot. He walked over and stood beside Jared. He closed his eyes and reached out his hands, slowly touching the wall. A small tingle ran from his fingertips and up his arm. It didn’t hurt. It felt more like when he’d put his hand on one of those electric crystal balls. When he opened his eyes the cave seemed brighter for a moment.

 

“Did it work?” Jared asked eagerly.

 

“I don’t know,” Danny admitted. “I don’t really feel any different.”

 

“You’ll find out tonight when you don’t have any nightmares,” Jared assured his friend. “Come on. We’d better get back before we get in trouble.”

 

Danny nodded, still trying to figure out what had happened. Finally understanding what Jared had told him, he rushed to the entrance so he could get back before getting in trouble.

 

He crawled out of the hole only to be pulled out by two very strong hands. He looked up to meet Teal’c’s eyes. He thought he’d see anger in them. Instead he found disappointment. Then he was placed in front of his dads, too scared to look up and see what he would find on their faces.

 

Jared was handed over to his father a moment later. Kerwin took him by the hand and then spoke to Jack and Daniel. “I’ll take Jared home and deal with him there,” he told them, noticing the shiver, which ran through his son. “You may stay here if you want some privacy to deal with Danny.”

 

“Thank you, Kerwin,” Jack replied. “I think we’ll take you up on that offer.” He turned to Sam and Teal’c. “We’ll meet you back at the house, okay?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Sam answered.

 

“Certainly, O’Neill,” replied Teal’c. Then they left with Kerwin and Jared.

 

 

Part 95: Consequences

 

Danny never lifted his head. Jack picked him up and sat on log, placing him on his lap. Daniel sat down beside them.

 

Danny hadn’t responded to Jack picking him up. His arms were still at his side with his chin on his chest. Jack lifted his chin with a finger, trying to get Danny to look at him. When Danny didn’t, he ordered, “Danny, look at me.”

 

Danny slowly lifted his eyes, tears already forming. He hated the worry he saw in his dad’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

 

“What are you sorry for?” Jack asked, wondering just what Danny was thinking.

 

“That I made you worry,” Danny answered quietly. He dropped his eyes again. “I didn’t mean to.”

 

“What did you mean to do?” Daniel asked.

 

“I wanted to get rid of the nightmares,” Danny replied honestly.

 

“How is wandering off going to get rid of your nightmares?” Jack questioned in disbelief.

 

Danny looked up at him in shock. “I didn’t wander off, Daddy,” he insisted.

 

Jack wasn’t happy with this statement. He was too tired of worrying about his son when he wandered off. “Yes you did wander off, young man. Stop trying to deny it. You know you’re not allowed to do that.”

 

Danny shook his head. “I didn’t wander off,” he stated again, realizing his dad was getting angry. “I knew where I was going. At least Jared knew where we were going. And I wasn’t alone, I was with Jared.”

 

Daniel looked at Jack as if to say Danny had a point. Jack had to agree, but it didn’t make things any better for Danny. “Fine. You didn’t wander off. However, you still left the house without permission and without an adult. Correct?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny agreed.

 

“Why?” Jack finally asked.

 

“To get rid of the nightmares like I told you before,” Danny explained. Then he told his dads about what Jared had explained about the cave and what had happened inside it.

 

Jack groaned. He’d forgotten how easily children believed in magic, not that he hadn’t seen some magical things happen in his time. The reason Danny left wasn’t going to get him out of trouble though. “Danny, I know you think you did the right thing, but you didn’t. When we heard you weren’t at the house, we were so worried about you. You know you’re not allowed to leave the house without someone.”

 

“I was with someone,” Danny insisted. “I was with Jared.”

 

“Danny!” Jack said raising his voice. “You know we meant an adult, not another child. Right?”

 

Danny shrugged his shoulders and Jack lifted his chin again, glaring at him. “It made sense at the time,” he tried to say in his defense. When Jack continued to glare at him, he admitted quietly, “Yes, Sir. Seemed worth it at the time though.”

 

“Does it seem worth it now?” Daniel asked.

 

“Not really,” Danny replied. “I still hope it got rid of my nightmares, but I never wanted to make you worry. Is Teal’c mad at me?”

 

“You’ll have to ask Teal’c that yourself,” Jack told him. “You know you’re getting a spanking for wandering off again.”

 

“I didn’t wander off,” Danny insisted again, wanting to be technically correct, “but I know I’m getting spanked for leaving without permission.”

 

“Yes, you are,” Jack agreed, not fighting the point. He flipped Danny face down across his lap and pulled down his pants and boxers. Danny’s tears started before the first swat even landed. He was too worn out to fight them. It didn’t take long before Danny was crying hard, harder even than the spanking warranted. All the stress of the past week was being released through his tears. Jack stopped, pulled up his pants and cradled Danny on his lap. “It’s okay, Bug,” Jack comforted. “You’ll be okay.”

 

Danny hiccupped as his crying slowed. He clung to Jack with one hand, while reaching out for Daniel who rubbed his back. “I was so scared,” he mumbled. “It was my fault I went with them.”

 

Daniel was shocked. He hadn’t realized Danny blamed himself for the kidnapping. “You didn’t have any choice, Danny,” he tried to assure his son. “It wasn’t your fault.”

 

Danny wiped at his tears with his hand, shaking his head. “I should’ve fought them. Maybe they would’ve let me go.”

 

Jack hugged Danny close. “You only would’ve gotten yourself hurt,” he insisted.

 

“Got hurt anyway,” Danny argued, still having trouble breathing. “I did what he told me to do and he still hurt me.”

 

“He was a bad man, Danny. There’s was nothing you could do.” Jack tried not to let his anger at the kidnapper be felt by his son.

 

Danny whispered, barely loud enough for them to hear, “I gave up. I thought you wouldn’t find me. I shut down even though you told me not to.”

 

“Oh, Danny,” Jack said rocking him. No wonder Danny hadn’t wanted to talk about what had happened. “You were only protecting yourself. You did the right thing this time.”

 

Danny looked to Daniel to see if he agreed. Daniel pulled him onto his own lap and hugged him. “I would’ve done the same thing, Danny. You handled yourself very well. We’re proud of you.”

 

“I gave up,” Danny said once more. “I believed the Bad Guy.”

 

“It’s okay,” Daniel comforted. “You couldn’t have known any different.”

 

Danny wrapped his arms around Daniel’s neck. “I love you.”

 

“I love you, too.” How could he not love his son?

 

“I love you, too, Bug,” Jack said, cradling Danny’s neck in his palm.

 

Danny reached out for Jack to hold him. “I love you, too,” he said as Jack held him close. He stuck his thumb in his mouth and laid his head on his dad’s shoulder. “I’m tired,” he muttered.

 

“Let’s go back to the house,” Jack suggested. Danny nodded and closed his eyes, falling asleep on the way back.

 

 

Part 96: Apologies

 

When they reached the house, Jack laid Danny down on the bed in his room. He made sure Danny was still fast asleep before he went into the living area to talk with the others.

 

Kerwin, Beth, and Daniel were sitting down talking quietly. Kerwin was the first to speak to Jack. “Is your boy all right, Jack?”

 

“He’s fine,” Jack replied. “Scared us a bit, but that’s not unusual for him. How’s Jared?”

 

“Sore, but fine,” Kerwin explained. “He’s finishing his chores right now. I’m sorry he convinced Danny to run off with him.”

 

“Danny didn’t have to go,” Daniel insisted. “Don’t blame Jared for that.” He looked at Jack and said, “I really should get back to the negotiations, Jack, but I don’t want to leave Danny.”

 

“I know,” Jack responded. “Why don’t you take Carter with you and I’ll stay here with Danny. You won’t be more than a couple more hours today, right?”

 

“That sounds about right,” Daniel agreed. “It should only take about two more days to finish up. Then we can head home. Unless you think we need to take Danny back now.”

 

Jack thought for a moment. Danny hadn’t been in any danger, as far as he knew. He’d only broken the rules. He didn’t think Danny would try taking off again, but even if he did, he wouldn’t be left alone long enough to try it. “I don’t think it’ll be a problem to stay. We’ll see how things go.”

 

Daniel agreed, found Sam and then returned to the town square.

 

Jack decided to stay in the bedroom and rest with Danny incase he had another nightmare.

 

About an hour later, Danny woke up and looked around. He saw his dad sitting on the other bed and remembered where he was and what he’d done. “I didn’t have a nightmare, Daddy,” he said quietly.

 

“I noticed,” Jack commented, sitting up on the bed.

 

Danny sat up and winced when his tender bottom touched the bed. “Do you think the cave worked?” he asked hesitantly, not wanting to bring up what he’d done, but needing Jack’s opinion.

 

“It’s possible,” Jack agreed. He stood up and sat down next to Danny. “I think it’s more likely that you didn’t have a nightmare because you finally talked about what happened when you were kidnapped.”

 

“Maybe,” Danny muttered. He stuck his thumb in his mouth and leaned against his dad for a minute before he said, “I need to apologize to Teal’c, don’t I?”

 

“Ya think,” Jack answered. “I think he’s outside watching Jared finish his chores.”

 

“Oh,” Danny sighed, not really wanting to move.

 

Jack gave him a nudge. “Better get it over with, Bug.”

 

Danny got off the bed and walked to the door. He slowly turned around before he walked through. His puppy dog eyes looked balefully at his dad.

 

Jack held out his arms and Danny ran into them, hugging tight. “Everything will be fine, Bug,” he assured him. “You’re safe and we love you, even when you wander off.”

 

“I didn’t…” Danny began in protest. Then he closed his mouth when he saw Jack smiling at him. “I love you,” he said before he let go and went outside and talk to Teal’c.

 

Danny walked slowly outside and found Teal’c watching Jared do his chores. He stood still for a moment wishing he could just be invisible. Unfortunately for him, Teal’c noticed him and walked over.

 

“Is there something I can do for you, Danny Jackson O’Neill?” Teal’c intoned, aware of the boy’s discomfort.

 

Danny looked up at Teal’c and then at the ground, making marks in the dirt with the toe of his boot. “I’m sorry, Teal’c,” he said very quietly.

 

“Apology accepted,” Teal’c replied.

 

Danny stared at Teal’c in surprise. “That’s it? You’re not mad at me?”

 

Teal’c picked his young friend up. “Should I be angry with you?” he asked, holding Danny at eye level.

 

“I snuck out on you,” Danny tried to explain.

 

“Yes, you did.”

 

“That wasn’t nice of me.”

 

“No, it wasn’t.”

 

“I should’ve told you what we wanted to do.”

 

“Yes, you should have,” Teal’c agreed.

 

“Then why aren’t you mad at me?” Danny asked, not understanding.

 

“Were you punished for your disobedience?” Teal’c asked. Danny blushed and nodded. “And did you apologize for your actions?” Danny nodded again. “Then the issue has been dealt with. There is nothing more to say.”

 

“You’re still my friend?” Danny questioned, still unsure.

 

“I will always be your friend, Danny Jackson O’Neill,” Teal’c assured him.

 

Danny hugged Teal’c hard. “I won’t do it again. I promise.”

 

“I would think not,” Teal’c agreed, hugging him back. Then he placed Danny back on the ground.

 

“I should probably help Jared with the chores now,” Danny replied, wiping his eyes. He’d been so worried Teal’c wouldn’t want to be his friend anymore.

 

“I believe he would appreciate it. His chores have been greatly increased this afternoon,” Teal’c informed him.

 

“Oh,” Danny said quietly, understanding why Jared would have more to do. Then he went to help his friend.

 

The two boys were given plenty to do until dinnertime. After they washed up, both of them sat down carefully on their chairs. Neither one any too comfortable, but not wanting anyone else to notice. They kept quiet during dinner and let the adults talk until they heard, “What should we do with the boys tomorrow?” This they listened to.

 

“We could have Danny come with us to the negotiations,” Daniel mentioned. Danny’s shoulders drooped; negotiations didn’t sound very fun. Jack gave Daniel a ‘not on your life’ stare. “Or not.”

 

“I would be pleased to continue watching the boys,” Teal’c commented. “That is if you trust me to do so.” Danny felt even worse than he had before. He was happy Teal’c seemed to still want him around. However, he didn’t want to be the one to make his dad not trust Teal’c.

 

“You’re not tired of them yet?” Jack asked, eating another forkful of the dinner Beth had cooked. He thought the food here was worth the stay.

 

“Not at all, O’Neill,” Teal’c replied. “In fact I have some things I wish for them to do for me tomorrow.”

 

‘Oh, no,’ Danny thought, ‘that sounded ominous.’

 

“If you’re sure about that, Teal’c, I think it’d be the best solution.” Jack looked to Daniel. “Does that work for you, Daniel?”

 

“Sounds good to me, Jack,” Daniel agreed. “We should be done tomorrow and then we can head home.”

 

Danny had stopped eating and started picking at his food. He thought he should be happy about going home soon, but he liked it here. He didn’t have to worry about bad guys taking him and he didn’t have to face General Hammond as long as they stayed on the planet.

 

“Carter, will you inform the General of the plan in the morning?” Jack asked, finally noticing Danny was no longer eating.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Sam replied.

 

“Danny?” Jack asked, trying to get his attention. Danny looked up at Jack. “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine,” Danny answered quietly, shifting on his chair.

 

“Are you going to stay with Teal’c and do whatever he says tomorrow?” Jack questioned.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny replied firmly while straightening up, trying to let his dad know he’d behave without actually saying it.

 

“And you, Jared?” Kerwin asked his son. “Are you going to behave tomorrow?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Jared said a little more quietly. He couldn’t help blushing at being reminded that he hadn’t behaved today.

 

“That’s settled then,” Jack proclaimed. “Are you done eating, Danny?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” he answered, putting down his fork.

 

“Why don’t you go get ready for bed then?” Jack suggested, although everyone knew it wasn’t a suggestion.

 

Danny was about to argue that it was too early to go bed, then thought better of it. “Thank you for the dinner,” he politely told Beth. Then he went into his bedroom to put on his pajamas.

 

He’d changed and was sitting on the bed when Daniel came in. He sat down beside him and put his arm around Danny. “You okay, Squirt?” he asked with concern. “You were pretty quiet at dinner.”

 

“Didn’t want to cause any more problems,” Danny replied.

 

“Are you sure that’s all that’s bothering you? You looked pretty upset when Jack mentioned going home.”

 

Danny shrugged his shoulders. “I like it here.”

 

“Feels safe here, doesn’t it?” Daniel pulled Danny onto his lap. “No bad guys to worry about, are there?”

 

Danny nodded, snuggling in close. “I’m going to have to go back to school when we get back, aren’t I?”

 

“Yeah,” Daniel agreed. “Does that bother you?”

 

“I don’t want to ride the van anymore,” Danny insisted.

 

“You won’t be,” Daniel told him. “We’ve already arranged for Air Force personnel to take you to day care. You’ll be safe.”

 

“Doesn’t feel safe on earth. I was so scared,” he admitted again.

 

“I know,” Daniel comforted, holding him close. “I could feel how scared you were and I couldn’t do anything about it.”

 

Danny looked up in surprise. “You could feel me, like I feel Daddy sometimes?”

 

“I did then,” Daniel admitted. “I knew you were hurt and scared, but I couldn’t figure out where you were. I’m sorry it took so long to find you.”

 

“You were trying to find me, right?” Danny asked, wanting to make sure he hadn’t been abandoned.

 

“The whole time,” Daniel assured him. “The whole time.”

 

Danny snuggled on Daniel’s lap for a while, enjoying the contact. “I don’t want to go to bed this early,” he finally complained. “I’m not sleepy.”

 

“I think it for the best, Danny. You’ve had a busy day today.” He felt Danny tense in his arms. “What’s wrong?” he asked in concern.

 

“Don’t want to be alone,” Danny whispered.

 

“I’ve had a busy day, too,” Daniel mentioned.

 

“So?” Danny questioned, not understanding.

 

“I’m pretty tired, too,” Daniel added.

 

“Oh.” Danny was beginning to understand. “Are you going to bed, too?”

 

“If you don’t mind the company,” Daniel replied.

 

“I don’t mind,” Danny agreed. “Can I go say good night to everybody?”

 

“You do that, Squirt,” Daniel answered. “I’ll join you.”

 

Jack wasn’t surprised to hear Daniel was going to bed early, too. If Daniel hadn’t, he was planning to.

 

 

Part 97: Nightmares?

 

The next morning Danny woke up first and immediately pushed Daniel awake. “Baba, wake up!” Daniel opened up his eyes to find Danny straddled across his mid-section, bouncing somewhat uncomfortably. “No nightmares, Baba. I slept through the night!” he exclaimed.

 

“That’s great, Danny,” Daniel agreed, picking him up off his stomach and sitting up to get more comfortable. “Talking about it must have helped.”

 

“It was the cave that helped,” Danny insisted, shaking his head. “Not talking.”

 

Daniel groaned. He doubted he could convince Danny otherwise, and then again, with everything he’d experienced, who knew, maybe it was the cave that worked. He decided not to argue the point. “Will you at least admit talking about it helped some?”

 

“Maybe,” Danny agreed reluctantly, “but the cave helped more. I won’t sneak away again though. I already promised Teal’c I wouldn’t.”

 

“That’s good.” Daniel rubbed Danny’s head affectionately.

 

By this time Jack was sitting up on his bed ready to start the day. “What do you think Teal’c has planned for you today, Bug?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.

 

Danny looked nervous for a moment and then relaxed. Teal’c was still his friend. It didn’t matter what he had to do as long as that never changed. “Doesn’t matter,” he replied. “I’ll stay with him and do what he tells me to.”

 

“That’s a good decision,” Jack commented, standing up. “First though, you need to get dressed and eat a good breakfast. I’m pretty sure there are still chores to do before anything else.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny replied, vaulting off the bed into his dad’s arms for a hug. “What’s the color of the day?”

 

“How about green today,” Jack answered laughing, considering they hadn’t brought any other colors. He hugged Danny and set him down, shooing him into the bathroom. He sat down on the bed next to Daniel and leaned against the wall. “No nightmares at all then?” he questioned, since Danny had shared Daniel’s bed.

 

“None that I noticed, Jack. Danny thinks the cave worked.” Daniel was quiet for a moment. “I know the fact he talked about what happened to him had to have helped, but do you think there’s any real power in that cave to take away bad dreams?”

 

“I have no idea, Daniel,” Jack replied. “It wouldn’t hurt to have Carter check it out though. I’ll talk to her before we leave for the negotiations.” He rose from the bed and held out his hand to Daniel. “Come on. Let’s go make sure he doesn’t eat everything before we get there.”

 

Daniel accepted the hand up. “I think Teal’c is more of a problem in that area. What do you think Teal’c has planned for them?”

 

“Don’t know, didn’t ask. That’s up to him. He’ll need whatever tricks he can think of to keep up with those two.”

 

“True,” Daniel agreed.

 

 

Part 98: Teal’c’s Day

 

Breakfast was eaten quickly. Then Danny and Jared did the morning chores under the watchful eyes of Teal’c. This time Danny fed the chickens. As soon as the chores were done, Teal’c had Danny get his pack and then he filled both his and Danny’s full of sandwiches and drinks. Finally set, he instructed the boys to follow and set off.

 

After a few minutes of silence, Danny couldn’t stand it any longer. “Where are we going, Teal’c?” he asked.

 

“Does it matter, Danny Jackson O’Neill?” Teal’c replied, continuing to walk.

 

“I guess not,” Danny answered.

 

After another few minutes Jared poked Danny and whispered, “Is he always this quiet?”

 

Danny nodded. “He doesn’t talk unless he has something to say, but when he does talk you’d better listen.” The boys continued to follow Teal’c wherever he was leading them.

 

Teal’c could hear the boys hiking behind him and noticed their breathing was becoming strained. He wanted to tire them, but not make their lives miserable. “I believe we shall rest here,” he told them, stopping in a meadow of wild flowers.

 

Danny and Jared immediately flopped on the ground and sighed. “I thought we’d never stop,” Jared declared.

 

“Me either,” Danny agreed. He looked up at Teal’c’s raised eyebrow. “It was a great walk though,” he added, quickly.

 

Teal’c removed his pack and spread a blanket on the ground. Then he put out some of the sandwiches and drinks. The boys clambered onto the blanket and dug in until they were full. Satisfied, they lay on the blanket and looked at the clouds in the sky for a while. Teal’c sat quietly with his eyes closed.

 

“What are you doing, Teal’c?” Danny asked when he noticed how quiet his friend was.

 

“I am Kel-no-reeming, Danny Jackson O’Neill.” Teal’c never opened his eyes as he replied.

 

“Huh?” Jared piped in.

 

“It is a form of meditation allowing my body to relax and heal itself,” Teal’c informed them.

 

Danny sat up and arranged himself in the same position Teal’c was in and closed his eyes. Jared followed suit, but had a harder time not fidgeting.

 

Teal’c notice Danny trying to emulate him and smiled to himself, not that anyone else would have known it. When he thought Danny and Jared had settled; he tried to instruct them on Kel-no-reem. “You must imagine the center of your mind and focus. Allow it to take you into a waking sleep. There you will dream,” he explained.

 

Jared tried, but just couldn’t settle his mind enough.

 

Danny however, became totally engrossed in the process. His breathing evened out and his heart slowed. A few minutes later he opened his eyes to find Jared staring at him. “That was cool,” he exclaimed. “Did you like it, Jared?”

 

“Sure,” Jared agreed, although he didn’t really get it at all. “I want to do something else now though.”

 

“Would you boys desire to learn some tracking skills my father taught me?” Teal’c questioned.

 

That got their attention. “Ya think,” Danny agreed.

 

“Then we must first clean up from our meal before we begin.”

 

Danny and Jared quickly put away the leftover food and refilled their canteens while Teal’c folded and stored the blanket in his pack. Once the area was clear of everything except the flattened area they’d laid in, they began a new hike. This time though, instead of hiking silently, Teal’c pointed out tracks animals and people had made in the area to his young charges. After a time, he had them walk in the front and try to find signs of life for themselves.

 

Always a quick learner, Danny excelled at this skill. Jared did extremely well too. Having lived in the area for so long, he could name a lot of the plants and animal tracks they found.

 

The rest of the afternoon passed more quickly than the morning had. All too soon the boys realized Teal’c had led them home without their even realizing it.

 

“Can’t we keep tracking, Teal’c?” Danny requested in a voice just short of a whine.

 

“Not today, young friend. I believe your parents would like some time with you also.”

 

Danny beamed at the young friend remark and hugged Teal’c hard. “Thanks for today, Teal’c. I had a good time.”

 

Teal’c hugged him back. “I am glad it was enjoyable for you. I too enjoyed yours and Jared’s company today.”

 

“Thanks, Sir,” Jared said, still formal around this big man.

 

“You are welcome,” Teal’c intoned, bowing at the waist.

 

Jack, Daniel and Sam had already returned to the house before they did, and Jack came out to see what was going on. Danny noticed and ran over to get picked up by his dad. Jack happily obliged. “Did you have fun today, Bug?” he asked after spinning Danny around.

 

“I had a great time. Teal’c taught me to Kel-no-reem and I dreamed a good dream. It was nice.”

 

Jack hugged his son and then put him on the ground, rubbing Danny’s head. “Sweet. Why don’t you go inside and have Daniel help you with your bath before dinner?”

 

Danny groaned, ready to ask if he had to, when he caught Jack’s eye and thought better of it. “Yes, Sir,” he agreed. Then he ran in to tell his baba about everything he’d done that day.

 

 

Part 99: Going Home Worries

 

That night at dinner Daniel explained that the negotiations were finished. “Aaron has planned a celebration during the day,” he told them.

 

“Cool,” Jack replied. “I’m assuming there’ll be some more of this wonderful food we’ve been eating.” He held up his forkful of food to Beth before putting it in his mouth.

 

Beth blushed, but smiled back at him. “I’m sure there will be, Jack. Aaron has asked us to prepare a feast.”

 

“Sweet.”

 

“Are kids allowed,” Danny asked hopefully.

 

“Of course kids are allowed,” Jared replied. “Right?” he asked his dad.

 

“Yes, Jared. Kids are allowed,” Kerwin answered. “We have even planned some contests for the kids.”

 

“Cool,” Danny responded, hoping he could win some.

 

“After the celebration we’ll go back to earth,” Daniel told everyone.

 

All of Danny’s enthusiasm vanished as he finished his dinner. Jack noticed, but decided not to ask him about it until later.

 

Once dinner was completed the boys did the evening chores and then played a version of checkers Jared had taught him.

 

Jack saw Danny start yawning more and more. “Danny, it’s time for bed,” he told him.

 

“I’m not sleepy,” Danny insisted, trying to stifle another yawn.

 

“Well I am,” Jack told him as he picked him up. “And I want some company.”

 

“That’s different, Daddy,” Danny replied graciously. “I’ll go to bed if you need company.”

 

“Good,” Jack said, carrying his son into the bedroom. He helped Danny change into his pajamas. As he was pulled the top over Danny’s head, he commented, “You got quiet when Daniel said we’d be going home after the celebration.”

 

Once Danny’s head popped out of the neck opening, he replied, “Don’t wanna go home. I wanna stay here.” His thumb popped into his mouth.

 

“All by yourself?” Jack questioned.

 

Danny looked up in alarm. “You’d leave me here alone?” he asked, backing away.

 

Jack reached out and picked Danny up, holding him close. “I would never leave you here alone.” He kissed Danny’s forehead. “I’m sorry I said that. I love you, Danny, but my place is on earth, with you and Daniel.”

 

“The Bad Guys are on earth. I don’t like it there anymore,” Danny explained.

 

“The good guys are on earth, too.”

 

“Like who?” Danny asked.

 

“Sergeant Siler, Rhonda, Aunt Bonnie, Kayla, and Tessa.” Danny nodded. “And General Hammond,” Jack added. Danny’s eyes dropped. “Danny, what’s wrong?”

 

“He’s going to be mad,” Danny said quietly.

 

“General Hammond?” Jack inquired.

 

Danny nodded. “Cause I got in trouble. He won’t let me go on any more missions.”

 

“Do you think you should go on more missions?”

 

“I want to,” Danny answered. “I really do, but I doubt I’ll be allowed.”

 

“Then you’ll have to talk to him about it,” Jack replied

 

Danny’s eyes got big. He shook his head. “You talk to him. Please?”

 

“It’s your responsibility,” Jack told him.

 

“Like I had to talk to Teal’c?”

 

“Just like that,” Jack answered. “He wasn’t angry, was he?”

 

“No,” Danny answered. “He said that since you’d already spanked me and I’d apologized, it was taken care of. But he’s Teal’c, not the General.”

 

“What’s the difference?”

 

“I’ve already been in trouble with General Hammond for not being where I was supposed to be.” Danny shuddered. “It was scary when I had to talk to him.”

 

“Was he fair about it?” Danny nodded. “Were you allowed back on base?”

 

Danny nodded again and added, “Yeah, he’s even letting me work now.”

 

“Then I think the General will forgive you like Teal’c did,” Jack assured him.

 

“Will you at least come with me?” Danny pleaded.

 

“In a heartbeat,” Jack told him. “I’ll be right there with you.”

 

“Okay,” Danny agreed. “I still really like it here. I’ll miss Jared.”

 

“I’m sure he’ll miss you, too. We’ll be coming to this planet a lot when we start mining. I might be able to get SG-1 assigned once in a while and you could visit.”

 

“I’d like that,” Danny replied yawning. “Are we going to say good night to everyone before we go to sleep?”

 

“Sure,” Jack answered. “You go say good night and I’ll be right out.”

 

“I love you, Daddy,” Danny said, kissing him on the cheek.

 

“I love you too, Bug,” Jack replied, hugging him hard before setting him on the floor.

 

 

Part 100: Explanations

 

The next everyone woke up bright and early to pack up and then get ready for the celebration. Danny packed his camel, journals, and a present Jared had given him into his backpack. Daniel and Jack packed everything else, including a copy of the treaty that was prepared and ready to be signed.

 

The celebration was a success with everyone stuffed from all the food they ate. Danny won a race he ran in and was proudly wearing his ribbon. Finally it was time for them to head home through the Stargate. Good byes were said and hugs given and received and then Daniel dialed out for earth and sent his ID. Jack and Daniel held Danny’s hands between like they had when they arrived. They stepped through wormhole swinging Danny between them.

 

General Hammond was waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp.

 

Danny held onto Jack’s hand tighter.

 

“Congratulations on a successful negotiation, SG-1,” Hammond told his premier team.

 

“Thank you, Sir,” Jack replied. “Danny and I were wondering if we could have a moment of your time before the debriefing, Sir.”

 

The General looked questioningly at the Colonel. “Report to my office as soon as your post-mission physicals are over. Dismissed.”

 

“Thank you, Sir.” Jack led his team to the infirmary with Danny in tow.

 

Knowing Jack and Danny were going to see the General, the rest of SG-1 let them have their physicals first. Danny wasn’t too thrilled with having to be poked and prodded so soon, but he knew it was part of getting to go through the gate and didn’t complain too much, at least no more than Jack did. When they got the all clear, they walked together to Hammond’s office.

 

“Please won’t you talk to him for me, Daddy?” Danny asked again.

 

“Danny, we’ve been over this,” Jack reminded him.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny said unhappily. “You’ll stay the whole time though, right?”

 

“Unless the General tells me to leave, yes, I’ll stay with you,” Jack assured him.

 

Danny stopped in his tracks and looked at his dad. “Do you think he’ll tell you to leave?”

 

“No, I don’t think he’ll want me to leave.” Jack picked Danny up. “Just relax for a moment. This isn’t going to be that bad.”

 

Danny nodded into Jack’s shoulder. Jack rubbed Danny’s back as he carried him to the office. He put him down when they got to the door and knocked.

 

“Enter,” the General said.

 

Jack opened the door and ushered Danny in ahead of him.

 

Hammond put down the paper he was looking at and gave his full attention to people in front of him. “Please sit down.” Jack sat down while Danny stood beside him at attention. “How may I help you gentlemen?”

 

Jack nudged Danny, who didn’t speak up, so he started. “Danny wanted to talk to you about something that happened on the planet.”

 

The General gave Danny his full attention. “Yes, young man?”

 

Danny crumpled when the General called him ‘young man’ and said very quickly. “I was tired of the nightmares and Jared knew of a way to get rid of them and I left Teal’c and went with Jared by myself and I broke the rules and I got in trouble and I’m really sorry and I’ll never do it again and I really want to be allowed to go on missions again but I’ll understand if you never let me go again.” He finally took a deep breath and dropped his head.

 

Hammond looked over at Jack in shock and confusion.

 

Jack tried to explain what had occurred. “He went on adventure with his new friend without permission and we had to find him. I felt it was best that he told you himself. He’s already been disciplined for it on the planet.”

 

Hammond clasped his hands in front of him and looked at Danny again. “Danny, I want you to look at me.” Danny looked up warily. “I’m not happy to hear that you have the same propensity for wandering off as Dr. Jackson does.” Danny looked at him in confusion. “You don’t stay where you’re supposed to,” he explained.

 

“Oh,” Danny said, trying not to look away. “I won’t do it again. I promise.”

 

“I believe you’ve promised me that once before, young man,” General Hammond reprimanded.

 

Danny couldn’t hold Hammond’s gaze any longer and dropped his head. “I’m sorry, Sir,” he said quietly. Jack nudged him and Danny looked up at the General again.

 

“I’d like you to wait in the conference room while I talk to your father for a moment, Danny.”

 

“Yes, Sir.” Danny glanced at his dad who gave him an encouraging look before he opened the door and then closed it again before sitting down at the conference table putting his head on his arms.

 

The General gave Jack his attention. “Just how serious was this, Colonel?”

 

“He gave us a scare, but we found him quickly,” Jack explained. “It also got him to finally talk to us about the kidnapping and that he thought it was his fault that he didn’t fight back.”

 

“He’s five years old, Jack. How could he have fought back?” Hammond said incredulously, not realizing that Danny blamed himself.

 

“It’s the way he thinks. How often has Daniel blamed himself for things he had no control over,” Jack pointed out.

 

Hammond sighed. “Why does he seem so scared right now?”

 

“He’s afraid you won’t ever let him go through the Stargate again. He made a good friend on the planet, plus he likes the adventure.”

 

“He likes being with you and Dr. Jackson.”

 

“That too,” Jack agreed.

 

“I think I have an idea of what his consequence should be,” the General explained. “Call him back in, please.”

 

Jack opened the door and motioned for Danny to come back into the office. General Hammond asked him to come to his side of the desk and put his hands on Danny’s shoulders. “You do understand that following the rules and not wandering off are very important on off-world mission, correct?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny answered.

 

“I could court-martial an airman who didn’t follow orders,” Hammond pointed out.

 

Danny nodded, unable to speak.

 

“However, due to you coming to me with your disobedience yourself, and apologizing” the General paused for a moment to make sure Danny understood, then continued, “I’m only going to deny you access to the base for one week.” Danny looked at the General uncertainly. “You can’t come to work next week, but after the week is over you can work like normal.”

 

“Oh,” Danny said. “Not forever?”

 

“No, not forever. Just one week. Can you handle that?”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny replied.

 

“And as for missions.” Danny tried to drop his head again, but the General put his hand under his chin. “We’ll decide those on an as needed basis. I’m not saying you’ll be going on another one, but I’m not saying you won’t be either. Understand?”

 

“Understood, Sir,” Danny said saluting. “Sir?”

 

“Yes, Danny?”

 

“I really am sorry, but I’m glad I don’t have nightmares anymore. I don’t like them.”

 

“I’m glad you don’t have nightmares anymore either, son,” he agreed. “And the kidnapping wasn’t your fault.”

 

“That’s what Daddy and Baba say, too.” Danny cocked his head and looked at the General shyly. “Are you mad at me for breaking the rules?”

 

Hammond couldn’t resist and pulled Danny onto his lap. “I’m not happy you broke the rules, young man. But you’ve apologized and accepted the consequences. I appreciate that. You’re forgiven.” He gave Danny a hug, which Danny returned wholeheartedly.

 

“Your medals scratch,” Danny commented after he pulled away.

 

“That’s what my granddaughters tell me.”

 

“Do I have to go home now?” Danny asked.

 

“I want you to stay with the airman I assign you until SG-1 finishes debriefing. Then your dads can take you home,” General Hammond explained.

 

“Yes, Sir,” Danny said, getting off his lap.

 

The General called in an airman and asked him to take Danny to the commissary until Col. O’Neill came to get him.

 

Jack stood and said, “Thank you, General for your understanding.”

 

“You’re welcome, Colonel,” Hammond replied. “We’ll debrief in fifteen minutes. Dismissed.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” Jack replied with a smart salute before he walked out of the office.

 

Once Jack was out of view, George grinned to himself. Maybe Danny was rubbing off on Jack after all.