By
RPonda
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.