*****

"And the guy at the bait shop says, 'there's no way you could have caught a fish that size in that lake.� But I swear to god, it was this big!" Jack held his hands nearly as wide as his arms could reach. He glanced at his teammate�s faces�one was listening, one was trying hard not to listen, and one was feverishly writing in his ubiquitous journal, absolutely refusing to listen. And succeeding.

Because they were technically on a lunch break from the mission to explore the seemingly uninhabited planet, Jack didn�t really care that only a third of his team was interested in his story. Still, Jack adjusted his position against the retaining wall bordering a deserted building Daniel had presumed was once used as a library, and decided to finish his story nonetheless. "I almost wish I hadn't thrown the bastard back, just so I�d have proof."

Sam shot him a skeptical look.

"Aht!" Jack pointed at her. "Don't look at me like that. If you, or any of you, for that matter, would actually come out to my cabin with me, you'd see the fish for yourselves."

Daniel finally glanced up from his incessant scribbling in his notebook to look at Teal'c. "Do you remember when you asked me what a fish tale was, Teal'c?"

The Jaffa raised an eyebrow and said, "I do, DanielJackson."

Daniel waved a hand in Jack's direction and tipped his head, a smirk on his face. Teal'c nodded in understanding.

"Hey!" Jack sat up straighter. "When you ever actually go fishing in this lifetime, Daniel, you can make cracks like that, but until then-"

Daniel blinked at him. "I have gone fishing before. Actually."

Jack looked at him, momentarily caught speechless. "You have? When? And, just so you know, fishing for compliments doesn�t count."

"I went fishing for fish when I was kid." Daniel shrugged, went back to his notebook, scrawled something on it. "Besides, I prefer looking at fish in my aquarium, in my warm, comfortable living room to standing at the end of a dock for hours on end in the vain hope that I just might catch something big enough to eat."

Jack wasn't sure what to say to that. He screwed up his brow, let his jaw go slack and stared at Daniel.

Daniel glanced back at Jack and frowned. "What?"

Just as Jack was about to launch into a diatribe about Daniel�s irrational preference of buying food for fish, rather than catching fish for food, one of the planet�s many dogs ambled closer to the makeshift campsite. The numerous dogs and cats lurking about seemed to be the only occupants of the planet�or at least the only inhabitants they had seen so far.

Jack pointed at the mangy looking mongrel that was shyly watching them, apparently lured by the smell of their lunches. "See, now a dog makes a perfect pet. If fish were meant to be kept in aquariums, then we wouldn't have lakes, would we?"

Sam turned to look at the dog, then returned her focus to Jack. "I don't know, sir. Cats are a lot easier to take care of."

"Cats?" Jack�s face was a mask of disgust. "Cats are probably the most useless of all pets. Not to mention, they tear up your furniture, get hair all over the friggin' place. And then there�s the carcasses they bring home. Mice, harmless birds that they�ve murdered for the sheer pleasure of it. Plus, they couldn't care less whether you come home or not. Now with a dog�even if you only leave for half an hour, they're still ecstatic to see you. No matter what kind of day you had, or what mood you're in."

"That's not true," Sam protested. "Schroedinger was always happy to see me. He'd come running and meowing as soon as I walked in the door."

"That's only because he was hungry," Jack scoffed.

Daniel ignored the banter, directed his attention to the dog still watching them. It was smallish, with long dirty brown fur and black-tipped ears and muzzle. Given a bath, the dog would look like the cute mutt on an old dog food commercial Daniel remembered from about ten years back. The dog wagged its tail tentatively and Daniel smiled at it. This encouraged the animal, and it took a few steps closer.

"I do not see why humans have the need to keep an animal in their homes," Teal'c said to Jack, his expression puzzled. "To what purpose does it serve?"

"Well," Jack fiddled with his sunglasses, "dogs have a lot of purposes�unlike cats." He looked at Sam pointedly. "They're incredibly intelligent, loyal and want nothing more than to be useful. When�s the last time you saw a seeing-eye cat? Or a sign that said, �Warning! Guard Cat on Property!� And I know I�ve never seen a police cat. Have you, Major?" He finally noticed Daniel's attention had shifted from his notebook to the dog, so he paused, watched the other man.

"Hey, there," Daniel said in a soft, lilting voice, which apparently was rather pleasing to the dog. It wagged its tail with greater enthusiasm.

"Daniel!" Jack shouted, making the younger man jump. The dog froze, whined and took a few steps back. It sat down, watching them with its head tilted.

"Jack?" Daniel looked at him, slight irritation on his face.

"So help me, if you feed that dog and we have it following us around for the rest of this mission..."

Daniel blinked. "I thought you liked dogs."

"I do like dogs." Jack said. "Earth dogs. This one could turn into a werewolf or something at night, for all we know."

"A werewolf?" Daniel glanced back at the animal in question. Its tail was a blur of excited motion and it yipped at Daniel with a happy doggy grin on its face.

"Or something," Jack corrected.

"I wasn't going to feed it, either," Daniel added. "I was just going to-"

"What? Communicate with it?"

"Well, like you just said, dogs are highly intelligent animals, and this one seems to be friendly�"

Jack waved his hands in a rolling motion. "And you thought perhaps it could tell us what happened to everyone here?"

Daniel gave Jack a scathing look, his cheekbones slightly flushed with what seemed to be embarrassment. Jack wondered if that had truly been Daniel's intention, and suppressed a smirk.

"No." Daniel pursed his lips, sat up taller and straightened his glasses. "What I was going to say is that it seems to be friendly, which indicates that it�s used to people. Which usually means there could still be some people around here, and we just haven't encountered them yet."

Jack stared at him. "Well, of course it does," he said after a moment, realizing the logic with a chagrined twinge. He noticed that his team had finished their lunches. "All right, lunch-break's over�back to work, kids." Jack stood, stretching his stiff muscles, feeling his vertebras crackling. "At what has to be, in the history of the SGC, the most boring mission ever."

Daniel and Sam got to their feet, shoving items back into their packs.

In truth, the mission had been a perplexing one. There were some indications of destruction to many of the buildings. A few close-together structures were scarred by some kind of fallout and fire. Some were reduced to their bare foundations, but the damage the team could see wasn't nearly devastating enough to have annihilated the planet's entire population. Much of the town was still relatively intact, the buildings deserted, their windows gone or shattered, and the signs of neglect and onset of decay indicated that they had been abandoned for at least a few years. The town�s abandoned center was adorned with an elaborate shell-shaped fountain, long since dried and caked with grime, decayed leaves and strewn with twigs.

The planet's terrain was dry, dusty, but it also was pleasantly warm and sunny. A decidedly pleasant change from the end of winter weather they had been slogging through back in Colorado Springs. The landscape was a dull beige and green, with scatterings of tall, immense trees that resembled cedars. It was so warm even in the shade, that the team had shed their jackets and wore only their short-sleeved, sand-colored T-shirts and vests.

"At least the weather is nice," Daniel said, glancing up at the clear sky. He shifted his gaze to the buildings surrounding them, further took in its familiar looking architecture. "It's remarkable how many similarities this planet has to Earth," he continued, glancing around and watching yet another dog streak past his line of vision. "This planet has even more ties to Earth than we initially suspected. It's more than likely that the Goa'uld transferred humans and... animals to this planet. The architecture looks vaguely late Roman style, but the art we've seen in and around the buildings is clearly Hiberno Saxon, probably dating back to the 5th century. This planet can be a wealth of information about that period in Earth's history. We haven't seen any planets reflecting anything this recent since we encountered the one still stuck in the dark ages. This-"

"Okay-aay, we get the picture�it's an archaeologist's wet dream," Jack said, waving his hand in an impatient gesture and interrupting the 'Daniel in his element' lecture. "So what happened to everyone?" Jack turned his head to take in the desolate landscape. He could hear one of the dogs barking in the background. Sparking their new canine friend's interest, it looked in the direction of the sound. The barking echoed faintly, emphasizing the emptiness of the abandoned town. Made their setting seem forlorn, its mysteries forever lost like a ghost town in an old western movie.

"Maybe there was a plague, or a Goa'uld attack?" Sam said with a shrug, immediately breaking the odd mood.

"It is not unheard of for the Goa'uld to transplant entire colonies," Teal'c added.

"Well, whatever happened to them, there has to be something worthwhile left behind," Daniel said while pulling on his pack. He jerked his chin in the direction of the library's open door. "Maybe I can find something in there that might give us some clues as to what happened to these people."

Jack followed Daniel's gaze. The team had poked their heads in earlier to find nothing but books and papers scattered everywhere, and Jack knew that Daniel couldn�t wait check it out. Jack could all but see the wheels spinning in Daniel's head, that almost feverish gleam of excitement lighting up his blue eyes, which had been far too somber and defeated since Sha're's death a few months earlier. Daniel had shown little interest in anything other than finding Sha�re�s child and this Kheb place he kept going on about. Jack was both surprised and pleased to see that spark of interest, a sign that maybe his friend was beginning to pull out himself from the crushing devastation of his loss.

"All right. Daniel, you go have a look." Jack resisted a sudden urge to pat the younger man on the shoulder. Watching Daniel scurry to collect the rest of his things, Jack said, "It's just like Christmas, Easter and National Renew Your Library Card Day all wrapped up in one for you, isn't it?"

Daniel chose to ignore his comment so Jack gazed in the direction of the building. "Just be careful," Jack added, pulling on his own pack. "Carter, you check out that generator we saw earlier. Teal'c and I are gonna scout out the rest of the town. See if we can find anything other than dogs and mangy beasts."

Their furry canine friend jumped to its feet and moved to follow Jack. Daniel couldn't quash a faint smile. As Jack started walking toward a cluster of buildings, the dog bounded beside him, letting out a short, happy bark. Jack caught Daniel's gaze and stopped to glare at him. "See, what I mean, Daniel?" He pointed at the animal. "See what happens when you�re nice to homeless creatures? See?" Jack glanced back at the dog waiting expectantly for him to get moving already. He gave up and smirked at the canine and it gave another joyous bark.

"So, Sparky, you wanna check out the sights?" Jack said, clapping his hands together. "Introduce me to some of your pals?"

The newly christened Sparky yipped again and ran ahead.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow at Jack. "Sparky?"

Jack looked embarrassed. "Well, he reminds me of this dog in a commercial I saw a long time ago."

Daniel smiled to himself�he and Jack had evidently seen the same commercial. Notepad still in hand, Daniel headed toward the building and stepped onto the crumbling stone of the damaged steps. The white stucco of the outside walls were cracked and stained, but the building looked sturdy enough. He reached for the long metal handle to the rough wooden door and pulled the latch. It stuck for a moment, so he gave it a tug and it came open with a screech of protest. Pulling the door open on equally rusted hinges, Daniel was met with the faint scent of dust and dry mold.

Doric-style columns flanked the walls, and the library was strewn with fallen bookcases. Some of the books lay scattered and loose papers littered the floor. Daniel felt his sinuses prickle with the urge to sneeze. He wrinkled his nose and sniffed, hoping his allergy medication would hold out until they got home.

The sudden quiet and the vast quantities of books gave him an instant sense of calm. He paused for a moment to relish the silence. The time alone was just the salve Daniel�s psyche needed. Relations with his team were too forced, and his friends were trying too hard to pretend that everything was back to business as usual, and he found the efforts tiring, draining even. He knew that his team had all been too careful with one another since Jack's absence of almost three months, and then the undercover operation that Daniel had to admit he was still bristling over. It was like a scar that hadn�t fully healed. Daniel knew that in his mind, he had at the time written off Jack's friendship as yet another harsh lesson learned. A lesson he had been taught time and time again�don't get too close. But in his heart, well... the heart sometimes took a little longer to learn, and to heal.

Reveling in the sanctuary of his greatest source of comfort, he stepped up to a still-standing bookshelf, pulled a large book from one of the lower shelves. The book was about the size of an atlas. He carefully opened it, found that it wasn't as old as he had anticipated, but the binding was crude, held together with leather ties. The thick pages were slightly brittle from the dryness of the climate, but easy enough to read. The text was written, not surprisingly, in Latin and Gaelic. Some of it, which did surprise him, was in English.

He jumped, startled when he heard a scuffing noise, and looked to where he thought the sound was coming from. His focus locked with a yellow gaze. He froze, his heart nearly skipping a beat, then realized the eyes studying him belonged to a cat. The cat flicked its tail, narrowed its eyes, then, as quickly as it had come, darted away.

Daniel took a breath, let it out slowly and redirected his attention to the book. He studied the pages for a moment, and closed the book when he realized that it was exactly what it resembled: an atlas. It could come in handy if they wanted to explore the planet in greater detail, but it gave no clues as to what had happened to the planet's inhabitants. Or even if it belonged to the planet itself.

Daniel randomly chose another book from the shelf, leafed through its contents. The book was written in English, interspersed with drawings and portraits. The faces were definitely human looking, belonging to what he thought were poets and philosophers. He felt a twinge of eager anticipation and set the book aside for later perusal.

He wandered further into the library, walking slowly alongside the bookshelf and absently allowed his fingers to caress the embossed edges of the titles. Nothing he saw appeared to be of any use, so he rounded the corner of the room to see if there were anything resembling newspapers to be found.

He looked down when he noticed a small footprint in the dust. About the size of a child's foot.

A loud crack and Daniel's head shot up in alarm. His eyes darted from one set of windows to the next. He could see that the sky had suddenly turned an alarming shade of steel gray. Gusts of wind blew in through the broken glass of the windows.

"Daniel�come in," Jack's voice sounded on his radio.

Daniel pulled his radio from his vest, involuntarily jumped again as another crash made the foundations of the library rattle, a bright flash of lightning illuminating everything in a surreal glow.

"Yeah, Jack?" he answered, nearly having to shout to hear himself over the wind.

"Get back here, meet us at the gate. We're clearing out. Get Carter on your way."

"Okay." Daniel pulled his jacket from his pack, pulled off his vest and put on the jacket. Tugging on the vest again over his jacket, he tucked the radio back in the front flap. Daniel took another glance at all the books, their pages loudly fluttering from the gusts streaming inside the building. The cover of one book in front of him flapped open and shut, over and over again, almost as if it were waving to him.

The footprint was gone, blown away by the wind, making him wonder if he had really seen it at all.

*****

Daniel and Sam ran up to Jack and Teal'c, ducking against the downpour. Daniel held onto his boonie hat to keep it from flying off his head. They were already soaked to the skin by the time they reached the gate.

"You just had to mention the weather, didn't you?" Jack shouted to Daniel over the howling wind, the gusts and splashes of rain assaulting them. "Dial us out of here!"

Daniel moved toward the DHD, heard a sharp crack and brightness flashed in front of his eyes. He felt himself yanked back abruptly. He stumbled against Teal'c's grip, about to protest, when an immense, withered tree groaned with an almost human sounding wail and split in two. The larger half crashed down, landing on the DHD with a solid thump. The branches were licked with flames, sputtering and sparking under the onslaught of rain.

The team tucked themselves low to the ground as more trees swayed threateningly. Branches tore off, flew past them. Daniel moved in a low crouch closer to the DHD, and swore under his breath when he realized that the device was all but buried under the crushing weight of the tree. Part of the enormous trunk lay across the gate's platform, broken limbs wrapped around the gate itself and emerged on the other side.

"Shit!" he cursed, and looked at Sam and Jack as they moved beside him. Sam stared at where the DHD had been, then squinted up at Jack.

"Don't wanna hear it," Jack stated before Sam could pronounce the bad news.

"I don't know if we'll be able to get back now, sir!" Sam shouted.

"I said, I don't want to hear that, Carter!" Jack waved in the direction of the town. "Tap your heels three times, Dorothy, and get your ass to the library before we end up in the Emerald Forest!" He ducked as something flew over his head. "In fact, I think I just saw a flying monkey!" He darted a glance up the blackened sky, debris swirling above them. "No, I think it was cat!" he corrected, ducked again when another shadow passed over his head.

They ran for the building, tucking close to the ground. Rushing inside, they moved to the back of the large room, away from the broken windows and the wind and rain splashing inside. They leaned up against the wall, trying to catch their breaths.

"Well, this is peachy." Jack shook his head, spraying water on his teammates.

Daniel took off his soaked hat and wrung it out. "At least-"

"Aht! Don't say it!" Jack held up a warning finger.

"But-"

"Dann-ielll..."

Daniel sighed and gave up. He slid to the floor and pulled his knees to his chest, shivering against the cold and wetness on his skin.

Jack sat down next to Daniel with a grimace. He tilted his head up to look at Sam. "So, how bad is it?"

Sam sat on the opposite side of Daniel while Teal'c stared out at the storm. "Well, sir... remember P3X-972?"

Jack leaned his head against the wall. This probably wasn't good. "Maybe...."

"Ernest's planet," Teal�c supplied, his voice quiet.

Jack nodded, not sure he wanted to hear the rest. "Yeah...?"

"That bad," Sam said, wincing slightly.

"Crap." A headache the size of Cheyenne Mountain was beginning to develop right behind Jack�s eyes. He pinched the skin just above his brow and said, "So bottom line it for me, Carter."

Sam pushed the soggy hair out of her eyes and decided to use a vernacular the colonel might understand. "The DHD is dead, sir."

Jack closed his eyes, nodded once. "And I�ll say it again. Crap."

*****

Jack woke to silence and the warmth of sunlight across his closed lids. He opened his eyes, squinting against the brightness filling his vision. It took him a moment to recount where he was and how he had come to yet another strange planet. Another odd sleeping arrangement. Another painful crick in his neck.

They had retreated to the protected corner alcove in the library as the storm raged through the night. Blasts of icy wind and water had poured in through the broken windows, washing everything in the building with chilled droplets, swirling the papers and lighter books across the floor in an endless whirlwind. Daniel had stacked piles of books in a back corner, covered them with chairs, old papers, anything he could find, trying to salvage as many as he could. Sam had helped him for a while, but after about an hour of chasing papers and being pelted by the rain and wind, they had given up. Daniel had resigned himself to sitting back against the far wall beside Sam, and simply watching the pellets of water attacking the fragile sheaths of paper, destroying countless years of history and records.

Spotting Teal'c outside through the window, Jack sat up from against the corner he had huddled in, wriggling out of his sleeping bag like a caterpillar shedding its cocoon. He glanced over at Sam and Daniel to see they were still asleep. Daniel lay huddled against the opposite corner and Sam was using Daniel's lower legs for what had to be an uncomfortably hard pillow.

Jack stood, stretched the painful stiffness from his neck and spine, harshly clapped his hands together once. "Rise and shine, kids!" He smirked as his teammates jumped.

Sam sat up immediately, looking around as if she had forgotten where she was before glancing up at her CO. Daniel turned his face into the corner, groaned, then sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"So! Shall we get up and see if this is going to be our new home?" Jack said with false cheer. Stepping over the soggy mess of papers and books, he headed toward the open door. He paused to shake off a piece of paper stuck to his boot, poked his head outside to see the mess of branches and detritus strewn on the ground. "Ah, home. Home, sweet... whatever."

*****

The bright early morning sun beat down on Jack and Daniel's bare torsos. Jack swiped an arm over his forehead, placed his hands on the small of his back, trying to ease the stiffness settling in his lower spine. He glanced at Sam and the sunlight shone through her hair, creating a halo around her face. She had rolled up the sleeves of her sweat-dampened T-shirt, revealing her well-toned arms. Jack was amazed that Carter could still look good even covered in sweat, soot and charred bits of tree bark. He noticed Daniel casting the odd appreciative look in Sam's direction as well, or maybe Daniel was just thinking about some meaty translation back home. With Daniel, you could never be too sure what he was thinking by what he was looking at. Jack had seen Daniel look at clouds or scratchings on a rock the same way.

They had been working alongside Teal'c for hours, clearing away endless amounts of branches, needles and chips of blackened wood from the DHD so they could properly assess the damage. Teal'c had used his staff weapon to blast the trunk of the fallen tree into smaller pieces, but it was still slow going, and the relentless heat made their task all the more arduous.

Sam noticed the guys watching her from time to time. She knew she must look like hell, covered in dirt and sweat, her hair sticking to her face in damp strands. In between tossing aside the countless broken branches, she stole a moment to do her own looking at her teammates. Why was it that guys could still look good even drenched in sweat and covered in grime? The sun was already turning Jack and Daniel�s skin a light gold, and the perspiration only highlighted Teal�c�s well-muscled arms. With a tinge of irritation, Sam thought about the unfairness of biology, sighed to herself and swiped a hand through her tangled hair.

"What kind of idiot would put a DHD next to a freakin' forest, anyway?" Jack grumbled as he tossed aside another branch.

"Well, I'm guessing they didn't, Jack," Daniel said, rubbing the back of his hand against the tan colored bandana covering his head. "I mean, wouldn't it stand to reason the Stargate was here before the trees?" Sweat trickled from underneath the cloth, running into Daniel�s eyes, dampening the skin of his eyelids. His glasses were tucked away in his pack�the grime and perspiration made them too foggy to see through. He absently swiped the perspiration away, glanced up at said inconvenient trees, marveling at the blue-green of the soft needles, at their immense height. He felt the sweat collecting in the hollow of his throat, felt his skin prickle with the onset of sunburn. He knew he should put his shirt back on, or at least reapply some sunscreen, but despite their situation, the warm sun felt good on his skin after being on so many cold temperate planets of late and after the chill of late winter back home. Daniel had always liked the heat, and figured it must be bred in his Egyptian-born bones.

"Well, did they ever hear of planning ahead?" Jack's irritated voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Seeing as there's no one left to use the gate anymore, I guess it didn't pose a problem," Daniel answered, an unconscious note of annoyance to his voice. Even though they had been working for hours, they still weren�t even close to having the DHD cleared and Jack�s incessant complaining didn�t help matters much either. Daniel straightened up, wincing at the twinges in his back and legs. "Maybe all the settlers decided to evacuate for some reason."

"Daniel, must you analyze everything I say?" Jack stood to squint peevishly at his friend. "I'm just saying� this sucks. Do you realize that this is twice in the not too distant past that I've found myself stranded on a too-hot planet with no beer? Huh? Did that ever occur to you?"

"Oh... right," Daniel said, raising his eyebrows in understanding. "I guess this would remind you a little of Edora." He paused to take a sip of water from his canteen. "You know, a beer would be good right about now, or a Slurpee, even."

Teal'c lifted an eyebrow and asked, "What is a Slurpee?"

Jack stared at Daniel. "A Slurpee," he echoed. "How old are you, anyway?"

"That actually sounds good to me, too, sir." Sam grinned, jumping to Daniel's defense. "A Coke mixed with strawberry."

"It's crushed ice with flavor, basically, Teal'c," Daniel explained, grinning at the wistful look on Sam's face. "My favorite was Coke and grape."

"And they wonder why I call them kids," Jack said to Teal'c, shaking his head. "Now, a beer Slurpee would be good."

Sam and Daniel snorted with laughter while Teal'c continued to watch his teammates in befuddlement. They reverted to silence again and continued their exhausting task. Each of their thoughts were elsewhere as they worked, each trying not to think of the very real possibility that it might be a long time before they saw home again.

Finally, the DHD was cleared enough for Sam to be able to survey the damage. She carefully touched the crushed surface, and pulled back her hand when the shattered pieces fell away, into the center of the DHD.

"Dammit!" she cursed under her breath, although she had been expecting as much damage. She looked at the crystal inside and saw the jagged crack bisecting the stone. There was no way to repair the chamber with the limited resources they had.

"Well, Carter? What's the verdict?" Jack called over to her.

Sam turned to look at him. "The crystal chamber is completely shattered. The crystal itself is cracked, but still in one piece."

"Okay," Jack said. "So now what?"

"Well, sir," Sam rubbed the back of her neck, "providing the gate itself isn�t damaged, I think we can manually dial out if we can find a strong enough power source. SGC isn't expecting us back for another 24 hours, but maybe we can find something to power up the gate in the meantime. If not, the base will try to contact us, and if they can establish a wormhole, they can send us the supplies we need."

Jack nodded and they stepped back from the debris, sat down on the cleared part of the gate platform. Daniel swiped the bandana from his damp hair, which was sticking up in spikes, and wiped away the sweat from his chest. Pulling his shirt over his head, he speculated, "I did see a lot of machinery farther in the town. The inhabitants seem to have developed their own rudimentary technology over the years."

Jack put on his own T-shirt, set a plan in motion. "All right, so what do we need to get the gate powered up in case SGC can't send us the supplies?"

Sam looked at her CO, thinking. "Cables, a power source, a fuel source�anything that resembles a motor, which I can piece together. I can add parts to that generator if we can find something to repair its motor, and we�ll also need something to fuel it up with."

"Okay, let�s get to it," Jack said, gazing in the direction of the town. "Everyone spread out, start looking for anything remotely mechanical, and stay in radio contact."

They stood, and walked in the direction of the town. "So, worse comes to worst," Jack said, "what happens then?"

"We have to listen to more of your fish stories," Daniel muttered. "For the rest of our lives."

"Okay, I said worst, not best case scenario." Jack looked to each of his teammates, but they chose to ignore him and started to spread out, walking in separate directions toward the desolate buildings.

*****

Daniel walked with his face turned toward the sun, still relishing its warmth even though his skin was tingling not unpleasantly from mild sunburn. Despite the heat, the ground was still wet, muddy in places, and the mud pulled noisily against his boots as he walked through the deserted town, looking for anything remotely mechanical.

He paused at a building that resembled a warehouse, decided to see what was inside. He'd taken a few steps closer when he heard a faint mewling sound. He figured the sound had come from one of the numerous cats skulking around. He kept walking, stepped inside the building, and the sound grew more distinct. Daniel stopped, tilted his head slightly, and listened. Not a cat�s whine, he realized, but crying. His memory flashed back to that small footprint he had seen, or thought he had seen, the day before. He frowned, tried to pinpoint from where the sound had come.

"Hello? Is anybody there?"

The crying sound stopped, then resumed with a tone of desperation.

"It's all right�I'm not going to hurt you," Daniel said, trying to keep his voice gentle, reassuring. He scanned the seemingly empty building�empty save for scattered boxes, discarded rags, and, he noted with a trace of triumph, bits of machinery. At least he found what he was looking for, but the sound was distracting him from his discovery. A dark gray cat stared at him from its perch on something that may have once been a tractor of sorts. Its green eyes gleaming, tail twitching.

Maybe the sound had come from the cat, he thought, realizing he couldn't hear anything anymore. Then, something clattered, and a definitely human sounding wail arose from the far end of the building.

Daniel rushed toward the sound, stepped outside through the remains of a splintered back door, and skidded to a stop when he saw a small boy huddled beside another type of farming machinery, the contraption winged with spokes, like a thresher.

"Hey, are you all right?" Daniel asked the boy, surprised that they hadn�t discovered him earlier. He wondered with a start if the boy was the sole survivor of whatever had happened to the planet�s inhabitants.

The boy turned his head, stared at Daniel with huge, terrified hazel eyes, his small face streaked with tears. Daniel realized that the boy had caught his arm in one of the spokes. While the boy tugged frantically, trying with his entire body to free himself, cries of panic and terror escaped his lips. He kept his eyes locked on Daniel while never ceasing his insistent and painful tugging.

Daniel moved closer, his motions slow, non-threatening. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. Looks like you got yourself stuck, huh?" he said, keeping his voice low, soft. He estimated the boy to be about seven years old.

The boy stopped struggling, stared at Daniel again, his chin trembling. He nodded once in apparent reply.

Daniel stepped to the boy's side, slowly knelt down. He looked at the arm, saw that the boy's sleeve had been caught so tightly it had pinned his arm, nearly wrapping it around the cylinder.

"Does your arm hurt?" he asked, seeing that the boy's fingers were faintly blue from lack of circulation. Daniel didn�t see any blood, and he hoped the arm wasn't broken.

The boy stared at him mutely, nearly panting with terror.

"You're going to be fine, but it looks like your shirt is what's got you stuck there. I'm going to cut your sleeve off, and we'll get you out of here in no time, okay?" Daniel told him, speaking slowly and gently, looking into the boy's terrified eyes. "My name's Daniel, by the way. What's your name?"

The boy stared at him, but didn't answer. After a moment, Daniel heard a faint, "K-Kaelin."

"Kaelin?" he repeated, and the boy nodded again. "Okay, Kaelin, I'm going to take out my knife, and I'm just going to cut your sleeve, all right?"

Daniel slowly pulled his knife from his waistband. The boy backed away a few inches, pulled up short by the grip on his arm. Kaelin let out a whimper, which Daniel wasn't certain was one of pain or fear. Daniel gripped the sleeve just below the shoulder, pulling it away from the boy's flesh. He positioned the knife blade-side up, poked a hole in the ragged material.

Daniel could feel Kaelin trembling beneath his grip as he easily sliced through the worn fabric, all the way down to the elbow, where the material was caught. He gripped Kaelin's upper arm and pulled carefully, but firmly, keeping his own fingers in between the metal and the boy's skin. Daniel heard more fabric tear, and the small arm came loose with surprising ease.

He kept a grip on Kaelin's bared forearm, gently inspecting it for damage. It was bruised, the skin lightly scraped, but seemed otherwise unharmed. He released his hold on the boy's arm, and Kaelin lurched to his feet, started running backwards before managing to spin around. He stumbled over a rock, landing nearly face first on the ground.

Daniel rushed over to catch up with him to make sure the boy was all right. He moved to help him up again, his fingers nearly closing on the boy's good arm before Kaelin bolted upright, letting loose a bloodcurdling scream and darting away as if he thought the devil himself was breathing down his neck.

"Kaelin, wait! I'm not going to hurt you!" Daniel shouted as he ran after the boy. He didn�t want to lose him, worried that they might not be able to find him again.

Kaelin ducked toward something that looked like a tall grain storage and ran around it. Daniel followed, and suddenly found himself in the dark shade of the tower. He stepped onto boards, and they immediately gave way under his weight. His heart lurched as he felt himself plunge into nothingness. His chest connected with the hard edge of the newly-created hole. His breath let out in a whoosh. He threw his arms out, a futile attempt to catch himself. He managed to grab onto a piece of board still around the edge of the hole. The board snapped under his fingers, gouging splinters deeply into his palms.

Daniel cursed, stared stupidly at the piece of wood in his hands. His feet scrabbled at the inside edges of the hole half his body dangled in. Flinging the scrap aside, he clawed at the loose, sandy ground. His fingers found no purchase. The remains of the boards fell into the hole around him. His fingernails broke as they scratched over rock, over rain-slicked ground. His feet skidded away from the edges. Dirt and rocks rained over his boots. Daniel felt himself helplessly sliding down.

As his hands slid away from the crumbling edge and he felt himself falling, he had a moment to pray that the hole wasn't too deep.

*****

"Carter, that thing could have rabies, or worse, fleas�for cryin' out loud!"

Sam glanced up Jack, her attention diverted from the orange tabbycat purring blissfully in her lap. Jack and Sam were both taking a break, having returned from their technology hunt, and sat resting underneath a tree for shade, sipping from their canteens.

"It's all right, sir. He's an absolute sweetie. He looks just like Schroedinger, too."

"Between you and Daniel..." Jack muttered under his breath, shaking his head. He wondered where Sparky had gone. Probably scared off by the flea-ridded pest in Carter�s arms. "Let's hope that Teal'c and Daniel managed to find something a little more useful than you did."

"With all due respect, sir, I did find something useful," Sam protested, indicating the jumble of wires and bolts and screws next to the DHD. After another brief inspection of the gate, she'd established that it seemed intact, but the only way to know for sure was to test it. "Let�s just hope the gate isn�t damaged, as well, or we could be looking at being stuck here for the rest of our lives. Although, I suppose there are worse planets to be stuck on." Sam looked around their surroundings, her voice sounding dreamy, far away, almost.

Jack wondered if the heat was getting to her, or if she had been working too hard these past few months and was in desperate need of a vacation. "We're not going to be stuck here, Carter," Jack corrected. "Been there. Done that. Wore out the T-shirt. I personally would rather be stuck on a planet with palm trees, a freshwater lake, and a grocery store around the corner."

He noticed Sam watching him speculatively, her face creased in a slight frown. "What?" he asked.

She looked down, started stroking the cat again. "I was just wondering..."

"Spit it out, Carter," Jack said when he saw her blush.

"Well, I was wondering... when you were stuck on Edora, did you ever give up hope of seeing home again?" Sam asked, her voice soft, gaze fixed on the cat in her lap, her fingers playing with its short, mottled fur.

Jack was silent for such a long moment, that she looked up and saw a barely disguised sadness on his face.

"Yeah..." he said finally. "I did. Good thing none of you did though, huh?" he shrugged. "Give up, I mean."

"No, sir." Sam smiled. "We'd never give up on you."

"So," Jack said, desperately wanting to change the subject away from his past, from his regrets, "what did you guys do all that time I was gone, anyway? You probably had a great old time without me."

"No, sir," Sam repeated. "We didn't, actually. It... it wasn't the same without you. Teal'c hardly said a word on our missions. Makepeace and Daniel were butting heads constantly."

"That doesn't surprise me," Jack nodded. "Makepeace is the kind of guy that used to get his kicks beating the crap out of guys like Daniel. He probably held off because he knew Teal'c would rip his arms off if he did."

Sam grinned. "Teal�c would have, and I think Daniel took full advantage of that knowledge, too."

Jack looked down, smiled to himself and nodded. He could just picture Daniel baiting Makepeace with that deceptively wide-eyed innocent look of his, using his superior intellect against the other man.

It hit him suddenly, that almost constant feeling he once owned of missing his friends, no, his family, back home. The feeling of being left behind, of life going on without him, while his own life had come to an abrupt halt. It hit him with a fierceness he thought he had sloughed off when he'd returned from the planet, yet here it was again, as if he were divorced from his team, even while he stood with them. Jack shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck in an attempt to rid himself of the unwanted emotions.

Sam noted Jack's somber face, redirected her attention to her new furry friend as it shifted in her arms, melting against her legs in that boneless way cats have. "What did you do the whole time�if you don't mind me asking?"

Jack gazed in the direction of the inoperable Stargate, too reminiscent of the subject in question. He wondered why Carter was being so insistent in bringing all of this up now, after enough time had passed for him to declare the experience and the subject matter closed. Over and done with. He had never talked about his time on Edora with any of them. Even Daniel had carefully avoided mentioning those three-plus months of lost time.

But maybe it wasn�t completely over. Maybe that�s why he still harbored that pain of separation and loss. None of it had ever been satisfactorily addressed, that sense of loss the team had felt during those three months he had been gone. And then just as they were resuming a semblance of their old camaraderie, it was time to throw them into more emotional quagmire when Jack was ordered to help rid the galaxy of a group of NID punks. Nope, they just never had time to heal. No wonder they still walked on eggshells around each other. No wonder Daniel maintained a careful distance from him. No wonder Carter couldn�t help but bring it up. He could all but feel the tension between all of them. Tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

It would take time, that�s all, he decided. No amount of talking it out, as Carter seemed determined to do would resolve things. What it would take was simply being with each other, reconnecting. And as much as he thought himself a solitary man, Jack knew the importance of the team. Of the unlikely family they had become.

He saw Carter still looking at him expectantly, remembered that she had asked him a question. Clearing his throat that had suddenly gone dry, he answered her, "Well... I fished. I chopped wood. I fished some more. I learned how to dance..." Jack intentionally left out the sense of despair that had overcome him and his eventual relationship with Laira. With Laira, he had found a way to go on. She had become a salve against the deep, penetrating burn of loneliness and loss. Maybe he hadn�t been fair to her in becoming involved under less than real intentions, but he had come to care for her more than he thought it possible to feel for anyone again. It was just strange that he didn�t miss her more.

He looked down at the dusty ground, scuffed his boot against the dirt, watching the blurred prints the treads on his soles made, and firmly forced his thoughts away from that time. "I... fished, mostly."

Sam swallowed, uncertain what to say, unsure if she even should say anything. Thankfully, they were interrupted by Teal'c's approach. The Jaffa carried a jumble of parts and oily bits of small machinery.

Jack stood, brushed the dust off the seat of his pants, grateful for the redirection. "Teal'c! What�cha got?"

"I am not certain if this will assist Major Carter, but there does appear to be a great deal of resources available," Teal'c said as he stepped up to Jack.

"Good," Jack said, rubbing his hands together and watching Teal'c distribute the parts on the ground. Carter immediately crouched down, sorting through them.

Pointing at the jumble of parts, Jack said with relief, "See, Carter? Next best things to ruby slippers. We�re going home."

*****

The world slowly came back to him in varying sounds, smells and pain. He heard voices whispering around him, but he couldn't focus well enough to make out any words. The air smelled damp and fetid, and his head throbbed, pounding as if his skull had been split open. He tried to remember what happened. He had found a little boy, helped him; he couldn�t remember anything beyond that.

"I did'na mean to kill him," a child's voice whispered, the words becoming more distinct.

"You did'na kill him, look�he's breathin'," another voice said.

"He look dead to me."

"Well, he's not. I was wrong before. He's still alive."

"What do we do now? What if he come here to tell us where all the grownups went? Maybe they's waitin� for us? He's gonna be real angry with me for tryin� to kill him!"

"Kaelin, it's all right�you did'na try to kill him. He ca'na do anything to you. And we do�na even know who is. He might be with the ones what took 'em in the first place."

"Oh..." Kaelin nearly whispered. "I did'na think of that."

"Keep back from 'im until we figure out what he wants and what he's doin� here."

Moving his head was sheer torture, so Daniel tried to keep still until he could figure out where he was. The voices sounded close to his ear, he felt movement around him, closing in, then darting away.

Daniel felt something like a stick poking at his leg, once, then twice. He pulled his leg away, groaning. His other leg throbbed faintly. He cautiously opened his eyes, and keeping them nearly squinted shut, tried to take in his surroundings. He was lying on his left side, the light was dim, but he could make out two forms standing in front of him.

"See, look. He moved."

Daniel forced his eyes all the way open, and everything slowly came into a muted focus. He had lost his glasses, but he could see the two kids hovering around him well enough, staring at him as if he were a fascinating insect they had discovered.

He glanced down at his feet, saw that his lower right pant leg was stained dark brown with wetness, and he wondered if he was lying in water. Reaching down, and instead of water he felt the sticky viscosity of blood. Felt a twinge of pain at the careful touch. Daniel cautiously tried to sit up and nearly cried out at the sharp flare of agony in his head and the left side of his ribcage. Clenching his teeth, he tried to ride out the pain, wait until it receded somewhat before attempting to move again.

A sudden, ear-splitting shriek exploded inside his head. Daniel slammed his eyes shut, groaning and instinctively clamping his hands to his ears in a futile attempt to stifle the sound. He fell back onto his side with a painful thump.

Then the scream abruptly, thankfully, was cut off.

"It's all right, Kaelin! I will'na be lettin� him hurt you!"

Daniel moved his head a fraction to see a boy holding his hand over another smaller boy's mouth�Kaelin�s.

Daniel tried to tuck his legs up, and gasped at a stab pain along his right shin. His ribs were a blaze of agony that flared with increased intensity with each shuddering breath. He wondered if he'd broken something in his fall, and very slowly managed to pull himself to a sitting position, leaning on his arm for support. His head screamed in protest, his vision grayed around the edges, and he felt jabs of assorted pains in nearly every muscle.

Raising his head with an effort, he locked gazes with the taller boy, who still had his hand over Kaelin's mouth. The boy slowly released his grip on Kaelin, then, with a fierce quickness, grasped a long stick, crudely but brutally sharpened on the end, and pointed it at Daniel. The boy�s glare registered the same edged sharpness, but with an addition of barely hidden fear.

"Hi," Daniel said, somewhat inanely, he thought, but he couldn't talk anymore without gasping as everything revolted against his shift in gravity. He had to catch his breath first. At least these kids speak English, he thought with a tinge of relief. Their words were Gaelic accented, but still easy enough to understand, modern English. He didn't think in his present state he'd be able to communicate in something like 5th century Gaelic.

The boy raised the stick, business end in the general vicinity of Daniel's throat. The boy�s eyes were wide, fearful, but Daniel could detect the determination toward self-preservation overriding the want to give into the fear.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Daniel said in a soft, breathy voice. He struggled to shift to a more comfortable position, tried unsuccessfully not to wince at the pain in his leg.

The two boys stared at him, transfixed, paralyzed with fear.

"My name is Daniel Jackson, and� m-my team and I came here to explore. We didn't know you were here. I-I didn't mean to frighten you, Kaelin. How does your arm feel?"

"Wha's he talkin� about, Kaelin?" the boy with the stick asked, his voice sharp. He darted his eyes over to the younger boy pressing close beside him. Daniel could see faint purple bruises mottling the bare skin, visible from under the ragged edge of what was left of Kaelin's sleeve.

"I-I got my arm caught. I was playin', and the machine turned on! It never turned on before, Callum!"

"You know yer s�posed to stay away from there," Callum said.

"I know, but it never worked before, honest!" Kaelin protested.

"You never said ye talked to 'im." Callum jerked his chin in Daniel's direction.

"I did'na want you to be angry with me. He got my arm free, then I got scared he's gonna take me like all the others, so I ran!" Kaelin said, his voice wavering.

"I wasn't going to hurt you, Kaelin. I just wanted to talk to you," Daniel said. He suddenly noticed that Callum was wearing his jacket, which he must have taken from Daniel�s pack. Kaelin had Daniel�s boonie hat perched on his red hair, and his glasses were tucked in the collar of the boy's ragged shirt. Daniel saw his pack lying a few feet from where the boys were standing, its contents strewn on the ground.

Callum noticed his scrutiny and shot him a challenging glare. "We thought you was dead, so we did'na think you'd be needin� your stuff."

"Ah," Daniel nodded, wincing at the instant flare in the side of his head. "Well, sorry to disappoint you guys. Um... silly question� maybe, but... where are your parents?" Daniel asked.

When he received a look of non-comprehension from the boys, he continued, "The people who take care of you, the... the grown ups?"

Callum straightened his thin shoulders. Daniel's too-large jacket nearly hung to the boy�s knees, and he had rolled the sleeves up a number of times. "There be no grown ups, anymore. I look after 'em," Callum said in a determined, almost proud voice.

"You look after who?" Daniel asked. "Are there more of you kids here?" Daniel glanced around, seeing nothing but an empty space, which may have once been used for storage. He looked up carefully and saw sunlight streaming in from a hole high up above them. He realized with a jolt that he must have fallen through that hole, some fifteen feet. Splinters and broken pieces of plywood lay strewn around him.

God, I'm lucky I didn't break my neck, he thought, nearly shuddering at the realization. He redirected his gaze to the boy in front of him. "Where is everyone? What happened to all the people here?"

"Not tellin' you anythin�!" Callum sneered, jabbing his stick in Daniel's direction.

"All right, fine," Daniel said, raising his hands in a peaceable gesture. He studied Callum more closely, figured the boy couldn't be more than twelve years old, and he was painfully thin. Daniel could see the boy's bony legs from underneath the tattered pair of pants, which were chopped off just below the knee. His dark brown hair was nearly down to his collar, the ends ragged, as if he had cut it himself. His large, wide-set eyes were dark gray or green in color, fringed with long, thick black eyelashes, and set in a high cheekboned angular face. He hardly looked capable of taking care himself, let alone being in charge of Kaelin and whomever else he had meant.

"What do we do now?" Kaelin whispered, looking at Callum.

"You don't have worry about me hurting you guys," Daniel repeated. "My team and I are just explorers. Maybe we can help you, even."

"We do'na need any help," Callum said in a low voice.

"Okay, maybe you don't need help, but perhaps we can be friends?" Daniel blinked as a wave of dizziness washed over him. He knew he had a concussion from the familiar searing in his head and the nausea roiling in his stomach and tightening the back of his throat.

"Got enough friends already," Callum said, but he slowly lowered the stick, keeping a wary eye on Daniel.

Daniel looked down for a moment, took slow, shallow breaths, trying to will the nausea away. "Where are the rest of your people�the other kids, Callum? Is it all right if I call you Callum?"

"It�s my name." Callum shrugged. "And the rest of �em�they�s around." He picked up one of Daniel's books lying open on the ground and leafed through it, his other hand clenched tightly around the stick. Callum seemed to find the book interesting and sat down cross-legged on the ground.

Kaelin sat down beside him, peering at the book. "Whas'it say?"

Callum gently nudged Kaelin with his elbow. "Be off with ye, all right? You're a right nuisance, ye know. Go see what the others're doin'."

Kaelin pouted, shifted a few inches away from Callum, but stayed put.

Daniel blinked when he felt a drop of sweat or blood run down his face and into the corner of his eye, making it sting. He raised his hand to the left side of his face. The skin felt scraped, and when he pulled his hand away, his fingers were wet with blood. He took a careful breath against another wave of dizziness and nausea.

Callum looked up from the book. "You should be dead after a fall as that one," he commented, his voice sounding casual, but his eyes darkening with something close to fear when he glanced up at the ragged hole high above them.

"I've survived... worse than that, believe me," Daniel retorted, trying to keep his voice sounding equally casual, but the faint wavering ruined the effect. Sitting up was gradually making him feel worse. He felt bile rising in his throat. The cool, damp room faded in and out of focus. Daniel lay back again, almost falling onto his back. He turned slowly onto his uninjured side, facing Callum, trying to force his heavy, leaden eyelids to stay open.

God, if Jack could see me now, he thought through the relentless vertigo. Held captive by a kid, for Christ's sakes. Jack would probably laugh his ass off. Although Daniel wouldn't mind if Jack made an appearance right about now. Daniel had a brief moment to wonder what happened to his radio before his eyelids drooped shut and all sensations faded, becoming distant as the darkness took him again.

*****

"So where the hell is Daniel?" Jack grumbled.

"Maybe he's found something," Sam said from her crouch on the ground as she pieced together something that resembled a fuel cell, or at least Jack thought it was a fuel cell.

"It is possible he requires assistance in bringing some of his findings back to the Stargate," Teal'c added.

"So why hasn't he called in?" Jack said, then shrugged. "Most likely, he's made friends with the local dog pack. Probably he, Sparky and the rest of them are all sharing a bone, having a chat and bonding," Jack said, pulling at his radio. "Daniel! Come in."

No response, so he tried again. "Daniel, if you can hear me, come in from whatever the hell it is you're doing."

Sam looked up at him, her face creasing in a frown of concern. "Do you think something's happened to him?" she asked.

"How can anything happen to him on a planet populated by the cast of 'Lady and the Tramp?'" Jack replied, then thought for a moment. "Then again, this is Daniel we�re talking about." Speaking into the radio once more, he nearly shouted, 'Daniel! Come in!" He stared at the radio, had to admit to a growing concern at the continued silence.

*****

Daniel pulled his eyes open at what he thought was the distant sound of Jack's voice and what he sensed was movement in front of him. He hadn�t even realized that he'd fallen asleep. He had to be more careful about that, he thought, struggling to focus.

A faint whisper of breath brushed his face and he glanced up. His gaze came in contact with huge, dark eyes, a small face framed by long, wavy dark hair. A little girl, about six years old maybe, crouched beside him, watching him without fear.

Daniel smiled at the girl, struggled to sit up, ignoring the wave of dizziness. "Hi," he said, a little breathlessly, and the little girl tilted her head, watching him, her eyes focused on his lips.

She met his gaze again, and opened and closed her hand in an exaggerated wave.

"Can you talk, tell me your name, maybe?" Daniel raised his hands to his mouth, tapped at his lips.

The girl shook her head, held her hand over her mouth.

"Eilis, no," Callum appeared behind her, then positioned himself beside the little girl. He pointed at Daniel, shook his head, frowning for emphasis. He put his hands over his lips, shook his head again.

Eilis looked at Callum, seemed to want to protest, but th boy mimed something else to her in what appeared to be a sign language of their own invention. Eilis nodded after a moment, and Callum patted her on the arm. She stood, skipped off to a ragged doorway, covered by rough boards. Daniel hadn't noticed the doorway before�it was nearly hidden in the shadows, blending in with the dark, mud-colored walls surrounding it.

"Do'na be talkin' to the others," Callum said, which brought Daniel�s attention back to the boy and his dark, narrowed eyes.

"Why not?"

"Since I told ye not to, that be the reason why not!"

"Is she deaf?" Daniel asked of the little girl, Eilis.

"Deaf?" Callum echoed, looking confused.

"Deaf, as in she can't hear," Daniel explained, touching his ear.

"Buidhre," Callum said, nodding.

"Right," Daniel said, immediately translating the word. "D-do... do you speak... Gaelic, Callum?"

Callum looked puzzled again. "What?"

"That word, 'buidhre,� is Gaelic," Daniel explained, then shook his head when Callum frowned. "Never mind. Has Eilis always been unable to hear? That�s what deaf means," he explained.

Callum nodded. "She get by all right, though."

"It looks like it," Daniel said. "You're very good with her and Kaelin."

Callum was surprised by the praise, and nearly smiled. He dropped his head, suddenly self-conscious. Getting to his feet again, he moved back to the doorway, then stepped through it.

Daniel considered trying to stand to follow him. He sat up straighter and gasped. Clutching at his ribs, he had to hunch over to still the searing pain. Just as the agony was receding to a point where Daniel could breathe normally again, Callum returned with a cup in his hands. He crouched in front of Daniel, holding it out to him.

Daniel looked up, surprised by the offer. He took the cup with trembling hands. "Um... water?"

Callum nodded and watched him.

Daniel peered into the cup and the water looked clear and clean. He raised the cup to his lips and took a cautious sip. It was cool and wonderfully quenching against his dry throat, and he swallowed more in quick gulps. His stomach began to roil threateningly and he handed the empty cup back to Callum. The boy caught it just as it slid out of Daniel's shaky grasp.

"Thank you."

Callum nodded again. "You want more?"

"No, thank you. Maybe in a minute, though," Daniel answered, wanting to allow the water to settle before attempting to drink any more. "How many more kids do you look after, Callum?"

"You ask a lot of questions for a grownup," Callum told him.

Daniel let out a soft laugh. He'd been told a variation of that criticism on too many occasions, on too many other worlds. "That's how I learn about someone. Okay then, how about you ask me something?"

Callum frowned. "Ask ye what?"

"I don't know�anything you want." Daniel shrugged, careful of his ribs. "You must be wondering where I came from."

Callum nodded, his body tensing. "All right, where did ye's come from?"

"My team�three other grownups dressed like me came through the Stargate." He paused to see if there would be a reaction. When there was none, Daniel went on. "The�the big stone circle just outside of town. We came from another world, a planet called Earth."

Callum snorted derisively. "That's a downright lie. I've stepped through that circle many times, and it gets ye nowheres but the other side of the circle." He tilted his head, stopping to think for a moment, then looked at Daniel, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Unless you know how to make the circle work, then? Maybe your kind was what took all our grownups away."

Daniel shook his head. "No. We had nothing to do with what happened here, but my team and I can help you, if you let us." Daniel glanced around again at the strewn contents of his pack�everything was there but his radio. He wondered if Callum had tucked it in the pocket of his jacket, which was still hanging off the boy's shoulders.

"Speaking of my team, have you seen my radio... a-a small box, about this big?" Daniel asked, holding his hands out to indicate the size.

Callum's eyes darted toward the doorway for a moment, then he frowned at Daniel again.

"Callum, if you have my radio, will you please give it back to me? I need to contact my friends. They're going to be worried about me."

Callum shook his head. "Dunno know what'cher talkin� about."

Daniel met the boy's wary gaze and said, "I think you do."

Callum glared at him, then abruptly stood. "We do'na need help from the likes of whoever you and your friends might be. We's doin' just fine. We do'na want the grownups to come back anyhows." He angrily kicked at the gear lying beside Daniel's pack, then kicked the pack itself, sending it tumbling end over end a few times.

Oh, God. Daniel took in a sharp breath, an icy wave of fear passing through him when he saw his Beretta scattered amidst the medkit, books, and gear. He was immeasurably thankful that none of the kids had picked up the gun.

Daniel gritted his teeth, pushed over to where the gun lay, half-crawling, half-throwing himself toward the contents of his pack. With a quavering groan he picked up the gun, pulled out the clip, and shoved the clip inside his vest pocket. He took a painfully deep breath, and ejected the bullet in the chamber and activated the safety on the gun.

"Wh-what you doin? What is that?" Callum said, stumbling backward, staring at Daniel wide-eyed, ready to bolt.

"It's called a gun, and it's very, very dangerous," Daniel said, trying to ignore the pounding in his temples and the agony in his side. "I didn't want one of the younger kids to pick it up."

Callum stared at the gun, freezing in place at Daniel's words.

"I'm not going to do anything to hurt you, Callum�please believe that," Daniel said, slowly placing the gun beside him. "I took it apart. It can�t hurt anyone now."

"Why should I believe you?"

"I can give you only my word," Daniel said, closing his eyes for a moment to regain his equilibrium. "If I were going to hurt any of you, don't you think I would have done it by now?"

"Fine, give that to me, then," Callum said, jerking his chin in the direction of the Beretta but the faint tremor in his voice belied his brave words.

Daniel shook his head. "No, I�m sorry. I can�t." There was no way he'd hand even a dismantled gun to child, no matter what the circumstances. He noticed Callum�s features tightening with greater apprehension. Uncurling his hand, Daniel realized he still held the bullet from the gun�s chamber. Daniel held the bullet out to the boy. "You can look at this, though. It can�t hurt you now."

Callum edged closer, studied the unfamiliar, cylindrical object in Daniel's hand. He carefully picked up the bullet, holding it between his fingertips. "Wha'sis do?"

"It�s a bullet, and it works with a weapon that causes a great deal of damage to a person�it kills. It's completely safe for you to look at it because it doesn�t work without this." Daniel indicated the gun by his side. "I only use it for defense, though. When my life, or my teammates lives are in danger."

"Defense against what?"

"Enemies, people that sometimes threaten us because they don�t understand us," Daniel explained.

"So you'd use that on us, then. You�re like our prisoner, so's that makes us your enemy," Callum rationalized.

"No," Daniel said shaking his head. "I would never use that on you. Never. You're not my enemy. We're just trying to get to know each other, that's all."

"How do I know that? You could be here like what happened before, when everyone went away."

"No, I'm not. I promise you that," Daniel said, keeping his voice firm, but gentle again.

Callum didn't reply, his gaze still cautious, guarded.

"Okay..." Daniel paused to think for a moment, wondered how he could get through to him. "Well... umm... I am wondering why... why didn't you just leave me here after I had fallen?"

The question surprised the boy, and he blinked at Daniel, his features pinched with confusion. After a moment, Callum shrugged, looked at the bullet in his hand, holding it as carefully as if he expected it to explode in his face.

"Maybe you were curious?" Daniel speculated. "I'm thinking maybe you did want to talk to me and find out where I came from." Daniel paused to take a breath. His ribs were still throbbing from his exertion, his headache a tight band of pain circling his skull.

"No. I could'na give a rot who you are, or where you come from." Callum shook his head.

"I think you do. And there's nothing wrong with that curiosity. In fact, it�s understandable," Daniel looked at the boy, his blue eyes wide with intensity and compassion. He knew only too well how hard it was to trust again after you had been left alone to fend for yourself. "Please, Callum, we have to reach a point where we can trust each other, okay?"

"Got no reason to trust you."

"And you have no reason not to." Daniel raised his eyebrows, tilted his head. "I can understand your fear of whatever happened here and left you all alone like this, but believe me when I tell you that we had nothing to do with what happened to your grownups. Maybe we can help you find out what happened them, even."

Callum shook his head. "Do'na need your help," he said, but his voice was softer, uncertain.

Daniel took that note of uncertainty for a sign of progress, tried to push himself to his feet, despite the fact that his vision was still blurred around the edges and each breath was an exercise in torture. A loud crack from above startled him, and he sat back down heavily, choking off a cry of pain.

Callum glanced up at the hole above them. They could see a faint flash of lightning, then another loud crack of thunder made both Daniel and Callum jump.

Water started to pour down through the hole, spattering the dry ground, denting the dust and dirt with pockmarks. The rain picked up in intensity. Rivulets of water ran down the ragged hole in the ceiling, pooling on the ground, spreading toward where Daniel sat.

Oh, this is just great, another storm, Daniel thought, frustration filling him as he watched the small waterfall.

Callum regarded Daniel for a long moment. Daniel felt the boy's intense scrutiny, and looked at him again. He wondered why the storm didn't seem to have much effect on the boy, wondered if Callum had grown so accustomed to them as to regard them as commonplace.

Callum handed the bullet back to him with trepidation. Daniel took it, shoved the bullet in his pocket along with the clip, tucked the Beretta in his waistband, and struggled to move away from the water flowing toward him. He pulled himself to one knee, groaning with the effort. He felt a small hand take his arm, attempting to help him up.

Daniel was simultaneously surprised and grateful for the assistance. He clenched his teeth against the pain, and managed to pull himself to a wobbly standing position. His vision grayed for a moment, and felt himself swaying. He held onto Callum's shoulder, trying to lean on him as little as possible, and wrapped his other arm around his ribs, trying to stifle the pain.

"Come on back here," Callum said, guiding him toward the shadowed doorway. "It be much drier and warmer. S'where we wait out the storms."

Daniel nodded, hobbled toward the door, limping from the stinging pain in his shin and hearing his ragged breathing echoing in his ears.

*****

"You still think this wouldn't be such a bad place on which to be stuck?" Jack said to Sam as the three of them watched the storm raging outside the shelter of the library. They had retreated back to the building as soon as the storm broke out, quickly gathering up their scavenged pieces of machinery as they went.

"Well, I..." Sam started, then shrugged. Okay, maybe two hurricane force storms in less than twenty-four hours was a little much. She frowned as she watched the sheets of pelting rain, listened to the gusts of wind rattling the remains of the windowpanes, and hoped that Daniel wasn't trapped or injured, helpless to escape the onslaught.

"O'Neill, perhaps I should attempt to locate DanielJackson," Teal'c said, moving beside Sam, his face set in an equally concerned frown. "The weather is of little consequence to me."

"No, Teal'c," Jack said, shaking his head. "The rain's coming down in buckets. You can't see squat out there. Junior isn't going to help you see any better than me or Carter, or stop you from getting hit by lightning." He stepped farther back from the window and swiped a few errant raindrops from his face. "Daniel's a big boy. He can find shelter on his own. No point in losing track of the two of you. We'll wait it out, and we'll find Daniel later. He's probably just having trouble getting a signal on his radio, anyway," he added, assuming a casual air�one of which he didn�t truly feel.

Teal'c redirected his gaze to the storm, nodded slowly in resignation. Sam took another look at the window, then moved over to the machinery laid out in the back corner, distracting herself the best she could�with her machines, with simple mechanics and chemistry. She tried not to worry too much about her friend. Tried not to think about how badly this mission had gone in so short an amount of time. Tried not to think of how much they�d all been through in the past year, and couldn�t help but say a little prayer to the fates to get them out of this one, too.

*****

"Have'na had such bad storms as these in a while," Callum said as he led Daniel through a metal doorway, glancing upwards at the ceiling that tenuously held back the raging storm. He closed the heavy door behind them with a soft clang.

Against the corrugated steel above them, the sound of the storm was muted to muffled pings. The enclosure they had stepped into resembled a storm or bomb shelter, connected to the area in which Daniel had fallen by a narrow shaft. Makeshift tents, blankets, and propped up sheets of plywood filled the crowded enclosure.

Daniel�s mouth dropped open with shock and surprise when he was confronted by a dozen pair of eyes, maybe more, maybe less. He couldn�t tell. He nearly lost his balance when another bout of dizziness assailed him and he had to hold onto the wall for support. He paused, steadied himself and tried to look at each of the children in turn, smile at them and appear as non-threatening as possible. He offered a breathless hello, only to be met with wide-eyed apprehension from the small, pale faces. He slowly counted eleven kids, most of them seemed to be between seven and nine years old. Eilis appeared to be the youngest among them, and the oldest few, next to Callum, seemed to be around ten or eleven years old. Daniel wondered if the children had been hiding in there all along, or if the storm had sent them scurrying to shelter. Judging from all the bedding, battered toys and clothing, he assumed this was where the children usually slept, as well.

Callum led him to a spot against the far wall, which Daniel presumed was the boy's own sleeping area. Daniel noticed stacks of books on either side of the thin blankets that made up Callum's bed. The books reminded Daniel of how he used keep all his treasured books right beside his own bed when he was a kid. Keeping them within easy reach for when he couldn�t sleep, or when he woke in the middle of the night, afraid and needing solace and distraction. Daniel wondered if Callum kept the books there for the same reason. Grateful to get off his feet, Daniel sat on the blanket and leaned back against the metal wall, trying to catch his breath.

Callum sat down beside Daniel, but kept a safe distance. Kaelin and Eilis had followed close behind, then joined them on the blankets, snuggling close against Callum on either side.

The other children were quiet as they listened to the storm rage outside, and kept their somber gazes fixed on Daniel. The dim room, lit only by the planet's version of kerosene lamps, was doing slow loops as wave after wave of dizziness assaulted him. Daniel's headache was a constant presence and his ribs ached miserably. He felt fresh wetness on his leg and he really wanted to lie down, but fought against the near-overwhelming need to sleep. He needed to fully assess his condition before the exhaustion did make him pass out again.

Careful of his ribs, he leaned as far forward as he could and had to catch himself from nearly pitching over headfirst. When his vision stopped whirling, Daniel tugged on his torn pants to inspect his bleeding leg.

Callum watched him with interest, an unspoken question on his face.

"I'm going to check to see how badly I hurt myself in that fall," Daniel explained, and couldn't hold back a groan as he struggled to pull the pant leg high enough. His calf was swollen and the material stuck in places to his skin.

Callum nodded in agreement. "You're messed up pretty bad, I reckon."

Daniel cursed under his breath when he realized that he had left his medkit in the other room. "Can one of you do me a favor, and get me my medkit? It's a white box, with a red cross on it," Daniel held up two crossed fingers to demonstrate. "Like this." He looked at his fingers and then frowned at the impression he had made�probably watched far too many vampire movies as a kid, he thought hazily.

Kaelin nodded, jumped to his feet and ran to retrieve the medkit, eager to be of assistance.

When Kaelin returned with the box and carefully handed it to him, Daniel thanked the boy. Keeping his motions deliberately slow so he wouldn�t startle the already skittish kids, Daniel eased down his blood-stained sock, wincing when more dried blood pulled away from his skin. There was a long gash from below his knee to just above his ankle. The edges of the gash were puffy, inflamed and still bleeding sluggishly. He wondered if the gash had been caused by a rusty nail from one of the boards he had crashed through. If so, it was going to get very infected, very fast.

Callum stood behind Kaelin and let out a low whistle at the sight of Daniel's leg. "That must hurt somethin� fuathasach."

"Oh, yeah," Daniel said through gritted teeth. He had a pretty good idea of what fuathasach meant, and if it was anything close to like a son of a bitch, he was in full agreement.

A few of the other kids came closer to watch and whisper among themselves as Daniel opened a bottle of antiseptic, poured some on a gauze pad and pressed it against the gash. He clenched his teeth against the sharp sting and waited for the pain to abate somewhat and the resulting nausea to pass. Once he thought he could move again without losing the contents of his stomach, he carefully cleaned more dirt from the cut, applied some antibiotic cream and placed clean pads over it. He hands stung from the antiseptic and turning them over to inspect his palms, Daniel noticed the splinters embedded in his skin, but they looked too deep for him to extract on his own.

"You a healer?" Callum asked.

Daniel shook his head, closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed to regain his voice. "No. This is just... basic first aid." Seeing the looks of confusion, he explained, "We learned how to... to do this for our jobs... in case we got hurt." He paused again to catch his breath. "You have to clean a cut like this and cover it, or else it won't heal properly."

Callum nodded. "We do that, 'cept for we do�na have medicines."

Daniel wondered how they all had managed to survive the typical childhood accidents that befell kids. The bumped heads, the broken bones from falling out of trees, and all the other innumerable ways kids found to hurt themselves. "Really? That's... that�s amazing, Callum." Daniel said, surprised. "I'd like to hear about how you've cared for each other all this time."

Callum shrugged. "The grownups left all sorts'a things behind�clothes, food, stuff the healers used. We make do."

Daniel nodded and reached for a roll of gauze. He bent his leg and wrapped the gauze around his shin and over the pads, doing a messy, uneven job of it, but at least it would stop the bleeding. "You'll have to tell me more about it later," he said, blinking back tears of pain and fatigue, knowing he was far too exhausted to further carry on a coherent conversation. He blinked again, tried to clear his fuzzy vision, fumbling to hold the end of the bandage while trying to tear off strips of tape to hold it in place.

Small hands appeared in his line of vision, pressing down the bandage for him. Daniel glanced up to see they were Callum's hands. He noticed that the first two fingers on Callum's left hand were twisted and misshapen, held out stiff and rigid�as if the delicate bones had been broken and hadn't healed properly, forever locking them into immobility. A long, ragged scar ran down the back of the hand.

Daniel realized with a jolt that the kids hadn't survived their time alone intact, after all. He felt a twinge of sympathy for the boy, but didn't comment on the damaged hand. He fastened the bandage, awkwardly but securely with Callum's aid.

"Thank you, Callum," Daniel said, giving him a gentle smile. He was rewarded with a tentative half-smile, and Callum stepped back to peruse Daniel's first aid job.

"Reckon ye can'na be much of a threat as messed up as ye are," he commented.

"I reckon not," Daniel said with a wince. "It looks like I'm at your mercy, huh?"

"Looks like it," Callum agreed with a full grin this time.

Daniel carefully lifted the left side of his vest and T-shirt and winced at the collection of bruises forming on his ribs. He�d never injured his ribs before, but was fairly certain that at least a few were cracked or broken from how difficult it was to breathe. He let the shirt fall back and took out a small mirror from the medkit and studied the cuts and bruises on his face. The bruises on his cheek and jaw were a multitude of shades of red and angry purple, and the cut over his brow was deep, but had begun to scab, the blood congealing. He swiped another antiseptic pad over the cut, hissing slightly at the anticipated sting, and cleaned up the blood staining his face as best he could. He decided against taking any pain medication, since it would only make him pass out again.

As he returned the mirror to the kit and closed the lid, Daniel heard a loud burst of static coming from close by. He jumped, startled, and looked in the direction from which the sound came.

Callum followed Daniel's gaze, stood and moved over to a small crate filled with odds and ends, returned with Daniel's radio in hand. He silently handed it to Daniel, who took the battered but intact radio with a nod of thanks.

"Jack?" he called into the receiver. He tried a different channel when no response came. "Jack? Sam? Come on, you guys. Come in!"

No answer but a sharp electronic whine, then silence. The combination of the storm and being so far underground was probably interfering with the signal, Daniel reasoned. He tried again after a few minutes and received the same lack of response. Daniel called into the radio anyway, hoping maybe his team could somehow hear him. "Guys, I'm in a storm shelter by the grain storage. There's a hole right behind it, so be careful!" His reply was nothing but distant static. He finally gave up and, leaving the radio on, tucked it back in the flap on his vest.

The dizziness was a relentless misery, making him feel nauseated again. Daniel carefully rested his throbbing head against the wall and tried not to move too much. Slowly, the dizziness abated to an almost tolerable level and the nausea began to fade. Moving only his eyes, Daniel tried to further take in his surroundings, tried to survey the other children watching him from a safe distance. All of them were watching him. All but one.

Daniel noticed one of the older girls, sitting amidst a gathering of younger children. At first sight, she seemed to be looking in his direction, but when Daniel looked more closely at her face, at her muted, narrowed features, he could clearly see the barely contained anger in her eyes, silently directed toward Callum.

Callum must have felt the heat of the girl's gaze and he glanced her way. "You wanna find somethin' else to look at, Rhoswen?"

The girl didn't look away. Instead, she stood and moved closer to Callum, positioning herself about four feet away from him, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "What you bring him in here for anyways?" Her voice was low, the anger tinged with fear as she looked at Daniel.

"I'm not going to hurt any of you-" Daniel started, but Callum got to his feet to stand beside Rhoswen.

"He was gettin� cold and wet out there, that's why," Callum answered.

"You�re s'posed to be watchin' out for us, not bringin' some... some stranger in here!" the girl shouted, pointing her finger at Daniel.

"I'm always watchin' out for all of ye�s," Callum retorted, his voice quiet. Daniel noticed she and Callum were nearly the same height, and wondered if they were close to the same age.

"He might have come to take us away, too," Rhoswen said, peering at Daniel, her eyous filled with apprehension. "Why�d you not leave 'im there where he fell?" she demanded, and then spun back to glare at Callum. "They never would'a known about us!"

"Rhos, it's all right. He seems nice enough and he helped Kaelin," Callum said, trying to reassure the girl. "He's hurt, too, so's he can'na do much to us anyway. Look at 'im." Callum turned and waved a hand in the direction of Daniel's bandaged leg stretched out uncomfortably in front of him. "Can'na hardly even walk."

"He's right, Rhoswen," Daniel told the girl, speaking softly. "I'm not here to hurt any of you, or take any of you away from each other. I promise you that."

"What about the others?" Rhoswen carefully avoided answering Daniel, kept her gaze focused on Callum. "There's three others like him. I saw 'em! They'll be lookin' for 'im!"

Daniel sat up straighter at that. He wanted to ask where she had seen his teammates, but the heated argument allowed no room for interjection.

"I do�na think they came here to do anythin� to us," Callum told her, shaking his head. "He says he's an explorer, and they come through the circle. Remember what Eamon told us about the circle? How some of the grownups used to go through it a long, long time ago? It even says so in the books that the explorers come through the circle. I do�na just make that up for the smaller kids when I tell ye�s stories about it."

"Those what took everyone away came through the circle, too!" Rhoswen protested, her scraped fists jammed to her hips.

"You do'na know that! No one knows what happened, so do'na be sayin' that," Callum said, frowning at her.

"You should'a left him in the rain! Let 'im get wet and get sick," Rhoswen continued, ignoring Callum's words. "Left him just like all the others left us. Left us with you!" She saw the hurt she was inflicting on Callum, and decided to go that one extra step. She narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice. "Eamon was stupid leaving the likes of you in charge!"

"Stop it!" Callum shouted, barricading the acrimonious space between them with an upraised hand. "Do�na talk about Eamon like that! You think you would'a done better with all of 'em?" Callum waved an arm at the other children watching the exchange with wide-eyed fascination and fear.

"Hey, guys, take it easy," Daniel tried to interrupt what looked like an old argument between the two oldest children.

"I probably could�a," Rhoswen answered, lifting her chin and scowling at Callum. "Maybe Afton would�na be dead, if Eamon left me instead of you in charge."

Even in the muted light, Daniel could see Callum's face pale at the accusation. The boy blinked in surprise and incredulity.

Rhoswen started to speak again, but Kaelin jumped up to stand between her and Callum, craning his neck almost comically to glare at the much taller girl, his small fists clenching with anger. "You shut up! Do�na ever say that!"

"I'll say whatever I want," Rhoswen spat out, never taking her focus away from Callum�s drawn expression, "'specially on account if it's true!"

"It is not true!" Kaelin shoved at the girl, but his smaller stature had no effect. She pushed him back, causing him to stumble against Callum.

"Hey! All of you! Knock it off, now!" Daniel shouted, doing his best Jack impression. The three kids jumped and stared at him wide-eyed while Daniel tried not to let on how much pain the outburst cost him. He blinked back the dizziness, clenched his teeth against the pounding in his temples, closed his eyes for a moment before continuing. "Whatever it is between you two, why don't you give it a rest until the storm breaks, huh? The other kids are starting to get scared."

It wasn�t until Daniel mentioned it that Callum thought to glance around the room at the other children. As if out of a fog of anger and shock, their faces began to appear to him�some were crying, some were staring in fear at their older caretakers. Callum felt a visceral pang of remorse.

"Fine," Rhoswen sneered, and with a toss of her dark blonde hair, she stepped away. Kaelin held his place to glare at Rhoswen, who blatantly ignored him.

"It's all right," Callum said in a shaky voice to the smaller kids. "Everythin's all right. The storm'll be over soon, all right?" He reached down to ruffle the hair of one sniffling child close to him, gave another child a quick pat on the back. Repeating the reassurances, he waited until the kids started to quiet, then sat down again, near Daniel.

Eilis moved closer to Callum and cuddled up against him as if she were trying to comfort him. Callum put his arm around her shoulders, hugging her to him. "It's all right," he whispered, more for his own need than for hers.

Kaelin took his previous position near Daniel and Callum, watching the older boy. "Callum?" he said, hesitant. When he received no answer, he called to the older boy again.

"What is it?" Callum answered, roughly swiping his hand over the fragile skin of his eyelids.

"Will you tell us a story now?"

Callum shook his head.

"But you always tell us a story when it�s stormy outside!" Kaelin protested.

"Not tonight, Kael, all right?" Callum said, his voice subdued.

Kaelin pouted for a moment, then leaned back beside the older boy with a resigned sigh. Pulling a small toy boat from his pocket, he began to quietly play with it, running it over his legs, making rocking motions.

Daniel tried to meet Callum's gaze without moving his head too much. Daniel could see tears still glimmering in the boy's eyes and spiking his thick lashes. "Callum, are you okay?"

Callum nodded and turned his face away.

Daniel wanted to say more, wanted to find out the source of the argument, but exhaustion was finally winning out and dulling his senses. He tried to remember how long you should stay awake after suffering a concussion and not receiving any medical attention, but he was too tired to think.

The faint drumming of the rain, the distant howls of the wind were lulling him, and his limbs felt heavy. The children were quiet, lost in the odd silence and residual tension similar to the kind left in a home after parents fought. Daniel remembered that feeling. He had listened to far too many arguments in far too many foster homes, trying to tune out the adults shouting voices, the hurled accusations and recriminations.

Daniel tucked his hands under his arms, warming them against the chill in the room that was settling into his bones. Listening to the muffled rain drumming over his head, Daniel's last thoughts before sleep took him were of his own childhood. Of one nearly forgotten late night when he had been unable to sleep after yet another nightmare, or was it after an overheard argument? He couldn't quite remember, but he could recall how he had wrapped himself in a blanket and gone outside to sit on the covered porch at one of his foster homes to watch a summer storm.

The rain had sounded a little like the storm dissipating overheard�soft, muted. The sound had somehow echoed the loneliness in his heart, the falling rain surrogates for the tears he had always refused to shed. He had spent the entire night unnoticed on that porch, awakening just as the sun was coming up, the blanket and his pajamas cold and damp from the early morning dew.

Daniel had waited out that storm just like he had with other storms. Each storm came; each storm passed and the only thing left remaining, left to rely on was himself. With the passing of each storm, Daniel�s resolve to rely wholly on himself strengthened.

He wondered how the kids had managed to cope on their own, how they got through each day. At least they have each other, he thought suddenly. As consciousness faded, Daniel couldn't help but wonder if having a sibling, or someone with whom to share his own grief so many years ago, would have made the loss and the irreparable wound to his soul a little easier to bear. But he�d been able to see it through, just as the kids surrounding him had somehow managed.

*****

Scattered images merged and flowed timelessly, seamlessly into one another. Images of Sha're, faces of the children they would never have together. Muted and helpless cries from the young he knew, from the children he would never know. The face of the child he had promised to find, the child he had once been, their features fleeting, intangible, here and gone. But the sound, the softly penetrating, heart-wrenching cry remained.

It was this sound that made him stir. It was the muffled cry that continued, that sounded in his ears even after the faces and the eyes and the burden of the past dissipated. That made him wonder if the cries were echoes of the dream still playing out in his subconscious.

The whimpers continued, growing louder, more urgent. Daniel pulled his eyes open, squinted in the dim light of the one remaining lit lamp, and tried to locate the source of the sound. Something warm was pressed against his uninjured shin, and he realized that Kaelin and Eilis had snuggled up against him in their sleep, their small bodies tangled together like puppies.

"I�m sorry, I�m sorry, no! No!"

Daniel looked to the source of the anguished cries, saw that Callum lay a few feet away on another blanket he must have dragged over. The boy�s protests became muted as he wrapped his arms over his head, pulling them in a tight protective coil. His shoulders quaked as he huddled into a ball against whatever demons haunted his sleep.

Ignoring the stiffness that had settled into his muscles, Daniel slid closer to Callum, laid his hand on the thin, trembling shoulder and shook it gently. "Callum?"

Callum jolted away from Daniel�s touch, let out a startled gasp, and fell onto his back. His eyes were wide with fear until he recognized Daniel. The boy swiped his hands over his face, brushing away the tears shining on his cheeks, his chest hitching with barely suppressed sobs.

"You okay?" Daniel whispered.

Callum sat up, leaned against the wall. His entire body trembled, and he pulled up his legs, wrapped his arms around his upraised knees. He pressed his chin on his legs, jawbone digging painfully into his kneecaps. He tried to keep his teeth from chattering, tried to stop shaking.

"Callum, are you all right?" Daniel asked again, looking at the boy with concern. Callum shuddered almost convulsively, silent tears dripping down his face and onto his clenched hands. Daniel touched Callum�s arm, but pulled his hand away when the boy violently flinched away from him once more.

"It�s okay... you�re safe, it was just a dream, it�s over now," Daniel whispered to Callum but resisted the urge to touch him again. He repeated the reassurances and watched as Callum fought to calm himself.

Callum listened to the softly spoken words, forced his breaths to slow. He gently rocked himself, staring straight ahead, looking at nothing. It seemed as if the motions were well-practiced and Daniel wondered how many times Callum had woken like this�trying to force back the terrors with only the sounds of the other children�s slumber around him for distraction.

When Callum�s tremors finally seemed to ease, Daniel asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Callum shook his head, pushed the ragged dark hair from his eyes and let out a shuddering sigh. "Was'na that bad."

"It looked pretty bad to me," Daniel said, trying to meet the boy�s gaze. Callum�s dark eyes flickered in Daniel�s direction for a moment, then focused on his hands.

"Bad dreams are for babies. Should'na be havin' 'em anymore," Callum whispered, frowning in consternation at his apparent weakness.

"You know what?" Daniel said, pulling himself back to lean against the wall beside the boy, resting the side of his aching head on the cool metal. It felt good against the flushed and scraped skin of his cheekbone. "Grownups have bad dreams too, sometimes."

Callum's eyes darted in Daniel�s direction again. "They do?"

"Yeah, they do," Daniel confirmed. "Your dreams often reflect what's going on in your head. If something is bothering you, it sometimes comes out at night when you�re asleep."

"Do... do you... get bad dreams?"

"Sometimes, yes... I do," Daniel said, looking down. Nightmares, in fact, had been an unwelcome part of his life since the day his parents had died. For the first year after their deaths, he would wake screaming and sobbing with terror at least three times a week, leaving his foster parents at a loss what to do to help him. Leaving Daniel afraid to go to sleep at night�a deep fear that somehow never fully left him. The terror and the frequency of the dreams had lessened over the years, giving him some peace at night, but since Sha're�s death, the dreams had again increased in intensity, his mind replaying over and over again what he thought of as his failures. Failure to save Sha're. Failure to find her child. One by one, he felt his life was amounting to a cascade of failures, both personal and professional. Did he have bad dreams? Oh, yeah. More than he could count.

"Have'na talked to a grownup in so long..." Callum�s voice interrupted Daniel�s thoughts. "It... it's strange," he continued, still rocking very slowly, his motions unconscious. He kept his focus on Daniel as if he needed to remind himself of Daniel�s very reality.

"How long have you kids been here alone?" Daniel asked.

"A long time," Callum whispered.

Daniel lowered his chin and frowned, considering his next words. Callum was only just beginning to trust him and Daniel knew he had to tread carefully. "How old were you when the grownups went away?"

Callum considered for a moment. "I was nine."

"And how old are you now?"

Callum shrugged. "Eleven or twelve, I reckon. Lost count, I s'pose."

Daniel blinked, surprised. "That is a long time."

"Yeah." Callum paused to swipe a hand over his eyes, rubbing them hard. "Eamon was the one grownup left, was meant to stay with us and take care of us, but he was hurt, did�na ever get better, and one day, he was dead."

Daniel blinked, paused for a moment at the boy's words and tried to process all the information through his pain and fatigue. "You had someone who took care of you for a while?"

Callum nodded. "He hid with us. Told us when it was safe to come out. But when we come out, everyone was gone. Everyone �cept for... for some, but they was dead, just lyin� on the ground. They was all burned... and... m-my... my father was... he was one of them. Do�na know what happened to my mother...." Callum let his voice trail off and wondered why he was telling Daniel all of this. Maybe it was just so he wouldn�t have to think about his dream anymore. It felt oddly comforting to tell someone about that long ago night, but he couldn�t understand why. All he knew was that he needed to talk, needed to distract himself.

"That must have been terrible for you�for all you," Daniel said, trying to imagine the terror of that night. He remembered far too clearly the horror of having to see your parent�s corpse, how it shattered your innocence, forever scarred you. "I�m so sorry you had to go through that."

Callum nodded with a short jerk of his head and took a deep breath. "This place is where we hid that night, and sleep every night, ever since. On... on account of the storms," Callum hastily explained. He didn�t want Daniel to think he was too scared to sleep above ground and out in the open. "We thought... if we stayed here, maybe the grownups'd come back." Callum lowered his eyes, ashamed that they had all had the fantasy that one day, they would wake up and no longer be alone. "Was stupid." He frowned, his cheeks flushing. "They said they'd come get us when it's safe, but they never did come. We knew they was never comin� back, but we hoped anyhows. Even Eamon did."

"Did... Eamon have any idea what might have happened that night?"

"No. I... I remember there was... ships, like we had in the lakes and rivers, only these was... in the sky. I only saw them for a minute. My father told Eamon to take us kids he could find and hide. Eamon got a bunch of us together, but then..." Callum paused, twisted his hands. "Eamon got hit by somethin' like fire, but he kept goin', told us all to keep runnin'. Some of the kids run off scared, but the rest of us, we ran till we got here. We heard all kinds'a noises, screamin� maybe... then it got all quiet, and Eamon went out to check, but they was all gone."

Daniel�s thoughts raced to find plausible explanations. Goa�uld in search of hosts? It was possible. Still, to take so many at a time? And so indiscriminately? It seemed odd, even for Goa'uld. Maybe they had weeded out the suitable hosts once they had them on their ships? Or maybe once they had brought them to their destination? Strange...

Daniel was just about to ask for more details when it occurred to him that none of his ideas or questions would bring any comfort to the boy. "Maybe they couldn't come back," he said after a moment, feeling a wave of sympathy for the former inhabitants, and the children they were forced to leave behind. Beneath that sympathy came anger. Anger toward the Goa'uld, or whatever had torn those people from their homes and their children with such brutality. "They probably wanted to, but they couldn't."

"Maybe," Callum said, his voice skeptical. "Maybe they's all dead�like the others. Been dead ever since that night."

"It's possible," Daniel said, seeing no reason to try to soften what might be the truth. He knew Callum wouldn�t believe any platitudes anyhow. "What did you do after you came out of hiding?"

Callum shrugged. "We waited and hoped maybe they'd come back. Eamon died �bout a week or so later�guess he was hurt bad. He never said nothin' about it, though, �cept for the day before he died, he told me I had to take care of the others, 'cause I was the oldest and the best one to do it. I would have to stop bein� a boy and start actin' like a saighdear, like my father was. He made me promise."

Daniel paused to let the information sink in. 'Saighdear��a soldier, he translated, and tried to remember what he'd been like when he was nine years old. Tried to imagine being told to act like a soldier instead of a child. Tried to imagine being faced with such an enormous responsibility, at that age, at any age for that matter. "So you've been watching over all these kids since then?"

"Yeah, took a while for 'em to listen to me, though. Rhoswen, Afton and the older kids helped, but most of 'em was so small then, they did'na listen all that good. They was running wild like the dogs around here now, but then they got scared when the storms started up again and needed someone to watch out for 'em so's they would'na be scared anymore."

Daniel tried to meet Callum's eye, but the boy focused his gaze on his hands�right hand loosely grasped over the left, self-consciously hiding the damaged fingers. "You must have been pretty scared too," Daniel said.

"Sometimes," Callum agreed, "but I was kind of little then too. Did'na know any better."

Callum shifted his position, and his sleeves pulled up his forearms. Daniel noticed a worn strip of leather strung with small glass beads tied around the boy�s left wrist. "Callum... what happened to Afton?" Daniel asked carefully. He saw Callum stiffen at the mention of the name.

The boy absently massaged the broken fingers, as though they were hurting him. Daniel thought that Callum wasn't going to answer his question, but then he heard the barely whispered voice.

"She... she died." Callum ducked his head lower, long bangs flopping over his eyes, obscuring them. "Rhoswen thinks it was my fault, but-" Callum's voice abruptly cut off. He shook the hair out his eyes with an impatient jerk of his head. "I reckon it was, I dunno." He slid back down to his blanket and turned onto his side, facing away from Daniel. "I'm goin� back to sleep now."

"Okay," Daniel said, his voice soft, uncertain whether he should attempt to get more information from the boy, or not. He had so little experience with kids, he felt completely out of his element. "Are you going to be all right?" he asked, unsure what to do. He knew from hard-earned experience how difficult it was to go back to sleep with the fear that the dreams would come back. Most of the time, he knew, they did come back.

After a moment he heard a soft, "Yeah. I�m all right. G�night Daniel." Callum burrowed deeper under the covers, pulling the ragged blanket nearly over his head.

"Goodnight," Daniel said and watched until Callum's breathing started to even out, then lay back again.

He listened to the sounds of quiet breathing around him, stared at the corrugated ceiling above him and wondered what role, if any, he and his team would play in these children's futures. He wondered if the SGC did assist these lost and abandoned children, would they do any better than the New York Children's Welfare Society? Or would these tattered and frightened kids be set adrift in just another sort of disquieting survival? Did the SGC have any right to try?

He wondered what would become of these kids, huddled together for comfort and warmth. Would they be counted as one of Daniel's successes, or would they add to that long list of failures?

Oh, God, he hoped not. The thought sent a wave of fear, of paralyzing indecision through him. Daniel shifted against the worn blankets, tried to find a more comfortable position. Despite the fact that his eyes were burning with exhaustion and possibly fever, and that all his assorted aches and pains were so miserable he could scarcely tell each one apart anymore, sleep eluded him for a long time.

*****

Daniel felt someone shaking him, heard an insistent crackle and hiss of static coming from very near. He turned his face into the shelter of his arms, tried to ignore whomever it was holding onto his shoulder, tried to tune out the irritating noise.

"Come on, Daniel, wake up!"

With the high, clear voice, came more relentless shaking. Daniel groaned, tried to pull his eyes open. They felt gritty and sore. His head started throbbing, and he tried to remember why not only his head but everything else ached so tremendously. He shifted his position, tried to pull his legs to his chest in an attempt to sit up. The twinge in his shin and the stab in his ribs fully jolted him awake. Along with the full awareness, the pain only seemed increase. Gritting his teeth, Daniel wrapped an arm around his side and managed to pull himself to a near sitting position. Vertigo and nausea overcame him. His mouth filled with sticky saliva and he tasted bile at the back of his throat.

"You okay?" Another young voice asked over Daniel�s misery. Daniel took a few careful breaths, keeping his eyes closed until the urge to vomit gradually passed. He looked up to see two concerned faces staring at him�Kaelin and Callum. Eilis sat behind the boys, watching with huge eyes.

Daniel nodded, instantly regretting the motion at another brief wave of dizziness.

"That radio thing�s been makin� noise," Callum told him, pointing at the radio tucked in Daniel�s vest.

As if on cue, another loud burst of static echoed in the chamber. The static was interspersed with a faint, very distant voice. Sam's voice, Daniel recognized. He ducked his head down toward the radio, pressed the button and spoke into it, his voice gravelly. "Sam? Are you there?"

Three pairs of eyes stared expectantly at the radio. Another burst of static answered him. "Sam! Jack!" he tried again. "Teal'c? Anyone?"

The signal died again, and Daniel dropped his head in frustration.

"That your friends tryin' to call you?" Callum asked, his eyes wide with astonishment over the unfamiliar, but wondrous machine.

"Yes," Daniel answered. "I think this shelter is interfering with the signal." He looked around the confines of the enclosure and noticed that most of the kids were gone. Only Kaelin, Callum and Eilis remained. "I need to get back outside. How do you kids come and go in here?"

"There's a ladder back there." Callum pointed to a corner near where they had come in. A mischievous smirk played at the corners of his mouth. "You came down the hard way."

Daniel glanced over and let out a soft laugh despite himself. "Yeah, I guess I did. Wish I'd known about that sooner."

"You think ye can climb it?" Callum glanced first at Daniel�s ashen face, then the bandaged leg.

Daniel nodded. "I�ll be fine."

"Oh, I guess you be needin� this," Callum said, and moved to take off Daniel's jacket.

"No, you keep that," Daniel told him. "I've got about five of them back home. But, I will be needing those back." Daniel pointed at his glasses still dangling from Kaelin's shirt. Despite his blurred vision, he had nearly forgotten about them.

Kaelin stared at him wide-eyed, clamped his hand over the frames.

"I need them to be able to see properly," Daniel explained, gesticulating towards his eyes.

"Give 'em to him, Kael," Callum said.

Kaelin scowled but reluctantly handed Daniel his glasses, then clutched Daniel's hat to his head.

Daniel cleaned the boy's grimy fingerprints off the lenses with the hem of his shirt before putting on the glasses. "You can keep the hat if you want, Kaelin. It looks better on you, anyway."

Kaelin grinned and released his tight grip on the brim, leaving the hat lopsided on his bright hair.

Daniel struggled to his feet and managed to pull himself to a wobbly, but upright position. He closed his eyes for a moment, his breath coming in short pants as he tried to will the dizziness and throbbing in his ribs to a more tolerable level.

He felt himself toppling sideways and blindly reached out for something to hold onto. His grip came in contact with something that felt like canvas. He looked down to see that he had grabbed onto the top of Kaelin's head, using him as a crutch.

"Sorry," Daniel said through gritted teeth.

Kaelin grinned at him. "S'okay. Here." Kaelin took hold of Daniel's forearm with both of his hands and started walking as Daniel shuffled beside the boy.

"You all right?" Callum asked, staying close, looking at Daniel through eyes that were filled with concern.

Eilis followed behind them, clutching a rag doll to her chest.

"Yeah, let's just keep going, huh?" Daniel answered as he concentrated on keeping his feet moving. The ladder was only about 20 feet away, but it felt like 200. When they finally reached it, Daniel leaned against the rungs, rested his forehead on the cool metal for a moment. Once he�d caught his breath, he glanced up the shaft, saw it was another 15 or so feet up. He could vaguely make out a hatch or a lid at the top, sealing out the daylight.

God, how the hell am I supposed to climb that? he thought, then an idea formed in his head. "Can one of you guys climb up and open the hatch?"

"I will!" Kaelin eagerly jumped forward.

Callum stopped him with a frown. "No, I will. You're too little to open it by yerself." He stepped past Daniel and Kaelin and quickly climbed the ladder. After a moment, a shaft of light streamed down, casting Daniel, Kaelin and Eilis in a dusty spotlight. Daniel raised a hand to shield his eyes, squeezing them shut against the sudden brightness that seared his retinas and sent an explosion of pain through his skull.

Callum climbed back down again, skipped the last few rungs with a graceful hop onto the dirt-strewn ground. He looked at Daniel, waiting with the eagerness of a more carefree child for the next request.

Still squinting, Daniel propped a hip against one of the rungs for support and tried the radio again. "Sam, Jack? Can anyone hear me?"

He was met with silence, and Daniel cursed under his breath. "Teal'c? Someone come in, dammit!" He released the switch and wondered if the radio had in fact been damaged in his fall.

Daniel looked up the shaft again, took a breath. It's only 15 or so feet. No problem, he tried to assure himself. He glanced at the children waiting behind him.

"You guys go up first. I'll be right behind you." He didn�t want to take the chance of falling with one of the kids behind him and taking them down with him.

Callum looked at Daniel's flushed features. "You gonna make it up, you reckon?"

"Yeah." Daniel glanced at the ladder again. "Piece of cake," he said, struggling for Jack's typical casual demeanor in such instances and found himself coming up short. His voice was shaking too much to come even close to casual.

Callum frowned at him, apparently unsure of what a piece of cake had to do with anything. "Is�na that far," he tried to reassure Daniel.

"I'll be okay," Daniel told him, smiling in appreciation for the boy's concern.

Callum nodded, then jerked his head in Kaelin's direction. Kaelin started climbing up the ladder, Daniel's too-large hat sliding off the boy's head and dangling from his neck by the chinstrap. Daniel squinted, watched the hat bobbing on the boy's small back until Kaelin disappeared into the brightness.

Callum crouched to scoop up Eilis who was sitting on the floor, playing with her doll. Callum deposited her on his back and she clung to him like a little monkey. She glanced back at Daniel and waved a tiny hand, smiling, as Callum easily climbed the ladder.

Daniel waved back, then taking a deep breath, grasped the rungs in a tight grip and pulled himself up. His ribs complained, sending stabbing pains through his side as he climbed.

Halfway up, he heard his radio burst into life, Sam's voice calling his name.

Great, now she answers, Daniel thought through a haze of pain and exertion. He paused, tried to catch his breath, his palms clammy and slippery on the rungs. Blinking as a drop of sweat trickled into his eye, Daniel crooked one arm over a rung, tried to reach his radio with the other hand. As he looked down, his vision swam. His legs buckled and his arm slipped from the rung.

Daniel twisted, trying to catch himself and banging into the side of the ladder with an excruciating stab in his ribs. His sharp cry of pain echoed in the shaft. His legs scrabbled at the rungs. He skidded down a few steps, his hands grabbing frantically at the rungs to stop his progression. With a loud moan, he managed to steady himself, pain and adrenaline coursing through him in warring clashes. Every muscle in his body shuddered while he forced himself to become steady once again on the rungs. He clung to the metal, the perspiration dripping from his hands and face. His ragged breath, interspersed by faint whimpers, rasped in his ears and escaped his lips, even through his tightly clenched teeth.

"Daniel! You all right?"

Callum�s concerned voice rang out over the pounding in his head. Daniel held still on the rungs, afraid to move, afraid to even look up.

"Yeah," he gasped, and managed to drag himself up another rung. His entire left side was afire, and he tasted copper at the back of his throat. By the time he reached the final rung, Daniel�s arms were spasming and shaking with effort, feeling almost numb. It was hard to catch his breath, and waves of dizziness made it seem as if he were falling again.

He flung a trembling arm onto the surface and felt Callum grasp it. The boy reached over to take hold of Daniel�s other arm, and he pulled with all his strength. Kaelin grabbed onto of the back of Daniel�s vest, hauling on him, his small feet skidding and sliding on the ground. With the boys� help, Daniel managed to crawl onto hard metal�the roof of the storm shelter, he realized�and rolled onto his back.

He moistened his lips with the thick saliva on his tongue and tried to force some of it down his raw throat. His chest bucked with raspy gulps of air and all he could do for a moment was try to catch his breath. Fumbling at his vest, he pulled the radio free with a shaky hand and clumsy fingers. Raising it to his mouth with an arm that felt as heavy as lead, he pressed the button.

"Sam? It's Daniel. I'm by the-the..." He paused to glance at his surroundings. Sky above him, a patch of flat metal on the ground. He tried to crane his neck to see behind him, but the motion caused a sickening bout of nausea and he let out a groan of frustration and misery.

"We�s at the other side of the grain storage," Callum told him.

Daniel swallowed and nodded in appreciation at Callum, then repeated the words through the radio.

"I read you, Daniel," came Sam�s voice, and Daniel let his eyes drift shut, relieved to hear his name being said by one of his best friends. A faint glimmer of a smile eased its way onto his mouth, replacing, only for a moment, the tightness of pain. "We�re on our way," Sam continued. "What�s you status?"

Daniel raised the radio to his mouth again with a trembling hand. He nearly dropped it, his fingers were cold, almost numb, and the radio bumped against his chin. "My status? Oh, I... I�m fine. I�ve also made some... some... new friends." The edges of his vision began to gray, and his arm felt too heavy to hold up anymore. "I think I�m just... just going to... pass out...now, though...but I'm fi-"

His arm dropped, and the radio hit the ground with a soft thump.

The kids stared at Daniel's unconscious face with alarm. The unfamiliar grownup's voice kept repeating Daniel's name, the voice growing more concerned with each unanswered call. Then a deeper voice came on, making them jump. They hadn't heard a voice like that in so long it was frightening. Daniel's voice was different�soft, unthreatening, but this man sounded harsh and angry.

Callum's heart began to race with increasing fear. "Kael, take Eilis and join the others. I'll stay with 'im till the other grownups get here," he said. If the other grownups looked dangerous, he knew he could always run.

Kaelin pouted and started to protest, but snapped his mouth shut when the brusque voice boomed over the radio again. He stared at Callum wide-eyed, then nodded. Taking Eilis's hand in his, he left both his friend and parent alone to face the grownups.

Callum watched their retreating backs, then lifted Daniel�s foot from where it dangled inside the hatchway. Careful not to hurt him, Callum slid Daniel�s unconscious form completely off the smooth metal roof and onto the ground. He adjusted the glasses that sat askew on Daniel�s face, at the same time wondering what the world would look like through those glass circles.

Callum scurried to close the hatch. Threw a few clods of dirt over the metal to disguise it, then sat back down beside Daniel to wait. To face the unknown. He only hoped he was making the right decision. Hoped that he hadn�t condemned himself and the other kids to the same fate that had befallen his grownups.

Looking at Daniel, he whispered to the unconscious man, "Remember, you promised..." He let his soft voice trail off, unable to articulate the rest of his fears, even to one who couldn�t hear him anyway.

*****

Sam paused when they neared the grain storage, cautious of what they'd find. They had no idea what Daniel could have meant when he'd said that he'd 'made some new friends.' With the bad luck they'd been having of late, she knew Daniel's breathless words could have meant anything, could have meant that he'd stumbled into a world of trouble. She ducked around the building's curved circumference, close between Jack and Teal'c. All of them were alert, focused. Their weapons at the ready.

Sam glanced around, looking for any sign of Daniel. Please let him be okay, she thought as she squinted into the shadowed distance, edging along the rounded walls. After a seemingly endless worried moment, she finally spotted Daniel's prone form, a stretch of tan colored camos blending with the ground. She was surprised to see a small figure crouched beside him.

Jack tightened his grip on his P-90, frowning. As they neared Daniel, they realized the figure next to him was a child. The boy tensed at their approach, pulled himself to a standing position and stepped back a few steps from Daniel. His hands clenched into fists, and he set his jaw in a display of tenacious spirit, but his large, overly bright eyes betrayed his fear.

Jack kept his weapon trained, ignoring the flash of unease at pointing a gun at a scared kid. He knew too well that even the innocent looking could sometimes be the most dangerous.

"Hey! How about you kind of step back?" Jack said to the boy, lifting one corner of a smile, brooking no nonsense with the rest of his body. The boy did as he was told, much to Jack's surprise. "Okay, that's a start. Now, how about you show me your hands."

The boy blinked at Jack with confusion, opened his clenched hands, held them in front of him. He looked at his hands, then at Jack, unsure what to do.

Jack bobbed his head, suppressed his frustration. "Yeah, all right, close enough." He motioned for Sam to go check the kid out.

Sam slung her weapon to her side and approached the boy while Jack and Teal'c hung back, covering her. The boy stood his ground, watching them with wary, frightened eyes. The team noticed that he was wearing Daniel's jacket, comically large on his small frame.

Stepping close to the young boy, Sam didn't sense any traces of a symbiote. She turned over each of his hands, finding nothing in them. She noticed the broken fingers on the one hand, but didn�t comment on them. Quickly patting at the jacket and his worn, ragged pants, she didn't find any concealed weapons. The boy tensed and trembled under her touch, but he held very still and submitted to her inspection. Moving away from him, Sam turned to Jack and nodded. "It's all right."

Pointing at each of them in turn, she said to the boy, "I'm Sam, this is Colonel O'Neill, and Teal'c. We're friends of Daniel's." She nodded to her unconscious friend at her feet. "I'm just going to take a look at him."

The boy nodded in reply and took a few more steps back as she slowly knelt down beside Daniel, laid her hand against his bruised cheek. Callum's eyes darted from Jack to Teal'c as they lowered their weapons and stepped up to Daniel�s other side. The boys eyes widened even further when he took in Teal�c's impressive size.

"What happened to him?" Jack asked, making the boy jump. He stared at Jack, still trembling, but he didn�t, or couldn�t answer.

Callum tried to maintain his bravado, but the grownups looked too frightening, their motions too tensed and cautious. Did they think he'd been the one who had hurt Daniel? The thought filled Callum with a rush of terror and he realized that he may have made a terrible mistake in staying with his new-found friend. His heart began to pound hard in his chest, probably hard enough for the grownups to hear it, he thought, dismayed by his fear. His breath caught in his lungs with a painful start when the tall, gray-haired man looked at him again with an inscrutable expression on his face.

"Look, it�s all right. We just want to know what happened to him," Jack said, keeping his voice soft so he wouldn't scare off the already skittish young boy. Jack glanced down at Sam for a moment as she inspected the various cuts and bruises marring Daniel's features. Jack redirected his gaze to the boy when he began to edge away from them, ready to bolt from the looks of his tensed muscles. "You got a name? Can you talk?"

The boy froze. He scrutinized Jack's gear, then settled his gaze on Jack's face, which was partially obscured by his sunglasses. Callum opened his mouth, tried to speak, but nothing came out. Swallowing hard and inwardly cursing himself for his fear, he straightened his shoulders and tried again. "Callum," he said, his voice coming out in a hoarse rasp, but at least he didn't seem so frightened anymore.

"Good to meet you, Callum. Do you know what happened to him?" Jack repeated, pointing to Daniel with a bob of his head.

Callum nodded, bit the inside of his lip, chewing the tender skin. "Was a... an accident. H-he fell. Hurt himself bad."

Jack looked around, wondering from where Daniel could possibly have fallen.

Callum noticed Jack's confusion. "He fell in a hole not far from here," he said, then realized his error with a jolt, his already accelerated heartbeat quickening. If the tall, gray-haired grownup asked to see where Daniel had fallen, then their hideout would no longer be safe. Callum took a few sideways steps, edging away from the hidden hatch. "Been meanin' to fix it for a while now, just never got to it," Callum muttered, looking down at his shuffling feet, his cheeks turning pink.

"Yeah, I got a whole bunch of projects just like that at home," Jack said, nodding and attempting to put the boy at ease. "So, how'd he get up here?"

Callum shifted his feet again, wishing that he'd gone with Kaelin and Eilis, but despite his increasing fear of the other grownups, he wouldn't have felt right about leaving Daniel all alone on the ground, hurt like that. Especially when he'd been so nice to all of them. Or at least that was what he told himself�unable to yet admit why he was so fascinated with the mysterious grownups. "I-I showed him a way up," Callum finally said. "He climbed up hi'self."

"Thanks for looking out for him," Jack said, and received only another quick nod in reply. He noticed Callum was still trying to surreptitiously move away from them, his features tight with fear.

"It's all right," Jack said, looking at the boy. "Just relax." He waited until the boy nodded again. Callum bit down on his lip, wringing his hands together, his feet scuffing against the dusty ground, as if his body wanted to flee on its own accord.

Jack moved closer to Sam and watched while Sam grasped Daniel's wrist and took his pulse, finding it erratic and rapid. His respiration came in short, shallow breaths. Laying her hand on his cheek, the skin felt cool and clammy. He was definitely in shock. Sam lifted each of his bruised-looking eyelids in turn, checking his pupils, and they seemed to be responding normally, if a little slowly. She carefully felt the back and the sides of his head, her fingers brushing against a large bump on the left side. Parting his thick hair, she tried to see how bad the head wound was. The skin she could see was reddened, bruised-looking, but it wasn�t broken. Daniel groaned at her touch, but didn�t waken.

She lifted Daniel�s left arm off his side and raised his vest and T-shirt and saw the collection of multi-colored bruises mottling the left side of his ribcage. The bruises on his lower ribs were so deep they were almost black. Moving down to his legs, Sam noted the thick bandage on his shin.

"How is he?" Jack asked.

She looked up at him. "I'm not sure, sir. It looks like he has a concussion�he has one hell of a bump on the side of his head. Possible broken ribs, his right leg is bandaged, so I can't tell how bad it is. He must have tried to take care of his injuries himself." Tapping his cheek, Sam called Daniel's name and waited for a reaction.

After a moment, Daniel's eyelids fluttered, then opened and his bleary gaze fell on Sam's face. "Hey, Sam," he whispered and swallowed, his features contorting.

"Hey, yourself," Sam smiled, leaning forward. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay. I think," Daniel licked his dry lips, tried to focus. He felt Sam carefully probe his neck and the sides of his face. He winced when her fingers brushed against the knot on his head.

"Sorry," she said. "Did you hurt your neck? Any numbness or tingling in your arms or legs?"

Daniel shook his head. "No. I'm fine. Just hit my... my head and my ribs... but... I'm okay. Wait, no. I cut my leg, too. Help me... sit up. Are the kids... okay? I... I didn't scare them, did I?" He glanced around for the three children and saw only Callum. The boy was breathing hard, watching Daniel with wide-eyed apprehension.

"Kids?" Jack said, raising his eyebrows "You mean there's more of them?" He looked at Callum again. "Are there more of your people around here?"

Daniel saw the escalating fear pass over the boy's face at Jack's questions. "It's okay, Callum. You can trust them," Daniel said while still attempting to sit up.

"Daniel, lie still," Sam ordered, placing her hand on his chest. Teal'c laid his strong hand on Daniel's shoulder, further restraining him. Sam pulled off her pack and positioned it under Daniel's legs, careful not to jar the bandaged one too much. Pulling the emergency blanket from her vest, she spread the metallic material over him, tucking it around him.

"Sam..." Daniel groaned, shifting under her ministrations, an impatient frown on his face.

"Stay still, Daniel," Sam said again, her voice stern. Glancing up at Jack, she added, "We should find a board or something to carry him back to camp. He shouldn�t be moving around too much until I can properly look him over."

"But, I..." Daniel protested. "I... I can sit up." He raised his head a few inches and gasped, dropping it back again. "Or... or maybe... I can see better from... from here," he choked out, closing his eyes when the world wouldn�t stop spinning. He felt Sam�s hand on his shoulder, rubbing it gently, the touch somehow reassuring.

Daniel waited until he was certain he wasn't going to vomit or pass out again before he returned his focus to the boy. Callum was still watching him, his wide eyes fixed on Daniel's. "I promise you, Callum, everything's going to be okay," Daniel said, trying to moisten his dry lips with the tip of his tongue. "I'm sorry for passing out on you like that. Guess. I must have overdone it..." He tried to smile reassuringly at Callum, but wasn't sure if it came out as more of a grimace when his ribs sent another jolt through him.

Callum kept his wide green eyes locked with Daniel's exhausted blue for a moment. A multitude of emotions passed over Callum's features. Daniel could see that the boy wanted to trust him, but the fear was rapidly winning out. Callum took a visible deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. His lips pursed, as if he were about to speak. He gulped in another deep breath. "I gotta go," he blurted, then abruptly darted to his left, ducking past them, and took off, running toward the town.

Daniel considered calling after him, but his ribs were having none of that. Breathing seemed to be more on the agenda at the moment.

Jack watched Callum's rapidly diminishing form for a moment. "Enjoy puberty... ya little." He waved a dismissive hand after the boy. "So Daniel... do tell us how you got yourself into this situation."

"Well," Daniel looked up at his friend, trying to blink away the grittiness in his eyes, "it's kind of a long story."

"If it weren't, it wouldn't be one of your stories," Jack agreed. "Hey, I like your new little playmate. So now that he's found you, does he want to keep you?"

Daniel shot Jack a 'knock it off' look' and said, "Would you believe he's... the uh... I guess... the leader on this planet?" Daniel kept his gaze on Jack, wanting to see his reaction to that.

Jack's face was as incredulous as Daniel anticipated it would be. "Leader of what? The local dog and cat population? Or are there a couple more rugrats running around here?"

"No." Daniel slowly shook his head, closing his eyes against the resulting surge of dizziness. "I mean, yes. There are... more kids here, nothing but kids...." He opened his eyes for a moment. "Oh, and Sam. I found... a thresher... or something. Its motor might work... for powering up... the DHD."

Daniel's exhausted voice trailed off. Jack wanted to question his friend further, but decided it could wait till later. Daniel's face had turned an alarming shade of green and he seemed to be having trouble catching his breath.

Jack nodded to Teal'c, and they scouted around for a board that was large enough to lay under the younger man. They found one buried under a pile of logs and twigs, and it seemed sturdy enough to support Daniel's weight. Laying the board beside Daniel, Jack and Teal'c tilted him to his uninjured side, while Sam placed the board underneath him. Daniel groaned at the motion, clenching his teeth.

Once they set him on his back again, Sam tucked the blanket securely around his shoulders, placed the pack under his legs again.

"Guys, this isn't necessary," Daniel said when he could speak again without moaning. He raised his eyes to see Jack standing above him. Jack chose to ignore him, so Daniel tried again. "Guys, come on. This is so not needed, and-"

His center of gravity shifted, and the world made a slow, sickening loop. Teal'c had picked up the front end of the board, he realized after a moment. Daniel's headache increased to a thundering roar, and the pain choked off further protests.

Jack checked to ensure that the board wasn't bending under Daniel's weight, and when it seemed more than adequate, he reached down and grabbed the end by Daniel's feet.

Daniel grabbed the sides of the board in a tight grip, feeling as if he were about to tip over. "Guys, I'd rather walk, if it's all the same to you," he said, dismayed by how tremulous his voice sounded.

"And I'd rather you didn�t. Doc�ll have my head if we let you walk around with a head injury," Jack answered. "Besides, Just think of what all the nurses will say when we bring you back on this."

"Oh, God..." Daniel�s eyes widened at the thought and he considered pitching himself off the board. If only it wouldn't hurt so much...

"Ah, relax, Danny," Jack smirked down at him. "You�re getting the five-star treatment, here. Why don�t you kick back and enjoy the ride, huh?"

Daniel scowled and gave up, closing his eyes in resignation for a moment. Despite his protests, he really didn't think he'd be able to stay upright for long, anyway.

As Jack and Teal�c walked, the rocking motion sent renewed bouts of nausea through him. He closed his eyes again, but that only made the dizziness worse. Quickly opening his eyes, he stared up at the clear blue sky and concentrated on breathing. Sam's voice sounded beside him, and he focused on it, allowing her words to distract him from his plight.

"Sir, if there are more children on this planet, and if they're unsupervised..."

"I know," Jack's voice said.

"Sir, we need to-"

"Yes, Carter."

"But shouldn't we-"

"Look, can we just get Daniel back to camp first, before you start bullet-pointing me on what we should and shouldn't do? Huh?" Jack replied with more than a tinge of irritation, or maybe it was worry.

"Yes, sir," Sam answered, subdued.

"Thank you."

There was silence for a moment, and Daniel felt himself drifting, heaviness washing over him. He found it too difficult to keep his eyes open and allowed them to flutter shut. Jack's voice sounded again, very softly, as if he were muttering to himself.

"Oh, yeah. Coulda gone deep-sea fishing off the coast of Seattle, but no. I had to show what a team player I was and say we'd be happy to take on this mission. 'Sure, General. Piece of cake. We should be back before lunch.'"

Jack continued to mutter to himself, and Daniel let the sound of Jack's voice lull him. The rocking motion made it feel as though he were floating. The relentless pain was too great to relax into the sleep that his body so desperately wanted, and Daniel lay in that place somewhere between awake and dreaming. His conscious and unconscious thoughts intermingling in a muted disassociation, unsure of where one ended and the other began.

*****

"You know, you're lucky you didn't do a worse job on that, Danny," Jack commented, tilting his head to better see Daniel's bruised and scraped right leg. "Good thing you landed on that hard head of yours instead. You should'a seen my leg back in '83. I jumped from a chopper during a practice run. Hit the ground the wrong way, my knee bent in a way that no human knee should ever bend. I heard this really loud 'pop-'" Jack smacked his hands together. "The pain, I tell ya. It took me to places I've never imagined."

"Jack... can we talk about this later?" Daniel pleaded, rolling his eyes. Full awareness of his environment had unfortunately returned to him as soon as Jack and Teal'c laid him down. Full, biting awareness of his injuries returned as soon as Sam started poking and prodding at him and his leg. "Uh, Sam be really�ow!" he gasped and flinched when Sam pressed antiseptic pads against the hot, swollen flesh.

"Sorry," she said with a sympathetic wince, laying fresh bandages beside her, "but it's gotten infected, and I have to clean it again."

"S'okay," Daniel said, his voice shaky. He dropped his head on the pack he lay propped against. Sam finished with the first aid as quickly as she could and pressed fresh gauze pads against the still stinging gash, then re-taped his leg with a tensor bandage.

"You know what they do to fix a trashed knee?" Jack asked, a hopeful expression on his face.

"Yes," Daniel said, even though he had no idea. He hoped Jack would take it as a hint to give it a rest. Unfortunately, as usual, Jack didn't take the hint and continued his story with relish.

"See, when you trash your ACL, like I did, well, then count on them boring through the end of your thighbone," Jack said with faint grimace on his face, lost in gory reminiscences. He made a grasping motion with one hand. "Then, they take this staple gun and�Bam!�attach a Teflon cable to one end," he slapped his fist, "they thread it through the hole to the other side. Bam! Bam!! And you better hope it's not too tight, otherwise every time you go to bend your knee, it'll pop back like a spring-loaded door."

"Can... can we talk about something else?" Daniel pleaded. He was starting to feel queasy again, and whether it was from his concussion, or from the details of Jack�s story, he wasn�t sure.

"Um, sir...." Sam shook her head, coming to Daniel's rescue and trying to get Jack to shut the hell up. She noticed the renewed greenish tinge to Daniel's face, and he clutched at the sleeping bag on which he lay with a white-knuckled grip. "You're going to be just fine, Daniel." She patted his good leg with reassurance. "I do want to keep a close eye on you for a while, though."

Jack nodded. "You do that, Carter." He suddenly glanced at his watch, realized it was almost time for the SGC to be checking in and, hopefully, wondering what had happened to them. "I'm going back to the gate and wait to see if General Hammond tries to contact us. So, how many kids are we looking at here again, Daniel? Two, maybe four of them, tops, right?"

"Eleven, Jack," Daniel said, closing his eyes.

"Eleven?" Jack echoed, then pulled a face, shaking his head. "Of course it is. Two or three would have been easy. But no-oo. You had to find eleven abandoned kids. We�ve almost got enough to start a hockey team, here, for cryin' out loud." He rubbed a hand over his chin, decided that he�d deal with the problem later. And eleven kids were definitely a problem. Looking at Sam, Jack said, "You got that list of stuff you need?"

Sam nodded and pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. "Let Janet know about Daniel's injuries and that I'm particularly concerned about his head injury-"

"I'm okay, Sam," Daniel protested, too tired to open his eyes. "I've got a hard head, remember?"

"You sure do," Jack agreed. "And you're not okay�no moving around until Carter says so, got it?"

Daniel sighed and raised a hand in a mock, perfectly executed salute�the effect only slightly marred by the fact that he didn't bother to open his eyes.

"See? Now was that so hard?" Jack said, but pleased that Daniel was still coherent enough for sarcasm. He glanced over his shoulder at Teal'c sitting behind him, and called to the Jaffa.

"O'Neill," Teal'c answered, looking at him.

"Why don't you come with me," Jack said, clipping his weapon onto his vest.

Teal'c dipped his head in a nod, then rose and stepped to Jack's side.

"You ever have a leg injury, T?" Jack said as they headed outside the library.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow, never breaking stride. "I have not."

"Ah," Jack nodded, then thought for a moment. "Really? You mean after, what? Seventy some odd years as a Jaffa warrior, and not one pulled ligament?" Jack shook his head in disbelief.

"No. If I had, my symbiote would have taken care of it."

"Right, of course, he would. Junior�s handy that way." Jack nodded, then looked at Teal�c again, a hopeful look on his face. "Not even a torn muscle?"

"None," Teal'c answered, keeping his eyes averted, but Jack noticed that his friend's mouth had a suspicious tilt to the corners. Jack could have sworn T-man was pulling his leg-no pun intended.

Sam grinned, shaking her head. She listened to their voices fading, and gently swiped some antiseptic over the cut on Daniel's brow. She watched a renewed wave of pain sweep across his face. "I'm sorry, Daniel."

"It's okay, Sam," he whispered, his eyelashes fluttering against his cheekbones as he struggled to open his eyes. "It's, um..."

She covered the cut with a small piece of gauze, taping it in place. When she looked at Daniel's face, she saw his eyes begin to roll and the lids becoming heavy with imminent unconsciousness. "Daniel," she called, tapping his uninjured cheek. "Daniel, I need you to stay awake for me, okay?"

He frowned, turned his face away, wanting only to sink into sleep.

Sam shook him again, took gentle hold of his chin and turned his face toward her. "Daniel, I need to check your pupils again. Come on, open your eyes for me."

Daniel groaned low in his throat, a sound of irritation. He pulled his eyes open to scowl at Sam. "You just checked them 15 minutes ago."

Sam smiled at the definite pout on his face. "No, it was half an hour ago, before we even got you back to camp," she corrected. "You know I have to keep monitoring your head injury, so bear with me. I'll let you sleep in a minute."

Daniel let out an impatient sigh and looked up when Sam shone a penlight in his eyes. His face contorted as the light seared into his brain, increasing the intense thundering in his head another notch.

Sam shut the penlight off with an audible click and touched his face again. "All done. Your pupils are reacting normally, so that's a good sign. I'm going to give you something for the pain now, all right?"

Sam pressed a couple of Tylenol's in his palm and handed him a canteen from which to drink. "This is the strongest I can give you until we get you home," Sam said, her voice sounding apologetic.

Daniel nodded, too tired to answer. He swallowed the medication, took a quick sip of water. "I wonder how the kids are doing," he said more to himself than Sam, his voice coming out thick with exhaustion.

"Yeah, me too," Sam said. "I'm sure they're okay though. They've managed this long on their own, right?"

"Right. It's just going to take a little time for them to trust us."

"I keep thinking of that cute little boy�what was his name again?" she asked, as she started to gather up her supplies.

Daniel licked his dry lips and whispered, "Callum." He let his eyes close completely.

"That's it. Callum. He was trying so hard to be brave and talk to us."

"Yeah, he'll come back, though," Daniel said, his words slurring together. It was becoming hard to focus on anything other than the need to sleep. He tried to picture the tough, proud young boy, and his thoughts tumbled between the cautious leader and that of another boy left alone to make his way through the world. In his last moments before sleep overtook him, Daniel wondered who that other little boy was.

*****

Jack and Teal'c waited by the disabled Stargate, Jack flipping the cover of his watch again and again, until the call, so to speak, came in. He then apprised Hammond and the SGC of their situation and the supplies they would need.

They waited about a half an hour for Hammond to send a FRED through with all of Sam's requested supplies. When the gate sprang to life once more, and the mechanical cart trundled through, he and Teal'c headed back to their camp with FRED in tow and left it parked outside the library.

Sam looked over the written instructions from Janet on how to deal with Daniel's injuries, which were basically to keep him warm, not allow him to move around too much and to watch him for signs of disorientation or blurred vision.

After perusing the equipment outside, Sam informed Jack that she could probably rig up the parts to the old generator and the thresher Daniel had found. She was hopeful that she could have something to jumpstart the gate by the next afternoon, providing there weren't any unforeseen complications.

Sam and Teal'c had set to work, and some two hours later, they had managed to piece together a contraption that Jack thought resembled a tractor mated with a Goa'uld torture device. Jack, seeing the various wires and jerry-rigged components of the impossible looking machine, thought he'd volunteer to make dinner. He left Sam and Teal'c to their work, set up a fire and the portable stoves just outside the library and broke open some MRE�s. He gave them a stir and left the dinners to heat.

Jack then went inside the library to check on Daniel, who was tucked in a sleeping bag in the corner alcove where they�d previously set up camp. Crouching beside his friend, Jack touched Daniel�s face and checked to see if he was still asleep. Daniel didn't even stir at Jack's gentle touch and his breathing was even and regular.

Jack knew that Daniel needed to rest, but he'd have to wake up at least long enough to get some food in him. Jack decided to give the younger man a few more minutes to sleep. He started setting up camp for night in the library, then went back the stove, stirred one of the MRE's bubbling in the cast iron pot. It was some sort of pasta creation, or at least he thought it was pasta. He hoped it would be mild enough for Daniel's still queasy stomach, at any rate.

Jack looked up when a shadow crossed his line of vision.

"Is he gonna be all right?" a soft voice asked.

Jack glanced in the direction of the voice to the slight figure standing a few feet away from him. Jack managed a lopsided smile, pointed at him, "Cal, right?"

"Callum," the boy corrected, and shifted on his feet, hands twining together.

"Daniel�s gonna be just fine," Jack said, answering the boy�s question. "You hungry?" he added, indicating the gloopy looking meal. "It tastes slightly better than it looks. Or so they tell me."

Callum moved closer, leaned over to peer into the dish and wrinkled his nose. "Nah, not hungry," Callum said, still giving the food a suspicious look.

Jack couldn't blame him. He picked up the pot and brought it in inside for Daniel, setting it down to let it cool a little first. He wasn�t surprised when Callum followed him. Jack sat down on one of the still intact chairs close to Daniel.

Callum looked over at Daniel's still form, brow furrowed in a worried frown. Callum had hoped that Daniel would be awake and feeling better so he could talk to him some more. He didn't know why he felt drawn to Daniel�to the other grownups, as well, even though they still scared him a little. He had no idea what their intentions were, so maybe that was all he wanted to find out. Maybe he was curious like Daniel had said. Callum remembered his father telling him that he was far too curious for his own good. Or maybe, even though part of him wished the grownups would all just go away, maybe, just maybe, Callum had never given up the hope that some grownups would come back one day and take care of things again.

Jack nodded his chin in the direction of his sleeping friend. "He's just asleep, but he�ll be okay."

Callum nodded and sat down on the floor across from Jack, his body halfway turned toward Daniel, in an unconscious need for reassurance. Callum watched Jack's motions, unsure what to make of the tall man with the gruff voice, but he was determined not to run off like some scared little kid again.

"Everything all right?" Jack asked, keeping his tone casual. Callum's expression was guarded, his entire body tensed, trembling with nervousness.

"Everythin's fine, Colonel," Callum answered, lifting his chin. "Just thought I'd see how he was doin', is all."

"Why don't you call me Jack?"

Callum frowned. "Is'na Colonel your name?"

"No, it's a title. It means that I'm the guy in charge. My first name is Jack."

"You in charge of them?" Callum asked, jerking his head toward Sam and Teal'c working in the distance, outside the library.

"Yeah, I am," Jack said. "I'm the guy in charge of this mission."

"What's a mission?"

Jack wanted to say, "A mission is a mission," and dismiss the kid, but he saw the way Callum hovered beside Daniel, as if he were willing him to wake up. Jack knew that if Daniel were awake, he'd answer Callum's questions truthfully and without reservation. Probably how he'd so quickly instilled such trust in the kid in the first place. Communication and trust�that was Daniel's forte. God, he wished Daniel were awake. Jack knew he was out of practice with kids, and quite honestly, he'd just as soon keep things that way. Besides, whenever kids were involved, things always became more complicated.

Jack stirred Daniel�s dinner and muddled through an explanation. "Okay, well... a mission is kind of like what we're doing now. We come to another planet, we search, we discover. Sometimes we make friends. Sometimes we find cool stuff."

"Someone make you a... a colonel, back on your planet?"

"You know, Daniel'll be awake anytime. Wouldn't you rather talk to him?" When Callum's face fell with disappointment, Jack winced and he pushed ahead. "All right. Who made me a colonel? Okay, well, nobody. You have to pay your dues. I started off the same way anyone else in the military does. Work your way up the ranks, sit through a heck of a lot of boring meetings and briefings�and here I am." Jack shrugged.

Callum frowned at the unfamiliar words. "You mean you�re like a saighdear?"

"O-kay. Sure..." It was Jack's turn to frown at the term. "Unless it has something to do with sheep. What... what exactly is a... saighdear?"

"A protector of the citizens. The ones that keep order," Callum explained, his tone patient, as though he were explaining to a small child. "At least the ones that used to. Like my father used to...." He looked down, his voice trailing off, the image of his barely remembered father coming to surface. He could hardly even picture what his father looked like anymore. His final memory of him was just a scattered recollection of a tall man pulling him into a rough, almost painful embrace, then all but shoving him at Eamon before disappearing into the chaotic crowd. The last time Callum had seen him alive. The image that did remain with far too much clarity was that of the charred, broken body he had seen only hours later. The lifeless body that bore only a rudimentary resemblance to the man who had been his father. The image one of many that haunted Callum's sleep.

Jack nodded, gave the MRE another quick stir. "That sounds fairly close," he said, his words making the boy jump, startling him out of some reverie.

"So you're in charge then?" Callum looked at Jack again, his expression almost hostile. "You think since you�re a colonel and all, ye be in charge of us, now?"

Jack glanced up from the stove, surprised at the barely suppressed anger and resentment in the boy's voice. He met Callum's gaze and gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "No, I don't, actually. Daniel tells me that you're the man in charge around here, so I think there's room for two colonels, don't you?"

Callum considered for a moment, liking the idea of being referred to as a colonel, a fleeting smile passing over his lips. "Yeah... okay," he agreed. "'Cause we's doin� all right. We do'na need any help."

"I'm sure you're doing great. But, see, Callum�until we fix the gate, we're kind of stuck here, so I�ll need some help with things," Jack said, glancing outside the shattered windows. "I'll be needing your experience, and know-how of what's what. That's what colonels do. We help each other out. Take care of the troops, you know?"

Callum nodded, frowning a little as he thought over Jack's strange words. Despite the man's tough appearance, Callum was starting to think that Jack might be safe enough. Maybe even as safe as Daniel was. "That would be all right, I reckon."

Callum stood, wiped his sweaty palms on pants, leaving damp streaks on the torn, stained material. "I best be goin'." He glanced at Daniel again, headed for the door, suddenly needing the safety and familiarity of the other kids�his family. Besides, they always got up to something they shouldn't be doing whenever he stayed away too long. "I'll see you in the mornin' maybe," he said, almost as an afterthought.

"See you later," Jack said, keeping his voice casual, "Colonel Callum."

*****

Sam and Teal'c had stopped working when it became too dark outside for them to see. The team had finished eating and were almost ready to settle in for the night. Sam had insisted on giving Daniel more pain meds when they'd noticed him shifting on his sleeping bag, unable to find a comfortable position, his features tensed with pain. Sam's own eyes were reddened with strain and fatigue, and even Teal'c looked ready to call it a night.

"So, Carter, how much longer do you think you'll need tomorrow?" Jack asked, setting aside their dishes and pots.

"Well, sir, if everything goes right, then possibly as early as tomorrow morning. I'm confident that the power source will be more than capable of starting up the gate. And as long as we keep it fueled, we should be able to activate the gate as many times as we need to."

"Good," Jack nodded. "And, for argument's sake, if not?"

"Then we become instant custodial parents for a good long time," Sam answered, pinching her lips. Her features then brightened with her characteristic resolve. "It'll work, sir."

"And then what?" Surprised that he was still awake, Sam and Jack looked to Daniel at the sound of his quiet voice.

"What?" Jack said.

"What are we going to do about the kids?"

Jack looked down for a moment, considered. "Well... we'll worry about that later. First, we get the gate going. Then, we get ourselves back to base."

"But we can't just leave, Jack," Daniel said and tried to sit up further. He let out a muffled curse when he couldn't manage to do more than get everything throbbing and aching again. Sam came over to his side and helped prop an extra blanket under him. "Thanks, Sam." He nodded at her with appreciation, then redirected his attention to Jack. "We have to decide what we're going to do about the kids."

"I know that, Daniel," Jack said. "After we brief with Hammond, and get the go-ahead, we'll bring the kids back to base and we'll deal with it."

"I really don't think they're going to willingly come with us," Daniel said, thinking of Callum's insistence that he and the others were all managing just fine. He also remembered that he'd promised he wouldn't do anything to take the kids away from each other. How were they going to find a place for the kids where they wouldn�t become separated? How were they going to help them without making things even more difficult for them? Daniel tried to work out possible solutions, but the barely muted pain and fatigue were slowing his thoughts, disorienting him. "We have to at least talk to the kids first, explain things to them," he finally said.

"And we will�later," Jack told him.

Daniel shook his head in frustration. Maybe it was the medication, or maybe it was the exhaustion draining him of even a modicum of civility or patience, but Daniel knew where the conversation was headed. Instead of letting Jack take the evasive route for the next ten minutes, Daniel decided to skip all that and jump straight to heart of the matter. "Right... okay, so we take them home with us, and then what?" he said, keeping his gaze fixed on Jack's. "Who�s going to take in eleven kids, and how many people are going to believe that they�re all from Toronto? Maybe you guys want to take some of them in? Or maybe we'll ask Janet if she'll take one or two, again. Maybe we'll put up a few posters in the commissary. Or are you planning to dump them on some other planet?"

"Daniel. We'll figure something out," Jack said, raising his eyebrows and trying to contain his growing impatience.

"Figure something out?" Daniel echoed. "Jack, we have a responsibility to make sure we do the best we can for them."

"Am I talking to the walls, here?" Jack shook his head, gazed in mock incredulity around the room. "I said, we will. Besides, we�ll have to take this up with SGC before can decide anything. You know that," Jack said giving Daniel a look that said the discussion was closed as far as he was concerned. Unfortunately, Jack knew that more often than not, that look only riled Daniel further. Jack rubbed his eyes and wondered why Daniel was gearing up for yet another trip to the soapbox, especially as wiped out as he was. Maybe he should order Carter to give Daniel a shot or something to shut him up. Jack took a breath before continuing. "Look, Daniel, you're tired. You took a hell of a crack to your head. Now isn�t the time to discuss any of this."

"I think now is the perfect time to talk about this," Daniel said in a petulant voice, his face set in a stubborn expression. "And I didn�t hit my head hard enough to have lost the ability to have a rational conversation. Don�t use that as an excuse to dismiss everything I say, Jack. I've met these kids�you haven't, so the least you could do is hear me out, for once."

"Daniel, keep being this pissy, and you might just get more than a crack on the head. Now, I said we'd talk about it later. Not later, as in two minutes from now. I mean later, as in tomorrow. Got it?"

"And what are we going to decide tomorrow? We-"

"Aht!" Jack raised a warning finger, pointed it at Daniel. "Not another word. Besides, we don�t even know for sure if we can get home yet, so how about we worry about that little problem first, huh?"

When Daniel took a deep breath to begin again, Jack raised his hands to his ears and looked up at the ceiling. "Daniel, this is me, not listening to you."

"Okay, this is sophomoric," Daniel said, dropping his head back against the blankets.

"That sounded like a word to me."

"I thought you weren't listening."

Jack rolled his eyes, and turned to Sam. "Carter you got any more pain medication?"

Sam looked confused. "I do, but I can�t give him any more for-"

Jack shook his head. "No, I meant for myself. All of a sudden, I've got a pain in my ass."

Daniel glared at him. "That�s not funny, Jack."

"It wasn�t meant to be!" Jack shot back. Getting to his feet, he turned his back and strode out of the library.

"Fine!" Daniel called after him, and careful of his ribs, crossed his arms over his chest with indignation.

Jack bit back the childish urge to shout something back, stood outside on the steps, gazed at the scatterings of constellations in an unfamiliar night sky. Looking at stars always helped clear his head, and God, did he ever need it right now. Only Daniel could get him this simultaneously riled and confounded. Jack would much rather ponder the mysteries of the universe than try to argue with Daniel. At least the universe never talked back.

Daniel looked away from the open door Jack had disappeared through, blinked against the heaviness of his eyelids and looked to Sam for a more willing audience. "I just think we shouldn't make any rash decisions regarding their futures," he said, his voice softer with growing fatigue and uncertainty. "We may not even have any right to decide what's best for them. We can't just come back here and tell them, 'oh, by the way, pack up your stuff, guys, we're taking you all to go live on another planet.'"

"Cassie adapted very well," Sam said.

"She did indeed," Teal'c added, looking at Daniel. "It would be to the children's benefit to be properly cared for again. They will adjust as Cassandra learned to adjust."

"Yes, but... that was different," Daniel said shaking his head. "She was the only survivor on her planet. These kids have looked out for each other for at least a couple of years. They've created a... a society, of sorts."

"You just can�t let it go, can you?" Jack said, coming back inside. The stars hadn't offered as much distraction as he had hoped, and as much as he'd tried to tune it out, he could still overhear the conversation. Taking a spot next to Teal'c, Jack shook his head and began again. "Daniel, they're not a society. They're a bunch of scared, orphaned kids."

Having spoken his mind, Jack hunkered back down in his chair and listened to his own words. Like a darkened room illuminated by an unexpected flash of lightening, his own words conjured up a new reasoning for Daniel's impassioned persistence.

Scared, orphaned kids. Jack narrowed his eyes and sucked in his lower lip, rolling the thought in his mind.

Daniel shifted his position, looking away from Jack, and missing the sudden expression of thoughtful empathy on his friend's face. Daniel straightened further and regretted the action an instant later. Sinking back against the pack, he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. "Okay, maybe they�re not technically a society, but.... they've managed to survive on their own all this time by establishing some sense of order." He paused, thinking of the one who hadn't survived�Afton, he remembered. He pushed the thought aside�that was something they could deal with later, after he�d had more time to talk with the kids. "We have to respect what they've been through and not just railroad them. They deserve to have a say in what happens to them."

With those softly spoken words, Jack fully understood that this had very little to do with his and Daniel's usual butting of heads and very much to do with Daniel's childhood. He tented his fingers and pressed them to his lips, and said, "I realize that, Daniel."

"I'm not sure that you do."

"No, believe me, I do," Jack said, looking at his friend with new comprehension, "but right now, I think you need some sleep."

"I�m not that tired, and don't patronize me, Jack."

"Okay, fine! I need some sleep, for crying out loud!" Jack threw his hands in the air and surrendered the argument to Daniel. "Look, all I'm saying is right now, with you lookin' like road kill and drugged to the teeth, I don't think you're in any shape to discuss this, and you, of all people�if you were in your right mind, and not one that's concussed�would agree with that."

Daniel opened his mouth to try to argue, but found it pointless. Jack was right, as much as he hated to admit it. He was tired and he probably was taking out much of his frustrations on Jack. He also admitted that he wasn't thinking clearly enough for his own good, let alone a group of children. He thrust out his jaw and crossed his arms over his chest again. "Fine."

"Fine." Jack shook his head, hoping to empty it of the remnants of the circuitous argument. He rubbed his hands over his gritty face and thought he should at least offer Daniel something, a token effort to set his mind at ease. "Look, Daniel, Like I said, we'll figure something out," he said, his voice gentle this time. "Why don't you at least try to get some sleep, and we'll talk about this more in the morning. I promise you, we'll do right by these kids. Okay?"

Daniel let out a sigh and waved one hand in the air. Jack wasn't sure if it meant Daniel agreed, or if it meant Daniel was just too tired to argue anymore. Probably the latter, Jack thought. It didn�t matter. The point was that Daniel was tired and in pain. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he wasn't hitting on all cylinders, either, especially where a group of kids whose loss seemed to mirror Daniel's childhood was concerned.

They all fell into a silence. Jack, Sam and Teal'c were left to their own thoughts and their own fatigue at the end of a long day. Jack watched Daniel's eyes first blink, falter, and then stay closed. His breathing gradually evened out until he was asleep.

Jack watched his friend's sleeping face for a moment, and the younger man's features were softened by the cessation of tension and pain. In that moment, it was easy for Jack to see the boy Daniel had once been. The long ago boy who Jack realized, maybe for the first time, was still fighting those fears that only came out at night. Fears that still haunted the man he had become.

*****

"I take it back," Jack said, squinting against the early morning sunlight obscuring his vision. "This planet isn�t �Lady and the Tramp� revisited. It�s a �Little Orphan Annie/Oliver� crossover."

Jack, Sam and Teal�c were standing outside the library, readying to wheel the power source over to the gate. Daniel was still asleep inside. Sam followed Jack�s gaze to the scattered groups of kids nearing them. The children's approach was cautious, but steady.

Sam noticed that Callum led the nearest group, holding the hand of a small, dark-haired girl. Another boy, slighter taller than the girl, flanked Callum�s other side, a too-large boonie hat precariously balanced on his head�Daniel�s hat, she recognized. The dog they had befriended earlier, Sparky, zigzagged between the kids, his nose fixed to the ground, tail waving like a flag.

Jack waited until the kids came up to them. "Good morning!" he said, the reached up and tipped his cap at Callum. "Colonel."

"�Mornin,� Colonel Jack," Callum said, hooking a thumb against the waistband of his pants, assuming a casual air. "Thought we�d see what ye�s all up to." He jerked his head at the machine Sam and Teal�c had rigged up.

The boy wearing Daniel�s hat bounded up to the power source, ready to climb on it.

"Kaelin!" Callum shouted and quickly pulled the smaller boy away. "Stay back from there! Did�na what happened to ye the other day teach you anythin'?"

Kaelin blushed, ducked his head.

"It�s all right," Sam tried to reassure him. "You can look at it, just don�t touch anything, okay?"

Kaelin looked at Callum for confirmation. When the older boy nodded, Kaelin stepped closer to the machinery, staring at the various pieced-together parts in fascination. "Whas�it do?"

"Well, it�s a power source. Something that creates a lot of energy and will turn on the gate, so we can go home," Sam explained.

"You goin back to where you come from?" Callum asked, frowning.

"We hope so," Sam told him. More of the children came nearer, their trepidation lessened when they saw that the others were safely talking to the strangers. Sam smiled at them, looking at each of the curious young faces. She was surprised that they all seemed to be in good condition�a little too thin, their hair unruly and raggedly cut, clothing tattered and torn, but their faces were pink with apparent good health.

Jack looked to Teal�c, who stood impassive as always. Finding no help there, he looked at Sam, unsure what to make of the numerous dirt-smudged faces in front of him. Unfortunately, Carter looked just as discombobulated as he did. He quickly counted the kids�yep, eleven of them, just as Daniel had said.

"Can we help you turn on the circle?" Kaelin asked Jack, then looked at Callum. "Can we Callum? Maybe we can go see where they live!"

Rhoswen shook her head at the smaller boy. "Do�na be so stupid. You�d go off with anyone, would you not, Kaelin? Even after what happened to everyone else here?"

"Rhos�that's enough." Callum shot her a warning look when the other kids took a few steps back in fear. One of the smaller boys hid behind Callum's back. Rhoswen tossed her hair, pulled a face, but remained quiet.

Jack watched the exchange, then noticed Sam watching him, her brows raised, a faint smile on her face. Teal�c just studied the kids as if they were an interesting alien species. Jack shook his head and wondered just how the hell he was going to handle this one. Yep, this was definitely a problem.

He really should have gone fishing instead of taking on this mission.

*****

Daniel woke to a patch of sunlight warming his face and faint, unidentifiable sounds coming from outside. For a moment, he thought was back home, and had forgotten to shut his blinds before going to sleep. Pulling open his eyes with effort, he glanced around, and the state of disarray in the library and the muted throbbing in his head and side brought him back to his situation in a big hurry. Every muscle was stiff and aching. His head felt heavy and muddled. Even his teeth hurt, he realized, and let out a soft moan. As soon as he tried to sit up, his ribs began to jab at him.

Pushing up with his hands and ignoring all the complaints in his head and side, he managed to fully sit up. Despite all the aches and pains making themselves too evident, Daniel realized that he felt better, the nausea and the dizziness, at least for the moment, thankfully gone. He glanced toward the windows, but could only see the other buildings surrounding the library.

The distant sounds transmuted to children�s voices�joyous sounds of laughter and happy shouts. Daniel dragged himself to his feet, holding his arms out to steady his trembling body. Okay, maybe he was still a little shaky, but definitely not in as rough shape as the day before. He carefully reached down for his half-empty pack, swung it on his shoulder and shuffled toward the door.

Daniel pulled open the heavy door, held onto the doorframe for support and looked outside. He was surprised and amused to see that Jack had organized what looked to be a very disorganized makeshift hockey game in the courtyard with all of the kids. They dodged the large empty fountain, some of them raced around swinging sticks wildly, while others seemed to think it was more fun to just chase each other.

Daniel negotiated the stairs with caution and once he reached the retaining wall, had to pause to catch his breath. Sinking down to the crumbling stone, he sat on the edge, dropped his head and took shallow breaths against the short pains stabbing his ribs.

Daniel glanced up at a loud shriek from one of the kids and saw Jack half-running, half-stumbling, whacking at a bundle of rags, which served as a puck. Kaelin and another boy clung to each of Jack's legs and Eilis dangled off Jack's left arm. Sparky, Jack�s canine friend, darted between the kids, barking with excitement. Daniel didn't see Callum amongst the kids, and wondered where he was.

Taking a one-armed swing, Jack shot the puck in between the two crates designated as goal posts. "Yeah! He scores!" Jack shouted, raising his arms and swinging Eilis back and forth, much to her delight. "I think you guys are playing the wrong game." He looked at the kids bounding around him, sticks all but forgotten. "This is hockey, not... not rugby. You�re supposed to try to get the puck�not tackle me!"

The kids giggled, darted around him, their voices a cacophony of excitement.

"And Teal'c!" Jack turned to glare at the Jaffa standing motionless in between the posts. You're supposed to try to block the shot! Come on!"

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "To what purpose is this �game�? There is not much need of strength or cunning-"

Jack shook his head and considered calling to Carter working away by the gate and ordering her to take a break and assume goalie position. Glancing at the gate in the not-too far distance, he could see her climbing over and under the mechanical monstrosity, probably having a great old time all by herself. Best to leave her to it, if they ever wanted to get off this orphan-infested dustbowl. He looked over to the library and finally noticed Daniel sitting rather stiffly on the library's outside wall. He swung Eilis onto his back and jogged over to him. "Hey, look who decided to grace us with his presence."

Daniel smiled at Eilis peeking over Jack�s shoulder. "Hey, Jack. Looks like you�ve made contact with the local population," he said, raising his eyebrows.

Jack shrugged, looking embarrassed. "Yeah, well someone�s gotta keep these rugrats out of Carter�s way. How are you feeling? You sure you should be up and moving around like this? You look like you've gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson."

Daniel shrugged, and gingerly touched his cheek, figuring he must have a rather spectacular shiner by now. "I�m fine. Much better than yesterday," he said, hoping that Jack wouldn�t make any mention of their argument of the night before. Most it was a blur anyway. Daniel knew he hadn�t been thinking too clearly on top of the pain and the medication, and couldn�t remember what exactly had been said. Probably best to leave it that way, too. He squinted at the gate and could just make out Sam. "Doesn�t Sam need any help?"

Jack shook his head. "Nah. In fact, she chased us away. Said, 'with all due respect, sir, and Teal'c, you�re distracting me.'" Jack pulled a wry face. "You know scientists."

Daniel smiled. "Yeah. I do."

"So, you wanna join in?" Jack said. "Our current goalie seems to have an attitude problem." Jack eyed Daniel�s injured leg, took in the stiff, uncomfortable way in which he sat. "Even if you just stood there, you'd be doing a better job of it than a certain Jaffa." Jack raised his voice at the last two words, turned to shoot a mock look of disgust at Teal'c. The other man met Jack�s gaze with an impassive eye, then he relinquished the position he hadn�t wanted to take in the first place and walked away. A few of the kids watched Teal�c�s back, staring open-mouthed at him as though he were a mythical figure come to life.

"Sorry, Jack. I think you�re out of luck," Daniel said, shifting his position with a wince. He grinned when a small group of boys ran up to Jack, shouting and tugging on him, urging him back to the game. Jack allowed the boys to drag him off. Though he was protesting�only half-heartedly�Jack seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. Daniel realized, not for the first time, what a good father Jack must have been.

Daniel watched his friend for a moment, wondering at the cruelty of fates. How the fates, without logic or reason, took away loved ones, leaving the survivors at a loss for how to continue. How to resume amidst the debris of their shattered lives. For distraction against his somber thoughts, Daniel pulled his journal from his pack, opened the book to the last page of notes he�d made on the planet. He uncapped his pen, started to write about their latest discovery�the kids.

He�d filled almost three pages, the children's voice serving as background noise when a shadow fell across the paper. Glancing up, Daniel saw Callum standing a few feet away from him, looking hesitant. The boy tensed when Daniel met his gaze.

Offering the boy an encouraging smile, Daniel said, "Hi, Callum."

"Hi." Callum relaxed his posture, came and sat down beside Daniel, taking in the extent of his rather alarming bruises. "You feelin� better?"

"Yes... I am. Thank you," Daniel answered. "And thanks for your help the other day."

Callum looked down and shrugged in reply.

They both glanced over to the game at a loud squeal from Rhoswen, who�d managed to score a goal. She high-fived one of the other kids�something Jack must have taught them. Daniel looked at Callum�s profile, saw him watching the others with a pensive, almost wistful expression on his face.

"Hey, why don�t you go join in?" Daniel urged. "It looks as though they need all the help they can get."

Callum shook his head. "Nah, I�d rather stay here. If it�s all right, that is."

"Of course it is," Daniel told him. "I just thought you might have more fun playing with them."

"Do�na have much use for playin', no more," Callum shrugged. "That�s only for babies."

Daniel smirked and nodded toward his teammate. "Tell that to Jack."

Callum smiled, watching the older man raise his hands and collapse on the ground in apparent surrender. The smaller kids piled on him, giggling. "He�s a bit strange for a grownup, if ye do�na mind me sayin� so."

Daniel laughed, then winced at the pull at his ribs. He wrapped an arm around his side, hissing in a short, painful breath through his teeth. After a moment, he said, "Actually, I�ve been telling him that for years, and he still doesn�t believe it."

"You do that a lot? That writin'." Callum jerked his chin in the direction of Daniel�s journal resting on his lap.

"Yes, I do." Daniel fiddled with the pen in his hand. "It's part of my job, and I like to write down the things I observe so I don�t forget them."

"Never got much good at it," Callum said, his voice so quiet Daniel had to tilt his head to better hear him. "Readin' and writin', I mean. Wanted to�I tried to remember what I learned in school, and tried to show the other kids, too, but it's hard to figure out the bigger words when ye do�na know what they's s�posed to look or sound like."

"Would you like me to teach you?" Daniel asked.

Callum's eyes widened and he looked at Daniel, unable to contain his excitement. "Would ye, sometime? If it is�na too much trouble?"

"It's no trouble, at all. I'd be happy to show you some now, if you want." Daniel said. Callum's face lit up as if it were Christmas morning. Daniel pulled his extra notebook from his pack, opened it to a clean sheet of paper. "Okay, I'll write out the alphabet in modern English, and see if you recognize any of it, how about that?"

Callum nodded and moved closer, frowning in concentration as he watched Daniel write out the letters. He did recognize the letters, so Daniel started writing out simple words and sounding them out for him. And as Daniel explained the different rules to phonics, Callum edged closer, unselfconsciously leaning into Daniel until he was lightly pressed against Daniel�s arm. Daniel hesitated, just a moment, before going on with his tutorial. He didn't want Callum to think he should move, or that the contact was unwelcome in any way. And it wasn't. It was just... odd, Daniel thought while he continued with the rules concerning double vowels. Odd and somehow... really nice at the same time.

Daniel glanced down at Callum's dark head, noticed that the boy's features had relaxed from their customary scowl or carefully neutral expression to one of childish wonder and excitement. It made him look even younger, and Daniel suddenly realized just how vulnerable and impressionable the boy was.

None of them noticed Sam stepping up to the game and to her CO still on the ground. "Hello, sir," she said, and smiled when Jack poked his head up and blinked at her. She waited while Jack extricated himself from the tangles of arms and legs. Teal�c came over to stand beside her.

"So, Carter." Jack stood, brushed the dust from his pants and straightened his shirt. "What's up?"

"We're ready to test the gate. The power source is as good as it's going to get."

"Good job." Jack tipped his head at her in admiration. "So let's fire her up." He turned and called to Daniel. Two heads looked up at the sound of his voice and Jack noticed that Callum had joined Daniel, pressing close beside him, the two busily working at something. Jack had wondered where the kid had gone off to. "We're testing the gate. Maybe you should wait here, huh?"

"No, I�m all right. I�ll take it slow," Daniel called back. He set his notepad beside him. He noticed that Callum had tensed again, neutral expression firmly back in place. "You want to go check it out?" he asked the boy.

Callum nodded after a moment, reluctant to end their lesson so soon, reluctant for other reasons of which he wasn�t certain yet. They both stood and moved to follow the others, Daniel limping on his bandaged leg and keeping his hand pressed to his side. Callum stayed close, ready to offer support if Daniel needed it. The other kids followed the team, chattering with excitement. Once by the gate, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c herded the kids a safe distance from the gate and the power source.

Sam looked over to Daniel from the power source. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Daniel said, giving her his usual quick answer, not admitting that the short walk to the gate had made his ribs start throbbing again. "The headache�s almost gone."

Sam, however, wasn't convinced. She noticed the faint sheen of perspiration on Daniel's upper lip and forehead, and that the side of his face that wasn�t bruised held a decidedly pink tinge. He was probably running a fever, but she hoped they would be home soon enough and could get him to the infirmary within a few hours. "You really shouldn�t be moving around so much. Take it slow until we get home, all right?"

Daniel nodded and moved to sit down on a large piece of leftover trunk from the tree that had shattered the DHD. "I will. So you think it's going to work?" he asked, looking at the power source, of which Sam had to admit she was rather proud�she'd even managed to rig a timing device that would shut the gate down automatically after ten minutes.

Sam smiled at Daniel. "Cross your fingers." Motioning to Jack and Teal'c, she added, "Okay, let's dial it up."

Jack told Daniel to keep an eye on the kids to ensure none of them moved in too close, but Callum looked alarmed at Jack�s words and made all the kids stand back, beside him and Daniel. Jack then stepped up to the gate alongside Teal'c. They connected the thick cables wrapped around the gate and leading to the power source. With effort, they then began to physically turn the gate, sequencing each glyph and dialing the address for home.

Once they had finished dialing, Sam pushed a few buttons, pulled a lever and the device cranked up with a loud roar, causing the kids to jump. A few of them took a couple of steps back, staring at the machine wide-eyed.

Sam then punched in a sequence of codes on the fuel cell, which she'd mated with the timing device. After a few sparks, the gate came to life with its dazzling burst of energy. The children�s shrieks of awe and terror mingled with the loud whoosh of energy. They clung to each other, staring at the spectacular vision in front of them. Some of the smaller children fought back tears sparked by the surprise of the loud noise.

Kaelin seemed undeterred and bounced with enthusiasm behind Sam and let out a whoop of amazement. "That was great! Can you do it again?"

Sam turned to grin at him. "That was pretty cool, wasn�t it?"

"Yeah!" Kaelin agreed. "Um... what�s cool?" he added, looking at her with a perplexed frown.

Sam laughed. "Cool means..." she frowned and paused, trying to think of a definition.

Jack strode up beside her. "Cool. As in awesome. Fantastic. I wanna see that again."

"Oh!" Kaelin piped up. "Fire faire! A right deagh dealradh!"

Jack tilted toward Daniel. "What'd he say?"

Daniel nodded, lips moving soundlessly while he translated the words, and when he had the right syntax, said, "Cool. As in awesome, fantastic, I wanna see that again. Basically..."

"Ah." Jack bobbed his head once. "And that�s nice work, Carter." He patted Sam on the shoulder.

"Thank you, sir," she said, increasingly proud of herself and her ingenuity. "It actually was a lot easier than I thought. See, all it needed was-"

"Carter, take the praise; chuck the explanation," Jack all but begged her, holding up a hand in self-defense.

Sam lowered her eyes and smiled. "Yes, sir. Thank you again."

"You're welcome," Jack said, turning to leave, but then he twisted back around and pointed at Sam, "And thank you, Carter."

Sam shook her head to quash the urge to giggle. Taking a breath, still smiling, she said, "I want to make sure the timing device works, as well, but we should be ready to leave shortly, sir. I'll send a message through to SGC and let them know we should be back within the hour."

"Good," Jack said. "I had every faith in you, Carter."

"Umm, let�s not be in such a big hurry to leave here, okay?" Daniel broke in, giving Jack, then Sam a pointed look. He glanced at Callum standing beside him, and then at the other kids who were starting to look confused and fearful.

Callum noted the exchange, frowning at each of them in turn. "Wh-what�s gonna happen when ye's all go home? You just gonna leave an... and-" he stopped, clamped his mouth shut. He hadn�t meant for that to come out. Hadn't meant to say anything, but he'd just wanted to ensure... well, he wasn't sure what he wanted, but since the grownups had arrived, Callum had to admit that having them, and especially Daniel around had been kind of... nice. Somehow made him feel safer, even though he still wasn't certain he could fully trust them. He realized that despite his claims that he and the others were doing fine on their own, Callum didn't want the grownups to leave. Unfortunately, it looked as if they were going to do just that. Taking a breath and steeling himself for the unanticipated, yet inevitable disappointment, he lifted his chin, and with feigned determination, said, "I mean... you�re not gonna send more people here, and... take over, or anythin', are you?"

Daniel noticed Callum's fear showing too clearly through the bravado, and thought for a moment how best to reassure him. Unfortunately, he had no idea what to tell the boy. No idea what was going to happen. He decided to answer Callum with the truth. "We'd never do anything like that, but we are going to help you. We just need to talk things through with our leader back home and then-"

"Look, Callum," Jack interrupted, waved off Daniel, impatient with his attempts to coddle the boy. With kids, he knew, you had the give them the straight facts, on a need to know basis. "What's going to happen is that we're returning home for a day or two, and then we'll come back here and deal with everything." He left out the part about taking the kids back to base, figuring he could tell them when he and his team returned. No sense in freaking them out now, he decided.

Callum stared at Jack, the man's sudden authoritative manner filling him with a burning flare of resentment. Callum bit back the anger, looked to Daniel, seeking his less forceful approach, and he hoped, his understanding. "Is that true? What ye gonna do when ye�s come back?" he asked, hoping he didn�t sound as worried as he felt.

Daniel took as deep a breath as his injured ribs allowed, glanced at Jack. The older man returned Daniel's gaze, then looked down, leaving the rest of it up to Daniel to explain. Some help he was, Daniel thought with irritation at his friend.

Giving Callum and the other kids who were now listening with rapt attention what he hoped was a reassuring smile, Daniel pulled himself to his feet and said, "Yes, we�ll be back very soon, and we�ll all figure something out, okay?" He suppressed a wince when he realized that he'd merely repeated the vague promise Jack had made the night before, but Daniel was at a loss for any other words to set the kids at ease.

Callum scowled at him, his mouth tightening with renewed anger. "Do�na bother. Like I said, we do�na want your help. Just let us know when ye's all leaving, so's the little kids do'na have to worry no more."

"Callum-" Daniel started, but he wasn�t surprised when Callum abruptly turned away from him.

"Come on, ye lot, the show's over," Callum said, his voice tight, and he waved his arm in the direction of the other kids. "We's goin' back to town."

The kids started to protest and Callum glared at all of them. "I said, let's go!" The children grumbled, but moved to follow him. Rhoswen looked at the older boy, a slight frown to her face. She held Eilis's small hand and the little girl pressed against her, watching everyone with wide, perplexed eyes.

"Maybe we should hear 'em out," Rhoswen said, shooting a challenging glare at Callum.

"What?" Callum stopped and gaped at her incredulous, then snorted derisively, shaking his head. "You�re the one who said I never should'a talked to 'em in the first place. That I was'na lookin' out for ye's."

"Well," Rhoswen shrugged, "maybe I changed my mind, is all."

"Changed your mind?" Callum repeated. "And you wonder why Eamon left me in charge."

Rhoswen glared at him, her blue eyes narrowed. "What�s that s�posed to mean?"

"You think you�re so smart," Callum sneered. "Figure it out. Why�s it ye always want to do the opposite of everythin� I say, Rhos?"

"I do�na do that. And just because Eamon left ye�s in charge, does�na mean you can decide everythin� for us!" she said, planting her free hand on her hip.

"Fine! Stay here with 'em, then. See if I care. Just do'na come cryin' to me when ye change your mind about 'em again. Or when they do�na come back." Callum moved away and strode towards town, not bothering to check if any of the kids were following him. All but Rhoswen and Eilis did.

"Fine! Rhoswen shot over her shoulder. She turned back to watch the team, chewing on her thumbnail.

"Do you guys fight like that all the time?" Daniel asked, looking at the girl for reaction. He remembered enough from the night before to suddenly realize how similar the two kids� argument had been to his and Jack�s. Some things never changed, he supposed, no matter how old you were.

Rhoswen shrugged. "Callum�he just thinks he�s so much smarter than everyone else. What�s it to you? You're leavin� anyhow�s."

"I think Callum�s just trying to look after all of you," Daniel said.

Rhoswen shrugged again and sneered at him. "I still think he should�na have talked to any of ye�s, you know. Should'a left well enough alone." Eilis tugged on her hand and Rhoswen looked down at the little girl. Eilis pointed toward the town, a questioning look on her face. She pulled her hand free and ran to catch up with the others.

Rhoswen shook her head with impatience. "I best get back, too." She caught up with Eilis and took her hand again. Almost as reassurance to herself, Rhoswen looked back at Daniel. "You will'na leave without tellin' us, right?"

"Or course not," Daniel said. "And we will come back very soon to help you. We promise."

Rhoswen gave Daniel and the rest of his team a mingled look of resentment and mistrust, then nodded and kept walking. Eilis kept looking back at them as if wondering why they weren't coming along.

"So... that went well, huh?" Daniel shook his head.

"They�ll be all right, Daniel," Sam said. "They�ve been okay this long, and we�ll be back soon, anyway."

Daniel thought of the hurt and confusion on Callum's face. "I just think that we should be very careful here. We..." He paused, uncertain what he meant. Uncertain why he was identifying so strongly with Callum. His situation so many years ago, had nothing to do with Daniel�s own.

"What do you mean?" Sam urged him on.

Daniel fought back a memory trying to creep to the surface. A memory of the first night he�d spent in the children�s shelter. He remembered how he�d tried to pretend that his family wasn�t gone, and the circumstances in which he'd found himself were some game that would eventually come to an end. That his family would come back and take him home and everything would be fine, once more. If he didn�t talk to anyone about it, didn�t cry or carry on, maybe his fantasy could still become reality.

Pushing the unwelcome image of his younger self back to where it belonged�in the past, over and done with�Daniel finally answered Sam, looking at each of his teammates in turn. "We just have to make sure we don�t do these kids more harm than good."

They all jumped when the wormhole disengaged with a loud glugging sound�evidently Sam's timing device worked. Jack looked at Sam. "And again, I say good work, Carter."

"Thanks, sir."

"No, thank�nah, I�m not gonna say it." Jack waved a hand at her, then looked at the somber expression on Daniel�s face, strode up to his friend, grasped the younger man's shoulder. "Daniel, you made a promise. We made a promise. I intend to keep it. Bur first, we�re going home." he said, speaking firmly, leaving no room for argument and ignoring the brief flash of rebellion filling Daniel�s eyes.

Jack knew he would have to talk to his friend once they were back home. Ordinarily, Jack would rather have a root canal without anesthetic than instigate any male bonding, heart-to-heart crap, but he knew that Daniel was in desperate need of some unloading. He just wondered if Daniel would be willing to talk to him after that �no foundation to their friendship� line he�d had to attack Daniel with not even a month ago. He knew that one sentence had all but shattered Daniel�s trust in him. All but ruined three years of unlikely friendship. He could still remember the hurt in Daniel�s eyes. Hurt the younger man hadn�t even been able to conceal, so unexpected were the damaging words.

At any rate, Jack knew that whatever was going on with Daniel was affecting the mission and that was something that had to be dealt with, whether Daniel liked it or not. All friendship aside, Jack wasn�t going to let whatever personal crap Daniel was sorting through affect how they dealt with the kids.

Jack decided he�d worry about it later, on base. First, they had to get home. The sooner, the better. Looking at each of his teammates in turn, he said, "Let's get back to camp and pack up."

*****

Once back on base, Daniel had to admit that for the first time, he was relieved to go straight to the infirmary. The incessent throbbing in ribs was making him exhausted and miserable. His eyes burned with fever, and the gate travel had only made his headache start up again. All he wanted to do was sleep for a week�after they�d sorted out the problem of what to do with the kids, that is.

In the confines of the infirmary, the team all endured the routine poking and prodding. Janet sent Daniel off for a series of X-rays on his ribs and skull once she�d been apprised of his injuries. When he was brought back, Janet stepped up to him, pulling on a pair of fresh gloves. She studied the cuts and bruises on his face, then moved down to his leg and unraveled the bandage, working with her usual swift efficiency.

She cleaned the gash once more, which Daniel again endured with clenched teeth. He lay back, able to relax for a moment, the stinging easing off to a dull ache while Janet placed a new bandage around his shin. She then lifted each of his hands and started inspecting them, taking in the broken fingernails and scratches. Turning his hands over to look at his palms, she noticed the deep splinters, the surrounding skin an angry shade of red. Daniel hadn�t mentioned his hands to Sam, not thinking they were a big deal and had all but forgotten about them.

Janet applied some anesthetic spray to the inflamed skin of each his palms before pulling out a pair of tweezers from her tray of equipment. She grasped his right hand and started poking at it. "How�d you manage this?"

"Trying to stop my fall," Daniel explained. "There were�ow!" He flinched and instinctively tried to curl his fingers when Janet dug the tweezers into his still tender skin.

"Hold still," Janet said, only a flicker of sympathy on her face.

"I am," he protested through gritted teeth, trying not to flinch again and wondering when she�d get around to giving him something a little stronger for all his assorted pains. He wanted the pain dulled enough to be able to attend the mission briefing, which he was determined not to miss. Possible broken ribs or not. After an eternity of what felt like a hot poker digging in his hands, Janet finished pulling the splinters from both hands and wrapped a thin layer of gauze around the oozing skin.

She left to retrieve his X-rays and Daniel cradled his throbbing hands to his chest, closing his eyes to shut out the brightness of the lights above him. A short time later, Janet returned to inform him that he had a grade three concussion, but there were no signs of a skull fracture or internal bleeding. He also had two cracked and one fractured rib. She gave him a Tetanus shot, handed him some penicillin tablets to swallow along with some acetaminophen, which couldn't work soon enough as far as Daniel was concerned.

Jack came up to the gurney, looking at Janet with a questioning look on his face. "So, Doc, what�s the verdict?"

Janet gave Jack the list of Daniel�s various injuries, and Daniel fidgeted with barely concealed impatience. "When does the briefing start?" he asked Jack, trying to keep his expression neutral, trying to hide his pain and fatigue.

"As soon as we�re done here," Jack answered.

Daniel looked at Janet, giving her his best pleading look. She met the look with an impassive gaze, seemed to consider for a moment. "All right, you can attend the briefing with the condition that you return here as soon as it�s over."

Daniel opened his mouth to answer, but Jack beat him to it. "Will do, Doc."

"I'll be all right, Janet," Daniel protested, and moved to sit up, his motions slow and careful.

"Yes you will," Janet said. "But I want you to stay here overnight so we can monitor your head injury. Losing consciousness three times after suffering a head injury is not something to take lightly, Daniel."

"Yeah, Daniel," Jack agreed petulantly. "So, if we�re done here..."

Daniel stood and held still for a moment. With alarm, Janet and Jack watched the color drain from Daniel�s face. Daniel began to list to one side, and Jack quickly took his arm to steady him. "I�m all right," Daniel said, even though Jack hadn�t asked.

Janet gave him a look that said she knew too well how he was feeling. "And Daniel; no gate travel for at least a week either, so whatever you decide in the briefing, count yourself out for a while."

"But-" Daniel started to protest, but shut his mouth after quick reconsideration. He realized he was too tired to argue the order, or to fully wonder how it would affect his input in dealing with the kids. His exhausted mind decided to worry about it later, after he'd managed to sit through the briefing. Maybe in the morning, Janet would be more willing to compromise, or so he hoped.

Daniel started to walk toward the door but Janet stopped him by calling his name. He turned and frowned at her. "What?"

Janet pointed at a waiting wheelchair.

Daniel looked at the chair with dismay, then at Janet.

"Humor me, Daniel."

Daniel rolled his eyes and sat down, a little too quickly with frustration. He closed his eyes against the renewed throbbing in his ribs, and allowed Jack to wheel him to the briefing room.

*****

As they waited for General Hammond in the briefing room, Daniel thought of how the kids had stood by the gate, watching as he and his team prepared to leave. All of the kids had looked as if they fully expected to never see SG1 again, their small faces somber and resigned. Daniel couldn't blame them�he knew the kids been given a similar promise by their own families, and look at how that had turned out. Callum had shown up long after the other kids, walking slowly to the gate and standing back from the others, his posture one of careful indifference.

Just as he and his team were about to step through the gate, Daniel had turned his head for a final look at the kids, and he'd caught Callum's gaze, saw the shimmering of tears in the boy�s eyes that hadn't been there a moment before. The lost expression on Callum's face tore at Daniel's heart, reminded him far too much of the continual feeling of abandonment that had so marked Daniel's early life.

As Daniel had stepped through the gate, an unexpected wave of guilt overcame him. Guilt and indecision and the sense that no matter what they did to help the kids, he feared it would never be enough.

"Good morning, everyone," Hammond's voice startled Daniel and he jumped in his chair. The medication Janet had given him was taking effect, making him sleepy and disoriented. He rubbed his eyes and had to struggle to focus, to bring his thoughts to his present surroundings. Hammond took his place at the end of the table.

"General," Jack said with a nod. Sam and Teal'c repeated similar greetings. They got down to business and Jack summed up the mission with his trademark sarcastic minimalism.

"Well, sir, I'd have to say all in all the mission was a dismal failure," Jack said, weaving his pen between his long fingers. "No technology we haven't seen before. A trashed DHD, two hurricanes, minor casualties, and oh, not to mention those eleven kids we found. They were an added bonus."

"You found them in the underground compartment, correct?" the general asked, searching through the report.

"Yes," Jack replied, nodding.

"Umm, where I found the kids was more like a storm shelter, General," Daniel said.

"That's right," Jack said. "Daniel found them, sir."

"Thank you, Jack."

"No, thank you, Daniel," Jack said, eyeing him with a mix of derision and sarcasm.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Daniel blinked at him. Jack smirked, and Daniel shook his head. Turning back to the general, Daniel said, "Actually, the rest of the kids kind of found me."

Under his breath, Jack said, "Yeah, and damn near crushed a couple when he fell."

"No, I didn�t," Daniel said, tipping his head and narrowing his eyes at Jack.

"Well, you could have," Jack countered.

Daniel ignored Jack and turning back to the General, he said, "The kids were left behind after some kind of attack on the planet. General, they've been fending for themselves for at least a few years."

"What condition are they in?" Hammond asked, deciding to ignore whatever was going on between his 2IC and the archaeologist.

"Pretty good, considering," Daniel said. "It seems as if they've managed fairly well on their own."

"They do seem to be faring well, General Hammond," Teal'c said. "It appears as if the Goa'uld had attacked the planet in search of hosts. It is not likely they will come back, but I do believe it is necessary to remove the children from the planet in the event that they do return."

"I agree," Hammond said, then turned to Jack. "Are you certain the children are all right in the meantime?"

Jack nodded. "Yes, sir. They�ve been fine on their own for a long time, like Daniel said. I figured leaving them for another day or two until we decided what to do with them wouldn�t make much of a difference."

"What were you planning on doing with these children, Colonel?"

"Well... I thought we�d bring them back to base first. I realize that it�ll be hard to find homes for all of them here, so I think we should ask one of the previous planets we�ve explored if they might be willing to take them." Jack shot Daniel a warning look to not start a repeat of their argument when he saw the younger man sit up in his chair.

"Yeah, but which one?" Sam asked, looking at her CO.

Daniel thought for a moment, then chose to go along with the speculation. At least finding another planet that would take the kids would ensure they stayed together. "Well, there's the Land of the Light, but I�m not sure how well they�d fit in there. That culture is based on ancient Mesopotamian origins, while this planet is more Hiberno-Saxon with Latin and Gaelic influences. The kids even speak a few Gaelic words but I don�t know if it was a secondary language on the planet, or if they picked some of it up from their parents. Plus, the technology on the kids� planet is a little more advanced."

"That shouldn�t really matter to kids, should it?" Sam asked. "And Teal�c�s family is there."

"Well, the technology doesn�t matter, no. But we do want to make the cultural transition as easy as possible for them," Daniel said.

"Well, we can't ask the Nox," Sam said. "That would probably be too out there for these guys and I don�t think they�d even take them."

"Cimmeria is too unstable with the recent Goa'uld interest..." Teal'c said, his voice trailing off as he tried to think of more possibilities.

"Abydos is no longer an option either..." Sam let her voice fade when she saw Daniel blink, then look down at his notes. "Sorry, I shouldn�t-" she started to apologize to her friend, remembering all too well what had happened the last time they'd helped the Abydonian people.

"Edora."

They all looked to Jack at the quietly spoken word.

Jack kept his eyes lowered, fixed on the polished tabletop. The solution had come to him with sudden clarity as he listened to his team. The planet and the simple, but kind people would be perfect for the kids as much as he dreaded the thought of having to return there so soon. He knew other SG teams had been going steadily to Edora to further establish relations with the people and continue with their trade agreement, but Jack had never volunteered to go along. He�d been unable to for reasons he didn�t want to analyze in greater detail.

When he spoke again, his voice was soft, uncharacteristically subdued. "They're good people. The culture seems to be similar to what the kids are used to. And with our treaty, the Edoran's technology is becoming more advanced all the time. They have such a small population, I think they would be happy to have some more kids around." Jack continued to fiddle with his pen, tapping the end on his papers. "I know the kids would be well taken care of."

Daniel nodded after a moment. "I hadn�t thought of it, but I suppose Edora makes sense."

"And they'll be perfectly safe," Sam broke in, seeing the logic of the solution. "Since the kind of fallout we experienced won�t happen again for another 150 years, they�d have nothing to worry about. I think by the time it happens again, the people will also be better prepared for it."

"It sounds like a good solution to me, as well," Hammond said with a nod. "You spent enough time with the people to be a good judge of their character, Colonel. But we will have to discuss this with the Edorans, before I make a decision."

Jack nodded. "I think it�s best if I asked them, sir. Permission to gate to Edora." He kept his voice low, features carefully blank. He had no idea how the Edorans would react to seeing him again. How Laira would react. How he, in turn, would react.

"I will accompany you," Teal'c offered, and Jack looked at his friend, startled from his thoughts.

"Thanks, Teal'c," he said with a nod in the Jaffa's direction, grateful for the offer and the understanding. Maybe having Teal'c there would help keep him grounded, so to speak. Maybe it would be good for Jack to return to Edora, this time knowing it was for just a visit. Jack was never big on closure, but maybe it would help alleviate the strange sense of loss and displacement that had been niggling at him ever since he'd returned home.

Maybe it would help to see what he'd left behind, and he hoped it would remind him that he�d made the right decision in coming home. Maybe he�d even stay close by the gate this time, you know, just on the very unlikely chance that Carter and Daniel were wrong about those asteroids.

"You and Teal'c may return to Edora tomorrow at 08:00," Hammond said, looking to both Jack and Teal'c. "In the meantime, Dr. Jackson, you're wanted back at the infirmary, and the rest of you are all to go home and get some rest."

****

As Jack stepped through the gate and left Edora, he felt the same combination of relief and guilt as when he�d left the first time. Relief at being able to return home, subsequent guilt at that relief. The Edorans had been surprised to hear from him, but at the same time, had warmly welcomed both Jack and Teal'c once again to their world.

Seeing Laira had, as anticipated, filled Jack with a sense of mingled pleasure and unease. He knew Laira had hoped to have Jack�s child, and though not enough time had passed for it to become obvious, he couldn�t help but look for the signs. When she had come to greet him, Jack noticed that Laira was even thinner than he remembered. She had embraced him in greeting and quietly told him that no child had been conceived, though he hadn�t asked. He supposed the unspoken question had been written in his eyes, on his face. As she had spoken the words, Jack couldn�t help but feel an unexpected sting of disappointment. He�d always wondered if he hadn�t left a child behind. At the same time, he hadn�t fully allowed himself to.

He suddenly realized the irony of his return: Laira had wanted Jack to give her a child, and here he was, offering her and her people not just a child, but a group of them. It wasn�t the same, he knew, yet it seemed strange to be making the offer.

As she stepped back from him, Jack noticed a glow to Laira�s skin, and knowing she wasn't pregnant, he wondered what it could be. He got his answer, and his unexpected disappointment changed to surprise when Laira introduced Jack to a man named Nolam�her betrothed. Jack hadn't known Nolam in his time stranded on the planet. Nolam had been of the inhabitants who had made it through the gate to safety and had awaited the three months until he and the other inhabitants could return home.

Jack thought Laira seemed content with her life, and as far as he could tell, Nolam seemed to be a good man. Laira had evidently gone on, as Jack had done when he�d chosen to return to his home. Where he knew he belonged. In his heart, he didn�t think he could have done all that again�being a husband and father. Somehow, all that had died along with Charlie, and maybe he was never meant to have any second chances. Maybe he�d never wanted them.

The family he had found in his teammates was complicated, but easier, where he knew he fit in. A way out of the black hole in which he'd sunk when he thought he'd lost everything that mattered, all those years ago before Edora. His team, their mission, had anchored him once again, and when he was stranded for 100 days on a planet with a scared group of people, his team had worked tirelessly to find him. It was the constant drawing back to the fold that gave Jack such confidence in his team.

As he and Teal�c walked back to the gate, he was struck with a realization. He finally thought he understood what was going on with Daniel.

Nobody had ever worked like hell to find Daniel and bring him home. Not when he was a child, and not when he'd chosen to stay behind on Abydos. The sudden thought nearly stopped Jack in his tracks. Maybe that was the entirety of the problem with these kids. There was no reason for Daniel to trust Jack where these kids were concerned. Holy God, he thought. This doesn't have a thing to do with the NID, Jack thought. Daniel doesn't think I realize how scared and worried these kids are. This isn't about the team. This is about another scared kid being left behind and forgotten about.

Appearing on the ramp inside the embarkation room with Teal�c at his side, Jack glanced around his surroundings and noticed Daniel waiting for them high above in the viewing room, watching through the glass. How often had Daniel stood up there waiting for someone to return? Jack wondered. He would have to ask Daniel, and soon. Jack also knew he had his own questions to wrestle with. His own muddled emotions over leaving the place that had very nearly become his permanent residence. And wrestle them he would, when he was on his roof with nothing but the stars and a good bottle of whiskey for company.

Looking at his friend standing behind that wall of glass, Jack made a promise to himself that he wouldn't let Daniel down. That he wouldn't let those abandoned kids down.

After all, everybody deserved a second chance.

Jack raised a hand and gave Daniel a short wave. Daniel seemed surprised by the gesture. He hesitated for a moment, then returned the greeting, a tentative smile on his face.

As Jack and Teal�c stepped from the gateroom, Daniel met up with them in the hallway, a look of worried anticipation on his bruised face. "Hey, guys, how did it go?"

Teal�c dipped his head. "It went very well, indeed."

Jack looked at Daniel, wanting to say something to further set the younger man�s mind at ease, but unsure what he could possibly say.

"Good," Daniel said in reply to Teal�c. He must have noticed the tightness of Jack�s features, because he looked at him with a concerned frown. "How... how was Laira?" he asked, watching Jack for a reaction.

Jack wasn't surprised by the question. He supposed it was natural for Daniel to assume that Jack would be musing over seeing her again. And he was, only it was added to a long list of things Jack needed to sort through. "She�s good. Got engaged," he said with feigned casualness.

"Really?" Daniel raised his eyebrows, not falling for the ruse. "And how... how do you feel about that?"

Jack shook his head, frowned at his friend. "How do I feel about what? I moved on, she moved on. Everybody�s happy. Besides, she wasn�t really my type, anyway." He looked down when Daniel gave him a sympathetic look. Jack wondered if Daniel was projecting some of his own issues onto Jack, and Jack knew that he had no problem with leaving Laira behind. Well, not much of one, but that had nothing to do with their current mission.

He pushed those thoughts aside, struggled to at least begin at repairing some of the damage to his and Daniel�s shaky friendship. He gently tapped Daniel on the shoulder and spoke in a soft voice to his friend. "Hey, so how about you and I have a... talk. You know, about the kids... and... whatever."

Daniel looked both startled and confused. He blinked at Jack, his lips pursed, momentarily rendered speechless. Jack couldn�t really blame him. He couldn�t recall the last time he�d ever offered to have a talk with Daniel. Usually, they just... talked. No planning involved.

"Um... okay," Daniel said and crossed his arms over his chest, looking at Jack with his head tilted, perplexed frown in place. "Sure... Yes, okay. W-we can do that. Uh, how about after you talk to General Hammond? Did... um... did everything really go okay?"

"What?" It was Jack�s turn to frown, then he realized that Daniel thought he wanted to talk to him about Edora. "No. I mean, yeah. Everything went swell. And tomorrow... tomorrow, we'll talk. You and I. About the kids... that is. After we go get them."

"Okay..." Daniel said, still looking at him, confounded. "So... is it safe to assume that the Edorans will take the kids?"

As soon as the words were spoken, General Hammond and Sam came around the corner and joined them. "So, Colonel, how did it go? Are they willing to take the children?" Hammond asked, echoing Daniel's question.

Jack looked at the general, gave him a satisfied smirk, happy to be on a safer subject. "They�re more than willing to take the kids, sir, and Daniel. Whenever we�re ready."

"Excellent." Hammond looked impressed. Daniel looked worried.

Jack waved his hand in a mock dismissive gesture. "Ah, General, it was nothing. As you know, I can be remarkably persuasive when necessary. Charming, even. So... shall we go get the little rugrats?" Jack said, clapping his hands together, eager to conclude the mission that had become far too complicated for his liking.

"Just... just wait a minute, Jack-" Daniel broke in.

Despite his earlier promise to himself, Jack had to fight back the impatience. He knew what was coming, and why. "What?"

"How do you propose to do that?" Daniel said, wrapping his arms around his chest.

"Well, I propose that we go back to the planet, round up the kids and take them through the gate," Jack said shaking his head slightly, wondering what was so difficult for Daniel to grasp.

"Round them up?" Daniel blinked at him with astonishment. "God, Jack! These are kids�not... cattle, or... or dogs!" Daniel threw his hands in the air. "You can�t just drag them kicking and screaming from the only home they�ve ever known!"

"So what are you saying? You want to leave them there now after all that? I thought you agreed that this was a good idea!"

"No, you don�t understand. I do agree that we should bring them to Edora," Daniel said, shaking his head. "But let me talk to Callum, first. I think he trusts me now, and he�ll probably be willing to hear me out."

"Do you really think we should leave this up to Callum to decide?" Sam asked.

"The other kids listen to Callum, first and foremost," Daniel turned to look at her, "if we convince him, then the other kids will follow."

"In case you've forgotten, Daniel," Jack said. "Doc has you off-duty for a week, and I really don't want to leave the kids alone for that long, wondering why the hell we haven�t bothered to come back." Jack paused, softened his voice and looked at his friend. "Look, I understand this... situation is tough for you, Daniel, but whether they want to admit it or not, these kids have been waiting for a long time for someone to help them. Let�s not make this any more complicated that it has to be."

"Wait�we... we can bring Callum here." Daniel looked at the expression on Jack's face�the one where Jack was trying really hard to be patient and rapidly failing. Daniel ignored the look and stubbornly stood his ground. He glanced at Hammond and saw a willingness to listen, so he pressed on. "Like you said before, Jack, what difference is a couple of days going to make when they�ve managed for this long? I mean, think about it�what have we done in the past when we transported colonies to other planets?"

"We conferred with their leaders first," Teal�c answered for Jack.

"Right," Daniel said, nodding. "We negotiated with the population�s leader, then they, in turn, spoke to their people and made a decision."

Jack stared at him, incredulous. "You want to negotiate with a 12-year-old, or however the hell old the kid is?"

"Well, he is technically the leader and the one who the kids listen to and trust," Daniel countered. "Shouldn�t we at least try to talk to him about this first?"

"But he's a kid, for cryin' out loud!"

"He�s not just any kid, Jack," Daniel argued. "He�s felt responsible for the other kids for years. I think if we talk to him alone and give him a chance to get away from the others for a while, he might be willing to hear us out." Daniel paused for a moment when his side started to ache from the vehemence of his speech. "And maybe being away from them will help him realize how great a responsibility he�s been dealing with for so long. He might even be willing to admit to needing some help."

"Daniel has a good point, sir," Sam said, wincing slightly when Jack spun to stare at her. "I've also noticed how the other kids listen to Callum and look to him for guidance. If we can convince Callum, then the other kids will more than likely be willing to go along with him. I think Rhoswen�s beginning to trust us a little, too, so maybe between the two of them... I mean, I don't know about you, sir, and General," she looked at Hammond for a moment, "but I think it would be much easier to bring eleven kids through the gate when they're willing to come, and not fighting us. Plus, we don�t want to traumatize them any more than necessary, do we?"

Jack suddenly remembered the few times when Charlie had pitched a screaming fit because he hadn't wanted to do something. Jack multiplied that commotion by eleven and shuddered. He dropped his head, nodded in reluctant agreement. He didn�t hold much stock in Daniel being able to convince Callum, but it was worth a shot anyway. And what was another day in the grand scheme of things? He looked to Hammond, tilting his head almost apologetically.

The older general returned his gaze. "I�ll allow it on the condition that Major Carter and Teal�c remain with the other children to keep an eye on them. Colonel, you may escort the boy back here. How long do you think you�ll need to discuss the situation with Callum, Doctor Jackson?"

"I... umm... maybe we should give him a little time to get his bearings before we tell him what we have planned," Daniel said, thinking. "I can show him around a little, further gain his trust and let him understand that we really are just trying to help."

"All right," Hammond nodded. "I�ll give you 36 hours. The boy can stay overnight on base, and Colonel, you can return him to the planet tomorrow afternoon."

*****

A few hours later, Jack, Sam and Teal�c followed a FRED laden with toys and kids� clothing up the ramp. Emerging on the other side, they guided the FRED back to the town�s center. It wasn�t long before the kids noticed their return, and suddenly Jack, Sam and Teal�c had an excited group of children circling them and the mechanical cart. The kids stared at the unfamiliar clothing and objects with astonishment.

Jack perused the faces of the awe-struck children and decided a bright-faced girl might like one of the fluffy stuffed animals in the shape of a kitten. He held the kitten up toward her, shook it to see if she was interested. When her smile almost split her cheeks, Jack tossed it to the girl, who fumbled to catch it. She clutched it to her chest, rubbing her nose in the soft fuzz, while the kids surrounding her came close to touch the toy, chattering with excitement.

Stepping up to them, Callum frowned and checked over the supplies, Rhoswen close behind him. "What�s all this you got?" Callum asked, touching the stuffed animal clutched in the little girl�s arms. The girl clung to her new treasure, squeezing it possessively.

Sam smiled at Callum. "We just brought some things we thought you guys might have fun with. Is that all right?"

Callum shuffled his feet. He was surprised to see the grownups, hadn't allowed himself to even hope that they would come back. Or at least not so soon. Feeling simultaneously pleased and uncertain, he gave Sam a tentative half-smile and had to admit to himself that she seemed pretty nice. "Sure. I reckon that�d be fine," he said with a shrug, then glanced around, wondering where Daniel was. He was about to ask when Rhoswen spoke up.

"So what is all this stuff? Can we keep it?" Rhoswen asked Sam, moving closer to the FRED. The other children followed her lead, crowding close, their small hands reaching to touch the unfamiliar objects but hesitant to take anything.

"Of course you can keep it," Jack answered for her. "That�s what we brought it for. Why don�t you check it out?" Jack pointed to the cart. Rhoswen wove through the kids and started picking up toys and clothing at random, an expression of wonder on her face. Jack motioned to Sam and Teal�c. "Share the wealth amongst these guys, all right?" Sam nodded and Teal�c started taking the toys off the cart, handed them to Sam, who passed each toy to the eager young population.

Jack edged from the circle of kids over to Callum who stood back from the others. The boy held his ground, gazing at him. "I did�na think you�d be comin� back."

"Yeah, well, here we are," Jack said, speaking softly and looking directly into the boy�s eyes. "I made a promise and I always keep my promises."

"Where�s Daniel?" Callum asked, hesitant.

"Daniel's doing just fine, but he still has to take it easy for a while. He�s back home resting, and he wanted me to ask you how goes the writing," Jack said, moving to perch on the edge of the fountain. After a moment, Callum followed and sat beside him on the curved, hard surface, maintaining a safe, beyond- arm�s-length distance.

"It�s goin� all right, I reckon. Did�na have much time to practice." Callum looked at Jack, waiting for him to say more, knowing the grownups had returned for reasons greater than giving the kids toys and clothes.

"Okay, Callum..." Jack paused to consider his words. "Here�s the deal. We�ve been thinking about how we can help you guys out." He raised a hand when he saw Callum open his mouth to protest. "Now, I know you�re all doing swell, and don't need any help, but see, we think you might be missing out on some great stuff out there."

"What you mean?" Callum watched him, his posture tense and cautious.

"I mean, this place�it�s peachy and all, but it�s kinda empty, don�t you think? There�s lots of other places out there we could show you guys. If you�re interested, that is. Tell you what�how about you come check out our place?" Jack said. "Daniel would really like to talk to you about what we think we can do to help you out, but he can't come back through the gate until he's feeling a little better." Jack paused, took in the boy�s reaction. Callum held still, nodding slightly, so he continued. "So we thought you might like to come back with us for a little while so you can talk to him."

Jack saw a tinge of fear fill the boy's dark eyes. "I... I do'na think that's a... a good idea," Callum stammered. "I can�na leave the others, and how do I know you�re not gonna take me away like what happened with our grownups?"

"Callum, we promised that we�d come back and we did, right?" Jack waited for Callum to nod, and he did after a moment. "I�m promising you now that we�ll bring you back tomorrow." Jack told the boy, speaking softly and holding his gaze.

Callum broke the eye contact, looked down and chewed his lip, brow furrowed.

Jack paused to think for a moment. "Look, you're the man here, right?"

"Well, not a man yet, but I close enough, I s'pose," Callum said with a shrug.

"That�s right, and the kids look to you for leadership."

"Most times."

"And you want what's best for them, right?" Jack asked. Callum nodded. "Well, sometimes a great leader has to do what he personally doesn't want to do, but what's best for the group. This is one of those times, Callum."

Callum shook his head, his thoughts whirling. He glanced at the other kids bouncing around Sam, some of the clutching more of the soft looking furry creatures of sorts to their chests. "I... I just can'na leave the others. They'd get up to all kindsa stuff they should'na be doin'."

"Well, here's the good part," Jack said, tipping his head. "Carter and Teal'c are going to stay here and help keep an eye on them. This is something you really need to do for the other kids, plus it�ll be like a vacation for you. A chance to do something all on your own, for once. What do you say?"

Callum chewed his lip and thought about what the man was offering. He did want to talk to Daniel some more. For some reason, it made Callum feel better to talk to him. And the idea of getting to do something without the others was very appealing. He just wished he could bring himself to completely trust the grownups. "How do I know for sure you'll let me come home when I want to?"

"Well, we do have to come back to get Carter and Teal'c."

Callum sneered at him. "I'm not stupid, ye know. I saw �em work up the circle. They can go home any time they's want to. They do'na need you to come get 'em."

Jack silently cursed�the kid didn�t miss a thing. He pointed at Callum. "Good! I was just testing you there, by the way," he said after a moment. "You�re right, they can get home on their own. But here�s the thing, between us colonels. I�m thinking you�re not sure Rhoswen is capable of looking after the others as well as you can, am I right?"

"Yeah." Callum nodded after a moment. "She�s all right, for a girl, but she�s never been in charge for very long before."

"Right. A good colonel has to make sure he leaves his troops in good hands. Now I know you�re probably thinking that you�re not so sure about Carter and Teal�c, either. But you know what? Carter has all kinds of experience being in charge. She�s almost as good as a colonel, and she�s great with kids. They love her. And Teal�c may look a little scary, but he�s a good man. I trust him with my life. He also has a son a little older than you, so you can rest assured that the others will be in good hands."

Callum considered Jack's words. Looking at the other kids again, he noticed Rhoswen grinning happily while she chatted with Sam. The others looked happy, too�happier than Callum had seen them in a long time. Some of them pulled on brightly colored jackets and hats over their old, worn out clothing, giggling as they looked at each other. Callum chewed his ragged lower lip, unsure what to do. It was true what Jack was saying�the grownups had come back, like they said they would. Plus, they had brought them all presents and things and hadn't asked for anything in return. "You really promise I can come home tomorrow?"

Jack raised his hand in a scout's honor, then gave the boy a sharp salute. "I give you my word. One colonel to another." He held out his hand. Callum looked at it, bewildered.

"Take my hand," Jack urged. "It�s all right." Callum stared at him wide-eyed, then after a moment took Jack�s hand in a tentative grip. Jack shook the boy's hand, and Callum looked at him, confused by the custom. "That means when you shake a guy's hand, the promise is sealed," Jack explained. "I can't ever go back on it."

Callum nodded in understanding. A promise was a promise, and if Jack was a true saighdear like he said he was, a promise was good as etched in stone. "All right. I'll go with you." He looked at the gate in the distance, then to Jack again. "What�s it like goin� through there?"

"Well, it�s kind of hard to describe, but you�ll love it," Jack said with a smile. "In fact, it's better than a roller coaster, even." Callum stared at him as if he'd suddenly started talking Chinese. "Okay, of course you don't know what that is," Jack quickly added, "but trust me, it's a lot of fun."

Callum looked at the gate once more, allowed himself to feel a rush of anticipation and excitement. Giving Jack a rare grin, he said, "When do we leave?"

*****

Jack and Callum walked up to the gate, Callum clutching a small bag of belongings and wearing Daniel�s jacket again. The other kids had followed to watch the spectacle of the gate firing up once more, each of them looking frightened at the fact that their surrogate parent was the one to be stepping through this time. After Jack and Teal�c had dialed the address, Sam powered up the gate.

Just as they were about to step to the platform, Kaelin ran up to Callum and pulled on his arm. "Please, Callum, let me come with you!"

Callum tried to disentangle himself from the smaller boy�s grip. "No Kael. I told you this is somethin� I gotta do by myself."

Kaelin�s face crumpled and his chin trembled with the onset of tears. "But I want to come, too. Please, Callum. I will�na be any trouble! Please? I want to come!"

"Kaelin, ye promised ye would�na carry on. I�ll be back soon. You listen to the other grownups while I�m gone, all right?" Callum said, trying to pry the smaller boy�s hands off him. Kaelin burst into tears and threw his arms around Callum�s waist, clinging to him as if he feared he�d never see his friend again. Some of the other kids looked as if they were close to crying, as well, blinking back tears, their small chins trembling.

Jack watched Callum try to reassure the boy and when Kaelin�s sobs only intensified, Jack quietly called Sam�s name and nodded in Kaelin�s direction. Sam went over to Kaelin and gently helped Callum free himself from the smaller boy. She picked Kaelin up and set him down again away from the platform and knelt down beside him. Kaelin stared at her, too surprised to protest.

"Hey," Sam said, rubbing his shoulder. "Callum will be back really soon, okay? I know you want to go with him, but you know what? We can have all kinds of fun in the meantime. My brothers and I used to play this really fun game when we were kids�it�s even better than hockey. I can show it to you guys if you want?"

Kaelin choked back sobs, wiped his cheeks, then looked to Callum for confirmation.

"Do as they say, all right, Kael?" Callum said. "All of ye's."

Kaelin took a shuddery breath and looked at Sam again. "Wh-what kind of game?"

Sam smiled and wiped the rest of the tears from his face. "I�ll show you in just a few minutes, all right?" she said, giving the boy a quick hug. Kaelin blinked at her, then snuggled in closer, seemingly deciding she was safe enough.

Callum watched Sam with Kaelin, a worried frown on his face. He knew Sam was nice and Kaelin seemed okay with her, but he still felt nervous about leaving him and the others. He realized he was shaking a little and tried to convince himself he was just worried about the kids.

Jack noticed the apprehension on Callum�s face. "They�ll be fine, Callum."

Callum continued to watch the other kids and hoped that Jack was right, hoped that he was making the right decision in going with him.

"So, hey," Jack touched the boy�s shoulder to get his attention. "This is a piece of cake. When I say go, all you have to do is step through, all right?" He led Callum up the platform.

Callum directed his attention to the gate and the marvelous sight before him. The blue ripples looked just like water, he thought and wondered if it would feel like water, too. He reached out a hand to touch the event horizon. He brushed his fingers along the surface and instead of wet, he felt a tingling sensation. It wasn�t unpleasant, just... odd, he decided.

Jack watched the boy, and said, "Okay, get ready-"

Without warning Callum jumped through with both feet, as if the wormhole were a giant mud puddle. Jack just managed to grab onto the collar of the boy�s too-large jacket before jumping in with him, maintaining his grip on Callum and hoping to prevent him from doing a face-plant on the hard metal ramp at the other end of the wormhole.

Seconds later, Jack stumbled onto the ramp back home, his fingers still clutched on the back of Callum's jacket. Callum nearly fell to his knees, but Jack gripped his arm and righted him. "Hey! You were supposed to wait for me to tell you when to go through!"

"Sorry," Callum said, but he was too busy taking in the new world to pay much attention to the scolding.

Jack couldn't really be that pissed off at the kid. Jack would probably have done the same thing at Callum's age, and it was good to see him acting like a regular kid�for the moment anyway.

Callum stared open-mouthed at the gateroom, tilting his head back to take in the high ceiling. He was surprised to find himself inside a metal enclosed room. He�d expected that the gate he would come out of to be outside�just like the one back home. All sorts of unfamiliar smells assaulted his senses. The room they were in seemed confining despite its size, frightening in its alien-ness. He jumped back with surprise, stumbling against Jack when the wormhole disengaged and the iris closed. He felt Jack steady him again, keeping a hand on his shoulder.

"Hi Callum."

Callum turned his head in the direction of the voice to see Daniel standing at the end of the ramp, hands in his pockets, a smile of greeting his face.

"Daniel!" Callum felt his face stretch in a wide, relieved grin. Just seeing his friend was a reassurance, making him feel a little less nervous. Callum rushed down the ramp toward Daniel. "You get to do that all the time?" he asked, jerking his chin in the direction of the deactivated gate.

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, we do. It�s kind of fun, isn�t it?"

Callum shrugged, struggling to hide his excitement. "Yeah, it�s all right," he said, not admitting that it had been the most amazing thing he'd ever done in his life. His heart was still racing. His eyes tried to take in everything at once, his head darting in every direction. He stopped to stare up at the window to the briefing and viewing room, taking in the people sitting behind the glass. It shouldn't have surprised him that there were more grownups in this place, but it did. He hadn't fully thought of that possibility and the reality made him feel small, defenseless. He was suddenly afraid that the other grownups may not be so harmless as Daniel and his friends. He took a few steps closer to Daniel, unsure what to do next.

A door behind them opened and a bald man stepped through. Callum stared at him�the man was older than Jack, even.

"Callum, this is General Hammond," Daniel said, tipping his head in the direction of the bald man. "He�s the leader of this place."

Callum stayed close to Daniel, eyeing the older man, taking in the ribbons on his shirt.

"Hello, Callum," Hammond said to boy, giving him a warm smile.

"Hi," Callum answered, straightening his shoulders and trying to act like a proper leader should. "Are ye a Colonel, too?"

Jack smirked and strode up to them. "Actually, he�s better than a Colonel. Being a general means that he can even tell us Colonels what to do."

Callum looked at the older man, skeptical. He couldn�t imagine anyone ordering Jack around.

"Doctor Jackson, you may escort Callum to the infirmary and get him checked out. Colonel, I need a quick word with you about that training session next week," Hammond said.

"Have fun, kids," Jack said and tipped Callum a quick salute. "We�ll see ya later, Callum."

Callum nodded, then looked at Daniel, worried. "What�s a... infirmary?"

Daniel watched Jack and General Hammond leave the gateroom, leaving him alone with Callum and Daniel suddenly felt unsure of himself. Taking Callum to the infirmary was easy; it was what to do with him afterward that suddenly had him feeling inexplicably nervous. He wondered what he should do to make Callum feel more comfortable. Should he ruffle his hair, or something? He immediately negated that thought�he�d always hated it when he was a kid. Hated it when Jack still did it to him sometimes. Daniel knew the outcome of how they were going to deal with the kids relied solely on how he communicated with Callum, so he had to be careful. This was his last chance to gain the boy�s trust. Suddenly, his negotiations with alien races seemed easy in comparison.

Callum was still looking at him, waiting for an answer to his question.

Daniel decided to do what he usually did when he was uncertain how to deal with a situation�he�d wing it, and just start talking and see what happened. He opened the door for Callum and motioned for him to step through. "Well... um, an infirmary?" Daniel said, leading Callum down the hallway. "It�s uh... it�s a place where we go when we�re injured, or when we�re sick."

Callum frowned up at him. "But I�m not sick."

"No, no, you're not," Daniel quickly assured him. "But... okay, well, whenever we come back from different planets, we have to make sure that we're not bringing home any germs from there. So, we have to go to the infirmary and the... uh, the healers check us out there and then tell us we're okay. Well, usually we're okay. Sometimes we have to stay there, but even then... Oh, look. Here we are..." He opened the door to the infirmary and Callum gave him another worried look. "It�s all right," Daniel said. "Our healer is very nice." Daniel touched Callum�s shoulder and led him inside.

Callum stared at the strange looking room. There were beds all over the place by the back wall, and some sort of equipment he�d never seen before.

A dark-haired woman came to greet them with a cheery smile. She nodded to Daniel, then looked at Callum. "Hi, Callum. I�m Dr. Fraisier, but you can call me Janet." She motioned to something that looked like a tall bed on wheels. "Why don�t you hop up there, and I�ll be back in just a minute, all right?"

Callum looked to Daniel for reassurance and Daniel nodded and took his arm to help him climb up. Sitting on the gurney, waiting for Janet, Callum twined his hands with apprehension, his fingers plucking at the bracelet on his wrist. Daniel noticed the boy�s fear and sat down beside him. "It's all right�we just want to make sure that you're okay."

Callum nodded. "I'm not scared, or nothin'," he said, trying to still his nervous motions.

Janet stepped back to the gurney and pulled close a tray of equipment, which Callum looked at wide-eyed. Directing her attention to Daniel, she said, "It shouldn't take long if you want to wait outside."

Callum's head darted in Daniel's direction, the fear all too evident despite his claims. Daniel didn�t move and said to Janet, "I don�t really have much else to do right now, so I can stay if Callum doesn�t mind."

Callum gave a quick nod, looked at Janet. "I... I do'na mind if Daniel stays."

Janet smiled at him. "Okay, no problem." She pretended not to notice Callum moving a little closer to Daniel.

Callum watched Janet sort through the strange looking equipment. Some of it looked scary, like it could hurt him, so he watched the dark-haired woman, instead. She looked familiar for some reason, but he didn�t know who she reminded him of, or who she looked like.

"Callum, I�m just going to give you a quick check-up," Janet said as she prepared her equipment. "Nothing to worry about, okay? I need you to take your jacket off for me first, though." She waited until he did as he was asked, then she continued. "I'm going to listen to your heart now," Janet said, speaking in a low soothing voice as she put her stethoscope in her ears. Lifting the torn hem of the boy�s shirt, she placed the scope on his chest. Callum stared at her, but held still as she moved the stethoscope around to his back, only a faint tremble indicating his apprehension. She went through the basics, explaining each step as she went along with checking his eyes, ears and throat and testing his reflexes.

Picking up a syringe, she warned him that it would pinch a little. Callum frowned but stayed still, biting his lip when she inserted the needle to the inside of his right elbow. After drawing the blood, she pressed a piece of cotton against the puncture, glanced at him and smiled. "There. All done. That wasn�t so bad, was it?"

Callum blinked, once again reminded of someone. Someone he thought he had forgotten. He studied Janet�s face�the large brown eyes, the rest of her features small and pleasant. Maybe it was just strange seeing so many grownups again, he reasoned. Maybe he�d just forgotten what some of the adults on his world had looked like.

After a moment, she tore off a strip of tape and placed it over the cotton. Callum ran his fingers over the tape, gingerly tried to rub the pinching sensation from his arm. Callum flinched when Janet took the hand pressed against the tape and looked over his broken fingers.

"What happened to your hand, Callum?" Janet asked, gently palpating the bent, misshapen fingers.

Callum ducked his head, shrugged. "Got broken," he muttered in a barely audible voice.

Janet tried to meet his eye. "I can see that. It looks like this happened quite a while ago."

"�Bout a year ago," Callum whispered, looking down, long lashes obscuring his eyes.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Callum shook his head. "Just got broken. Was'na watchin' what I was doin', is all."

Still studying the rigid fingers, she asked, "Do you have any pain in your fingers or your hand?"

"Sometimes... when I... I forget and try to use it too much." He shifted on the gurney, resisted the urge to pull his hand away.

"All right." Janet released the boy's hand and he quickly tucked it between his knees, hiding his affliction. She made a few notes on the boy�s chart. The injury was old, and had healed badly, definitely requiring surgery and therapy to repair the damage. "I'd like to take an X-ray to fully assess the extent of the injury." Janet looked at Daniel. "Can you bring him back here tomorrow morning?"

Daniel nodded at Janet, then looked to Callum whose gaze darted back and forth between them, confused by the unfamiliar terms. "An X-ray is really just taking a picture of your hand," Daniel explained. "It won't hurt at all."

"What would you do with the picture?" Callum asked Janet.

"Well, it will take a look at what's inside your hand. I�ll be able to see the bones in your fingers and see how badly they're broken, and we can probably fix them for you."

Callum blinked, surprised. "You can do that? See right down to the bones through the skin and all?"

Janet smiled. "We can. I'll show you the X-ray after we're done, how about that?"

Callum gave her a tentative smile. "All right." He couldn't even imagine having his hand properly taken care of and no longer crippled like some spòg. The injury was something he�d grown accustomed to. It had become a part of him, just like everything else in his life.

"We should get the results of the blood work in about half an hour if you two want to wait here." Janet patted the boy's shoulder. "You did great, Callum. You�re a much better patient than this guy," she said, jerking her chin in Daniel�s direction. Daniel rolled his eyes. "I�ll send a nurse over in a few minutes to check Callum�s height and weight, and I will see you very shortly."

Janet then turned and stepped to another bed toward the far wall, her motions quick and efficient. Callum watched her, unable to rid himself of a memory trying to come to surface. Something he wasn�t certain he wanted to remember.

Daniel started talking to him again, explaining some of the equipment surrounding them, and Callum soon became lost in the marvelous world he found himself in, distracted from his thoughts and his fears.

*****

Janet released Callum from the infirmary after informing Hammond that the boy was in good health and his blood work was normal, other than his iron levels being a little low, which she suspected was due to the children's diet, rather than any abnormalities. He was underweight, but within normal height ranges for an eleven or twelve-year-old boy.

Daniel then brought Callum to the commissary when the boy admitted to being hungry. Callum told him that Jack hadn't allowed him to eat anything before going through the gate�probably good foresight on Jack's part, Daniel thought, knowing how gate travel on the uninitiated could do a number on your stomach. After a moment of consideration, Daniel placed an order for two hamburgers with sides of vegetables. He figured all kids liked burgers and the vegetables would be good for him. He added one dish of chocolate ice cream as a treat for the boy.

Sitting across from Daniel, Callum looked around the commissary with wide eyes, watching the numerous people coming and going. He was still trying to get used to there being so many adults around. Their voices sounded too deep and harsh to his ears that were accustomed to only children's voices. The realization that he was the only child in the large room made him feel vulnerable again. Some of the adults smiled at him as they passed his and Daniel's table, and Callum ducked his head, hoping they wouldn't come over and talk to them.

Callum began to pick at his meal, unsure what to do with it, so Daniel just started eating and hoped Callum would follow his lead. Callum did after a moment, picking up the burger with both hands and taking a careful bite. His eyes widened and he started eating with greater enthusiasm, and for the first time, Daniel wondered what the kids had been eating back on the planet. He realized that probably anything hot and cooked would be appealing to the boy. Finishing most of the burger and part of the vegetables, Callum pushed aside his plate and looked at the ice cream, then at Daniel.

"Why don't you give it a try?" Daniel urged, pointing to the ice cream and pushing aside his own plate. "I think you'll like it."

Callum gave him a skeptical look then pulled the dish to him. He jerked his hand back with surprise at the coldness against his fingers. "What's this?" he asked, looking at Daniel with astonishment.

"It's called chocolate ice cream," Daniel said and smiled. "It's pretty good. In fact, most kids here love it."

Callum glanced at Daniel again, uncertain. He peered at the strange looking stuff and decided to trust Daniel�after all, the burger had tasted better than anything he could ever remember, and the green and orange things Daniel had called peas and carrots were not as good, but were okay too. For nearly as long as he could remember, Callum and the other kids had been eating nothing but the small fish they managed to catch in the river, the vegetables that still grew in the fields and the few preserved items they had managed to find in the deserted buildings. This unfamiliar, but delicious food on Daniel's world seemed almost miraculous. It's vast quantities hard to comprehend.

Callum dug his spoon in his dessert, raised it to his lips and licked a tiny bit. The combination of sweet and cold was incredible, like magic, Callum thought. He wasn't going to tell Daniel that, though. Daniel would think he was being stupid. He took another spoonful and let it melt in his mouth, closing his eyes and savoring the wonderful taste. Swallowing the mouthful, he said, "This is good! The other kids would love it, too. Maybe we can bring 'em some?"

"Yeah, I bet they would," Daniel said and nodded. "We'll see what we can do."

Dinner taken care of, Daniel gave Callum a quick tour of a portion of the base. Daniel told himself that he was trying to make Callum feel comfortable in his new surroundings, and not procrastinating on telling him of their plans. He wasn't even sure what 12-year-old kids were interested in, or what they liked to do. He tried to remember being 12, and could only come up with a vague recollection of spending much of his time avoiding his foster home, hanging out in libraries and bookstores, walking around town, continually keeping himself busy, distracted. Daniel knew that he wasn't a good example of what a kid at that age was supposed to be like. Jack would probably know better than he did, but then again, Callum wasn't a typical kid, either.

At any rate, he thought that Callum seemed fascinated with his surroundings. Still cautious of the other people on base, the boy walked close beside Daniel, taking in everything. One moment staring up the high, metal ceiling, then at the floor, carefully placing his feet along the painted directional lines, or peeking inside open doors, asking Daniel numerous questions as they walked.

They came to Daniel's office, and Daniel led Callum inside. The boy marveled over Daniel's vast collection of books and artifacts, and wanted to hear about some of the places Daniel had found them. Daniel let Callum handle some of the less fragile artifacts, and the boy held the pottery in his hands as carefully as if they were made of porcelain.

Finally, Daniel brought Callum to the VIP room that had been prepared for him, realizing that Callum was probably starting to become a little overwhelmed by all the unfamiliar sights and sensations. Callum stepped into the room, looked around. A big bed sat in the center of the room. The biggest bed he had ever seen. He turned to look at Daniel, his mouth dropping open with amazement. "This is all for just me?"

"It is. What do you think?"

Callum started walking around, running his hands along the furniture. "It's nice. Like for... someone right important, or somethin'." He stopped at the round table in the back corner, looking at the piles of board games on the table. "What's all this for?"

Daniel came up beside him. "They're all kinds of different games. Would you like to try playing one?"

"All right." Callum nodded and started looking over the brightly colored boxes.

Daniel set up the checkerboard at the table and started teaching Callum the game. He thought the distraction of the simple game might be a good way to get the boy relaxed before he broached the subject of transplanting the kids. Callum caught on quickly and played with thoughtful deliberation. Daniel thought the boy would be good at chess�maybe that was something he could teach him later.

As they set up a third game, Daniel took a breath and decided now was as good a time as any to try to talk to Callum about Edora. "Callum, did Jack tell you why we asked you to come here?"

Callum paused, hand in mid-air over the board. He nodded, put the red piece in place. "A... a bit. Said that you wanted to talk to me about our... situation."

"That's right," Daniel nodded. "See, we've come up with a solution that I think might work really well for you guys."

Callum looked at him, features tensed. "Like what?"

"Okay," Daniel shifted on his chair, placed his hands on the table, then crossed them over his chest. He frowned slightly and placed his hands back on the table, tried to appear more confident in his negotiating skills than he felt. "Callum, you know what normally happens when kids lose their parents is that they go to live with other grownups who will take care of them, right?"

"Not always." Callum shook his head.

"In your case, no, because there weren't any adults left to watch over you. But we thought you guys might like to go to a place where there are lots of grownups and other kids. People who would take care of all of you again."

Callum slid the plastic pieces around on the table. "You want us to come live here, ye mean?"

"No, actually it's a place called Edora," Daniel said, watching Callum's reactions as he spoke. "It's a lot like your home, and the people there are very kind and friendly. In fact, Jack stayed on Edora for a long time not too long ago, and he got to know many of those people, and made very good friends with them. He just came back from visiting his friends there yesterday, and he told them all about you guys and what had happened to your people. They told Jack that they would be happy to have you and the other kids come and live with them."

"But we already got a place to live," Callum said, a faint tremor to his voice.

Daniel tilted his head and tried to meet Callum's gaze, but the boy looked down at the board. "I know you do, but don't you think it would be good to have someone take care of things and take care of the other kids again?"

"I'm takin' care of things, all right." Callum set his jaw stubbornly and started stacking his checker pieces.

"I know you are, Callum, but you've been doing this for a long time. Don't you think it's time to let someone else help you out now? It must be hard sometimes, having all that responsibility."

"I do'na mind, ye know," Callum scowled at him. "And I told ye already that I do'na need any help. Besides, ye do'na know what it's been like."

"I think I have a pretty good idea," Daniel said, his voice quiet.

"What you know of being left on your own?"

"I do know."

"We've done all right." Callum shot him a challenging glare. "Do'na need anyone to take care of us."

"Yes, you do."

"How do you know that?" Callum angrily pushed over the stack of checkers and they hit the table with a clatter.

"Because I needed someone," Daniel looked at the boy until Callum met his gaze. It was as if the words had propelled themselves from his soul. Daniel hadn�t meant to say them, hadn�t meant to use his childhood as the rallying point. But there it was. His eyelids flickered as he blindly scanned the tabletop, summoning the courage to go on, to tell the boy something he rarely told anyone. "Callum, I lost my mother and father when I was about the same age as when you lost yours. I do know how hard it is, and I know you can't get by on your own. You need some help with this."

Callum looked at him, surprised. "You lost your mother and father, too? Did they die?"

"Yes. They did." Daniel looked down and wondered if revealing the loss that he and Callum shared would only divert the boy's attention from what he had to tell him.

"Wh-what happened to you, then?" Callum asked.

"Well, I didn't have anyone who wanted-" Daniel paused, bit back what he had almost said and started again. "I didn't have anyone to take care of me, so I went to go live with some other people who did."

"Did... did you know them?"

Daniel shook his head. Definitely wasn�t a good idea to tell Callum about his own situation, but he forced himself to continue. "Umm... no, I didn�t. But I got to know them in time, and they... they were... very nice and they took good care of me." He tried to smile at Callum and hoped he came across as believable. He wasn't going to tell Callum that he'd had to live with more than one set of families over the years, or about the fear that had followed him to every new home and every new family.

Callum blinked and shook his head. His chin trembled and he clamped his teeth down on his lower lip to still it. "No," he nearly whispered. "We do'na want to go live with some strangers. We already got a home."

"Callum, believe me when I tell you I know what it's like being left to fend for yourself, and I know you think you're doing okay, and maybe you are�for now." Daniel paused to think for a moment. "But... but you have to think of the future."

"What you mean?"

"Okay, I know your grownups left a lot of things behind, but what's going to happen when those things run out? And what if one of you gets sick, or hurt again-" Daniel cut off his words when he saw a flash of something like fear and maybe even guilt pass the boy's features. Daniel realized he had inadvertently touched a nerve and silently cursed himself. He hoped he hadn't completely blown his chances at getting the boy to listen to him and hear him out.

"I... I do'na want to talk about this anymore." Callum blinked, shaking his head.

Daniel took a breath, looked at the boy. "Callum, I'm sorry if I upset you. I didn't mean to do that, okay? Now, I know this is hard, but it's very important that we talk about this."

"I said do'na want to!" Callum jumped to his feet and knocked some of the checker piece to the floor. "I promised Eamon before he died that I'd always take of the others, and I can'na go back on that. A promise is a promise."

"Callum, by doing this, you�ll be staying true to your promise, because it�s the best thing you can do for the others. You�ll be making a decision that ensures that the kids, and you, will be taken care of and have a good life. Don�t you think it�s time to let someone take care of you for a change? I mean... what will happen if you get hurt again? Who will take care of you, or the others?"

Callum shook his head with more vehemence. "I will'na get hurt again. Eamon trusted me to be the one to watch over �em."

"But don't you think that maybe Eamon only wanted you to do that until there was someone who could help you?"

Callum started pacing, shaking his head at Daniel's words. "No! I do'na want to talk about this anymore. I... I can'na go back on my promise. We do'na need your help! I told you that already, so why will ye'na listen?" he shouted. Callum continued to pace, his breath quickening. He pulled on the collar of his shirt. It was suddenly hard to breathe. He gasped in a breath and he didn't want to talk to Daniel anymore.

"Callum, it's all right." Daniel pushed back his chair. For a moment, he thought the boy was crying, but noticed that Callum's eyes were dry. Daniel waved his hand in the direction of the chair. "Just... um... sit down again."

"No," Callum whispered, shaking his head. He didn't want to do this anymore. Wanted things to go back to the way they were before Daniel and his friends had arrived. He gulped in air, but he couldn't catch his breath. He didn't want to have to deal with any of this. He heard Daniel call his name again, but he couldn't, didn't want to answer. He wanted to run from the room, but had no idea where else to go. He continued to pace, scarcely aware that he was moving. Tugging on his shirt, he choked out through frantic breaths, "I have been takin' care of everythin'. I've been doin' the best I could. I know it was�na all good, but I did�na know what to do all the time. I had to make it up sometimes, but we was doin� all right."

"I know you tried your best, Callum," Daniel said, but the boy shook his head, spun away from him.

"We�s doin' all right. I know we are. They do�na always listen that good, I... I told Afton not to... to... but she would�na listen. I can�na do everythin� all the time, but I tried. I did. I can�na fix everythin', but I tried to care of �em as best I could."

"Callum, come on, sit down again, it�s okay."

"I�we�s doin� okay. I know we are-" Callum choked off his words when his breath caught in his lungs. He wasn't sure if he was going to cry or get sick to his stomach. He didn't want to cry in front of Daniel and struggled to breathe.

Daniel stood, alarmed at Callum's choked breaths. "Callum, it's okay, we don't have to talk about this right now, all right? You've done a great job watching over the others. It's okay."

Callum heard Daniel's words that were intended to offer him comfort, but Callum knew that he'd been lying to Daniel�he hadn't been doing a good job of looking after the others. He couldn't tell Daniel that, couldn't let on how badly he'd failed Eamon. How badly he�d failed Afton. How he'd promised he'd never let anything bad ever happen to the others again. He didn't know what to do. He heard his panicky breaths rasping in his ears. Folding his arms tightly around his middle, he tried to breathe, tried to calm himself down. Tried to keep pacing but his feet kept tangling.

Daniel realized that the boy was completely overwhelmed. He remembered being that scared, feeling that out of control. Remembered how all he wanted was someone to make things right again. Daniel knew he couldn't make things right for Callum, but he could try to make it hurt a little less. Without thinking too much of what he was doing, he stepped up behind the boy and wrapped his arms around him, embracing him gently. Daniel wasn't sure if Callum would accept his attempts at comfort, but it was all he could think of to do. Callum flinched under his touch, but didn't pull away. Callum reached up and clung to Daniel's arms, closed his eyes, and tried to slow his ragged breaths.

"It's okay," Daniel said, feeling the boy trembling in his arms. "It's okay. We'll talk about everything later. Everything's gonna be fine." As he tried to calm the frightened boy, Daniel started to wonder if he'd gotten himself in over his head. He continued to speak meaningless words of comfort, felt Callum lean heavily against him, felt Callum's tensed muscles begin to relax and his breaths start to even out.

And as Callum began to calm down, Daniel felt a pang of doubt and apprehension. The fear that he was only making the situation worse filled him. He realized he suddenly felt just as overwhelmed.

He wondered what the hell he was going to do now.

*****

Once Callum had recovered and seemed to be back to himself again, Daniel helped the boy get ready for bed. Callum�s eyes were heavy with fatigue, his motions slowed with exhaustion.

In the adjoining bathroom, Daniel showed Callum how to turn on the sink and how to use a toothbrush. When Callum seemed interested in what the shower stall was for, Daniel gave him a demonstration, turning on the water, urging Callum to hold his hand under the warm stream, then showed him how to turn it off again. The boy seemed astounded by such a marvelous invention and asked if he could try it. Daniel agreed, thinking a hot shower was probably a good idea�it would help to further relax Callum and might even help him sleep.

Stepping back into the room, Daniel retrieved the pajamas that had been laid out for the boy and set them on the bathroom counter. He turned on the water for Callum again, and set it to a temperature that wasn't too hot, showing him how to adjust it for himself and showed him the soap and shampoo already in the stall.

Stepping back from the shower, a fine mist of steam already filling the small room, Daniel glanced at Callum. "Are you going to be all right? Do... um you need any help with anything?"

"No. I can manage." Callum turned to look through the half-open shower door at the water pouring down. It looked like rain, he thought, which seemed funny. It couldn't rain inside, but that's what the shower thing looked like, all right. The other kids would hardly believe him when he told them about it.

Callum realized all the excitement and new things to see and taste had left him exhausted, and still a little scared. He didn't want to think about what Daniel and the other grownups had planned for him and the kids. Not when he was so tired. Although he wasn't so tired that he couldn�t help feeling embarrassed about acting like such a baby in front of Daniel. He was relieved that Daniel didn�t make anything of it, or make him feel bad. Instead, Daniel seemed worried about him, and Callum found the concern both unfamiliar and kind of nice at the same time. The other kids were so used to him being in charge that they hardly seemed to worry about him at all.

"I�ll just wait for you in there until you�re done," Daniel said waving a hand behind him to indicate the main room. "Be careful in there�it can get kind of slippery... with the... the soap..." he added, waving a hand at the shower stall, then winced, feeling absurdly like an overprotective parent.

"I will," Callum said in a quiet voice and waited for Daniel leave him on his own.

Daniel went back into the VIP room, sat down on the bed. He noticed some books on the nightstand and picked them up. He remembered that Janet had brought over a few of Cassie�s books that Callum could borrow while he was on base. Looking through them, Daniel skimmed the titles: 'Charlotte�s Web,' 'The Wizard of Oz,' which Jack had given Cassie on her first Christmas on Earth. 'Where the Wild Things Are.' He paused when he read the next title: 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,' one of the books in the Narnia Chronicles. That particular book had been one of Daniel�s favorites as a kid. He tried to remember if he had given Cassie the copy, but he couldn�t recall.

Flipping through the pages, he realized why the book had become such a favorite. The kids in the story, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, had found an escape from their world through the wardrobe, just like Daniel had always wanted to escape his. The irony that he had finally received his wish by opening the Stargate struck him and he supposed you never outgrew some of your childish longings.

Returning the book to the nightstand, he sat back to wait for Callum. He leaned against the headboard, and closed his eyes, which were burning with fatigue of his own and listened to the faint sound of splashing and running water. After what seemed only a moment, he jumped, startled awake from a light doze when he heard the door to the bathroom open. Callum emerged, dressed in the too-large blue flannel pajamas, faint mahogany highlights gleaming off his neatly combed wet hair. The boy paused in the middle of the room, uncertain what to do next.

Daniel rubbed his eyes and stood from the bed. "I bet that feels better, huh?" he asked, just as uncertain.

Callum shrugged.

"Umm... do... do you want to read or... talk before you go to sleep?"

"I�m kinda tired. I think I just want to go to sleep, if you do�na mind." The boy rubbed his eyes and shuffled closer to the bed, the too-long pajamas pants covering his feet.

"All right," Daniel said. "I um... just have to pick up some things from my office, but I�ll be back in a few minutes and I�ll be right in the room next door." He pointed to the door adjoining the two rooms. He'd set up the adjacent VIP room for himself so that Callum wouldn't feel so alone at night. "Don�t hesitate to knock if you can�t sleep, or if... if you just want to talk... or something."

"Okay. Thanks." Callum sat down on the edge of the bed and looked up at him. "Goodnight, Daniel."

"Goodnight." Daniel hesitated for a moment, then stepped from the room, closing the door behind him. His thoughts whirled as he tried to understand what had happened with Callum, kept wondering if he had only succeeded in making matters worse. They had to bring Callum back tomorrow afternoon, and Daniel was nowhere closer to convincing the boy than he had been back on the planet. If Callum reacted so strongly to just talking about leaving his home, what would forcibly removing him and the other kids do to him?

And he knew that was what Jack fully intended to do tomorrow. Unless there was some way Daniel could still convince the boy to willingly go along. But how was he going to do that? How could he assure Callum that taking him from the only home he had ever known was the right thing to do, when Daniel wasn�t even sure if they were doing the right thing?

All he knew was that he wasn�t going to let Jack do that to Callum�or the other kids. They had all had been through enough already, and Daniel wasn�t going to let Jack bully those kids into going with them. There was some way to convince them. He just had to figure out how.

As he walked down the hall, he scarcely took notice of his surroundings until he found himself at the door to his office. As he moved to open the door, he didn�t notice Jack striding towards him.

"Hey," Jack said. "How�d it go? How�s the kid doing?"

Daniel opened the door to his office, turned to look at Jack, surprised to see him there. Jack was dressed in jeans and his leather jacket. "How�d what go?" Daniel said, glancing at him. "I thought you were going home tonight."

"I was just heading out but I thought I�d stop by and see how your talk with Callum went before I left." Jack raised his eyebrows. "Remember... your talk�the reason we brought the kid here?" he said, speaking very slowly, reminding Daniel of the too obvious.

Stepping into his office, Daniel turned to face Jack who had followed him inside. Daniel closed his eyes for a moment and pinched the bridge of his nose. He really didn�t want to have this conversation right now. "Well, actually, it didn�t," he admitted.

Jack shook his head. "What do you mean �it didn�t�? You haven�t mentioned anything to him yet?"

"I mentioned it to him, and he wasn�t all that receptive to the idea," Daniel said. "I think he�s just too tired to deal with all this, right now. He's asleep now, so I�ll talk to him more in the morning. Maybe he just needs a little more time, or maybe we can let him see Edora first-"

"I knew this was gonna happen," Jack muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "Daniel, listen... I�m thinking maybe you�re expecting a little too much from the kid."

At the softly spoken words, Daniel felt his temper rise. The ache in his side was growing and Daniel realized he had forgotten to take his pain medication. He really, really didn�t want to have this conversation with Jack right now. Not when he was still trying to understand what had happened with Callum and his failure to make the boy understand. "He�s just a little overwhelmed by everything, Jack. Let�s just give him some time to think it through," Daniel said, hoping Jack would let it go at that. Unfortunately, Jack wouldn�t.

"You�re right�he�s overwhelmed, and he�s scared and maybe you should have tried a little harder to explain how things are going to go down to him," Jack said. He stepped over to the door and closed it for privacy. "Where kids are concerned, it�s not a democracy, Daniel. You sometimes have to make the decisions for them."

Daniel frowned at Jack. "So what are you saying?"

Jack met his gaze, full on. "I�m saying that I went along with this, only to give you the benefit of the doubt. Sounds to me like your way didn�t work, and I don�t think dragging this out any longer is going to make any difference. So now we do things my way. That means we go back to the planet with Callum tomorrow, explain to the kids what we�ve decided. We get them through the gate and get this over with as quickly and as painlessly as possible."

Daniel stared at him, incredulous even though he had known Jack would do this. "Do you really believe that�s the best way to deal with this? You realize these are kids with their own free will that we�re talking about here, don�t you?"

"I do realize that, Daniel," Jack said, injecting his words with a touch of condescension, "but I don't think you realize the extent of what we're dealing with here."

"What?" Daniel shook his head, his eyes narrowing. "Okay, fine. What are we dealing with here? Tell me, since you seem to think I�m clueless."

Jack rasped a hand over the graying stubble on his chin. "Daniel, all I�m saying is that I know kids and I know that sometimes you have to do things they don�t like. Sometimes the best way to do that is to take charge of the situation, knowing that you�re doing right by them. In time, they come to see that, too."

Daniel felt the anger filling him, anger that was building for reasons he wasn�t sure he fully understood. Taking a breath before speaking, he said, "All right, maybe I�ve never been a father, but I do know what these kids have been through. How scared they�" He abruptly cut off his words. He hadn�t meant to let on how personal this was for him.

Jack nodded, pointed at him. "That�s it. That�s exactly why we�re going to do things my way from now on. You�ve been letting your personal experiences as a kid cloud your judgment here. It�s affecting this mission and it�s not doing these kids any good." He paused when he saw Daniel�s eyes darken with anger. Jack didn�t want this to escalate into another argument, so he tried to further explain what he meant. "Look, Daniel, I realize you have all this... this... stuff going on... that where these kids are concerned you have these..." he waved his hand, looking for the right word.

"Issues?" Daniel said in a flat voice.

"Yeah, issues with, you know, um, people leaving you."

"I think you're trying to say I have abandonment issues, Jack, and, by the way, go to hell."

"Only if you�ll come along as my interpreter," Jack countered.

Daniel scowled at him. "Jack, can we just stick to the point here?"

"I think that's exactly what I'm trying to do."

"No, you're not," Daniel said, his eyes flashing. "You're playing dime-store psychiatrist with me, and unless you earned your degree while you were stuck on Edora, you can't possibly understand the depth of the subject."

"Fine. What I do understand is that there are ten scared kids back on that planet wondering what the hell is going to happen to them now that we�ve come along and stirred up their lives. Maybe they�re wondering if we�re going to bother to come back. Or if Carter and Teal�c are going to up and leave them, too, tomorrow. And there�s another scared kid in that VIP room probably wondering if we�re going to let him go back to his friends again. What I also understand is the last few times I�ve stepped through the gate without you, every time I came back, you were standing up in that viewing room waiting, and wondering if I was going to come back, too. How many times have you done that, Daniel? How many times have you been left waiting?"

Daniel avoided looking at him, his eyes filling with something close to guilt and the realization that Jack had figured him out only a little too well. "Don't flatter yourself, Jack," he said, his voice shaky, his mouth tightening to a firm line.

"Okay, then Sam. Then Teal'c. I know what it's like, Daniel."

"Just stop it, Jack." Daniel glared at him, his eyes hardening with anger again.

"I do know, dammit. Back on Edora I spent three months digging away at the ground, hoping like hell one of you would find a way to come get me. Three months, Daniel. Three months can be a long time to wait."

"Yeah, well, try eight years, Jack!" Daniel�s eyes widened at his outburst. He felt his face redden and he ducked his head down, wrapping his arms around his chest, as if that would still his sudden racing heart. He had no idea where that had come from, or why he�d even said it. No, that wasn�t true. He did know and he had waited eight years for someone to get him. For his grandfather�the only person who'd cared if he lived or died, to come get him. With each passing year and each family he�d eventually had to leave, the hope began to fade, and he�d learned how to rely on himself. Despite that, he knew a tiny flame of enduring hope had never died, and a part of him had always waited.

Jack watched his friend struggle to compose himself. He realized that he had struck a chord, realized what Daniel meant. Realized that the scared little kid Daniel had been had waited for something that never happened. Daniel looked completely out of sorts, as if Jack forced him to admit to something he thought he had carefully hidden away for good.

"That is a long time to wait," Jack said after a long quiet moment with only the sound of Daniel�s soft breaths to punctuate the silence. "Nobody knows that better than you, Daniel. Nothing I say will ever change the fact of what you had to go through as a kid, but what we do right here can make the difference in the lives of these eleven kids."

Daniel wouldn�t look at him and kept staring at the floor, his arms firmly clasped around his chest as if holding himself together. The fact that Jack could see through him with such unnerving clarity filled Daniel with increasing anger. What the hell did Jack know about it, anyway? What gave Jack the right to pull this shit on him? And why now? After all, as that NID fiasco had taught Daniel only too well, Jack put his career and his mission above and beyond all else. That�s all this was about. Jack didn�t give a shit about Daniel�s childhood. Jack only cared about the mission.

"You know what it's like to wait," Jack continued. "Why make them wait any longer?"

Daniel's mouth tightened, his body tensed and he didn�t want to listen to this sudden 'in touch with your feelings' bullshit from Jack anymore. The look of sympathy on Jack�s face only infuriated him. He shot Jack an angry glare and said in a low voice, "You don't know a goddamned thing about my 'personal experiences,' so stop psychoanalyzing me, Jack."

"You�re right," Jack paused, surprised by Daniel�s sudden icy tone. "I don�t know anything about it. So why don�t you tell me?"

"What for?" Daniel said, his voice rising. "Contrary to whatever books you�ve been reading or whoever the hell it is you�ve been talking to lately�that has nothing to with this mission or these kids!"

"I think it does!" Jack reiterated, realizing that things were starting to get out of hand and whatever nerve he had touched with Daniel was having an all-too negative effect. "Daniel, you stopped having a family when you were eight�which was a crappy, terrible thing for a kid to go through. But, because of that, I don't think you fully understand how important it is for a kid to have a family and some foundation."

"And you stopped being a father when Charlie was eight, so I don't think you fully understand what these kids need, or what they've been through," Daniel said, his voice quiet again, but Jack nearly flinched at the words as if Daniel had shouted them.

Jack ground his teeth, took a breath and glared at Daniel, his own anger growing. "I�m going to pretend you didn�t say that. In fact, I�m chalking it up to temporary insanity caused by that blow to your head." Jack's features became hard, his eyes darkening dangerously. "Don�t even go there. Ever."

Daniel held Jack's narrowed gaze, saw the raw hurt on his friend's face, but he couldn't back down. "What I�m trying to tell you�what I�ve been telling you all along, is that you can�t just march in there and tear those kids from their homes without any regard for their feelings, or what that�s going to do them. Haven�t they been through enough already?"

Daniel spun away from him, paced a few steps in the small room in an attmept to collect his thoughts, then whirled to face Jack again. "They�ve already witnessed having their families torn away from them. Callum remembers finding his father�s corpse on the ground. What do you think that does to a kid, Jack? What do you think dragging those kids away from everything they�ve ever known is going to do to them? Huh? Did you even stop to think about that?" Daniel waved his hand in Jack's direction, his voice rising with each word. "God, Jack, why is it you always have to control everything?"

"Hey, lay off the melodrama!" Jack broke in. "You know we have to do this, and I know it�s not going to be easy for them, but kids are adaptable. They�ll adjust."

Daniel became very still, glared at Jack for a long moment, his expression somber. "They're not as adaptable as you think, Jack."

"So what are you saying?" Jack tilted his head. "You saying we should let them decide? What if they decide they�d rather hang out on that dustbowl? What then? We just leave them there and let them starve to death when their food runs out? Let them get sick, as kids eventually do? Or maybe they'll one day decide that it�s great fun to throw themselves off the rooftops playing Superman, or whatever heroes they have over there. What then?" Jack paused to catch his breath. "Or hey, what about when they get a little older and their hormones start kicking into full gear? Huh? What�s going to stop them from creating even more kids to deal with?"

Daniel shook his head, stared at Jack, the blue of his eyes obliterated by the black anger filling them. "Dammit, Jack! That�s not what I�m saying and you know it. Don�t put words in my mouth!"

"I would never presume, Daniel!" Jack cried throwing his hands in the air.

"Yes! Yes, you would!" Daniel shouted, darting closer to Jack and wincing when his ribs protested, which only increased his frustration. "If you had it your way, you'd give me a...a damned script for how to handle these kids. A Jack O�Neill point by goddamned point bulletin of what I can and can't say! Just tell me something, Jack, why is it that you don't trust me?"

"What?" Jack shook his head, blinked and his mouth dropped open. "Where'd the hell did that come from?"

"You didn't trust me to tell me about the NID mission, and you don't trust me to make the right decision for these kids."

"You know what? We are not having this conversation." Jack squared his jaw, narrowed his eyes. "If you still have a problem with how that mission went down, well then, tough. Get over it. That mission and this one have nothing to do with each other. I know what you�re trying to do here, so stop diverting this from your own issues."

"Oh, so my childhood has everything to do with this mission, but the fact that you don�t trust one of your own team members doesn�t?"

"Yes! What?" Jack shook his head again and had to think about what Daniel had said for a moment. "No. No, what I mean is what happened in that mission does not mean I don�t trust you."

"Yes it does. You didn�t trust me then, just like you don�t trust me now."

"Stop. That's enough." Jack headed for the door. He paused halfway through turning the doorjamb, tapped his fingers against the gray metal, then turned, pointing at Daniel. "You know what? Maybe this is about trust."

"Oh, he finally admits it!" Daniel said, crossing his arms with indignant satisfaction.

"This is about me not trusting your judgement in this particular matter," Jack said, still pointing at him. "So, you're right. I don't trust you with this, and that's why we're going to do things my way. Subject closed."

"You son of a bitch," Daniel said in low, steely voice, his teeth clenched.

"Is that the best you can do, Daniel?"

"You've never trusted me, have you?"

"Come on, Daniel. I�ve had enough of this bullshit. I didn�t come here for this. I�ve made my decision and that�s final. I don�t want to hear another word."

"I think you�re making a mistake." Daniel stared at him, his eyes wide, dark with emotion.

"Oh yeah? Which one now?" Jack dramatically threw his hands in the air.

"If you force those kids to go against their will, you�ll just make things worse for them."

"Do you really think I�m going to do that?" Jack cried, looking at Daniel with incredulity. "Do you think that I�m gonna make a like a Goa�uld and terrorize those kids? Who doesn�t trust whom now?"

"I always trusted you, Jack," Daniel said in a soft voice. He nodded his head, daring to quietly, resolutely defy the colonel. "I did up until a few weeks ago, anyway. So thank you for setting me straight there�I almost forgot that doing things your way takes priority over everyone and everything else. I won�t make that mistake again."

"Oh, stop it. I�m getting all weepy," Jack scrunched his face with exasperation. "Here we go. Once again, to refresh your memory, I'm making decisions for these kids based on immediate assistance and logistics. You are making decisions based on personal issues."

"And God help us if the military man would dare even consider the personal side of anything," Daniel countered. "Isn�t that what most decisions are based on? Experience?"

"Yes! Experience!" Jack shot back, punctuating each word with a jab of his finger in Daniel�s direction. "In something of which I have a little more than you. That�s why I�m the guy who makes the decisions."

"That's the way it always goes with you, Jack. You make the decision, and we all just have to follow along like sheep, right?" Daniel growled, leaning toward Jack.

"You're damn right, Daniel! And before you say another goddamn word, you had better hear this and hear it good." He jabbed his finger against Daniel�s chest, but the younger man refused to back down. "I do make the decisions, whether you like it or not."

"Fine." Daniel threw his hands to the side, his eyes wild with anger behind his glasses. "Whatever is the easiest and most convenient, because, for all that's holy, we'd better not disrupt your schedule."

"That�s enough, Daniel," Jack turned his back, waved a dismissive hand at him. "Get out of here and go to your quarters for the night."

Daniel let out a tight, manic laugh, waved his arms to indicate the crowded room. "This is my office, in case you hadn�t noticed. And I'm not one of those kids, Jack," he said with a sneer. "You... you can�t send me to my room."

Jack spun around, glared at him, stood a breath away, and said, "Then stop acting like a child, dammit!"

Daniel froze at Jack�s words, at Jack�s icy glare. Daniel swallowed hard, but somewhere found it in himself to hold his ground, which seemed to be crumbling all around him. "All I'm saying is you can't go in there and order those kids around like the newest recruits. I won't let you do that."

"And if you'd listen to me, Daniel, you'd know that I would never do that. Right now, you've got your pride and your head so far up your ass you can't even think straight. Now, I don't want to do this without you, but I'm prepared to do just that. It's your call. What's it gonna be?"

Daniel closed his eyes and pressed a hand to his side to still the renewed fire in his ribs. "There is another way to deal with this. I am not going to be responsible for messing up these kids� lives, Jack."

"Daniel, why would you even assume that I want to mess up their lives?"

"Because you have no idea how easy it is to do," Daniel said, his voice soft. He looked down, breathing hard. His ribs throbbed, stabbing at him with each breath, with each heartbeat, and he suddenly realized how tired he was. Tired of all of this.

Jack looked at his friend, heard the faint, but unmistakable waver in Daniel's voice. Jack finally noticed that Daniel looked exhausted�dark shadows were visible even through the bruising around his eyes, faint lines of pain and fatigue etched his features. Jack took a breath, wondered if he�d come down a little too hard on him. No, Daniel hadn�t been thinking clearly right from the moment he�d found those kids. Jack just shouldn�t have risen to the bait. He knew Daniel had been itching for another fight and he�d gotten one, all right, despite Jack�s initial good intentions.

God, why did they always end up doing this? Jack rubbed his face, let out a sigh of resignation. "Look, Daniel-" he began, hesitant. Wanting to make things right between them, but he didn't know where to start.

Daniel kept his head lowered and turned away. "I think we�ve said all we need to say, don�t you?" His voice was quiet, defeated.

Daniel stepped from his office, not caring if Jack stayed there or not. He�d forgotten what he�d wanted to get from there in the first place and found he didn�t care about that, either. As he walked down the empty corridor toward his room for the night, he wrapped his arm around his side again. The pain and the acrimonious words he and Jack had spoken made him feel almost nauseated. The physical pain was a welcome distraction, though, because he didn�t want to think anymore.

*****

Callum woke with a start. His heart pounding in his ears. It took a moment for him to remember where he was�the strange place that was nothing but metal and gray everywhere. The room he was in dark and filled with unfamiliar shadows.

Looking around the room, so different from the storm shelter back home, he tried to regain his bearings. Shifting on the bed, Callum pulled at the covers tangled around his legs. He wasn't used to sleeping in a regular bed�it was too soft and too high. Felt like he'd fall right off it. He wondered how people could sleep on such things.

His dream still played out in his mind, but it had been different than what he usually dreamed about. Different than the usual nightmares that terrorized him nearly every night. For the first time in a long time, he was surprised that he�d been dreaming about his parents. He could never really remember them when he thought about them. Most of the time, he could only recall fractured instances and vague recollections of their motions and mannerisms, so it was strange to be remembering them so clearly in his sleep.

He hugged his knees to his chest, liking the feel of the warm, soft flannel of his pajamas against his skin. He didn't want to lie back down again�the too-high bed made him feel like he was floating. Maybe he'd be able to sleep better on the floor�what he was used to.

Pulling off the blanket and pillow, Callum settled on the carpet, in front of the bed. Wrapping himself in the blanket, he lay down and closed his eyes. He tried to go back to sleep, but it was too quiet in the room. He missed the sounds of the other kids' breaths, missed having them close. He wondered if they missed him, too, or if they were glad he wasn't around telling them what to do for once. He tucked his hands under his chin and felt something pinching the inside of his forearm. He remembered the bandage still taped there, and realized suddenly who the healer, Janet, had reminded him of. His mother. She looked like his mother. The face he had seen in his dream, the face he thought he had forever forgotten.

His mother�s features came back to him with a sudden and startling acuity. Her hair and eyes were dark, like Janet�s, like his own. He remembered how she had liked to laugh and tell him stories. Callum had started telling the kids stories after Eamon died, knowing what comfort and distraction they offered, and he realized that he had been continuing what his mother had taught him.

He remembered how she used to tuck him in bed at night and talk to him about things that had seemed so important at the time. She�d always kissed him on the tip of his nose before saying goodnight. He'd forgotten about that. Forgotten how good that had been. Forgotten what it felt like to be so safe and so free. How could he have forgotten how much his own mother had cared for him?

He thought about the strange world he was in. Strange that there were so many grownups. And there were grownups on the place where Daniel wanted him and the others to go live, too. It was only Callum�s world that was so different, he realized. He�d grown so accustomed to his situation that he no longer questioned the fairness or the wrongness of it. He never had time to question it, either. It just was.

Feeling something tickling his face, Callum swiped at his cheek, surprised that it was wet, surprised to find he was crying.

The room was too quiet, and he didn�t think he could go back to sleep. He was scared to sleep, because he didn�t know what dreams would find him there. He considered knocking on Daniel�s door and seeing if he was still awake, but decided against it. He didn�t want Daniel to think he was some baby who was too scared to sleep by himself. Besides, he�d already acted like enough of a baby for one day. Some leader I am, Callum berated himself. Why couldn�t he ever do anything right?

He huddled against the blankets, turned his face into the pillow and couldn�t stop the tears that wanted to come. He covered his mouth with his hands to stifle the sobs, so Daniel wouldn�t hear him. The pillow soon became wet with his tears, the cotton of the pillowcase warm and soggy against his face. His head started to hurt and his eyes stung, but eventually, he did fall back to sleep, the renewed grief accompanying him into an exhausted slumber.

*****

The next morning, Daniel knocked on the door to Callum�s room and waited for an answer. When he didn�t hear anything, he opened the door a crack and looked inside. The bed was empty and he noticed the pile of blankets on the floor. Callum lay curled on his side, all but hidden under the covers. The boy stirred and turned over. He opened his eyes and blinked at Daniel, still half-asleep.

"Hey, Callum," Daniel said and frowned with concern. "How�d you end up down there?"

Callum sat up, rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "The bed was too big. Not used to one as big as that."

Daniel came in and sat down on the end of the too-big bed in question, close beside Callum. He noticed Callum�s eyes looked swollen, as if he�d been crying.

Daniel had checked on the boy a few times before he�d finally fallen asleep sometime after 2am. Each time he�d checked, he�d found Callum in bed, sound asleep, and he�d seemed fine. Daniel wondered if Callum had suffered another nightmare later in the night and he hadn�t heard him. The pain medication Daniel had taken for his ribs had lain ineffectually in his system for a long, unmerciful time, but when it finally kicked in, it had pretty much knocked him out. "Are you okay?" Daniel asked, feeling a tinge of guilt for not checking on the boy again, despite that fact.

Callum nodded. "Just not used to sleepin� here, is all."

"Okay." Daniel decided to let it go for the time being. After his heated argument with Jack the night before, he wasn�t sure he had the heart or the confidence for another talk, but he knew he�d have talk to Callum soon, before Jack did. "I�ll give you a little while to get dressed. I�ll come back and get you in about half an hour and then we�ll have some breakfast. How�s that sound?"

Callum nodded again and made his way to the bathroom, still rubbing his eyes, his posture somehow as defeated as Daniel�s spirit.

Shortly after, they sat in the commissary, Callum picking at his stack of pancakes. The boy was dressed in the new clothes they had bought for him�a child-sized pair of fatigue pants and a white sweatshirt. He�d insisted on keeping his worn-out shoes, which Daniel thought was Callum�s way of holding onto something safe, something familiar.

As they both pushed their food around their plates, Callum was quiet, subdued, all his excitement from the previous day diminished. Daniel�s appetite was as nonexistent as Callum�s as he told the boy more of Edora. He tried to make it seem exciting, like a wondrous adventure, but Callum hardly seemed to be listening to him. When they�d finished their breakfast, which Callum had only half-eaten, Daniel led him to the infirmary for the X-ray on his hand, uncertain how to deal with how withdrawn the boy had become. He wondered if Callum was scared to go home, scared to face the other kids and tell them what was going to happen to them.

Janet was already waiting for them and pulled down Callum�s chart. "Hi, Callum, you all set?" she said as she smiled at the boy.

Callum looked at Janet, watching her intently as she spoke, his expression somber. Daniel thought he should maybe tell Janet about Callum�s near-panic attack the day before, but decided against it. Maybe it was best to just leave it alone for the time being, but whether he thought it was best for Callum, or best for himself, he really couldn't say.

"I'll just take you over to the next room," Janet told Callum, touching his arm. Callum nodded and pressed closer to her, seeming to need the physical contact, so Janet put her arm around his shoulder. "Daniel will have to wait outside for this, but it will only take a few minutes, all right?"

Callum nodded again, but remained silent. He walked with her to the room to their right. Callum glanced back at Daniel once for added reassurance, then followed Janet through.

Once inside, Janet showed him to a cold looking steel table and asked him to sit in the chair beside it. Callum did as he was asked, and concentrated on his breathing. He didn't want Janet to know that he was scared of the X-ray. That he was scared of what was to come later, when Jack took him home. Janet adjusted the chair so that he could reach the table, then told him to lay his left arm on it with his palm down. Janet pushed up his sleeve and the metal was as cold as Callum had anticipated.

Janet pulled up another chair and sat beside him as they waited for the radiologist to make her final preparations in the room separated by a large window. Janet saw the faint tremor in Callum�s fingers and she moved a little closer to him, rubbed his back and smiled at him.

Callum glanced at her, and Janet�s face was once again too familiar, too much of a reminder of what he had lost. He felt tears prick behind his eyes. He knew Janet was trying to be nice, but he wished she would stop. Her kindness only reminded him even more of his mother, and he didn�t want to remember her right now. Not if it would just make him cry again.

Looking away from Janet, he heard a faint humming noise and sucked in a breath. He didn't want to admit to Janet that he was worried the X-ray machine would hurt even though she'd reassured him that it wouldn't. He still didn't understand how the machine could see past his skin and all the way to his bones. How could something do that and not hurt? he wondered. Holding very still, he closed his eyes, took slow breaths and tried not to let on how scared he was. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, he tried to reassure himself. Besides, the machine couldn't possibly hurt as much as when he'd messed up his hand, could it?

Callum jumped slightly and opened his eyes when he heard another woman's voice call into the room, asking Janet something, but he'd been concentrating so hard on just breathing, he hadn't heard what the woman had said. He glanced in the direction of the voice at the window-enclosed room.

Feeling a tug on his wrist, he looked down at the table to see that Janet was pulling on the ties to the bracelet on his wrist and he let out a soft gasp of alarm.

Janet noticed Callum's distress and smiled reassuringly at him. "We just have to take this off for a minute, okay? The radiologist needs to be able to see your wrist, too."

Callum shook his head, a rush of outrage filling him. He ripped his hand away from Janet, felt the leather tear, heard beads falling in percussive clatter. His eyes widened in horror when the bracelet dropped from his wrist and onto the table, torn and lying there like something dead.

Snatching up the bracelet, Callum felt an encompassing sense of injustice fill him. He quickly gathered the few beads that had fallen on the table, shoving them in his pockets, feeling the terrifying panic building again, the overwhelming need to get away. Get away from all of them but he had nowhere to go. Where could he go? he thought wildly, breathing hard, his eyes darting around the room.

Janet reached down to retrieve the other beads she could find on the floor, laid them on a tray on the nearby cart for safekeeping. She placed her hand on Callum's shoulder and he jerked away from her touch as if she had scalded him. He scrambled from the chair, knocking it over. "Callum, I'm sorry, honey," Janet stood and took gentle hold of his arm. "I can fix it for you when we're done here, all right? Just sit down again-"

Callum twisted away from her hand. "No!" The scream of protest tore from his throat before he even realized it. Janet again tried to hold onto him, offering soothing words but Callum was past listening. He wouldn't let her touch him, the frustration, the need to escape drowning out everything else. And it didn't' matter where he escaped to�he just wanted away from everyone. He darted past her, shoving at the metal cart filled with equipment and trays. The cart wobbled, spilling the trays to the hard floor with a harsh metallic clatter.

Daniel, who had been waiting in the hall, jumped to his feet at the sudden loud scream and crash coming from behind the door. He rushed in to see Callum tripping over some trays on the floor, flailing his arms until he caught his balance.

Callum pushed past Janet and Daniel managed to catch onto the boy�s shirt. Callum let out another shriek of protest, slipping on the tiled floor, his worn, hole-ridden shoes finding no purchase. He skidded, nearly fell to his knees, but Daniel caught him again, holding him upright.

"What happened?" Daniel tried to ask Janet, but his voice was drowned out by another piercing scream from the boy.

"Nooo!" Callum pounded at the man holding him. Daniel, he realized. He hadn�t even seen Daniel come in. Callum didn�t want to talk to him, didn�t want to talk to any of them anymore. "Let me go! Let me go!"

"Hey! What the hell�s going on in here?" Jack�s voice sounded behind them.

Daniel turned his head, saw Jack come skidding to a stop beside Janet. Great, just what we need right now, Daniel thought with dismay.

Callum screamed, twisted in Daniel�s grip, the boy�s head banging against his chest. "Callum, it�s okay. Just calm down," Daniel called over the boy�s cries. He gasped when Callum's small fists connected with his left side, sending a sharp flare of agony through his battered ribcage. The pain doubled him over and he nearly lost his grip on the boy.

Jack saw Daniel struggling, heard his gasp of pain and quickly moved to his friend�s aid. Jack pulled the wildly struggling boy from Daniel, hooked the leg of a nearby plastic chair with his foot and dragged it closer. Sitting down, Jack held Callum on his lap, the boy's back to his chest and wrapped his arms around him in an encapsulating embrace.

Janet moved closer to Daniel, wanting to check his ribs, but Daniel waved her off, shaking his head, his eyes fixed on Jack and Callum. Janet insisted anyway, and lifted the hem of his shirt, pressed her hand against the deep bruises. Daniel winced, but the boy�s unintentional blows hadn�t done more than just flare up the old injury. Daniel watched as Callum struggled to catch his breath, then the boy�s screams renewed with greater force.

"NO! Let me go! Let go!" Callum wailed and thrashed in Jack�s arms, kicking against Jack�s legs. "Let go of me!"

"Shh, it�s all right, you�re all right, take it easy, shh." Jack lowered his head to almost whisper the words in the boy�s ear. He kept his arms around Callum, giving him room to move, but preventing him from getting away. Callum bucked against him, kicking and squirming, his cries transmuting to wordless howls. Jack winced at the kicks to his shins, then shifted his grip, turning the boy sideways. He started rubbing Callum�s back, continually speaking low soothing words, but Callum ignored him, screamed in helpless rage and fury at all the injustices in his short life. At the lack of control he had over his fate. The emotions so long withheld, he was powerless to fight them anymore.

Daniel watched them paralyzed, an old memory resurfacing, startling him, slamming into him like a physical blow. He thought he�d forgotten that day, but it came back to him as if it had happened yesterday, instead of close to 30 years ago. It was the day he�d begun his life in the care of strangers. The day his social worker had brought him to his first foster home.

The shelter had been different, more of a transitional place, the place where he could pretend that things would somehow be okay again. And riding in his social worker�s car, gazing out the window, watching the unfamiliar streets, he thought he�d be okay. He had been determined to maintain his resolve not to ever cry in front of anyone, until the car pulled up the driveway of a pristine house with white siding and blue shutters. He remembered how he�d hated that house on sight for its carefully manicured lawn, for its perfection, for the fact that it wasn�t his home and it wasn�t his family waiting for him inside.

That was when it had fully hit him�his family was never coming back. He remembered how he�d refused to get out the car and had tucked himself in a tight ball, huddling on the leather seats, wanting to hide from the truth for just a little longer. How he�d clamped his hands to his ears so he couldn�t hear his social worker trying to reassure him. When she�d tugged on his arm and tried to gently coax him from the car, that was when he�d started screaming. Screams he�d suppressed for too long, screams that had been building since the day his world had come apart.

He suddenly realized that was what Callum had been doing. Pretending. Living in a make believe world of denial, not allowing himself to think too much, because the reality was too difficult to bear.

Daniel noticed that Jack's gaze had focused on him, and Daniel looked at his friend with wide eyes, bewildered, stunned by the memory, by the realization.

Jack glanced down again, kept whispering comforting words to Callum, and the boy finally wore himself out and sagged against him. Callum dropped his head on Jack's chest, his cries fading to choked sobs. The sound of Jack�s soft voice finally broke through, helping to further calm him, allowing the terror to recede back to a place where he could control it again.

"It�s okay," Jack murmured. "You�re all right. Everything's okay." He brushed the sweat-dampened hair from the boy's eyes, rubbed his thin, trembling arm.

Callum let out a shuddering sigh, swiped his hands over his face. He pushed against Jack�s chest and tried to slide off the chair. Jack released his grip and Callum stood, moved away from him. Trying to hold back his sobs, Callum sought out Daniel and went to his friend, nearly blinded by his tears. Daniel put his arm around him, and Callum leaned against him, and the tears he was trying so hard to suppress began to fall once more.

Daniel hugged Callum to him and looked helplessly at Jack. He didn�t know what to do. The older man stood, nodded at him, his dark eyes somber, but sympathetic. Callum suddenly sat down on the floor as if all his energy had been sapped. Daniel took a breath and moving carefully, sat down next to him. After a moment, Callum met his gaze, his face washed with tears.

"It�s broken, Daniel," Callum whispered, looking at the strand of leather dangling from his hand. "I swore I�d never take it off, and now it�s broken." The last word turned into a sob and he squeezed the bracelet tighter in his grip.

"It�s all right, Callum, we can fix it," Daniel tried to reassure him, touching the tattered piece of leather in the small hand.

Callum violently shook his head, tears dripping from his face and onto his hands. "You do�na understand. I promised. I promised Afton, and now it�s broken."

"What did you promise Afton?" Daniel asked, sliding closer.

Callum stared at the leather. "This was hers," he whispered so quietly Daniel had to strain to hear him. "She gave it to me one day. She made it herself. I thought it was kinda stupid, somethin� only a girl would wear. W-when she... she died, I put it on, and promised I�d never take it off, and I�d never let anythin� bad happen to the others again."

"You did take care of the others, Callum, you did the best you could," Daniel said.

Callum shook his head, took in a shuddery breath. "No, I... I did�na take care of �em. I... tried, but... but Afton, she�s dead because of me. It was my fault."

"Callum, what happened to Afton?" Daniel asked, reached out to touch Callum�s shoulder. "It�s all right. You can tell me."

Callum tried to choke back the sobs, swiped at his face. He looked at Daniel, and for reasons he couldn�t understand, he wanted, no, he needed to tell him. He couldn�t live with what had happened anymore, needed to somehow find a way to alleviate the pain and the guilt that was nearly tearing him apart.

"W-we was playin� in a... a buildin' that got smashed up when... when what took our grownups had come. I knew we should'na be in there, but we did anyhows." Callum glanced at Daniel then paused, unable to speak for a moment from the force of his tears. "T-there was these... these beams that was easy to climb. The� walls was all smashed in around them, b-but we could climb the boards like they was ladders." Callum took a shuddery breath before continuing. "Afton, she... she was�na like a regular girl and she liked to do that�climbin� and stuff. She started gettin� too high an... and I told her to stop, but she would�na listen. I kept tellin� her stop, stop, and I-I went up after her, b-but..." He tried to stop crying by holding his breath for a moment, soft whimpers escaping and he wrapped his arms around his chest in an unconscious need for comfort.

"What happened then?" Daniel urged, keeping his hand on the boy�s shoulder and rubbing it gently. He could feel Callum trembling under his fingers.

Callum took in a ragged breath before he could speak again. "The board she was standin' on... when the board broke�I saw it�and... and the rest of them broke, too, started coming apart and... and she fell and they fell all around her and... and on top of her. I fell, too, only all I got was a broken hand. Afton... she... she was... she was dead, and it was all my fault." Callum�s words turned into helpless sobs and he tucked his head down, unable to hold back his grief and his remorse any longer.

Daniel stared at the boy, momentarily rendered speechless, shocked by the enormity of the guilt he had been carrying. He looked up at Jack and saw equal shock in his friend�s eyes, but Jack stayed back, leaving Daniel on his own with Callum. Janet stood beside the colonel, her hand over her mouth, face pinched with emotion and worry, her dark eyes bright with tears.

Daniel took a breath, rubbed Callum�s shoulder again, swallowed hard before he was able to speak again. "Callum, listen to me. Can you look at me for a minute?" He waited until the boy�s tear-filled eyes darted in his direction. "What happened to Afton was not your fault," Daniel said, speaking firmly. "It was a terrible accident and it wasn�t your fault. Something like that could have happened anytime, even when the grownups were around. Do you understand?"

Callum blinked and shook his head, hugging himself tighter.

"No, Callum, listen to me. I want you to understand that you didn�t do anything wrong, and you tried your best to stop her. All anyone can expect of you is your best, but sometimes even your best isn�t enough to stop bad things from happening. Sometimes they just happen, okay? But it was not your fault. Do you understand?" Daniel said unwavering, his voice resolute.

Callum finally looked at him again, sudden, unexpected relief on his tear-streaked face, and he tried to nod. He cried with harsh, racking sobs, his body shuddering with the force of his emotions.

Daniel realized that Jack was right. The kids weren�t coping at all with their situation. They were merely surviving. Waiting for someone to come back and take care of them again. Daniel offered Callum what he himself had never been granted�someone to take care of everything, someone who would make things better again. He placed his arm around the boy�s shoulders and Callum leaned heavily into his touch, so Daniel slid closer and wrapped his arms around him. Callum collapsed against him, tucked his head in the hollow of Daniel�s shoulder, and wept, safe within the shelter of his embrace. Safe for the first time in as long as Callum could remember. He gave in to his grief and accepted the consolation, and more importantly, the absolution he so desperately needed.

"Everything's going to be fine," Daniel whispered, rubbing Callum's back, gently rocking him. "We're going to take care of everything, okay? Everything's gonna be fine. I promise."

And then he looked to Jack, and silently asked his friend if he would keep his promise, as well. Jack met his gaze, nodded, and Daniel continued to stroke the boy�s back, whispering words of comfort and release.

*****

Daniel stepped from the infirmary and into the hall where Jack was waiting for him. Daniel had left Callum with Janet who had further helped calm the boy. She had given him a cool washcloth and helped him clean the tears from his face, and then had a nurse bring him a mug of hot chocolate when she felt him trembling with exhaustion. After he had taken a few sips, they had been surprised when Callum asked if they could continue with the X-ray.

Daniel had taken the opportunity to get out of the infirmary to try to clear his head.

You all right?" Jack asked as soon as he saw his friend. He glanced at Daniel's side, his brow creased with concern.

Daniel realized he was holding his aching ribs, and dropped his hand. He felt numb, obliterated. He slumped against the wall, tore a hand through his hair. "Well, you were right," he said, looking down. The front of his shirt was wet with Callum�s tears, and Daniel felt ridiculously close to tears himself.

"Daniel..."

Daniel shook his head. "I should have seen this coming. I thought he was doing okay."

"He�ll be all right," Jack said, moving closer to him. "He�s a tough kid. It was just too much for him and he had to blow off a little steam, that�s all."

Daniel avoided looking at him. "No, Jack. I was expecting too much from him and like you said, I�ve been letting my emotions cloud my judgement, as usual," he said in a quiet, subdued voice. "You were right when you said I wasn�t thinking clearly about things. I have no idea what I�m doing here. Guess you weren�t so far off." He let out a soft laugh that sounded a little too close to hysterical for his liking. Tearing off his glasses, he rubbed his tired eyes. "That why I�m going to take a step back from this whole situation."

"I�ve never seen you back away from anything, Daniel," Jack said. "You�ve gained these kids' trust, and whether you like it or not, you do have a responsibility to them, especially to Callum. He trusts you, and looks up to you."

Daniel frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose�unable to follow Jack�s train of thought amidst his scattered emotions. "I... I thought you wanted to do things your way, so here�s your chance, Jack."

"I do, but I still need your help here," Jack said. "Callum isn�t going to listen to anyone but you. Especially after this."

"What am I supposed to tell him, Jack? What do I know what a kid needs? Look at the mess I�ve made of things already."

"You haven�t made a mess of things, Daniel," Jack said, giving him an surprisingly gentle smile. "I think you were just being a little too idealistic for your own good. It�s a bad habit of yours, but it�s what makes you the terrific pain in the ass that you are. And I think you know better than anyone what Callum needs."

"No, I don�t," Daniel said, shaking his head and tightening his lips to still the waver in his voice. "How am I supposed to convince him what's best for him? Like you said, I have no idea what it feels like to grow up with a family and to have that kind of stability. After a while, it wasn�t such a big deal, I got used to being alone."

"That�s just it, Daniel," Jack said in a soft voice, looking directly into his friend�s blue eyes that were bright with emotion. "That�s not something a kid should ever have to get used to. You did a great job raising yourself. But... you can't tell me that was your first choice of ways to grow up."

"No, of course it wasn't. But it wasn�t like I had a choice."

"No, you didn�t. But these kids do," Jack said. "We�re just helping them make the right one. Callum needs you to make that choice for him, because you understand better than anyone what he�s been through and what he needs."

Daniel nodded, rubbed his eyes that were burning and watering with what he told himself was exhaustion. He took in Jack�s words but had no idea how to go about doing what he suggested.

"Look, Daniel. I realize I came down a little hard on you last night and... and I�m sorry for that. I know you don't think I trust you, but I do."

Daniel looked at him, surprised. "Wow. I bet that was hard to say."

"More than you'll ever know." Jack said with a nod. "Not only that, but I rely on you. You know me, I'm not real big on that whole get in touch with your inner kid thing, but... but I do think you need to sit down with yours and have a man to kid talk, you know?"

"That should be interesting." Daniel let out wry laugh. "My inner kid was never very big on being a kid in the first place, but I�ll give it a try. And... I... I�m sorry, too. Some of those things I said-"

Jack waved his hand. "Ah, forget it. It doesn�t matter," he said, then looked at the younger man, his dark eyes intense. "Daniel, the team needs you on this. And I�m not saying that for the sake of this mission. I�m saying it for the sake of these kids, and for you, too. Despite all the crap that we�ve said to each other lately, I do value, and... rely on your friendship. We both lost our families and what was most important to us, so we know what it�s like. I don�t think either of us ever wants to go through that again, so let�s not-" Jack cleared his throat and look down for a moment.

Daniel glanced at his friend, understanding what he meant. He took a tremulous breath and realized Jack was right. They both had lost so much. Both knew what it was like to witness the end of their loves ones� lives, to see their final breaths. Both knew how it shattered something inside you. Both knew how hard it was to find the strength to continue on, to try to find something, someone who mattered again. And when you did find those things, how important it was to never let go. He blinked, swiped the back of his hand over his eyes and put on his glasses again.

Jack reached over to gently grasp the back of Daniel�s neck. "You all right?"

Daniel nodded. "Yeah. I think so."

"The kids are going to be all right, too."

"How do you know that?"

"You're just going to have to trust me." Jack smiled when Daniel gave him his characteristic perplexed frown. "When I was stuck on Edora, despite bemoaning the fact that I�d never see my telescope and my cabin again, I couldn�t help but think it would be a great place to raise kids. I know they�ll be happy there."

Daniel was both surprised by the emotion in Jack�s voice and grateful to him for the reassurance. "Thanks, Jack."

"Anytime, Danny." Jack gave his friend�s neck another affectionate squeeze, then ruffled the back of his short hair, and this time, Daniel didn�t mind. "Now why don�t you go tell Callum again what a swell place Edora is. Let�s not keep these guys waiting any longer. They deserve a second chance at happiness. Everyone does."

Daniel nodded, closed his eyes for a moment and leaned his head back against the wall. He took a breath, steeled himself for one more talk. Probably the most important one of all.

*****

"Hey, Callum," Daniel said, stepping into the infirmary and over to the bed where Callum sat waiting for him. The boy looked up from staring at his hand. "How are you doing?"

Callum gave him a small shrug, looked down at his hand again. "All right, I reckon."

"That's good." Daniel shuffled his feet, put his hands in his pockets. "Janet says she showed you the X-ray."

Callum nodded. "She says she can fix my hand so it works good again. Like my other hand. She said I could even keep the X-ray picture, too."

"That's great," Daniel said. "Isn�t it?� he added when Callum looked distressed again. The boy�s eyes were still swollen, his skin ruddy from his tears. "I know the thought of surgery must be a little scary, but it's not that bad-" Daniel tried to assure him.

"No, that is'na it." Callum shook his head.

"What is it then?" Daniel pulled one of the chairs beside the bed closer to Callum and sat down across from him.

Callum took a breath, fiddled with the repaired bracelet that was now tied around his right wrist. Daniel supposed Janet had done it for him.

"Does'na seem right that I get my hand fixed up, but Afton stays dead," Callum almost whispered.

"And it�s not right for you to punish yourself for something that wasn�t your fault, either," Daniel said.

Callum shrugged again, his gaze flicked in Daniel�s direction. "I... I'm sorry about before. For actin' like that. You must think I'm right stupid and a big baby. I�m not a colonel at all. Just a stupid kid who can�na do anythin� right."

"Callum don�t ever say that, and you don�t have to apologize for anything." Daniel shook his head. "And I think that you've been incredibly brave through a terrible ordeal. And what you did for the kids is extremely admirable. You can be very proud of yourself for taking care of them so well. I know a lot of grownups who wouldn�t have been able to do half as good a job as you did."

Callum looked at him, his brow furrowed in a skeptical frown. "You really mean that? You�re not just sayin� that to make me feel better?"

"I really mean that," Daniel said, meeting the boy�s gaze full on.

Callum gave him a faint, shy smile then looked back down at his hands. "Daniel, I... I do'na want to go live with some strangers."

Daniel took a breath and understood all too well. "I know," he said and his voice came out in a rasp. He swallowed before continuing. "But this is something you have to do. Not just for the others but for yourself, too."

Callum shrugged. "Was thinkin� it might be nice for the little kids to have some grownups again, but I do'na need someone to look after me."

"You do need someone, Callum," Daniel said. "Everyone does."

Callum shook his head. "Not me."

"Yeah, you do," Daniel corrected. "And you know why? Because you have your entire life ahead of you, and this way, you'll have a good future. I know you don't think that's important right now, but believe me it is. You're only going to be a kid for a little while longer, but you're going to be an adult for a very long time. It's very important that we ensure that you and the other kids have the best chance at a good life. Do you understand that?"

Callum considered Daniel�s words, then nodded. "I think so." His fingers continued to nervously pluck at the bracelet. "Daniel?" Callum looked down, hesitant again.

"Yeah?"

"W-were you scared... I mean... after your mother and father died and you had to go live with those other people, were you scared? Just wonderin' is all."

"You know what?" Daniel ducked his head to meet the boy�s gaze and decided to answer him truthfully. "I was terrified. But it turned out to be all right, and after a while, I was okay. Just like you�re going to be okay. This isn�t going to be easy, but I know that you can get through it. I know how brave you are. The other kids are still going to look to you for guidance, so I know you can be strong for them, too, for just a little while longer." Looking at the nervous twining of the boy�s hands, Daniel lightly touched the band of leather on Callum�s wrist. "I�m glad Janet was able to fix your bracelet."

"Yeah, me, too." Callum lifted his arm to better show Daniel. "You can�na hardly tell where it broke."

Daniel smiled. "That�s great. You know, promises are tougher to break than bracelets."

"I know."

"I made you a promise, Callum, that you and the other kids will be fine. I don�t intend to break that promise."

"I know. But... I still do'na want to do this," Callum said, looking at him, worried.

"I know. But it is going to be okay."

"But how do I know it's gonna be okay?"

"You trust that I would never do anything to hurt you, right? And that I only want what�s best for you?" Daniel asked, tilting his head, speaking gently, and Callum nodded after a moment. "Can you trust me on this, Callum?"

Callum took a breath, looked at him for a long moment, his green eyes locked on Daniel's, then he finally nodded again. "I reckon I should go back and tell the others," he said in a tremulous voice.

"Jack is going to take you soon. He can tell them if you like, or would you rather do it?"

"That�s okay." Callum sat up straighter, shook the hair from his eyes. "I�ll tell �em. They might even think it�ll be fun. I... I made up stories about explorers goin� through the circle and findin' worlds where there was always lots of good things to eat, and there�s no storms, and they will�na ever be scared again. Maybe this place will be a little like my stories."

Daniel met the boy's hopeful gaze with one of his own. "Maybe it will."

*****

Over the course of the next few days, the team had managed to get the children over to Edora without too many hitches. Some of the kids had caused a fuss, as expected, but Callum had gone along with SG1, helping them as much as he could and pushing back his own fears to make it as easy as possible on the others.

In the week that SG1 had left the children alone with the Edorans to adapt to their new world and the friendly population, all of the children had quickly found families to take them in. It was, however, taking them a while to become accustomed to living apart, and the Edoran families found themselves having nightly sleepovers with two or three extra kids crowding in their small houses. The Edorans knew what it was like to be ripped from the rest of their community, so they understood separation, and that deep need to reconnect. To stay connected.

The team would have to temporarily uproot Callum again in a few weeks for the surgery on his hand. Janet had arranged for an orthopedic surgeon to come to base and perform the operation. Daniel knew Callum was nervous about it, but he hoped that repairing the damage to the boy's hand would, in turn, re-build some of his confidence.

At the end of the week, Daniel and Sam walked down the trail to the village, balancing a cooler between them. Once he had been given the go-ahead from Janet, he and Sam had gated alone to Edora. Teal'c had realized that interacting so much with children had made him miss his own child and he had been granted leave to visit his family. Jack had declined to come with them this time, and Daniel figured that Jack had some of his own issues to sort through. When he returned home, Daniel decided that he was going to turn up on Jack's doorstep, a case of his friend's favorite beer in hand. He thought that both of them needed to further reconnect and work on repairing those battered, but strong foundations to their friendship.

As he and Sam walked, the bright sunshine warmed their faces and birds chirped in the trees. When they neared the Edorans' village, they could hear sounds of children's laughter. Sam and Daniel recognized some of the kids they had brought to the planet mingled with the village children. A bright red head popped up and Kaelin gave them a huge grin, waving at them. Daniel returned the wave, then looked at the other kids and wondered where Callum was. He saw some smaller kids Kaelin's age, and another group of boys closer to Callum's age but he didn't see the older boy around. It seemed odd because usually Kaelin was Callum's perpetual shadow.

"Daniel! Sam!" Kaelin ran up to them, Daniel's old boonie still dangling from his neck and he threw his arms around Sam's legs. "Are you gonna stay for a while? Please?"

Sam smiled at Kaelin and set down her end of the cooler to give the boy a hug. "Yeah. I think we can do that. How are you guys doing?"

"We's doin' good. This is'na the same as our home, but everyone here is right nice. I showed `em how to play hockey, and that hide and go seek game, you showed me," he said, a proud smile on his face.

Sam laughed. "You did? And what do they think of it?"

"They think it's cool. What's that you got?" Kaelin finally noticed the container and pointed at it.

"Well, it's a surprise," Daniel replied.

"A surprise! What is it?" Kaelin's mouth dropped open, and he hopped with excitement.

"If I told you that, it wouldn't be a surprise, right?"

"Oh," Kaelin nodded after a moment. "Right. Well, when you gonna tell us?"

"Tonight, after dinner," Sam answered.

Another boy called to Kaelin, urging him back to whatever they had been doing before. "I gotta go," Kaelin said. "You promise you gonna stay a while? Will I see you before dinner, even?"

"You bet," Daniel said with a smile, then added, "Kaelin, do you know where Callum is?"

"He said he was goin' over to the bridge. Would'na let me come with him," Kaelin pouted, then shrugged and placed his hat back on his head. "I'll see you later!" he called over his shoulder as he ran back to the other kids.

"I can carry this the rest of the way to Laira's, if you want to go find Callum," Sam told Daniel, knowing he was worried about the boy.

"Thanks, Sam," Daniel said. "I'll see you later."

The entire team was concerned that Callum had refused to let any of the families take him in, so Laira had suggested he stay with her until he felt ready to accept his new surroundings. Kaelin, not surprisingly, insisted on staying with his friend, as well. Laira assured the team that she and Nolam were happy to have the boys, since her own son, Garan, was nearly grown and ready to move on his own soon. She had also assured the boys that they could live with her and her family for as long as they liked. Garan was kind to the smaller boys and had quickly taken Callum under his wing and tried to help the younger boy adjust, but Callum had remained aloof and distant.

Daniel started walking in the direction of the river and the bridge that had been one of the first things Jack had shown to Callum. Jack had even given him a lesson in fishing and trapping the crayfish-like creatures that lived in the water. As Daniel neared the river, he saw Callum alone on the bridge, busily pulling up what resembled a crab trap.

"Any luck?" Daniel called to him.

Callum turned his head and grinned when he saw Daniel. He hurried to pull the trap onto the bridge, then hopped over it gracefully and ran up to Daniel. "Hi Daniel! When did you get here? I though you was'na comin' till later. But it's good to see you," he quickly added.

"It's good to see you, too. We just got here, actually. Sam and I had a little extra time on our hands, so we thought we'd come early." He noticed that Callum was dressed in a rough work shirt, like the other Edoran boys, but he still wore the green fatigue pants. His hair was shorter, almost as short as Daniel's, and it made the boy look a little older.

Callum noticed his scrutiny and ran his hand over his hair, unintentionally causing it to stand up in damp spikes. "I reckoned it was gettin' almost as long as a girl's, so Laira cut it for me."

"It looks good," Daniel said. He nodded toward the trap. "Did you catch anything?"

Callum nodded. "Yeah. Even caught enough for dinner," he said, a proud note to his voice. "I wish I'd known how to do this before. Back home, I mean. I used to catch fish in the river, but not so many at a time as this."

"Did Laira ask you to catch the fish for dinner?"

Callum looked at him, confused. "No. I just wanted to, is all. 'Sides, we gotta eat, right?"

"Right," Daniel agreed. "That's great, Callum. It looks like you're quite the fisherman. I just thought you might be back in town hanging out with the others. I saw a few boys your age playing there."

Callum shrugged and shuffled his feet. "I... I do'na know what to say to them. They's... well, they's kinda different. Or... maybe I just am." Callum looked down, irritated with himself for admitting that to Daniel. Admitting that he didn't feel like he fit in. He straightened his shoulders then stooped to pull at the trap again. "You know, it's kinda nice to be able to do things by myself once in a while now. Do'na have to worry about the others so much, no more."

Daniel nodded with understanding. He realized that Callum was probably fairly solitary by nature, but it wasn't good for the boy to be distancing himself. "Maybe we can see about starting up a school soon," Daniel said, thinking it would be a good way for the boy to make some friends his own age. "We've been talking to everyone about it, and they seem to think it's a good idea."

Callum finished pulling the ropes from the water. "Maybe. That would be all right. But there's lots to do around here, till then. Fishin' and explorin', and Garan showed me how to use their boat. Maybe... you can let me borrow some more books, too. I'll be finished with the ones you gave me soon. That is... if... if you do'na mind?" Callum asked, giving Daniel a shy, hopeful glance.

"Of course I don't mind. You can always ask me for books anytime you want. I'll send some through for you as soon as I get home." Daniel paused to watch the boy for a moment. "Callum, I heard that you haven't agreed to let any of the families take you in," Daniel said, speaking carefully. "Are you happy staying with Laira and her family?"

Callum shrugged, wiped his hands on his pants and stood again. He stared out at the water, squinting against the bright glints from the sunshine. "Well, she's nice and all. Nolam and Garan, too. Laira's not bossy either. Does'na expect to talk all the time and she does'na mind if I want to... to just stay around the house while she does her work and stuff. She keeps tellin' me I should go outside and play once in a while like the others, though. Do'na see why she thinks I should. I'm too old for that now."

"You�re not too old, Callum. I know it seems strange here, and some things are probably hard for you to get used to, but Laira just wants you to have a little more fun, and be a kid again."

Callum looked down, lightly kicked the toe of his shoe against the trap. "I just... just do'na think I know how to do that no more."

"Sure you do," Daniel encouraged. "You just have to stop worrying so much and follow the others' leads. It'll come back to you in time."

"Not so sure about that," Callum said, skeptical.

"Callum, this is your second chance to be a kid. Not everyone gets that chance. Will you at least give it a try?"

Callum looked at Daniel, surprised by the emotion in his voice, and the intensity filling his blue eyes. "All right. I'll try it for you, if you want me to."

"No, not for me." Daniel shook his head. "For you, Callum. Do it for yourself, okay?" He waited until the boy gave him a hesitant nod in reply. Daniel suddenly thought of something that might help to re-introduce Callum to world of childhood and discovery. "Hey, has Garan shown you the caves yet?"

Callum shook his head. "He said he wanted to wait till you got here."

"How about we go get some of the others and see if they want to go with us now? I think you might like the caves."

"Okay," Callum said, his face brightening, then he remembered his fish. "Gotta get these home, first, though." They started to reach for the trap, both realizing at the same time that Callum had used the word home. They stopped to let the strength of the word settle, and then Daniel helped Callum gather up the trailing ropes and piled them on top of the trap.

Callum suddenly remembered something and looked at Daniel, a hopeful expression on his face. "Oh, um... did... did you bring us any of that ice cream stuff?"

"Right..." Daniel pretended to think for a moment and rubbed his chin. "Hmm. Ice cream. I thought Sam was going to bring it, but maybe she forgot. I seem to remember seeing a case of it in the gateroom... I wonder if we left it behind..."

Callum shrugged and tried not to look disappointed.

Daniel smiled and lightly tapped him on the shoulder. "All right. It was supposed to be a surprise for tonight. But yes, we brought some. A whole caseload, in fact."

"All right!" Callum shouted, pumping his fist in the air in Jack's all-too familiar mannerism.

Daniel laughed then tilted his head and gazed at the sky. "That is... unless Sam's sneaked off and eaten it all."

Callum giggled, but gave him an uncertain look. "She would'na do that."

"Are you kidding? I've seen her polish off an entire carton by herself in half an hour. And that's a lot of ice cream, believe me," Daniel said. Callum looked impressed. "Can you keep it a secret for the others?"

"Of course I can!" Callum grinned and picked up the trap. Daniel grabbed other side, taking most of the weight, and together they headed back to the village. As they walked, Callum chattered to him, telling Daniel about his new world, about how Rhoswen had finally stopped being so bossy because she was in love with one of the older Edoran boys and was going around trying to be giggly all the time. Told him how they were teaching the family that had taken in her and Eilis how to speak Eilis's sign language.

Daniel nodded and asked questions in the appropriate places and he realized that Callum would be okay, after all. He just needed a little time, and Daniel knew that time could sometimes make all the difference in the world. Time could make the past hurt a little less, make the future seem a little more promising and something to once more look forward to.

Daniel realized that he was going to be okay, too. He'd tried to follow Jack's advice and have that talk with `his inner kid,' and all that stuff he'd never really believed in. In their week off-duty, he'd read some of his old journals, some of them dating back to the time when Daniel was about Callum's age, and reconnected with the boy he had once been.

He realized that lost little boy who everyone had forgotten about was still there inside him. He also realized that someone had found him, after all. His team, his family had found him after he thought he had lost everything again after leaving Abydos behind. Daniel had also decided to take the advice he had given Callum, and would try to allow that little kid inside him a chance to come out every once in a while.

After all, like Jack had said, everyone deserved a second chance.

*****

This is the sweet little poem that inspired the title and much of the theme for this story. It was written by a twelve-year-old boy suffering from a rare form of muscular dystrophy, and he possesses an astonishing wisdom and vision far beyond his age.

Future Reminiscing

It is good
To have a past
That is pleasant
To reflect upon.
Take care
To create
Such a gift
For your future.
--Mattie J.T. Stepanek