Another World (sequel to The New World)
by Stroma
There are no warnings for this chapter.
Last night was just so surreal. Daniel had woken up in Jack's spare room but that wasn't unusual, what was unusual was that it wasn't Jack's spare room but his father's. He could not get his head round the fact that Jack was his father. He looked up at the window, it was still dark. How were they going to deal with this? If General Hammond found out they would not be able to work on SG-1 together. So they'd have to keep it a secret. He got up and got dressed. He needed to think.
He carefully left the room walking along the corridor. He pulled the door shut behind him. He started to walk along the road. The night was quite cool. He didn't even have anyone to talk to, he couldn't tell Sam she was in the army and she'd have to tell Hammond. It was such a mess. Why had he told Jack? He pulled his phone out of his pocket and rang for a taxi.
Half an hour later he was home. He sat on his settee and looked around him. His life felt like a lie now, all the pictures of him and his dad stared back at him. All lies. He picked up the nearest one and flung it across the room. It smashed against the wall, glass shattering everywhere. That was stupid, the poor man hadn't even known. It wasn't his fault. He dropped his head onto his hands. His whole life as Daniel Jackson was a lie and it was Jack O'Neill's fault and his mother's. He could feel the anger building up inside him.
The next thing he remembered was waking up with a nearly empty bottle of wine in his hands. His apartment had been wrecked. Every picture had been smashed. Books were strewn across the room and papers ripped up. God what a mess. And his head was pounding!
He picked himself up to go to the bathroom when he realised that the pounding wasn't from his head but from his front door.
"Daniel, will you open this door?"
"Go way!" he shouted as he swayed across the room to go to the bathroom.
"Damnit Daniel if you don't open this door I'll break it down."
Daniel knew Jack would so he headed towards the door. The pounding was getting louder. "I just want to be on my own Jack," he slurred. "Go way. Fine." He slid down the wall beside the door.
Jack seemed to calm down a bit," Let me in son, please." It was the son that did it. Tears streamed down his face.
"Can't Jack. Need time. Please. I promise I'll talk to you soon, just not now." Jack didn't know what to do. He really wanted to just knock the door down and take his son into his arms. "Please! I'll call you later."
"Alright but I want a phone call soon. I'll tell General Hammond you're not coming in today."
"Right Jack."
Daniel drank from the bottle again. He needed to do something but what. He threw the bottle away and it smashed on the wall. What did it matter he thought.
He must have dosed off because it was light when he woke up. A shimmering figure was standing close to him. What the hell! He scrambled trying to get up.
"We did not mean to frighten you," one of the shapes said.
"What are you doing here? Did you follow me through the Stargate?"
"We wanted to see if you and Samantha were alright. She is fine but you seem upset. Was it our fault?"
"No! It was my mother and father's fault except he wasn't."
"We do not understand."
"Did you know I was Jack O'Neill's son?" The figures looked at each other. "Just answer me."
"Yes. We studied your DNA. It showed you were his son."
"So that's why you let him find me on the planet."
"No we only found out later. We did only read your minds at the beginning. It was what you wanted."
"Well now it's a reality. I found out he had an affair with my mother. I didn't know." He started to laugh. "Ironic isn't it? The man I wanted to be my father is and I don't know what to do. What do you do when you find out something like this?"
"We are sorry we have caused you this distress."
"It wasn't you. This happened a long time ago." He slumped back on the floor. "At least my mini me gets to grow up with Jack. At least he'll be happy."
The two figures seemed to talk to each other. "Do you wish us to help?"
"How can you help? This is such a mess."
"Part of this is our fault. We would like to make amends."
"Go ahead!" Daniel said before succumbing to the alcohol again.
Daniel woke about an hour later his head felt like a brass band was playing in it. He put his hand up to hold it. He was never going to drink again. He pulled himself up off the floor and nearly went flying. God he was drunker than he thought. What on Earth was wrong? He looked down at his trousers. The legs of them were much too long. That was when he noticed his hands. No this could not be happening again. He pushed the trousers down and stepped out of them. He ran to the mirror in his bedroom. Looking back at him was the boy he had left on the planet. That was when he remembered the shimmering figures. The Creators. What had he done? He tried to remember his conversation with them. He could remember them saying something about making amends. What else had they said? Something about a year.
He picked up his phone. He dialled Jack's number. "Jack?"
"Yes, who is this?"
"You're not going to believe this but it's Daniel."
"Look kid stop messing about, how did you get this number?"
"Jack it's me. I can prove it. You left me behind on Abydos and I married Sha're."
"Daniel. What's happened to your voice?"
"It's a long story."
"With you it always is. I'll be right round. Don't move."
"Can you stop and get some clothes for a 10 year old?"
"Why? What have you done?"
"Nothing not really," he stammered. "I'll explain when you get here." How was he going to explain this? He put the phone down before Jack could ask any more questions.
TBC
