When the wormhole finally dissolves and the iris closes, all eyes in the gateroom are on three figures standing on the ramp. Major Samantha Carter holds a screaming bundle in her arms, wrapped in a grey blanket. General Hammond steps onto the ramp and looks questioningly into the faces of the three members of SG_1.
"What happened? Where did this baby come from? And where is Colonel O'Neill? "he asks.
"I'm saying this really reluctant general, but ..." Sam says.
"This is Jack," Daniel interrupts, pushing his glasses slightly higher, pointing to the screaming bundle. He looks as if he is aggravated, not only at the bundle but at the circumstances also.
"What?" The general cries.
"Daniel Jackson is correct, General Hammond. The child is O'Neill" says Jaffa Teal'c.
Dr. Frasier, head of SGC's medical department and Samantha Carter's best friend, looks shocked as she looks at Sam. Janet goes to Sam and takes the roaring child out of her arms. General Hammond looked at the child in Dr. Frazier's arms and then looked at Janet.
"I need a full evaluation, Doctor. I need to know for sure that is Colonel O'Neill and that whatever is wrong with him is not contagious"
"Yes Sir, General" Janet answered her commanding officer.
The general then informed SG1 that the debriefing would be in one hour. He wants to know as soon as possible what happened.
"Well, let's look at you, little man. Yes, you are cold. I would cry, too" Janet whispers lovingly at the little one she has in her arms.
She takes the weeping child, wraps him in another blanket, and takes him to the infirmary. Samantha Carter asks would it be alright if she accompanied the doctor and Janet does not mind. She can see how worried Sam is as she watches her. Sam is not paying anyone attention except for the crying baby in Janet's arms.
"Do you think he's all right Janet? He's been screaming the whole time" she asks anxiously.
"I think so Sam. We will see after I evaluate him"
The two women take care of the child. After Janet has taken his blood, the little boy cries even more vigorously. It takes a while to calm him down.
"Oh, yes, you do not like that. I know. But it has to be done" She smiles at him.
The little one looks at her frowning with his big brown eyes. The tears still stand in his eyes. Suddenly he smiles.
"Look Sam, he can also laugh"
Janet hides her face behind his patient card and then suddenly looks out again.
"Cuckoo" she calls.
The little man laughs aloud. Repeatedly. He laughs with all his heart. This is so contagious that Sam must laugh too. After a few minutes, Jack rubs his eyes.
"I think he is tired. We should put him to bed. Maybe he'll sleep a bit" Janet suddenly says.
They have wrapped the baby in a few blankets, a smaller blanket serves as a diaper. Janet looks around the room and shakes her head. The infirmary is not designed for a baby. Tomorrow she and Sam will have to get some things for the little one if he is not back to being his ornery grown self by then. For tonight however, they put him in a bed and one of the nurses sits on the bed and looks out for the child, so the little one does not fall out of bed. It only takes a few minutes and his eyes are getting smaller and smaller. Little Jack is soon fast asleep.
Janet and Sam are now on the way to the conference room, the debriefing has already started.
General Hammond is sitting at the head of the table as usual, Dr. Frasier and Major Carter are sitting on his left, while Doctor Daniel Jackson and Teal'c sit on the other side. The general looks questioning to the members of Sg1.
"Major, what in God's name took place?"
"Well sir, we found an unknown device in a cave on PX 559-07" she explains.
"And Jack could not keep his fingers off it, even though I tried to warn him" Daniel says.
"And then a bright light appeared, which blinded us all. When we could see again, the baby was sitting on the uniform that Colonel O'Neill had previously worn"
"Doctor Frasier? Can you tell us anything? Do you have the slightest idea what may be happening here?"
"Well Sir, the child is a healthy, strong boy around 8 months old. Whether it is the Colonel, I cannot say yet. The results are not back yet. The little man is now at the infirmary and is sleeping for the time being"
Sam asked the question that had been bothering her since they came back from the planet.
"Sir, what will happen to him?"
"I have no answer to that."
"If the NID get wind of this, they will attempt to take him away." Daniel stated, knowing it was the truth. Janet was quick to come to a solution.
"He cannot stay here anyway, the SGC is not a place for a baby. If you will allow it sir, I'd take him home. "
"That would be the best for him. Thank you doctor" he says.
"Sir, we should perhaps try to get in touch with our allies. Maybe they can help us." Sam suggested.
"Then do that, Major! The sooner the better." The General stated as he started to stand.
"Yes sir," Sam confirms, and sets off at once.
Meanwhile, the phone rings in General Hammond's office. He goes to his desk and picks up the phone. He hears only terrible roar.
"Doctor, I believe it is for you." he calls into the conference room.
Janet takes the receiver from the General and listens. It is one of the nurses working in the infirmary where they had left Little Jack. In the background, she hears the baby screaming.
"All right, I'll be right there." she says, finishing the conversation.
"I have to go sir. The little one cannot be calmed, he is very frightened. By the way, the test results have come in. The child actually is Colonel Jack O'Neill. I just hope the Asgard or the Tok'ra have a way to help him sir. "
"I can only hope that, also Doctor. And if you need something, please contact me. That child should go wanting for nothing. "
"Thanks sir!"
Janet rushes down the corridor as quickly as possible. When she reaches the doors to the infirmary, she can already here Little Jack, screaming as loud as possible. Besides the fact you cannot understand him, Janet knows now that he is Jack O'Neill. The tempers match to a tee.
"Well, what do we have here? Why is our little man shouting like that? Are we unhappy?" Janet looks at Little Jack, a smile on her face.
The nurse who had been watching the infant, actually sighed in relief. There was no doubt from her actions that she was happy that Janet had come to retrieve the baby.
"He's been screaming for quite a while and nothing seems to soothe him. He drank a bottle of milk, very hastily, and spat half of it out. After that, he was not at all calm." The young nurse answered Janet's unasked question and then attempted to move hastily away, just in case Janet called on her again to babysit.
Janet wrapped the baby tightly in a blanket and takes it in her arm. Little Jack lays his head on her shoulder, tears still coming down his wet cheeks.
"Impatient and loud, no doubt you're our Jack O'Neill." she grins. "Making my nurses despair, this is not nice Jack. We've talked about it before. "
Jack calms down slowly and looks at Janet with his big, brown eyes. She can even elicit a smile from him.
"You're doing so great, Doctor," the nurse remarks enthusiastically.
"The secret is peace, patience and lots of love." she laughs.
Samantha Carter enters the conference room again to report to General Hammond, she has sent a message to the Asgard and the Tok'ra.
"Then let´s only hope that one of the two can help Jack." says the General. Then he proceeds to inform Sam of the latest news from Janet.
Sam never had any doubt that the child was the Colonel. Looking at Teal'c, she could tell he agreed with her sentiment.
"And if we return to the planet and look around again?" The Jaffa suggests.
"I'm not sure if that's such a good idea, Teal'c. We cannot use more babies here." says the General.
"Understand." The Jaffa replies nodding.
"We should wait to see what the Asgard or Tok'ra know about this device. To make sure it is safe." says Sam.
"I'm reluctant to say it, but this time I share the same opinion. Although I would love to return to the planet to look at this device more closely. But I have no desire to come back as a drooling baby again." Daniel replies.
"We will wait until we have heard from one of our allies. You are dismissed!" General Hammond stated in an exasperated voice.
Sam immediately makes her way to the infirmary. As she goes through the door, Janet is attempting to exit and they almost collide. Laughing at each other, they both apologize. "I just wanted to get some coffee. Will you come with me?" Janet askes her dear friend.
Both go to the cafeteria and get a hot coffee. They sit down at a small table.
"God, what a disaster!" Snaps the doctor.
"Stressed?" Asks Sam
"A baby is already exhausting, but our Colonel as a baby is really indescribable. The little fellow brings my nurses to the edge of a nervous breakdown." Janet grins
"But he's just a normal baby, isn't he?" Sam asks, surprised.
"Yes, but with distinctive features, which the Colonel has. We both know that the Colonel is very impatient, restless, disagrees a lot, which in this case would be scream a lot, and obviously does not need much sleep, "she says, rubbing her eyes tiredly.
"Sounds like Colonel O'Neill," Sam laughs. "If I can help you Janet, just say it." She suggests to Janet.
"Thank you Sam. Are there any responses from the Asgard or the Tok'ra yet?" The doctor wants to know.
"Not yet. I hope soon,"says Sam.
After drinking the coffee, they go back to the infirmary.
It's late, Janet takes little Jack and is heading home. At home, she is immediately attacked by her daughter Cassandra at the door.
"Mom, a baby? Is it going to stay with us? Where does it come from?" Asks the excited child.
Janet tells her daughter where the child comes from, or who the baby is. Cassie cannot believe it.
"This is Colonel Jack? Do we keep him? Is he my brother then? I think I'll call him Little Jack." The statements rush out of the child.
"Cassie slow down, we hope we can help him and he will be the old Colonel O'Neill again. But as long he is a baby then he stays with us." Janet answered to the child's delight.
"Cool." Calls the enthusiastic child.
Janet is not so sure if Cassandra will find it cool when Little Jack first wakes up and shows off his "best" side. She is a bit worried. She is brought out of her thoughts by the ringing of the doorbell, it's Sam. She did a few errands for Janet. Cassandra greets Sam and helps her carry the bags of items in the house.
"A few men and women from the SGC have also donated baby things, from their own children. Sargent Siler will be by to bring the stuff. There is also a baby bed. Everyone was immediately helpful when they learned about the incident." The scientist tells Janet.
"That's great," the doctor rejoiced.
Suddenly both ladies here loud screaming coming from the living room, where Janet left the baby seat with Little Jack in it.
Sam goes to the child and takes it out of the baby seat. The little one roars and roars. Janet immediately makes him warm milk, since the little man seems to be hungry. Cassie comes running at once and looks curiously as her mother prepares the bottle. Janet gives Sam the ready bottle and asks her to feed Jack while she mashes some ingredients to make the little one some food.
Sam hands Little jack the bottle, the little one quickly grabs it and begins to suck it, too hastily. He looks as if he is going to swallow the entire bottle. Janet tells Sam to put the bottle down when he drinks too hastily. When Sam listen to her friend and takes the bottle away, Little Jack does not like it at all. He roars like a lion. The game continues until the bottle is almost empty. Then she lifts the howling child up to her shoulder and begins to pat his back. At that moment, the little guy spits out half of the milk, right over Sam's shoulder on her blouse and the kitchen floor.
Cassie just shouts "Ugh!."
In the middle of the confusion, the doorbell rings.
"That too!" groans Janet.
"Surely it is Sargent Siler with the baby things". Janet thinks.
She sends Cassie to the door while she tries to help Sam and the screaming child. Cassie opens the door and Sargent Siler comes in carrying baby items and a basinet. Behind him stands General Hammond with a large box in his arm.
"As I see, we are just in time." says the General, taking the screaming child from the doctor's arms.
Janet nods with thanks and pulls Sam into the bathroom. Then Janet comes back and cleans the kitchen floor, while the General tries to give the child a few spoonsful of porridge. Little Jack fidgets around impatiently on his lap, batting the spoon several times. With frustration, he turns crimson and screams even more. General Hammond grabs the little one and puts him in front of him on the kitchen table. He looks at him sternly:
"Young man! That is quite enough or we will not be friends!" The General states in a strict and decisive tone.
The little one looks at him with wide eyes and suddenly he is quite calm. General Hammond takes the spoon and drives it through the air, making the sound of a plane engine before he stops in front of Little Jack's mouth. The little one opens his mouth and the general slides the spoon into the child's mouth. General Hammond continues to feed Little Jack this way until the plate with the mash is empty. Jack laughs at him. The General also smiles.
"You do very well sir." says Janet.
"I had enough exercise, doctor. And in the process of feeding a child, I have learned I can also pilot a plane." he winks at Janet.
Then he gets up and takes Little Jack into the living room. The little one seems to be very happy, for the first time that day.
Meanwhile, Janet cleaned the kitchen again and Sam washed himself and got fresh clothes from her friend. Although the shirt is a bit short, but clean. She decides to help Sergeant Siler with the bed. Janet quickly puts together a little food for everyone, since General Hammond is keeping Little Jack happy and occupied.
While Cassie and the adults are eating, the child sits on the General's lap and observes the sights in front of him. Janet has not seen him so calm and relaxed since he came through the gate.
After eating, Jack rubs his eyes. Janet decides to bath the young man and then put him in his bed. Cassie wants to help her mother to bathe Little Jack. After the bath, the little man is so tired that his eyes are already falling. She quickly dresses him for bed in the white sleeping suit from the crate. It fits him perfectly, even if pink horses are on it Janet is not worried, she knows Little Jack will forgive her.
After she has laid the child down, she goes back into the kitchen to clean up. But her friends have already done this. They all say goodbye, and Janet puts Cassie to bed before she sinks herself into her bed. Satisfied, little Jack sleeps in his bed next to Janet.
In the middle of the night she wakes up, noticing that the baby is restless and starting to cry softly. Before he can really get started, she takes him out of his bed and holds him in her arms. Not wanting her daughter to awake since Cassie has school tomorrow morning. Then Janet realizes that Little Jack is pulling his legs tightly.
"Little man, do you have stomach pain? I am not surprised, not the way you have been eating your food." she whispers.
She takes Jack and puts him next to her on the bed and massages his little tummy. But it does not help much. He screams and pulls his legs. Janet tries to calm him. Trying to bring the child some relief, she begins to walk around her room with him. Cassandra, of course, also wakes up and comes into Janet's room to see what is going on.
"What is wrong with him, mom?" The child asks her mother, trying to cover a yawn.
"Belly pain, Cassie. I'm sorry he woke you up." she says affectionately.
"That is ok. He is hurting so bad, mom, I think I am going to cry." she says with a dark expression. Janet cannot help but smile. She tries to hide it beside Little Jack's neck.
"Yes you are right, he is in a lot of pain. Now lie down again and try to sleep, tomorrow is school."
"Yes Mom."
As she says goodnight again, she gives the screaming Jack a kiss.
"I love you Little Jack," she says through tears as she walks to her bedroom.
Janet laughs loudly. God, I have a great daughter, she thinks. Then she devotes herself to the little one again. After another hour of shouting by Jack and Dr. Frasier's soothing comfort, the child and Janet both fall into an exhausted sleep.
The alarm clock rings far too early for Janet's taste. She jumps up and looks down at the bed next to her. Jack is still asleep with his thumb in his mouth. Janet grins to herself. Colonel O'Neill jerks his thump to keep it from getting caught on the sleeve of the sleeping suit with pink horses on it. "I think he would kill me if I tell someone", the doctor thinks to herself. Janet is surprised that the sleeves of his sleep suit are so long that his hand has completely disappeared.
After she takes a shower and sets the table with breakfast, she wakes her daughter, who also looks completely exhausted from her eyes. At breakfast, neither say a word, being able to do nothing but yarn. Then it's time for school. Janet says goodbye to Cassandra and then goes to get the baby. Little Jack moves slowly in his bed and then opens his eyes. Janet smiles at him. He looks at her with wide eyes and smiles at her as well.
"Good morning Jack. Have you slept well? "She greets him as she takes him out of bed.
Suddenly she looks at him in surprise. The sleep suit is much too big, the sleeves and legs much too long. Janet does not understand how this has happened.
"I could have sworn this nightgown fit you last night. That's the main reason I chose this one." she says, almost apologetically, to the child.
"Perhaps it didn't fit and I was too tired to notice it." she says.
She takes him to the kitchen and makes him breakfast, but the child refuses to eat. He turns his head away every time Janet comes with the spoon.
"Okay, Jack. Then no breakfast." she says lovingly to him, stroking his head.
Jack laughs at her joyfully, mouth open widely and Janet noticed something. At first she thinks she's wrong, but when she looks again, her observation is confirmed.
"What's going on here? Why do you suddenly have just five teeth now?"
Janet cannot believe it and feels with her fingers in his mouth. But she had not deceived herself. What is going on here? Janet puts Little Jack back in the suit from yesterday and she cannot believe her eyes – it to is hanging off him. Why was he so small – and getting smaller it seemed?
"What the hell ..." She curses to herself.
Little Jack looks at her with wide eyes. Then he frowns. This looks so funny that Janet must laugh. She pulls him tightly to her.
"Everything is alright, little one. No reason for you to worry." Janet tells him but inside her own head she is worried. Then she calls Sam and sounds quite excited when she asks Sam to meet her at the SGC.
"Is something happening Janet? What about Jack? "She asks.
"Yes ... no, I do not know!" She stammered as panicky.
Half an hour later the two women meet at the infirmary. Sam started to greet with a good morning but what actually came out was "God, Janet, you look so bad. Had a bad night?"
"Too little sleep," she admits to her friend and pours herself some coffee.
"Jack had a stomachache and cried half the night," she says yawning, brushing the disheveled hair right.
"But that's not why I called you, Sam."
Janet describes Jack's changes and watches Sam's reaction. The scientist cannot believe what she hears.
"What do you mean, Janet?" She asks anxiously.
The doctor admits she has not got an answer. She goes with Sam over to one of the beds where the nurse is waiting with the whining child. Janet examines Jack as carefully as she did the day before when they came through the gate. Then she compares the results.
"Oh, I just do not believe it! Jack is two inches smaller than yesterday, one pound lighter and has lost a tooth! If I compare his development with that of yesterday, he would be around four weeks younger!"
"What? This is not possible Janet. Or is it? But how?" Sam asks more than surprised.
"I have no explanation for this, but if I have learned something in the years, that nothing is impossible, especially when it comes to SG1."
"What does that mean?" The scientist wants to know.
"I am not as smart as you are Sam when it comes to scientific anomalies, perhaps we should tell the General what has transpired her." Janet suggests, looking a little apprehensive.
Just at that moment there was an alarm and they hear the announcement that it is an unscheduled activation. They rush straight into the control room, where General Hammond has already arrived.
"It is a Tokra identification code, Sir" Walter states to the General.
"Open the Iris!" General Hammond almost screams the command.
Then they all hurry into the gate room to see who came from the Tok'ra. Sam's father Jacob Carter and the scientist Anise step out of the event horizon onto the ramp. Jacob is quite surprised when he sees his daughter with a baby in her arms.
"Do you have something to tell me Sam?" He asks, somewhat confused.
Sam throws an all-seeing glance at him and smiles at him.
"Dad!"
They greet each other with a hug after Sam has pressed her friend Little Jack into Janet's arms.
"Nice to see you Dad. We need help and am hoping that you can help" the blonde explains to her father.
"What is it about this time? Your message was a little vague" the Tok'ra asks.
"About him!" Sam says, pointing to the baby.
Jacob is astonished.
"About the baby? What about the baby? Who is it?" He asks confused.
"Who it is is the problem Dad. The baby on Janet's arm is Colonel O'Neill. "
"What?" The Tok'ra asks, shaking his head.
"This is the Colonel?" Interrupts the Tok'ra Anise. "What happened, Major Carter?" She asks.
"This is a long story, let us discuss it in the conference room" The General interrupts them and leads the group into the conference room.
In the conference room, Sam describes the details of how the Colonel became the little fellow now sitting on Janet's lap. Jacob Carter becomes very excited and starts talking.
"We've heard of such a device. It is a legend per some of the Tokra. In any case, most thought it was just a tale. Obviously, there is some truth in it" he says disbelievingly.
"The legend says that this device brings back the youth" the scientist Anise interrupted him.
"Youth is good. But a drooling, crying, screaming brat that's what he is. Although that's not much different than what he is as an adult!" Daniel states, behind laughter.
For this remark, he catches icy glances from both Sam and Janet.
"Dr. Jackson!" The General rebukes him.
Daniel apologizes with a gesture. Janet describes her observations she made this morning.
"What do you mean by that, Doctor Frasier? Jack is developing even further? Until what?" Jacob asks the question before General Hammond could.
"I do not know, Jacob" she says.
"What could happen?" Asks Sam.
"He would not be around any longer" she says sadly.
"He would just die?" Sam asks, shocked.
"The organs would slowly stop working until there would be nothing left. The Colonel would no longer be able to perform any functions at all."
"What?" The General shouts.
"That's just a guess, sir! I do not know what is going on with him or what will happen to him if we cannot reverse this."
Little Jack sits on Janet's lap and sucks on his fingers. All eyes are fixed upon him.
"Janet, he's drooling. I mean it's running out of his mouth on your pants" Daniel says, a little disgusted at the sight.
Janet takes Little Jack and pushes him towards Daniel. Daniel refuses to take him at first, but Janet does not tolerate any refusal.
She wipes her pants clean, while Daniel holds the little man gently over his face, in the air and just wants to say something ...
"Jack, you're really ..."
Janet calls out "I would not do that Daniel, he just ... .."
Just then, Jack spits his full breakfast on Daniel.
... eaten." groans the doctor.
Daniel screams disgusted and Little Jack screams, because he is frightened.
Janet takes him back and tries to calm him, but that is easier said than done. When Jack cries, he shouts, Janet has already learned this.
"Thank you Dr. Jackson," she says annoyed.
She takes the child and with General Hammond's permission she goes with the child to the infirmary. Dr. Jackson jumps up and runs out of the conference room to clean and change. The remaining guests remain seated and discuss the further procedure.
Selmak finally begins to speak. She and Anise agree that it would be best to return to the planet to see the device closer. The general approved another mission to this planet.