Castaways 3: Reunion
by Torquelith and Mara-DragonMaster
Jack stared at the large, yak-like creature before him. Some viscous liquid was dripping from its large nose, as it rumbled and chewed a mouthful of grass contentedly.
"No way." He declared. "No way am I riding on that thing."
Sam chuckled as Teal'c skillfully swung himself up onto his own mount. "The ZanZan is a most docile creature, O'Neill." The Jaffa stated.
Jack's eyebrows rose as he glanced at his serious-faced teammate. "Oh, I know. I know." He said, and watched as Sam also climbed up onto her ZanZan. As the blond scientist adjusted her seat in the saddle, the ZanZan heaved a deep breath and sneezed, spattering snot and ooze all over the ground. Looking down at a spot of green mucus running down his left boot, Jack shuddered, and then raised dark eyes to his own waiting mount. It watched him quietly with limpid eyes, chewing away at its grass.
The liaison from the village watched Jack with a hint of humor in his smile. "Colonel, we should leave now if we wish to arrive at my village before nightfall."
"Yes, yes." Jack agreed. "Wouldn't want to get caught out here, in the dark, on these… yaks."
"ZanZans, Sir." Sam corrected.
With a look of revulsion, Jack grasped the saddle and hauled himself up and onto the broad back. Settling himself, Jack wrinkled his nose. The furry animal smelled like wet dog.
Smiling, the liaison tapped his ZanZan and gave a twittering whistle. Blowing air and lowing, the small group of mounts fell into single file behind their leader, and began the long trek home.
As they traveled, Sam studied the landscape with fascination. Hills rolled as far as the eye could see, with deep valleys and pathways between. Their guide led them skillfully through the tall golden grasses that grew higher than the ZanZans' back, waving and rippling in the breeze like the surface of a golden ocean. Trees were sparse, except for a few patches of new-forest growth here and there. The yellow sun warmed her face, and the pace of the ZanZan was slow and steady, gently swaying beneath her. Sam began to grow drowsy.
As the sun began to set, sending deep golden-red rays across the hills, purple shadows deepening and lengthening, they reached the edge of the village crops. The fields were terraced, and lined with rock retaining walls. As they began to climb the dirt path, Sam noticed that the fields were bare dirt, newly plowed, and they completely surrounded the village like an earthen moat. Urging her ZanZan forward, Sam came close to the liaison.
"D'né, why are your fields empty? Did you not have a good harvest?" she asked.
D'né smiled and nodded. "Yes, our harvest was very good this year. When we pick our food, we pull the plants as well and re-plow, and then we burn the pile of field waste. It enriches the soil, and prepares the fields for the next season of planting."
Sam looked at the fields with new interest. "And their positioning? You have lots of good land, why do you surround the village? Doesn't that make the village crowded? You can't grow."
"Grass fires are very common during out winter season." D'né replied. "You see how the fields are terraced? This allows the rain to flow away from the village and water our fields, and during the season of fires it protects the village with its bare earth."
"This is very wise." Teal'c commented from behind. He nodded with approval as he surveyed the handiwork.
They rode into the village center. Rock buildings surrounded them, roofed with tiles of clay. There was nothing anywhere that could possibly burn.
The village elders were waiting for them. Three men, and three women, of varying degrees of old age. As the travelers approached, the elders tipped their heads and smiled, spreading their arms wide in welcome.
Jack slowly and carefully pulled his leg over the saddle and then slid down to the ground, releasing a breath of relief as he stretched. The ZanZan looked back at him curiously, then returned to its chewing.
"Tauri, welcome to our humble village." An old man greeted them, smiling widely.
Stepping forward, Jack nodded at the elders. "Thank you. It's an honor to finally meet the…" he paused.
Sam, having dismounted, leaned close and whispered. "Hisnari."
"Hisnari." Jack finished grandly. Turning, he beckoned Teal'c forward. The great Jaffa stepped forward, a large pack hanging from his shoulder. Swinging it down, he gave it to Jack with a slight tip of his head.
"Thank you." Jack said, and taking the pack, he opened it and lifted out a case of syringes, and another box of small vials. "A fresh supply of the polio vaccine."
The old man's eyes brightened, and he clasped his hands together. "Thank you, a'musa. We are very grateful to your people for this; none of the Hisnari children have died this year from the Cripple's Disease."
Jack tipped his head. "That is good."
"Come," extending his hands, the old man beckoned them into the village. "We have prepared a great meal, in honor of your coming."
"Sweet." Patting his growling belly, Jack stepped forward, his team following behind.
People played on wooden pipes and drums, and the village children instantly surrounded the three SG1 members, laughing and chatting and looking and touching the strange clothing and possessions of the Tauri. The food was served in large clay pots. When their lids were removed, steam billowed out, carrying with it the mouthwatering aroma of rich spices, meat, and vegetables.
When they had eaten their fill, the old elder shuffled towards them on sandaled feet, carefully carrying a tray, upon which rested a full leather pouch. Reaching them, he bowed his balding head, and held out the tray.
In a voice particularly loud and strong for such an old man, he announced, "The Hisnari thank the Tauri people, and in this we fulfill our payment for the medicine which saves our children."
Jack lifted the pouch from the tray, and opened it. As he shook it, a few rough, raw diamonds tumbled into his hand. He nodded in admiration, then his brows pulled together, and he felt the weight of the bag. "This is more than we asked for, Robaar." He said.
Robaar pulled himself erect, his face flushing with pride. "We can go down to our rivers and walk across them like sand. Our children are worth more than many bags of diamonds. It is our honor to gift our bounty upon you."
There was a hubbub of cheers and agreement as the Hisnari voiced their approval.
For a moment Jack said nothing. Then he slipped the raw diamonds back into the pouch and closed it. "Well," he murmured. "The Tauri accept your gift, and we offer our thanks."
Late that night, D'né led them to their sleeping quarters. Two families had opened their homes to the Tauri. Robaar, the elder, gestured to Teal'c. "Come, young man. My wife, Teena, has prepared your room."
Teal'c bowed his head with a slight smile. "I thank you for your kindness."
Chuckling, Robaar led Teal'c away.
Jack and Sam followed D'né to the home of a farmer and his wife, who waited for them at the door, their faces glowing with pleasure. "Welcome to our humble home." The man greeted them. "Come. Your room is ready for you."
Two boys were asleep before the fire, rolled up in their blankets. Stepping quietly, the two SG teammates followed D'né and the man and woman into the bedroom. Proudly the man presented their quarters, which he and his wife had specially prepared for their guests. It was their own room. They had moved to their sons' room.
Sam looked around. "It's lovely." She said.
The woman flushed, and her husband glanced at her with pride.
Jack looked appreciative, admiring the homespun blankets and freshly fluffed pillows, but then his brows furrowed, and he glanced around. One bed. "Hm." He said. "Um…"
Sam quickly bumped his foot with her own, and then she smiled pleasantly. "There was a private matter you wished to discuss with D'né before we retire, remember, sir?"
"Yes. Right. To… clarify some… things," Jack said.
With a nod, D'né followed Jack and Sam to the outside patio, and then listened with a mortified expression. When Jack and Sam were done quietly explaining, D'né clasped his hands in dismay.
"I am so sorry I jumped to conclusions." He said. "I will remedy this. Please wait here."
D'ne stepped back inside and spoke quietly to the farmer and his wife for a moment, explaining that he had made an error, and only Sam would be staying with them.
Then, he briskly left with Jack in tow, to install him in his own guest room in his home.
Sam stepped inside and smiled at the farmer's wife who introduced herself as Shonday. "Thank you for your hospitality." Sam said.
Shonday nodded happily. "Please let us know if you have any needs."
"I will." Sam agreed.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she sighed looking at the empty expanse where Daniel usually was. When she was working off planet, night time was the one time she really noticed how much she missed him beside her.
"Dad! I'm going to be late for school… you said you were going to drive me, remember?"
"Yes, Sharé, I'm coming." Daniel called down the stairs to his thirteen-year-old. "Jacob! Charlie… get downstairs now! Out of the bathroom!"
Two boys burst out of the bathroom, blond hair freshly gelled and spiked, and they grabbed their backpacks which were waiting for them at the top of the stairs. Daniel winced as they descended; one of these days they were going to break right through the stairs if they weren't more careful.
"You sound like elephants." He groused. Grabbing his keys and wallet he headed for the door, making sure to hold it open for his little four-year-old boy, who skipped past with a dimpled grin. "Ready, Kyle?" he asked.
"I put on my shoes, Daddy!" The dark-haired boy announced, racing after his older siblings.
"I see that." Daniel said, noticing the little shoes that were on the wrong feet.
"Dad!" Sharé cried, leaning out of the passenger window of the car.
Daniel sighed, pushed his glasses up his nose, and ran for the car, scooping Kyle up on his way.
Once at the school Daniel waved goodbye to his three oldest, who waved back nonchalantly. Jacob and Charlie high-fived some friends and ran in, and Sharé suddenly slowed down, her hand going to her hair and pulling it over her shoulder in a—strangely shy, girly fashion. A boy approached her, hands shoved deep into his low-slung jeans, red plaid boxers showing over the top. Whatever he said made Sharé giggle. As the two made their way inside Daniel stared over the steering wheel, unblinking. Boys? Already? His eyes narrowed.
"Daddy? Can we go play? You said you would catch bugs with me."
Daniel grinned, glancing at Kyle in the rear-view mirror. "Sure, buddy. Let's go."
The morning was spent catching bugs in the yard in the little plastic bug catcher Kyle had gotten for his birthday. At one point Daniel discovered that his son, ever curious, had caught a very angry hornet and was shaking it in the box. Taking it away, Daniel made Kyle wait for him on the porch, then he took it far out into the yard, laid it down, and found two very long sticks, which he used to flip the top off of the bug catcher. He then ran – as fast as he could for the house. Not looking back.
The hornet flew as fast as it could the other way, not wishing to risk being caught again.
After lunch Daniel laid Kyle down for a short nap, and went into his home office to work. Thirty minutes later, unbeknownst to Daniel, Kyle slipped from his bed and wandered into his parents' bedroom. He opened their closet and crawled in under the hanging clothes to look at some of the cool things his daddy stored there. Things from his grandma and grandpa, who had found them or dug them up from ruins (which were broken buildings).
There were some old rock tablets with painted birds on them. There was a pretty clay pot that had a very large crack in it, and a very big brass tray that he could see his reflection in. And there was a mirror, a metal mirror that had cool carvings in the frame and some sparkly stones. It was as big as the plate Mommy put the turkey on at Thanksgiving. Kyle liked to touch it sometimes, though always very quickly. He never knew when Daddy might come in.
Kyle reached out and touched the sparkly red stones in the mirror's frame. He began to count them.
"One, two, three…"
Suddenly there was a hum, and then a picture appeared in the mirror's glass. It was a nice room, with a blue couch and some pretty lights and a really big piano, and a guitar in the corner. Kyle's eyes widened, and then he reached out to touch the picture. There was a strange tingling sensation, and then the picture changed to Mommy and Daddy's bedroom closet. Kyle jerked his hand back, and then looked around, blinking in the sunlight that poured in through the large picture windows. He was in the nice room with the blue couch.
Kyle reached out to touch the picture of Mommy and Daddy's closet, when he heard someone behind him.
"What?! Where'd you come from?"
Daniel perked his ears, hearing the faintest of sounds. His brows drew together, and he sighed, pushing his chair back from his desk. He went to his young son's doorway, and peeked in. Kyle's bed was empty.
"I knew it." He said, and went off to his room where the sounds had originated. Daniel went in and peered into his closet, fully expecting to see the four-year-old sitting amongst the wrappings of whatever it was he had opened to look at. What he saw instead was his parents' mirror, and his son in the reflection, in a strange room. With a strange man walking towards him.
Two thoughts entered Daniel's head at the same time:
Damn it! My parents had a QUANTUM MIRROR?!
Don't you DARE touch MY KID!
He instantly touched the mirror and found himself in the other room, just as the stranger was about to pick Kyle up. The man, no older than thirty, started and jumped back, his blue eyes growing large as he gave an exclamation.
Daniel scooped Kyle into his arms.
"You're dead!" the young man gasped, still backing up.
Daniel turned and stared at him, Kyle wrapped tightly in his arms. "What?"
"What do you want? Why are you here? Oh my gosh, I'm going crazy…"
"Um…" Daniel wrinkled his nose, and noted that his glasses had slid. He pushed them up. "No, I'm not dead. Not a ghost. I'm here for my son, who touched something he shouldn't have." He directed this last bit to Kyle, who bit his little lip guiltily.
The young man, brown hair wind-blown, face unshaven, lifted his hand and gestured with feeling, his expression a mix of intense emotion and confusion. "You never married! You don't have kids! What is going on here?!"
Daniel frowned. "I don't think I am who you think I am." He said.
"You're Daniel!" The man shouted, his eyes misting. "You're my brother! And you died a month ago!"
Oh, crap!
Sam stretched luxuriously in the comfortable bed and looked lazily at her watch. When she saw the time she practically fell out onto the floor. Dressing quickly, she stepped out of the room to find her hostess waiting patiently with breakfast at a carefully set table. Sam sighed, realizing she would be even later, and sat down with a smile.
Teal'c chopped and stacked wood and conscientiously fed Robaar's and Teena's poultry. Then after eating a very large breakfast, Robaar led him to the village center to await the others.
Jack arose and briskly strode out into the dining area of D'né's house. After eating a filling breakfast, he stared for a moment at D'né who smiled in accommodating silence.
"Thanks."
"You are most welcome, commander."
"Can I help you with anything before we go meet the others?" Jack offered, albeit insincerely, picking up his dishes as he stood.
"Why yes. Follow me." D'né stood and strode out the back door.
Jack stared after D'né. "I was thinking, you know, clear the dishes?" He said to an empty room. With a sigh Jack set his dishes down and followed D'né out the back door. Not twenty steps away was a small stable, filled with two very large ZanZans. D'né was holding two shovels and smiling at Jack.
"Oh…" his voice trailed off and he took one of the shovels. "Oh, man, that smells worse than their front end."
Thirty long minutes later, Jack, Sam, and Teal'c reunited at the village center. Jack's face was solemn until he saw the ZanZans waiting for them. Then he scowled.
Robaar bowed to them and thanked them for their friendship. After formal goodbyes and pledges of good will were exchanged, they were led to the ZanZans and their guide, D'né, for the trip back out to the Stargate.
After riding only an hour, D'né's ZanZan suddenly pulled up short and snorted a deep whuffling sound. It swayed its head back and forth, agitated, and D'né stood in his saddle and peered suspiciously at the horizon. A dark low cloud was building. D'né swung his mount viciously, and the other ZanZans followed, breaking from a lumber into a rolling run that ate up the ground. Jack held on for dear life, swearing silently. Sam and Teal'c leaned forward into the run, clutching at the thick ZanZan fur.
"Why are we running?" bellowed Jack at D'né's back. "We're almost to the Gate!"
"There is a fire begun."
Jack glanced back. "It's pretty far away, I think we could make it."
D'né flicked a scornful look back over his shoulder. "We'll be lucky to make it to the village." He whistled and urged his lead mount to pick up the pace.
Jack looked back again, bouncing and sliding on his ZanZan as it flew over the ground. The smoke was taller, blacker, and much, much closer. Birds suddenly flew into the air all around them out of the grass, calling and screeching in alarm. Animals joined the flight, leaping and running alongside the ZanZans and screaming in terror. Jack turned forward and kicked his ZanZan's sides. "C'mon boy, giddyup!"
Only minutes later they had covered all the ground they'd so slowly walked an hour ago. The ZanZans flew up the dirt path through the terraced fields, bellowing. Villagers awaited their coming at the top of the hill.
The ZanZans in the village were moving around in agitation, their eyes wide and their bellows panicked. Once the company was inside the village and dismounted, a call went up, and men quickly began to herd all of the large animals into a great rock-fenced enclosure, before they could stampede. The unhappy animals paced within the tall rock walls, lowing and bellowing.
Jack grabbed D'né's arm. "What happens now? How can we help?"
D'né nodded thankfully at Jack. "Supplies are being taken down into the duan." He said.
"Duan?" Jack repeated. "What's a duan?"
"Underground rooms for the fire season." D'né explained. "Made in the caves beneath our feet. We will have fresh air through the vents, and water from the well."
"All right." Jack nodded. "Set us to work."
"Um, sir?" Sam raised her hand as she and Teal'c joined them. "How long is the fire going to last?"
D'né was already striding to the village storehouse, where men went to and fro carrying supplies. "Seven days." He called back over his shoulder.
Sam's eyes grew large. "Seven days? But the grass is already mostly burned. It will be done in a day or so."
"Then there is the second burning." D'né explained, handing Jack a large sack and Teal'c a basket. "Beneath the grasses the roots and thatch burn another six days. The ground must then cool before any travel can be attempted."
"So what you're saying is," Jack declared dryly. "Is that we are stuck here, out of contact with Command, for a week. With them." He gestured with his chin towards the ZanZan herd.
"Not out of contact, sir." Sam said, looking unhappy at the whole situation. "If they dial in to try and contact us we should be able to talk with the General over our radios."
"Well, that's good." Jack grunted, heaving the sack over his shoulder. "They'll at least know what's going on."
A thought seemed to occur to Teal'c. "Is it not the homecoming this weekend?"
The pajama party. For Sharé and her entire cheerleader squad. Sam rubbed her forehead. "Daniel's not going to be happy." She groaned.
Daniel held up a hand, holding Kyle on his hip with the other. "Just calm down and let me explain…"
"Get out of here!" The man yelled, shoving Daniel back.
Kyle whimpered and clung to Daniel, hiding his face in his father's shoulder. Daniel's brows drew together, and his eyes narrowed. "Don't." he warned, and carefully set Kyle down behind him. "I just…"
"You don't belong here; go away!" The man shoved Daniel again, hard, knocking him off balance just enough to bump into his son. Kyle started to cry.
"Knock it off!" Daniel shouted, shoving the man back, his eyes blazing.
And a fist plowed into Daniel's face.
Daniel spun and stumbled, somehow managing to miss hitting Kyle again, and immediately he turned in his crouch and lunged, tackling the man. They both hit the ground hard. Daniel was no stranger to a fight after all these years, but the young man, in his fear, was turning out to be a decent scrapper. After a few wild moments of flying fists, grunts, and struggle, both men suddenly became aware of a high keening sound—the terrified crying of a small child.
They both stopped and pulled apart, breathing heavily. Daniel sniffed through a throbbing nose (he was sure it was bleeding) and held up a hand.
"Truce?"
The other man nodded, his cheek turning a fantastic shade of purple. His wide eyes kept flickering between Daniel and the little boy behind him.
Daniel turned around, and crouched, pulling Kyle into his arms and feeling guilty when Kyle clutched him with all of his four-year-old might, his breath coming in gasps and hiccups. "It's okay, Kyle." Daniel reassured him. "It's all done. It's okay. We're okay."
"But Daddy, you're hurt. There's blood!"
"Yes, I know. But I'm okay." Daniel said. "We…wrestled too hard and it turned into a fight, but we are all done and we are going to talk now." He turned and raised his eyebrows, aiming those last words meaningfully at the young man, who nodded hesitantly.
"Who are you?" The man asked. "What are you doing here?"
Daniel stood up, holding his son, and tried to explain. "I am Daniel Jackson, but I'm not your Daniel Jackson." He said. "Now, I know this is going to sound weird, but just listen, okay? You know how Mom and Dad were archaeologists?"
The man nodded.
"Where I come from, they died when I was eight. A slab from an exhibit they were putting up fell on them." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "You know how people talk about alternate realities? Well, they're real. I work with the military, and we found a device called a Stargate that transports from one planet, or galaxy, to another." Daniel paused again, and then raised a finger. "I'm not supposed to be telling you any of this, so you can't tell anyone, okay?" He waited to continue until the man nodded. "While we were exploring other worlds we found ancient technology that allows travel between alternate realities. Some of these realities are very similar, and some are very, very different. The technology is in the form of a mirror; a Quantum Mirror." Daniel pointed accusingly at the mirror sitting on the floor by the blue couch, which was an exact replica of the one in his closet. "Somehow, somewhere, Mom and Dad found one of these mirrors and thought it was just a cool ancient artifact."
The man stared for a long moment, and then shook his head. "I'm going out of my mind." He laughed, rubbing absently at his bruised cheek.
"Look in the mirror." Daniel said, pointing again. "What do you see?"
The man eyed him suspiciously, then turned and looked. He gaped. There, instead of the normal reflection of his living room, was a window into what looked like a bedroom closet, whose door was wide open into a bedroom. He stared for a minute, and then another minute, and then he looked at Daniel.
Then he turned and walked out of the room.
Daniel stared, blinking, not sure what to do.
"You want a beer?" The man's voice called out.
Shifting Kyle's weight on his hip, Daniel walked through the door after the man, and found himself in a wide, open kitchen. There was a breakfast bar in front of the stove and fridge, and the man was behind it, rummaging through the fridge. Daniel set Kyle on one of the tall chairs next to the bar, and held the small face, smiling down at him. He was rewarded with dry eyes and a little smile in return.
The man plunked two beers onto the bar, and glanced at the small boy. "You like chocolate milk?" he asked.
Kyle nodded, glancing at Daniel for permission.
The man pulled out a glass, a spoon, some milk, and a bottle of Hershey's syrup. He mixed a generous amount of chocolate syrup into the glass of milk and handed it to the little boy, offering a small smile. Kyle took the glass and began to drink.
The man then opened his freezer, and proceeded to fill two bags with ice. "My name's David." He said quietly, wrapping one of the bags in a towel and handing it to Daniel.
Daniel accepted it gratefully and held it to his throbbing nose.
The man wrapped the second bag and held it to his cheek. "Mom and Dad didn't die setting up the exhibit." He said slowly. "You fell down the stairs and started screaming, and they ran for you. They told that story all the time; how you breaking your leg saved their lives. My big brother, the hero." He gave a sideways smile.
Daniel closed his eyes and shook his head. "I grew up in foster homes."
David's eyes pinched. "I'm sorry."
Daniel shrugged, and sat down on a chair next to Kyle. "It was a long time ago." He smiled. "I have a family now."
David nodded, glancing disbelievingly at Kyle. He swallowed. "He looks a lot like me."
Before Daniel had a chance to respond, David walked quickly out of the kitchen, returning a few moments later with a large photo album. He opened it, and pulled out a photo. "This is me, when I was five. Just starting kindergarten."
Daniel took the photo, and his eyes grew wide. Staring back at him was a picture of a boy who was the spitting image of Kyle. "Oh my gosh." He laughed. "I guess he looks like his uncle."
David blinked, and then closed his eyes for a moment, swallowing.
Daniel looked up, and grew quiet. "What happened?" he asked.
"I'm a musician." David said. "Actually, a pretty famous one. I was coming back from a one-year-tour, and you and Mom and Dad were going to pick me up from the airport." He didn't look at Daniel, studying and tracing the top of the bar. He picked up his beer, and took a long swallow. "Drunk driver." He whispered, putting the bottle back onto the countertop.
Daniel stared at him, his brows pulling together. "I am so sorry." He said, feeling like it was a lame thing to say. But what else could he say?
Nodding, David looked up, and smiled. But his eyes were wet. "It was a month ago this last Thursday." He said. His voice was rough.
Daniel lowered the bag of ice, and sighed. No wonder David had freaked out; the grief was still so new, so fresh… "And here I come, barging into your living room." He shook his head.
David began to laugh, and laugh, and laugh. "Yeah; that was… a shock." He took another drink. Then he shook his head, and stared at Daniel. "You sure I'm not just crazy and imagining all this? This… alternate reality stuff?"
Daniel shrugged, and tilted his head. "Nope. Sorry."
Blue eyes studied him with an intensity that made him self-conscious. "You're older." David observed quietly. "And your hair is long."
Smiling, Daniel pulled it out of its tangled ponytail (thanks to a tussle with his new brother) and smoothed it out, re-banding it. "Yeah. My wife likes it."
"Your wife." David snorted, still trying to wrap his mind around it all. "And you're a dad?" he indicated Kyle, whose eyes widened when he became an object of attention, glancing between the two adult men. "Is he your first?"
"No," Daniel took a lazy drink of his beer, smiling at his son. "He's my fourth."
"Your fourth?!"
"I have a thirteen-year-old daughter, and twelve-year-old twin boys. Kyle here is four." Then Daniel frowned, and looked quizzically at his new brother. "How much older?"
"Well, you don't look thirty-eight." David said, the corner of his mouth lifting.
Daniel laughed. "No; thanks for reminding me. So how old are you? Seventeen?"
David rolled his eyes. "Thirty. Thanks."
Daniel took in a breath, but hesitated, saying nothing.
David narrowed his eyes. "Come on. Say it."
"Forty-eight."
"Wow." David nodded studiously. "Old enough to be my dad."
Daniel took in a deep breath, and then he took a long drink. "Yeah." He said. "That's not weird at all."
David leaned on the bar expectantly. "So, why are you eighteen years older than me instead of eight?"
"Time sometimes doesn't mesh between realities."
"Ah." David nodded. "Tell me more about your world and your family."
Daniel sat back, pulling in his bottom lip as he thought, staring hard at David. "Do you have any plans for the next few days?" he asked.
His brother frowned and shook his head. "No."
"No one coming over?"
"No, the housekeeper has the week off."
Daniel smiled broadly, and stood. "Kyle, are you done?"
Kyle grabbed his cup with wide eyes and quickly slurped down the last of the chocolaty milk, gulping loudly. Then he set down his glass, licking the chocolate from his top lip as he lifted his arms towards Daniel, who helped him down from the chair and took his hand.
"You want to come over?" he asked David. "It's only a step away."
David blinked, a nonplussed expression on his face. Then he smiled slowly. "I gotta get used to this." He said, leaving the kitchen. He headed straight for the living room, and grabbed his guitar on the way. "Let's go."
Daniel grinned, beginning to get excited. "What does your music sound like?" he asked, following.
David hesitated, looking around, and then he grabbed a "Best of David Jackson" CD from a bookshelf. Then he paused mid-step. "You have CD players on your world?" he asked.
Daniel laughed. "Yes we do, little brother." He teased. He put a hand to David's shoulder, who held Kyle's hand, and touched the mirror.
The supplies had been laboriously loaded onto the freight elevators, which consisted of two large, heavy platforms lifted and lowered by a strong pulley and counterweight system. With the supplies sent down, the people began to head down themselves, walking along the circular ramp that led down into the duan. They were just in time. The grasses had burned, and now a thick, heavy smoke was rolling in as the thatch and thick, damp roots began to smolder.
Jack looked up at the above-ground stone enclosure where the ZanZan herd milled in distress. "Um…" he began, and could not believe it when he asked: "What about them? Are they all right up there?"
D'né turned and looked up, and nodded. "We will bring the young ones down. They are not fully grown yet and will succumb to the smoke." He said. "But ZanZan's are made for this world. Their noses close to filter the air, and a second eye closes over their first to protect against the smoke."
Sam listened with interest. "You mean like a second eye lid?"
D'né nodded. "Yes. A second lid."
"A lot like a camel, sir." Sam said to Jack. "Their noses close and they have very long lashes to protect against the sand. It seems the ZanZans have developed similar traits to protect against the smoke during the fire season."
Jack nodded, and Teal'c looked up. "How shall the young ones be brought down?" the tall Jaffa asked.
"On the lifts." D'né pointed. "There are three young ones to bring down."
Teal'c nodded. "I shall assist." He said.
"Yeah," Jack volunteered with a sigh. "Me too."
Up they went, and gently cut the three little ones from the herd and guided them onto the two lifts. D'né and Teal'c stood on one lift with the two smallest ZanZans, each barely a few weeks old. Jack stood with the third, who was two months old and the size of a horse.
The lifts began to move, creaking and swaying slightly as they descended into the caverns below. Jack draped his arms over the back of the baby ZanZan, and blew out absent-mindedly, patting his hands on its back in a soothing rhythm. The black, choking smoke rolled through the sky overhead, thankfully not blowing down into the cave. Watching it in fascination, Jack began to whistle.
And then he squawked, and began to push madly at the ZanZan's back end. "Off!" he yelped. "Off of my foot! OFF!"
The ZanZan either couldn't feel his shoves or hear his shouts, or it didn't care. It simply stood there complacently, chewing its cud, and blinking.
"Help!" Jack yelled, waving a hand desperately at the other lift. "D'né! How do you get these things to—OW!—move?!"
D'né cupped a hand to his ear.
Jack growled, and encircled his mouth with his hands. "HELP!" he bellowed. "IT'S ON MY FOOT!"
Then the ZanZan huffed at the loud noise, and shifted, pushing off of his foot. As it did so Jack felt several cracks.
The villagers below looked up in confusion at the bellow that echoed through the cave.
Sam hurried forward when the lifts reached the cave floor, and saw two village men helping Jack to a bench. "What happened?" she asked, moving to one side as another villager led the innocent-looking ZanZan away.
Jack looked positively murderous. "That thing CRUSHED my foot." He spat.
D'né knelt down in front of Jack, and carefully began to remove the boot.
"OW!"
"Forgive me, Colonel O'Neill." D'né began probing the foot gently. "I must check for broken bones."
Jack stared, aghast, at his purpling toes.
"Can you move your toes?"
The attempt was made, and quickly aborted. D'né stood up happily.
"Congratulations, Colonel." He said with great relief. "It is only your toes that are broken, and they shall heal quickly. We shall acquire a crutch for you."
Jack stared, his black eyes snapping. Then a woman meekly approached with some bandages, looking at him for permission. Shifting on the bench, Jack pulled himself more together than he wanted to, not wishing to offend, and he nodded. The woman bandaged his foot very gently, stabilizing the toes as much as possible. Jack, to his credit, made no sound and said nothing, and even offered her a smile and his thanks.
She nodded and smiled, and then offered him a steaming cup of tea. It smelled like mint and flowers. "To help. For the pain." She said.
Jack accepted it, and nodded when he tried it. "Normally stuff like this tastes like bark. This is actually pretty good."
She smiled again, shyly, and moved on.
Teal'c approached, carrying a crutch. "It is fortunate the ZanZan was but a small one." He observed.
Jack turned a glare on him. "Thanks." He said dryly, and drank his tea in loud gulps.
Sam stifled a laugh, biting her lips. 'Sorry, sir.' She thought. 'I know it's not funny, but…'
Suddenly all three SG radios crackled to life, and the General's voice came through. "SG1, this is Stargate Command. Do you copy?"
Jack lifted his radio to his mouth. "Ohh yes, sir. We copy, sir. Loud and clear."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow.
"Good to hear, Colonel. What's happened? You were due back hours ago."
"ZanZans, sir." Jack shook his head despairingly.
"Excuse me?"
"ZanZans. Running, pooping, stampeding, dangerous ZanZans. A whole herd of them. But the most dangerous ones are the babies."
Sam's mouth dropped open, and she stared.
"What?"
"They go after your feet. They know you can't walk if they step on them. They're devious, sir. We need reinforcements."
Sam grabbed her radio and quickly took charge while Teal'c, with both eyebrows raised, calmly stepped forward and took the radio from a suddenly very docile Jack, who watched everything with great interest.
"Sorry, sir." Sam hurried to report in. "Colonel O'Neill's foot was stepped on and broken, and he was given some tea for the pain. It has… taken effect…sir."
"I see." General Landry's voice was both stern and amused. "What IS your status, Colonel Carter?"
"We've had the misfortune to be trapped by some fires, sir." Sam said. "The fire season came early. It will be at least a week before we can reach the Gate safely."
There was a pause.
"I understand, Colonel. Do you require assistance?"
Sam could hear the concern in his voice. "No, sir. We are safe with the Hisnari in their emergency shelter."
"Very well. I will let your families know about the delay. We will contact you every day at this time for a status update."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."
"I'm glad you are all safe. We look forward to your return."
Jack tried to grab a radio, and settled for shouting: "They have the best tea here, sir. I'll bring you some."
There was another pause, but when the General again spoke Sam could swear he had just been laughing. "I look forward to it, Colonel. Take care of your foot. I will speak with you again tomorrow. Over and out."
"Over and out, sir!" Jack saluted, and then returned to looking around.
David jerked at the tingling sensation, and then crawled on his hands and knees out from under the hanging clothes and out of the closet, and into Daniel's room. "Whoa." He said, turning to peer at the mirror and the picture of his living room. "That was so weird."
Daniel carefully picked up the mirror by its frame and pulled it out of the closet. "I think I'll put this in my office." He said, looking at a little boy who grinned guiltily at him. Leading the way out of his bedroom, Daniel set the mirror against the wall in his office, then he shut and locked the door, planning to hang the mirror high on his wall later.
He returned to the living room, and saw David turning around and around, staring all about him and studying the photos on the walls. Photos of Daniel and Sam, and their four children.
"That's your wife?" David asked, his eyebrows raised. "Wow. Where'd you meet her?"
Daniel smiled. "Long story."
David glanced at him. "Let me guess… blind date?"
"Uhh…no."
"Huh." David looked back at the photos.
"Good friend and coworker for years." Daniel explained. "And then…" he shrugged.
"Ohhhh. Lines got crossed?" David's eyes twinkled teasingly. "So…is she like a secretary at the base or something?"
Daniel gave a burst of laughter, and guided David to some other pictures on a different wall. There was a photo of Sam, in full gear, holding a rather dangerous looking rifle. She was grinning. "That is my Sam." Daniel said proudly.
David nodded, impressed. "So, you're a soldier too?" he asked.
"No." Daniel shook his head. "I'm an archaeological consultant and translator."
"Really?" David looked at him. "How did you guys get together?"
"Daddy kissed her in the rain after a fish ate his leg." Kyle piped up, holding two super heroes.
Daniel almost died. He covered his face with his hand and laughed and laughed. Sitting down on the couch, David looked at the little boy with great interest, his eyes shining. "Really? I can't wait to hear this story."
"They were on a beach, and had to use cotton balls for Sharé's diapers."
"Okay!" Daniel announced loudly. "I'm going to order pizza for supper, and I think it's time for you to watch one of your Veggie Tales."
"About David and the Pickle?" Kyle jumped up and ran for the family room.
"Sure." Daniel said, following close behind. He turned and said over his shoulder: "I'll be right back."
David gave him the thumbs up, trying very hard to contain his laughter. When they left he stood from the couch and stepped closer to the wall, looking at the photos and studying the sweet, smiling faces. It all felt very surreal for him; his brother was gone, and yet here he was again… married, busy with a career and a home and children. But none of their shared memories.
At least they had the stories of Daniel's first eight years to share together. After that… everything was different.
Daniel came back in, and put a cordless phone back on its rest.
David turned, and raised his eyebrow, the corner of his mouth lifted in amusement. "So, a fish ate your leg off and then you kissed Sam?"
Chuckling, Daniel said. "Not exactly. Let me start from the beginning. We were on this mission on a different planet. Me, Sam, our team leader Colonel O'Neill, and Teal'c. They returned to Base to report in, and Sam and I stayed behind to study the ruins, when we were attacked…"
Daniel told the entire story, his hands moving as he spoke. David listened in fascination, sitting back on the couch, his head propped up on his hand. Aliens. Other planets. He felt like his head was spinning. The pizza arrived just as the three other kids came bouncing in the door, the school bus pulling away.
"Wow! Supper's early." Jacob said, sniffing the air. "Pizza?"
"Did you get ham and pineapple, Dad?" Charlie called out hopefully, pulling his jacket off and kicking off his shoes.
"Yes, and two supremes." Daniel said. "Go wash up and then set the table. We have a guest."
"Who is it?" Sharé asked, peering around the kitchen door into the living room.
"Someone special. I'll introduce you when you've cleaned up from school." Daniel said. "Now hurry, or no dessert!" He clapped his hands.
Three teenagers scattered to the four winds, the thunder of their footsteps echoing from the stairs.
David stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame, watching with interest. "Those are the rest of them?" he asked.
"Yeah." Daniel turned. "Better grab a slice of Hawaiian quick if you like it."
A few minutes later the family sat down at the dining room table, and Daniel prayed. Then the pizza was dished out, and David found himself the object of attention for four sets of big blue eyes, all studying him.
"So, Dad," Sharé said, her smile sweet and teasing as she glanced from the stranger back to her dad. "Are you going to introduce us?"
"Yes." Daniel said, and lifted his hand. "Kids, meet David. David, this is Sharé, Jacob, Charlie, and you've met Kyle."
"Hi." David said, feeling a bit on the spot.
"He's a new friend," Daniel said to dissuade any questions. "He's a musician, and he brought one of his CD's and his guitar."
Sharé looked at her father, skeptical. "What kind of music?" she asked.
Daniel opened his mouth, and looked at David, who, having finished two large slices of pizza, wiped his hands on a napkin and stood. "How about if I show you." He said, and left.
He returned a moment later with his guitar, and sat down on the chair, hooking one foot up on a rung to lift his knee. Slipping the strap over his shoulder he tested a couple cords, and then he began to play, going straight into Rolling in the Deep. His voice was low and smooth and rich, and at times just a little bit gravelly. As he sang he relaxed, and began to grin when Jacob and Charlie got into it and drummed the beat on the table. Sharé watched him with large eyes that began to shine, and Daniel sat back in his chair, crossing his arms and watching and listening in amazement. When David had said that he was a musician Daniel wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but it wasn't this.
He was good.
He was really good.
When the song ended Sharé grinned. "I love that old song!" she exclaimed.
"Old?" David said, looking shocked.
"What are some of your songs?" she asked.
Jacob and Charlie nodded. "Yeah!" Charlie said. "What do you sing?"
David hesitated, biting his lower lip. "Um…well…" he glanced at Daniel. "My CD isn't released yet." He hedged. "So, you won't recognize anything."
"You mean we get to hear your songs first?" Jacob exclaimed. "Cool!"
"Okay," David shrugged. "You want to hear the recorded version or the live guitar version?"
"You have the CD here?" Sharé said, excited. "Can we hear it?"
"Sure." David set his guitar down, and he got up and retrieved his CD from the living room. Daniel showed him where the CD player was, and David put it in.
"Why's it say 'Best Of David Jackson?" Sharé asked.
"Um…" David studied the back, selecting a song. "My friends did that. They put together a list of concert songs for me."
She looked unconvinced, but didn't say anything, waiting for the music to start.
"I did this one for the military." David said, pushing play.
Daniel stood back, and listened.
Try to leave the light on when I'm gone
Something I rely on to get home
And when it's late at night you can look inside
You won't feel so alone
After the kids had gone to bed the two men sat in the living room, talking. Sharing stories, asking questions, getting to know each other. At long last they went to Daniel's office, where he unlocked the door and led the way inside. There rested the mirror against the wall, still showing David's living room.
"See you tomorrow?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah." David nodded, holding his guitar in one hand. "Sometime around lunch?"
"I'll be here." Daniel said.
The next morning, just as Daniel had settled in for some good work in his office—free of all kids, since Sara was happily watching Kyle, who was excited to play with Jack's little girl, Molly—his phone rang. Caller ID was blocked. Daniel answered: "Hello?"
"Good morning, Dr. Jackson." General Landry's voice came through. "How are the kids?"
"Oh, they're fine, General." Daniel said, setting down his pencil. "Busy as always."
"Good. Well, I'm calling in regards to Sam's mission."
For a moment Daniel felt his heart seize up; what kind of call was this?
"There is a fire blocking their way to the Stargate, so they are staying with the Hisnari until it burns out."
"Oh." Daniel sighed with relief. "Okay. How long?"
"At least a week."
Daniel paused. "A week?" he asked incredulously. "Seriously?"
"So I've been informed. They are perfectly safe, but it will take that long for the fire to die out and travel to resume."
He pinched the bridge of his nose, and grimaced. "Great. Okay."
"I understand this means that you will be working from home for another week."
"Yeah." Daniel dropped his hand and nodded, sighing. "I would appreciate that, sir."
"Congratulate Sharé for me, by the way. I heard she made the Pep Squad."
"Yes, she did." Daniel said, smiling. "I'll tell her; thank you."
"This weekend is Homecoming, isn't it? Is she cheering at the game?"
"She is. She's very excited." Daniel said. "In fact, she's having a sleepover for the squad tonight, after the game." He froze; his eyes widened.
There was a low chuckle on the other end. "Sounds like you're going to have an interesting weekend."
"Oh no." Daniel groaned. He pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
The morning sunlight poured in through the large, open balcony windows into the living room. David stood out on the balcony with a cup of coffee, staring out across the glittering ocean. He could see for miles, it seemed, up in his tenth story Daytona Beach penthouse, and he closed his eyes to the sunshine and felt the warmth on his face, and smelled the salty breeze as it blew around him.
Sleep had eluded him most of the night, and when he did sleep, he dreamed about his brother. Finally, he had roused himself. He had taken a freezing cold shower, hoping the shock would jar him out of his thoughts, and then he had lost himself in his studio, playing his music and recording and editing and losing himself in his work. For hours. Yet even then his thoughts kept straying, and at last he left the studio and went to his kitchen, making a pot of black coffee. As he passed the living room he glanced at the mirror, at the picture of Daniel's office. The first time he saw it he froze. It wasn't a dream. It was still there; it had really happened? Now he eyed it, watching, glancing at it every time he passed. He hadn't been sure where to hang it and it was still sitting there on the floor, waiting. He went outside onto his balcony with his coffee, and pondered the events of the previous day.
He wanted so badly for this to be true.
He wanted his brother back. However he could get him.
The ache of grief was not as sharp as it had been a month ago, but it was still raw and harsh and painful. The only person he had left was Rosa, the old Hispanic housekeeper, who had been with them since he was ten. She was the only reason he wasn't flying apart at the seams. Why he hadn't gone mad.
He turned, and looked inside at his living room, staring at the mirror. Daniel suddenly came into the reflection, entering his office and sitting down at his desk. David stared, holding his breath, watching as his older brother flipped through papers and books, writing and reading, a pencil held sideways in his mouth as he frowned in concentration.
He had prayed so hard.
Was this God's answer?
Did he dare to hope?
At some point, he slowly ventured into the living room, stopping a few steps from the balcony doors. Daniel answered a phone, and talked for a few minutes, and then took his glasses off and sighed. When he got off the phone he rubbed his face and then stood, leaving the office. David stepped closer, craning his neck… as if that would help him see more.
A few minutes later Daniel returned, carrying a large mug of something that steamed his glasses when he took a drink. He stopped at his desk, a hand in his jeans' pocket, facing the mirror, looking at it. Looking at David. He smiled, and pulled his hand free and waved.
Caught watching, David shifted shyly, and lifted a hand, and waved back. He slowly walked forward until he was standing in front of the mirror, and Daniel did the same on the other side.
Then Daniel lifted his hand, and beckoned.
David took a deep breath, and released it. His heart began to pound.
He touched the mirror.
Daniel put his hand on David's shoulder, and smiled. "What do you know about thirteen-year-old girls?"
The question caught David by surprise, and he laughed. "When they're excited they scream a lot. At least at concerts."
Daniel rolled his eyes. "Thanks."
"Something up with Sharé?" David asked.
"Yeah." Daniel sighed and leaned back against his desk, cradling his coffee mug. "Homecoming pajama party for her cheerleading squad."
David's eyes widened, and he whistled. "Wow." He commented, shoving his hands into his jeans' pockets. He shook his head. "You need a woman in the house."
"She was supposed to be in the house." Daniel said. "But she's stuck off world, so I'm stuck with a pajama party."
"Okay. Bye." David teased, turning as if he were going to run back to the mirror.
"Coward!" Daniel laughed, glowering at him.
David chuckled, and turned back. "I don't know…" he shrugged. "I could be the entertainment, but… other than that, you're on your own."
Daniel sighed and dropped his chin.
Rocking back on his heels, David opened his mouth to say something, but just then the phone rang on Daniel's desk. Daniel picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hi Daniel, it's Sara. I just got the news from General Landry. A week?"
"Sounds like it."
"Well, I was going to take Molly to the zoo tomorrow, and was wondering if Kyle could sleep over and go with us?"
Daniel straightened, his eyes brightening. "Actually, Sara, how would Molly like to stay over here?" He shared a glance with his brother. "You could come over for supper tonight…"
"Isn't it Homecoming this weekend?"
"Yes," he said slowly, trying to sound nonchalant. "So Sharé will be busy, but…"
Sara laughed on the other end of the line. "Yes, I will help with the sleep over."
"Oh, thank goodness." Daniel grinned.
"What time are all the girls arriving?"
"Sometime after the football game."
"Okay. I'll come over and we can feed the two little ones supper, put them to bed, and prep the living room with blankets and pillows. Now Sam said she was going for easy… popcorn, movies, and ice cream. Do you have all that?"
Daniel rubbed his eyes and shook his head. "Nope. Guess I'm going shopping."
"I'll supply the movies. You just get the popcorn and ice cream. Make sure you get chocolate syrup and strawberries."
Daniel propped the phone between his chin and shoulder, and grabbed a pen and paper pad. He wrote down the shopping list. "Chocolate syrup… strawberries… Got it." He said. "Thank you, Sara. And yes, Kyle would love to go to the zoo."
The rest of the day was spent shopping, and raiding the closets and cupboards for extra pillows and blankets.
The party went smoothly, much to Daniel's relief. After the snacks and ice cream Daniel and David set themselves the task of cleaning up, while Sara organized the girls and their pillows and left them with their movies.
The chatter, shrieks, overlapping voices, and giggling rose from the living room. After putting the last partial container of ice cream in the freezer, Daniel sat down on a stool with a beer and listened with a bemused expression. David leaned on the counter with his own beer. His face was caught between amusement and fascination.
"It's like another language, isn't it?" Daniel said, taking a drink.
David laughed, then he looked up at Daniel. "That's something Dad would always say." He said.
Daniel tipped his head, growing quiet. "Really? What else did he say?"
David crossed his arms on the counter top. "Oh, Dad was always fond of picking up random objects and saying things like 'Do you realize that in a thousand years, this may be a priceless artifact?' It was always hard to take him seriously when he'd pick up something like my pop can."
Daniel laughed.
"And Mom was always at me about trying new foods. At least one new food a month. You should have heard her lecture in regards to lentils and the Romans." David's eyes were twinkling as his face morphed into a mock-frown. "'Soldiers could survive on these for months! You can survive on them today.'"
He laughed, but then Daniel's expression became wistful. "Her lentil curry was pretty fantastic. That was always my favorite."
David looked up. "Mine too." He said quietly. Then he blinked and glanced away, swallowing.
Daniel cleared his throat. "I think the girls are set. How about we call it a night."
David straightened and put his hands in his pockets.
"You want the Lay-Z boy or the bed?"
"What?"
Daniel shrugged. "Lay-Z boy in my office, or bed?"
The corner of David's mouth lifted. He scuffed his shoe, and then nodded. "Lay-Z boy."
Late Sunday evening David returned home. He stepped into his darkened living room, and waved bye to Daniel through the mirror. Then he turned on some lights, went to his answering machine and pushed 'play'.
"Hey David! It's Britney. Call me, I miss you!"
David made a gagging face and quickly hit 'delete'.
"David, it's Mark. We had a meeting today at three and you didn't show. What happened? Call me."
He groaned, and hit his forehead with his hand. The meeting with his agent! How could he have forgotten?
"David, Mark again. I stopped by your place this morning and you weren't there. Where are you?! I mean, if you're pissed about the terms of the new contract just say so."
The last message was time stamped just an hour ago.
"Hey, I tried your cell and you're not answering that either. This isn't like you… are you okay? Call me!"
David grabbed his phone and dialed, cursing under his breath. How on earth was he going to explain his several-day absence? As the phone rang in his ear his mind raced madly.
"Hello?"
"Mark! Hey. Sorry for missing you, man." David started.
"David… geez! Where have you been?!"
David opened his mouth, twice, but nothing came out. "I just needed some time by myself." He finally said. "I left Friday and totally spaced our meeting. Sorry."
"You okay?"
"Yeah. I'm doing good. I've almost finished the CD, but… I just…" David paused, and rubbed his forehead. "I just don't feel ready to go on tour. It just… It feels like too much, too soon."
"I understand… I get it. The record company won't be happy; tours really help boost sales, but… you don't have to sign the contract if you really feel that way."
"I do. I think I just want to focus on my music for a while. I'm actually writing some new material."
"Your inspiration's back? Awesome! I'll take care of it then. Don't you worry." Mark paused. "Let's do lunch tomorrow. We can talk."
"Sure. Why don't you come over, I'll play you some of my new stuff."
The next day Mark arrived with subs in hand, and David played the songs he'd been writing over the past month. Mark loved all of them, and left with promises of taking care of the record company, and saying David should take care of himself, and keep up the good work.
Rosa arrived after Mark left, bustling in with two bags of groceries and a large smile. "Hola, Davey." She said, setting the bags on the kitchen counter. "How was your weekend?"
David smiled at her. "Great. Yours?" He peered into one of the bags.
Rosa smacked his hand. "Those are for later." She scolded fondly.
For the next couple of hours she puttered around his apartment, chatting about this and that, vacuuming, dusting, running a load of laundry. And then she set about making supper. David offered to help, as he always did, but she just shooed him away with a kitchen towel, as she always did.
After supper Rosa went home, hugging him and wishing him a good night. Then David went to his room, where he'd stowed the mirror before Mark had come over. It sat against the wall, and he peered through it and into Daniel's office. It was empty. He hesitated for a moment, then put his hand against the glass and felt the now-familiar tingle.
The sound of Daniel and his kids drifted from the direction of the kitchen. David waited a moment, not sure how to announce his presence. Just suddenly appearing in their house would definitely raise questions amongst the children.
He poked his head out and glanced quickly around. There was no one to be seen in the hall or the living room. So, he leapt across the empty space to the front door, opened it, and turned around in it, holding the handle. "Hey!" he called out. "Can I come in?"
Daniel and the twins immediately came out of the kitchen, and Daniel looked at him—standing in the front door— with some confusion. David winked at him. Daniel grinned.
"Sure." He said. "We were just cleaning up from supper."
"Uncle David!" Kyle darted from the kitchen and ran up to him, grinning from ear to ear. "Where did you come from?"
"From my house." David said, crouching down and grinning. "I came to see you."
"Uncle?" Sharé said, showing up behind Daniel with a confused frown. "What?"
Daniel hesitated. He'd been trying to decide how much, if any, he should tell his kids, and he still hadn't come to a decision. He'd been hoping to talk to Sam first…
"Kyle calls all of Dad's friend's 'Uncle.'" Jacob said, disappearing back into the kitchen.
"Yep." Charlie agreed, following his brother. "Uncle Jack, Uncle Teal'c, Uncle Sara…"
Daniel and David laughed.
For the rest of the week David and Daniel split their visiting between their two places. Most of the time David visited Daniel's house, but a few times—if Kyle had a play date with Molly during the day while the older kids were in school—Daniel would come over. Then David showed off his studio, and they went through his albums and talked about their parents, and once they went for a walk on a secluded part of the beach.
Friday morning Sam came home, weary and worn and happy to be back. "They gave me a week off." She said with a tired smile, dropping her bag and kissing Daniel. "How did the sleep-over go?"
"Great." Daniel said, taking her bag. "Sara helped out; I'm sure Sharé will tell you all about it when she gets home." He followed her to their room, and dropped the bag next to their closet. He watched as she gathered some clean clothes and a towel. "Long week?"
"You have no idea."
"How's Jack?"
She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Doing fine. Not that he would admit that."
"I'm sorry I missed him on the tea. I heard that was quite the experience."
Sam laughed. Hard.
Daniel came up and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close, till he could feel her breath and see every shade of blue in her eyes. "Hello, Sam." He murmured. His lips caught hers, warm and soft and strong. Sam's eyes fluttered closed, and he felt her sigh and relax into him.
When they pulled back, Sam looked up at him and smiled. "Want to join me?" She asked, and flipped the towel over her shoulder, and sauntered out.
The corners of his mouth lifted, and Daniel followed her.
Later they retired to the couch in the living room, and after some wine and a lot of conversation, Sam leaned her head on her hand and looked at her husband, who was slowly running his hand along her legs resting on his lap.
"You should invite him for dinner." She said, taking another sip of her Merlot.
Daniel nodded, then carefully slid her legs off his lap. "I'll go ask right now." He said, standing. "That way he'll have time to let Rosa know, and we'll have time to cook."
A few minutes later he returned, grinning. "He says he'll bring dessert." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Mm. Does he like anything in particular?" Sam asked.
The corner of Daniel's mouth rose. "Lentil curry."
Sam grinned, her eyes twinkling at him. "I'll make extra."
Supper was delicious, and so were the cinnamon churros that David brought. The kids went to bed, and the three adults sat down in the living room with coffee.
David sank back into the couch cushions with a sigh.
"It's so good to finally meet you," Sam said softly and watched him pinch his nose just like Daniel did.
"It's really good to meet you too," David gestured at the photos on the wall. "I'm glad my brother finally found someone."
Sam grinned at him. "Actually, he found me."
David smiled and then rubbed his face and pinched his nose again.
"You okay?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah…" David rubbed his eyes. "It's just been a long day. I didn't want to talk about it in front of the kids."
Daniel and Sam immediately perked up, and Daniel leaned forward and set his elbows on his knees. "What happened?"
"Someone saw us. On the beach." David said. "They took a photo—not a very good photo, but a photo—and it's all over the tabloids that you're alive and we pulled a huge insurance scam. I've been on the phone all day with my agent and lawyers and the insurance company… They're going to launch an investigation." He paused, and then sighed heavily. "And… my record label cut me loose. Between refusing to tour and the scandal…"
"That's terrible." Sam groaned.
Daniel rubbed his eyes. "Oh, man, David… I'm so sorry. Is there anything we can do to fix this?"
David shook his head. "No. The scandal will blow over; you're not there, there's nothing to find. But my career… I don't know. My new CD release got canceled. I can try to start over, but…" He shrugged.
Sam leaned back against the couch, and took a drink of her coffee, and looked between the two of them. Daniel had taken off his glasses and was pinching his nose. David was doing the same. She laughed.
Two sets of blue eyes looked at her. "This isn't funny." Daniel said.
"No, I know… It's you guys." Sam said, gesturing with her mug. "You're doing the same thing. It's almost like you're related!" Her eyes twinkled teasingly.
The next day, late in the afternoon, Daniel was called in to Stargate Command by General Landry. Arriving at the General's office, Daniel shook Landry's hand and sat down. "What's up, General?"
Landry sat down in his chair on the other side of his desk. He looked stressed. "Dr. Jackson, I was visited by Area 51. It seems they've been tracking the energy signature of an unauthorized piece of alien technology. They followed the signature to your house."
Daniel straightened in his chair. "General…"
Landry held up a hand. "I told them you were studying a piece of technology per my order."
Daniel relaxed.
"However, any alien tech is not allowed off base. So," Landry folded his hands on top of the desk. "Whatever it is you have needs to be brought in to the SGC immediately. This evening. Study it in your office or a lab here." He leaned closer, his eyes concerned. "Daniel… it's not like you to take an artifact without authorization. What's going on?"
Daniel rubbed the bridge of his nose, and sighed. "It's a Quantum Mirror, Sir."
"What?! If Area 51 finds out, they will take it by force. How on earth did you get one?"
"It was in my parents' storage unit, amongst other normal artifacts they'd collected. I had no idea until this last week. And there's more, Sir." Daniel said, and went on to explain the series of events of the past week, of Kyle turning on the mirror and going through, of David… his brother.
"You have to bring the mirror here to the SGC." Landry said.
"Yes, Sir."
"And you have to stop using it. No more trips, for you or your brother."
"Excuse me?" Daniel blinked.
"Don't you realize how dangerous this is?" Landry demanded gently. "Quantum Mirrors don't just go to one place. They can connect to dozens, hundreds of different realities. What if David pushes the wrong button? And it sounds like your presence in his world is causing problems."
"But Sir…"
"You have to bring it back now. This evening. Drop it off in your office. At noon tomorrow it will be put into storage with the other dangerous artifacts."
"Sir…"
"You have that long to make your goodbyes." Landry stood up. The conversation was over. "I'm sorry, Dr. Jackson."
Daniel drove home. He collected the mirror, and returned to the SGC, determined that if nothing else Area 51 was going to stay out of the situation. He took the mirror to his office, and leaned it against a bookshelf. Then he stepped back and stared at it.
What was he going to do?
What was he going to tell David?
His family would want to say goodbye. He'd bring them over the next morning, before personnel crated it up, and he'd bring David through one last time.
He couldn't just wait till tomorrow. He had to give David fair warning… he owed him that much.
He was his brother.
Daniel slid down onto the floor, his back against his desk. The heels of his hands pressed his eyes, and he ground his teeth. It wasn't fair. They had just found each other… and now he had to destroy it. He swallowed tightly and tipped his head back, staring up at the ceiling as a tear trickled down his cheek.
After a few minutes he stood up, and stepped over to the mirror and went through.
The living room was lit, and David's guitar was sitting on the couch. Sounds came from the kitchen.
"David?" Daniel called, taking a slow step in.
There were footsteps, and David showed up. "Hey, Daniel." He grinned. "What's up?"
Daniel put his hands in his pockets. Slowly.
"You okay?" David frowned. "You don't look so good. What happened?"
"I… We need to talk." Daniel said, shuffling over to the couch. "But… I don't know how to explain."
"Then explain badly." David said, sitting down next to him.
Daniel took a deep breath, and blew out slowly. "There's a military group that regulates and watches for alien technology, and they found out that I have the mirror. General Landry also knows, and… I've been told I have to turn in the mirror and can't use it anymore." He took another breath. "They're taking it tomorrow. We can say goodbye in the morning, but after that… we can't see each other, ever again."
"What?" David's eyes grew wide, his face freezing with shock. "But… No, no, we're not doing anything…!"
"I've already messed up your life by coming here." Daniel said hoarsely, his eyes beginning to shine. "And the mirror is a dangerous thing, it can go to different realities other than ours… You push the wrong button and who knows what could happen."
"Then I won't push any button!"
"David… they're taking it from me…" Daniel looked at his younger brother, stricken, and his jaw clenched. "I've never had any family." He whispered. "I've only had you for a week… What are we going to do?"
David didn't answer. He just stared at Daniel for a moment longer, and then he stood up and took a few strides, running a hand roughly across his face. Then he suddenly snatched a coffee mug from the coffee table and threw it with a bellow. One of his patio doors smashed, and the cup exploded into shards on the balcony.
"I lost my whole family a month ago, and now I've lost my entire career!" He yelled, his chest heaving. "You're all I have left!"
Daniel stood up. "I'm sorry. I don't know what to do."
"There has to be something!" David ran his hands through his hair. "I could… I could sign something… a waiver. Anything. I could pay them!"
"It won't work. This is an alternate universe, not a planet." Daniel swallowed. This was killing him.
"This is bullshit!"
Daniel clenched his jaw.
David finally turned and looked at him, his features tight with anger and hurt, his eyes blazing even as they welled. "I've lost you once already." He said hoarsely. "I can't lose you again."
Daniel grabbed him and pulled him in, hugging him fiercely and hard. David hugged him back, and they stood there. Each unwilling to let go.
"I'll bring my family to the Base in the morning." Daniel whispered. "You can come through and say goodbye to them if you want."
He felt David nod. Then David pulled in a hoarse breath and pulled away, pushing him. "Go home." He rasped. "Go home to your wife and kids. Kiss Kyle for me."
Daniel stared at him, and then he took a step back. "I'll see you in the morning?" he asked, afraid to hear the answer.
David nodded shortly.
Daniel touched the mirror, and disappeared.
Alone, David backed up against a wall, and slid down to the floor.