Poems, Prayers and Promises, a stargate: sg-1 fanfic

Poems, Prayers and Promises, by DrGemini86 (DrGemini24)

Summary: Daniel counts his blessings as he watches things at home. Set after the films with little spoilers. Some John Denver inspired fluff. Lyrics featured are Poems, Prayers and Promises by John Denver.

Pairing: SamDaniel (established relationship)

Rating: T

Genres: A/U, Family-focussed, Future, Relationship-focussed, SongFic

Warnings: Some mention of drug use in the lyrics… lol

A/N: Poems, Prayers and Promises is one of my favourite John Denver tracks. It's a nice song about someone reflecting on their life and looking forward to the things to come. Go check the song out on YouTube.

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"I've been lately thinking about my life's time,
All the things I've done and how it's been,
And I can't help believing in my own mind,
I know I'm gonna hate to see it end…"

As Daniel lay in a hammock in the backyard, a small sleeping child with light brown hair curled up on his stomach, he closed his eyes as he thought back over the years, the sun's rays warming his face.

Since he had come back from Abydos, after losing Sha're, his life had never been the same again. The past twelve years had been one hell of a ride, the later years containing a lot of happiness, and, as he gazed at the little boy still sleeping on him, he smiled, knowing that he wouldn't mind if he happened to be immortal – he wouldn't mind at all.

"I've seen a lot of sunshine, slept out in the rain,
Spent a night or two all on my own,
I've known my lady's pleasures, had myself some friends,
Spent a time or two in my own home…"

He sighed softly as he remembered camel trains across the Egyptian desert, boat rides down the Nile, and the hot sun beating down on his head when he had lost his hat while watching his parents get down to work. His first kiss from the young daughter of a French Archaeologist. The hours he spent under the stars with his father, the older Jackson pointing out constellations and telling him the stories behind each one in each major culture.

He had experienced bouts of happiness, small, if infrequent, reminders that his naïve values weren't so naïve after all, before and after opening the Stargate. He had fallen in love with Sha're after a misunderstanding that resulted in the two of them being married. The Abydonians were the first true family that he had had since losing his parents, accepting him with all his peculiar quirks and faults, loving him like a family.

Sha're's eventual death at the hands of Teal'c, in order to save his life, had killed him inside. As the early years of the Stargate programme rolled by, he had known that there was a chance that he wouldn't get her back as she was, but there always had been hope.

Ascending to, and descending from a higher plain of existence had helped him to get over the guilt and overwhelming pain that he had felt over the whole situation, and he became more confident. This was in no small part to finding out the hard way that his work with SG-1 really did mean a lot more than he had previously thought.

Around half a year or so after returning, he had managed to face his growing feelings for her, and shortly afterwards, they were married. Not long after that, she had conceived a set of twins, and Jack had christened him 'Cheshire cat' for his ever present smile.

"And I have to say it now, it's been a good life all in all,
It's really fine to have a chance to hang around,
And lie there by the fire, and watch the evening tire,
While all my friends and my old lady sit and pass the pipe around..."

All in all, it had been a very good life. Not many others would have had such an incredibly varied life, seen the things that he had seen, both horrifying and beautiful, and still lived to tell… or not to tell the tale. He gently kissed the little boy's forehead as said little boy clung onto his shirtfront a little tighter.

He then looked towards the backdoor on noticing it open, and saw Cam, Teal'c and Vala emerge. The three of them smiled on watching the Archaeologist and the little boy, and Vala was about to go towards them when Cam placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her as he said quietly, under the impression that Daniel was asleep,

"I don't think that'd be a good idea. Jackson and Jackson are asleep. General O'Neill will be a happy man at that hammock getting some use though."

Vala looked briefly disappointed as she sat on the decking with Cam, Teal'c saying with a small smile as he joined them, "DanielJackson does indeed look peaceful."

"And talk of poems, prayers, and promises, and things that we believe in,
How sweet it is to love someone, how right it is to care,
How long it's been since yesterday, and what about tomorrow,
And what about our dreams, and all the memories we share…"

Daniel decided not to reveal his state of wakefulness unless the little boy on his chest wake up, remembering how much trouble they usually had to get the child to take a nap, the boy's mother remarking on several occasions that he had his father's downright stubbornness.

"The days they pass so quickly now, nights are seldom long,
Time around me whispers when it's cold,
Changes somehow frighten me, but still I have to smile,
It turns me on to think of growing old..."

It seemed like only yesterday sometimes that the Goa'uld were the big bad guys in the galaxy, but SG-1, with their relatively primitive technology, had defeated them, the Replicators, and the Ori. Since the start of the programme, they had overcome adversity so many times, saved the planet and the galaxy, and discovered the lost city of Atlantis, where a scientific expedition had since been established.

The changes over the past decade or so had not all been good, particularly Jack's promotions which resulted in him not being around as much as he once was; the promotions and retirement of Generals Hammond and Landry; the various promotions of his military friends, the deaths of so many brave and wonderful men and women at the hands of either nature or the enemy…

But all through the darkness and despair, there was always hope; hope in the form of love, friendship, peace, and ultimately, fatherhood and being around the woman he loved more than the stars in the sky.

"For though my life's been good to me, there's still so much to do,
So many things my mind has never known,
I'd like to raise a family, I'd like to sail away,
And dance across the mountains on the moon…"

He certainly wouldn't mind growing old with her, and watching their children grow into independent, confident adults with apparently Jack's love of mercilessly teasing him.

Sam eventually joined her friends, Cam looking up at her and saying with a little smile as he pointed to Daniel, "Check Jackson out."

Sam smiled softly and approached the hammock, Daniel doing his best to look as though he was sleeping. She remarked quietly in amusement as she touched his cheek,

"I would sooner believe that you were gay."

He opened his eyes, looking up at her and retorting with a little smile, "I was resting my eyes."

"Sure you were."

She tenderly smoothed the little boy's hair and then picked him up, saying as the boy stirred, moaning and rubbing his eyes as he rested his head on his mother's shoulder as she rubbed his back, "Come on, Jake... time to sleep in a proper bed instead of on top of Daddy."

Jake whined drowsily, "I'm not tired…"

"Sure. In that case, let's go check out the route to the land of the Nod."

Jake mumbled as he yawned, nodding against her shoulder as his eyes closed, "Ok."

She smiled down at the boy and Daniel gazed up at his wife, asking, "Where are Grace and Claire?"

"Oh, they're napping too. It's a miracle."

He smiled up at her and she remarked as he sat up, the Astrophysicist smoothing his hair back, "Don't get any ideas… we've got our friends here."

He got up and kissed her softly, replying as he hugged her, gazing down at the sleeping boy, "We'll still get a little peace."

She kissed him back, smiling as she said, "We'll miss them when they start Kindergarten."

He nodded, gazing at her as he caressed her cheek, and he then slipped an arm around her waist as they walked back towards their friends as they got up, all of them going back into the house.

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"Oh, review button, oh, review button,
It only takes a wee moment

A little button that you click,
To tell me that you weren't so sick

Oh, review button, oh, review button,
It really does take just a moment…"