Title: To Be Happy Once Again 1/?
Author: Lady Taevyn
Rating: PG
Summary: In which Jack is decisive, and Danny is carefree.
Disclaimer: We all know they don't belong to me, although I'd take better care of them if they did.
Coffee, Jack desperately needed lots of coffee. He had just spent two of the most boring days of his life off-world, twiddling his thumbs while Claire and Mel Jackson, and Sam tried to figure out the 'cartouche' room on Abydos. He thought being an 'Intergalactic Explorer' would be a little more exciting, boy was he wrong. On his way to the commissary Jack was lost in thought and almost didn't see the little blur that raced past him. Side-stepping at the last second was the only way a collision was avoided. While he understood the importance of family Jack wondered, not for the first time, why the Jackson's insisted their young son be allowed on base. Hammond, who Jack assumed was missing his granddaughters, had taken one look at Daniel and caved to the request. Danny had slowed realizing the accident his speed had almost caused, and turned to apologize to Jack.
"I'm sorry, I just wanted to go and see my parents." He offered up, turning on the puppy dog eyes. Jack never could stay mad at Charlie when he got that look, and the same apparently held true for this little boy.
"That's ok," Jack responded crouching to be closer to eye level, "I think your mom and dad are in a meeting, so they are going to be busy for a little bit longer. Why don't you come with me to the mess hall, and we'll see if we can't find some cake or something?" Danny seemed to weigh his options and quickly came to the conclusion that this guy was ok.
"Ok, I guess, but how will my parents know where I am?" Danny asked as the pair headed toward the elevator.
"I'll make sure they know." Jack replied. He made good on his promise when they entered the commissary by having one of the airmen who was leaving promise to tell the Jackson's where they were. This became a sort of ritual with the two of them. While Claire and Mel were briefing the general on cultural finds Jack would spend time with Danny, usually in the commissary.
Jack realized that having Daniel around wasn't such a bad thing; he really was a well behaved kid when he didn't have his head stuck in a book. Several rooms on level 17 had been converted into a play area so that other people could have their children there if they wanted. Jack knew Charlie would have loved it. When the Jackson's left, several months later, due to a 'conflict of interest' (i.e. they felt that not enough effort was being put toward studying the cultures of the planets that were visited) the rooms on 17 remained in tact.
"SG-1, welcome home, get yourselves cleaned up and checked out, we'll de-brief in an hour." Hammond's voice boomed from the control room. Handing their weapons off to the airmen stationed at the base of the ramp the team headed for the locker room. An hour later they were met by a somber looking General, and Catherine Langford.
"I received a phone call this morning from Catherine, she felt it necessary to deliver the news she told me to you herself." Hammond said motioning for Catherine to continue.
"Sometime yesterday there was an accident; Claire and Mel Jackson were killed. I don't have any word on their son, but I think it's important that we send some representation to the funeral. They were an integral part of this program from the beginning, and should be remembered for it." Catherine finished her speech dabbing at the moisture in her eyes.
"I'm inclined to agree, and as such I'm granting you three days leave to attend the funeral. Give all of our condolences to the family." Hammond concluded, standing to indicate that the meeting was over.
At the graveside Jack caught a glimpse of Daniel sitting with an older gentleman who seemed rather detached from the whole thing. As the family and friends slowly left the grave side Jack, Sam and Dr. Rothman made their way up to the man and boy. What Jack heard broke his heart.
"No Daniel, I can't take you with me. This is a very important find, and you'd be in the way."
"But, grandpa, who'll…" Daniel's question was cut off by a wave of the older man's hand.
Jack wanted to shake this man; he was denying his own flesh and blood after such a tragedy. What kind of heartless person would do that? Jack coughed loudly alerting the pair to the presence of others. Daniels eyes lit up when he recognized who it was.
"Colonel Jack, Sam, what are you doing here?" He asked voice full of wonder.
"We're here for you, Danny. We heard about your parents, and we just wanted to make sure you were ok." Jack said not really knowing what else to say. Danny quickly stood and came to them hugging both of the people he recognized. Jack turned his attention to the older gentleman who was now standing.
"My name is Colonel Jack O'Neill; I worked with Claire and Mel in Colorado, and wanted to give you the condolences of everyone stationed at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. They were great people and we are all sorry for your loss." Short and to the point, just the way Jack liked his speeches.
"I am Nicholas Ballard, Claire was my only daughter. Thank you for your kind words. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a plane to catch and really must be going. Come on Daniel we need to get you squared away so I can go." The man said reaching for Daniel. Sam felt a sense of dread come over her as the man stepped closer to Daniel and she quickly moved to put herself between the man and the child. What exactly did he mean by 'squared away' she wondered quietly?
"Sir, if I could speak to you for one more minute," Jack directed toward Daniel's grandfather, to Sam he said, "Carter, why don't you Daniel and Rothman head toward the cars, we'll be there in just a minute?"
"Yes sir." Sam turned sharply on her heel and took Daniel's hand gently.
"What is it you want colonel, I am a very busy man." Nicolas asked curtly.
"With all due respect sir, I heard what you said to Danny earlier, about not being able to 'take him with you'. I wanted to know what you planned on doing with him." Jack asked.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I was going to give him over to the state, let them deal with him. I'll be gone for several months maybe a year, on a very important archeological dig, and won't be able to look after him." Nicholas said with no feeling at all. Jack wondered again how a man could be so heartless.
"If it's all the same to you, I'd like to take him with me, to Colorado. He would be with people who care about him." Jack said hoping to drive his point home.
"Fine, I have his things in my car. Let's go, I don't want to miss my flight." Was all Nicholas said before heading in the same direction Sam had just gone.
"The bastard has Danny's things in his car. He was going to drop him off at social services on his way to the airport." Jack was seething with anger as he relayed this information to Sam. There wasn't time for Sam to get angry as the 'bastard' was getting several bags out of his trunk, and indicating the backseat of the car where Sam saw a booster seat. Having never dealt with that before Sam grabbed the suitcases and placed them in the trunk of the rental car.
"Sir, what do you want to do now?" Sam asked as they watched Nicholas drive away. Daniel was looking confused and concerned.
"Well now I figure we get some lunch, and then we have to head back to the hotel and book another seat on the plane. What'd you say Danny, you want to come back to Colorado with Carter and me?" Jack wondered what exactly he was getting himself into. Having lost Sara and Charlie just over a year ago, how was he going to take care of an eight year old on his own?
Reporting back to the mountain the next day Jack still wasn't sure how he was going to explain the presence of the boy to Hammond. Hopefully the truth and puppy dog eyes would do the trick. Signing in top-side he didn't get any flack, being second in command had its perks. At the elevator switch on level 11 Jack could tell Danny was starting to sense his anxiety, so he counted to 10 then 50, when that didn't work he went all the way to 100. Jack could hear that the general was on the phone, and apparently wasn't happy. Shuffling Danny behind him Jack stood just out of eyesight of the door till he heard Hammond hang up. Under any other circumstances he'd have begged Carter to do this, but it was his decision, so he would face the consequences. Knocking on the open door Jack waited for the requisite 'enter'. As he did he opted to sit bringing Daniel onto his knee.
"I was going to ask how the trip was, but I think I'll wait to hear your explanation of events." Hammond said seeing the boy.
"Well sir it's very simple really, Danny's only remaining family decided it would be too much of a hardship to keep him so I offered to bring him here, where he'll be around people he knows, who care about him. His grandfather had some paperwork packed with his things that I need to go through, but I think I've effectively become his guardian." Jack went with the easiest truth he had come up with to explain things in Daniel's presence. The general seemed to be willing to accept this at least for the time being and turned his attention to Daniel.
"What do you think of all of this son?" Wondering what response he'd get from the boy.
"I miss my mom and dad, and I'm sad that my grandpa didn't want me, but it's cool that I get to spend time with Colonel Jack, and Sam. They're neat; I get to eat a lot of cake when they are around." The last line was delivered in a conspiratorial whisper. Both older men burst out laughing. Jack and Danny left Hammonds office with the promise of more downtime for Jack to get Danny situated, and registered in the local elementary school. They stopped by Carter's office where Daniel immediately took notice of a picture. It was of him standing near the top of a pyramid. Another image near it was of him on a camel.
"How come you have pictures of me in here Sam?" Daniels curiosity had gotten the best of him.
"After your mom and dad stopped working here, I kept in touch with them, and they sent me these pictures of you. So I put them up to remind me to write to them on occasion." Sam sniffled and surreptitiously wiped a tear away remembering that she had started a letter to the Jackson's several days before they had gone off-world.
"Carter, I was just coming by to tell you Hammond put SG-1 on another few days of downtime, so I can get Danny settled in at home. I was wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner." Jack asked hoping he didn't sound too forward.
"Yeah Sam, will you come? Please, it'll be so cool." Jack would have to remember to congratulate Danny on perfect use of the puppy dog eyes.
"Sure, did you want me to bring anything?" This would be interesting, dinner with Jack and Danny.
"Nope, just yourself around 6:30 if you're late, there'll be no lasagna for you." Jack responded leaving her lab with a smiling Daniel in tow.