Child's Play

By: Bursztyn

"Reese, your father made you wrong!"

"No," Reese shouted back in denial.

"Yes," Daniel retaliated immediately. "You destroyed your world." He held her defiant gaze until she broke down and began to sob.

"I didn't mean to." She was as innocent as a child who had never learned the difference between right and wrong. Daniel's gaze softened slightly.

"I know," he told her, "but now you're going to destroy mine too."

"I don't want to," she told him earnestly.

"I know," he said again, "that's why you have to stop now."

She stared back at him, wanting to trust him so badly, to let him be her friend.

"No one will hurt you," he promised. "We may be able to fix you."

"How?" she sobbed.

"Shut off your toys and go to sleep. We'll find a way."

Daniel held his breath. For a moment it looked like she was going to agree, then they could stop this fiasco and call the Asgard over to help. But Reese's response was one of denial. "I don't believe you."

Daniel's hopes almost shattered before he pulled himself back together just as quickly. What reason did she have to trust him? He had basically just deceived her the first time around when he had gained her trust.

"I'll wake you up myself, I promise. I'm your friend," he told her passionately. "I don't want you to die."

Reese must have seen something different in his eyes or the way he spoke his words because she came forward a little and said, "I don't want you to die either."

They stood there together for a timeless moment, human and android, searching and assessing one another. Daniel wished that there was more he could do for her, but there wasn't. The replicators were taking over and they were fast running out of time. Reese trusted him, and there was nothing he could offer her in return.

Maybe there was one thing he could do for her… On impulse Daniel closed the space between them and enveloped her in a hug. He felt Reese stiffen up like a board before relaxing after a few seconds. "What are you doing?" she asked cautiously, curiously.

"It's called a hug," he told her, resting his chin gently on top of her head. "It's a sign of affection."

They were both aware of the sound of metal clanging harshly against concrete. They both heard Jack's voice ring out behind them, somewhere outside of their personal little world. "Daniel!"

They both ignored it.

Reese snuggled into Daniel's arms. "It's warm," she decided. "It feels safe," she sounded hopeful.

"I'll protect you," he whispered, fighting to speak around his throat which was tightening up with emotion.

"Daniel! Dammit Daniel, what the hell are you doing?"

"I think," Reese whispered back, "I can fall asleep now."

And she did. Her body fell limp and Daniel kept a tight hold on her while Reese's toys fell to pieces all over the SGC base. When it stopped sounding like it was raining in the hallways he gently guided her body down to the ramp, ignoring the throbbing pain in his left wrist to ensure she wasn't harmed on her trip to the ground. He heard Jack in the background saying something over his radio but he didn't pay him any attention until Reese wasn't in danger of falling out of his arms.

Daniel felt a hand on his shoulder and the illusion of the private world he and Reese had shared was shattered. "Daniel," it was Jack again – still, he had always been there. "I would be perfectly justified in shooting this robot right here right now. Carter told me that it was loosing control of the replicators –"

Daniel angrily shot to his feet. Nowadays it was always about what 'Carter said'. Daniel was a scientist too, he was just as smart as her. And god, he loved Sam like a sister but he was so tired of not being listened to anymore, for his opinion counting for nothing. Before he could start ranting though Jack finished what he was saying.

"– but if you tell me I don't have to shoot, then I won't."

Just like that Daniel's anger was gone and he deflated a little with the loss of its steam. Jack misinterpreted his body language and tensed. "Daniel?"

"It's over Jack," Daniel sighed. "There's no need for anyone to go around shooting things now. Don't hurt her." The last part sounded like more of a plea than he would have liked, but he was relieved and tired and emotionally drained and his wrist was hurting like hell. He wanted to go see Janet and then go home and sleep for twelve hours. And yet, he had made Reese a promise and he knew that keeping it would be a battle so he was going to have to stick around for a while. He leaned over and gently removed the crystal from the side of her neck, handling it with all the love and care he might give to a human heart – if those were removable.

He slipped the crystal into his breast pocket and turned around to find Jack watching him with raised eyebrows. "What?"

"Nothing. Come on, let's get… her… out of here."

Daniel gave Jack a brief smile to let him know he appreciated the effort he was making. "Ah, actually Jack, you're going to have to find someone else to help you out with that," he looked down at the wrist he was cradling in his arm. "I don't think I'm going to be doing any heavy lifting for a while."

Jack's eyes darkened for a moment and he glanced at Reese. Daniel stared at him, willing the colonel to just let it go, praying he would get the message. Once upon a time there wouldn't have been a doubt that Jack would've understood him, but these days they were so different from what they used to be. Their tight-knight friendship had dissolved over the course of a series of events they never really worked out between them.

Thankfully this time, the one time Daniel really needed Jack to understand, he got it. The look he got from the silver-haired man screamed, "I'm giving her this one chance. Don't make me regret it."

Daniel nodded, sighed, and began the long trek to the infirmary. His life was changing again. He could feel it heading downhill. He thought about Reese all the way to the med bay. Some things were inevitable, unsolvable, but at least some good had been accomplished today.