Wayward Son - The Journey Begins:

Counting Your Blessings

by devra and JoaG

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Authors' Notes: This is a Little Daniel story which is a pre-cursor to our Wayward Son.

Also, yes, it's AU, so don't rely on canon to keep you on the straight and narrow :) Characters may make cameo appearances in odd places where they didn't normally belong.

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"Are you ready?"

Instead of replying, Daniel tightened his grip on Jack's hand.

"Okay, let's go." Slowly, Jack led Daniel down the infirmary, taking slow steps so the boy could keep up. Even though this was their third time walking today, Daniel craned his head every which way, checking out the empty beds as they headed towards the far end of the infirmary. When they reached the exit, Jack turned around but Daniel looked at the closed doors curiously.

"You sure? There's lots of people out there and I don't want you getting scared."

Daniel tugged on Jack's hand and led him through the doors and down the long corridor, only to stop to watch as personnel walked back and forth in the busier main corridor. A moment later Daniel had shrunk back against Jack, clutching an arm tightly around his legs, nearly tripping him.

"Told ya." Jack put a comforting hand around Daniel's shoulders. "How about we stay here a minute and just look?" The arm relaxed its grip but Daniel didn't move it away. He watched, wide-eyed, until Jack gave him a gentle tap to get his attention. "How about we go back? I think Carter said she'd be coming by with a treat so we don't want her having to wonder where we are."

They made their way back to Daniel's bed and it was obvious that the short walk had tired Daniel. Still, he gamely climbed onto the bed and reached for the coloring book and crayons, busying himself while looking up every few minutes, glancing towards the entrance.

Ten minutes later Carter arrived, carrying three small bowls on a tray. "Hey, Daniel. Colonel." She placed the tray on the rollaway table and smiled. "I brought ice cream. Do you want some?"

Daniel looked eagerly inside the bowl as she handed it to him. Jack smiled as he ate his own ice cream, watching Daniel devour his treat. Daniel caught Jack's gaze and grinned happily at him before returning to his coloring book, alternating between eating and coloring.

"So did you speak to Fraiser?" Jack asked, leaning back and speaking softly so Daniel wouldn't hear.

Carter nodded. "She's pretty much convinced that we can do this. We still need to have Daniel evaluated but if we help, she'll take him."

Daniel paused, yawning mightily. He shoved the coloring books and crayons aside and slid off the bed, coming to stand next to Jack.

"What?" Jack asked, knowing full well what Daniel wanted. Despite agreeing to sleeping and napping in the bed, he had come to expect a cuddle session first. In which Jack indulged him. He just wished Daniel would try to start talking.

Placing a tentative hand on Jack's knee, Daniel looked up at him pleadingly. Giving Daniel a smile, Jack picked him up and sat him on his lap. Daniel leaned back, his thumb immediately going into his mouth and he sucked for a few seconds then pulled it out. Ever since Jack had laid down the ground rules yesterday, Daniel's thumb sucking had eased off.

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Jack smoothed Daniel's shirt. Again. Brushing off an imaginary spot. "Remember what I told you?"

Daniel nodded but remained silent.

After a parade of doctors and therapists over the past days, selective mutism had been the final diagnosis. "Hey," Jack said with a soft touch to Daniel's cheek. "I'm sorry I ever complained that you talked too much."

Daniel answered by throwing his arms around Jack's neck and holding on.

For a minute, Jack reveled in the tiny body clinging to him and the memories it invoked.

"Colonel?"

Jack looked up. "He's all yours." He pried Daniel's hands apart then patted them down to his sides. "Fraiser's ready for you." Jack hated having to push Daniel away as he reached for him. "Nope, not this time, buddy."

On cue, the chin quivered.

Without making eye contact, Jack lifted Daniel off the infirmary bed, grabbed his hand and led him over to Fraiser. "Here you go."

Fraiser bent down until she was eye level with Daniel. "Cassie can't wait to meet her new brother."

Panic stricken, Daniel glanced at Jack, who just offered him a smile and a pat on the head.

Fraiser and Daniel left, the little suitcase packed with Daniel's clothes swinging from the doc's left hand while Daniel clung to her right, stumbling along, his focus on Jack, who was still standing in the infirmary's doorway.

"Shit!" Jack ran back into the infirmary and located the tiny shopping bag of crayons and coloring and game books. He took three steps towards the door, then backed up, found the scrub top and shoved it into the bag, under the other items. He caught up to them right by the elevators.

For a second, Daniel's face lit up when he saw Jack and he dropped Fraiser's hand and stepped towards him.

"You forgot this." He raised Daniel's hand, then forcibly gripped it around the shopping bag's handle.

Daniel glanced at the bag then at Jack. Confused, he held out his free hand to Jack.

Jack knew what Daniel wanted. What Daniel thought he needed. What Jack would like to, but was unable to give him. Jack shook the tiny hand extended in his direction just as the elevator doors slid open. "There's your ride, buddy. See you soon, okay?"

"Let's go, Daniel." Fraiser's voice was soft, yet insistent, leaving no room for argument.

Jack was grateful that Daniel got on the elevator without a fuss, and with a thumbs up, he turned and walked down the corridor even before the elevator doors slid shut.

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The incessant buzzing pulled Jack from his restless sleep. Strange. He was always up before the alarm. From under the blankets he pulled out a lethargic arm and slapped at his alarm clock, only opening his eyes when he realized that after pounding it a few times, the clock was still emitting its annoying sound.

"Huh?" He opened one eye. The large luminous numbers read zero three hundred hours, which was approximately three and a half hours before the alarm was due to go off. Phone. His hand slid from the clock to the phone, knocking it off its cradle before he was able to pick it up.

"This better be good. O'Neill."

"Colonel."

Fraiser. Daniel. Emergency. Jack shot up and swung his feet over the side of the bed.

"I think I need your— I think Daniel needs you, sir."

And then Jack heard it. Fraiser's voice was echoing as if she were making this call from her bathroom. Muted, yet still managing to travel through her closed door and miles of telephone wires, was screaming. Deafening, breathless screaming. "Is he sick?"

"No. Inconsolable. Hysterical. Hours upon hours of tears. It's either you, sedation, or a trip back to the SGC."

"I thought you said he needed to—"

"Maybe I was wrong." Her voice was brimming with self-condemnation.

"I'm on my way. Tell him I'm on my way."

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A hug, a kiss, and he'd sit by Daniel's bed for a few minutes until the poor kid fell back to sleep. Stick the scrub top that he'd adopted as his security blanket back into his arms, but this? Getting up in the middle of the night? This was not going to be a habit. Not if he could help it. And not if anyone wanted to get any sleep for the next ten years of Daniel's life.

Fraiser's house was like a beacon in the darkness. Bright enough that Jack was surprised that planes weren't mistaking her block for a landing field. Every light was on, their luminosity increased due to the darkness of the surrounding homes.

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Cassie greeted Jack at the door, wearing an expression no child her age should wear - exhaustion, exasperation and thorough annoyance. "Uncle Jack," she said as he stepped into the brightly lit living room. "Are you here to take him back?"

In consideration of Fraiser's neighbors, Jack quickly shut the door behind him in an attempt to hold the screams within the house. He cringed sympathetically. "Why don't you point me in the direction of your mom and then take yourself back to bed. I'll take care of this in a minute."

Cassie snorted. "Yeah, that's what my mom said as soon as he started this." She turned with a flip of her braid. "She's in the kitchen. Good luck."

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Jack walked into the kitchen, Daniel's screaming covering his entrance, allowing him a few extra seconds to get his bearings. Fraiser was disheveled, wearing a pink sweat suit, her hair tied up in a ponytail. She looked frazzled, exhausted and so out of her element. "Come on, baby," she said, attempting to rock the unwilling child. "Shush."

Daniel might have been sitting on Fraiser's lap, but he wasn't there of his own volition. The hands that anchored him there around his waist, from where Jack was standing, seemed to tighten every time Daniel drew a breath.

Daniel's eyes were closed to mere slits. His face was a mass of blotches, and the wadded-up tissues piled on the table in front of him led Jack to believe Fraiser had given up the battle to stop the flow of snot streaming from his nose.

Daniel lowered his forehead onto the edge of the table and Fraiser relaxed her hold and brought up one of her hands to rub his back. Jack stepped directly into Fraiser's line of vision. He gave a sharp nod then brought his finger up to his lips, stopping her from announcing his arrival.

"Daniel?"

Daniel's head shot up and he pulled Fraiser's hand from his waist. "Jack. Home," he said hoarsely and he slid from her lap. "Home. Home," Daniel repeated as he wrapped his arms around Jack's legs, looking for purchase as he attempted to climb his way up his body.

Jack wasn't sure who was more shocked at Daniel's verbal utterances, him or Fraiser. They were probably equal, though Fraiser, bless the poor woman, recovered faster.

"It was only a matter of time." She stood, swept the tissues off the table and into the garbage. Realizing how she must look, Fraiser shot Jack an embarrassed smile and began to fix her hair.

"Home," Daniel said, smacking Jack's leg. "Jack. Home." He raised his arms to Jack, opening and closing his fists.

"Sorry, big guy." Jack bent down and swung Daniel into his arms. "You sorta distracted me."

Daniel immediately snuggled against Jack, burrowing his head under his chin, eyes closing. His finger found his mouth and he settled in with a sigh. "Home." Around his thumb, the word was muffled, yet decipherable.

"You are home," Jack said firmly.

Daniel lifted his head so fast, he clocked Jack in the chin. "Ow." Daniel clamped his hand over the injury.

"Yeah, I know," Jack said, rubbing his chin across Daniel's hands. "Easy."

"Jack. Home." Incessantly, he patted Jack's chest.

"Yes." Jack held his hand. "I'm Jack. And this is your home."

"No!"

Jack planted Daniel's ass on the countertop. "I think we need to get you cleaned up before we have an intelligent conversation, Dannyboy."

Fraiser pressed the box of tissues into Jack's hand. "Start with those. I'll go get a washcloth."

Daniel blew. Jack blotted. And half the box of tissues was gone before Fraiser returned with a wet washcloth and clean pair of pjs.

"Doc?"

"I'm going to be in the living room."

"I'll just get Daniel cleaned up, then I'll put him to bed."

"No!" Daniel screamed. "No!" He batted blindly at Jack.

"Enough. You have to sleep," Jack insisted.

Daniel hiccupped and blinked at Jack. He inhaled shakily. "Wanna go." Daniel glanced at Fraiser. "Jack's home." He leaned forward, collapsing against Jack's chest, as if finding the words to make himself understood was exhausting.

Jack glanced at Fraiser.

"It would appear, sir, that Daniel's made his decision."

"Let's be realistic, how the hell can I take—"

"Please," Daniel whispered. "Please, home."

"I'll pack up his things, sir."

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Daniel was fast asleep in the booster seat before Jack even got to the end of Fraiser's block. "Just so you know, I'm too old for this."

Daniel whimpered as he shifted positions, slumping sideways.

"Hell, don't complain. This... me, I was your choice. You know, it's not too late to change your mind. I could be right back to Fraiser's house in less than a minute." Jack made a left, turned on the radio. Turned the radio off. "Sure, now you're quiet? You going to be like that damn friggin' singing frog in the Warner Brothers Cartoon? Hello, my baby, hello, my darling," Jack mimicked as he pounded the steering wheel. "Wake up, Daniel. Wake up!" he shouted.

Daniel roused himself. "Jack's home."

Jack took the forty seconds at the red light to bang his head on the steering wheel.

Daniel's head fell forward and he began to snore.

"Oh, great. I couldn't get you pre-allergies?" Jack continued to drive. "Okay, my mother always said that every cloud has a silver lining." Jack paused. "My mother? Not even ten minutes into my life and you've brought my mother into the conversation. Not good. So not good.

"You do know, you live in my house, you live by my rules. There will be sports. Hockey. Basketball. Baseball. ESPN. There will be no Egyptian documentaries, History or the Discovery Channel, and don't for a second think there will be Tellie Tubbies, Barney or Thomas the Tank Engine playing on any television in the O'Neill household." Jack stopped. "Thankfully, you're housebroken. Piss anywhere but the toilet and you'll be cleaning it up. Mark my words. Nothing makes me grumpier than stepping in warm pee in the early morning."

Jack pulled into his driveway. "You'll eat pancakes for breakfast and like them. There will be Froot Loops and Captain Crunch. Granola is a no no. And never, ever, request yogurt." Jack shut off the engine, unbuckled his seatbelt and peeked around the opening between the seats. "I hope to god you know what you're doing, Daniel, 'cause I have a bad feeling about this."

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Jack had saved the world, traveled to different planets, yet here he was, all thumbs trying to figure out how to open the locks to the damn booster seat. Okay, this was a conundrum; maybe he should bring Daniel's stuff into the house first and then come out and get Daniel. Or bring Daniel into the house and then come out and retrieve his baggage. Either way, Daniel would be alone. House. Truck. House. Truck. Daniel wasn't even in the house and already there were issues.

He opted for taking Daniel into the house first, that way if he began to scream when Jack ran out to collect his stuff, at least he'd have four walls to contain his vocal diatribe as opposed to just the truck. "Upsie daisy," Jack said triumphantly as he finally opened the booster seat and lifted Daniel out. He hugged the limp body tightly, then amazingly grew another pair of hands and managed to drag out the suitcase as well, carrying both to the front door without dropping either.

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"Aw, shit." Jack wasn't too sure when he realized that the body he was holding so closely was damp and not sweaty damp, but damp as if 'no one had reminded Daniel to use the bathroom before they left Fraiser's house' type of damp. Jack turned in circles, trying to figure out the safest place to put Daniel down that didn't involve changing sheets or steam cleaning at this hour of the night.

The old, battered, threadbare rug in front of the fireplace became Jack's changing table of choice. Gently he placed Daniel on the rug, and the little bastard didn't even open one eye as Jack unsnapped the bottom of his feetsie pajamas and peeled off the sodden mess. He struggled with the top because Daniel was sucking his thumb, which obviously was more important than removing a pissed on pj top. A sudden thought occurred to Jack and he shook Daniel awake. "Do you have to use the bathroom?"

Daniel sat up, rubbing his eyes. He scrabbled onto all fours and stood. "I gotta pee." Buck-ass naked, he took off at a dead run down the hall right in the direction of the bathroom.

Open-mouthed, Jack stared after Daniel. It took a moment for the shock to wear off. "Shit." Jack bounded after him when he realized how much trouble a naked five year old could do in a bathroom.

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Jack jiggled the door handle. "Open up, Daniel."

"Pee-ing," the singsong voice answered.

"You don't need to pee with the door shut."

"Almost done."

"Remember the rules about peeing. Only in the toilet. Not on the—"

"Oh oh."

"Oh oh? Daniel, why doesn't that sound good?"

"I'm all done."

Jack pressed his ear against the door. Toilet flushed. Then there was childlike humming. A grunt or two then there was water running. The faucet.

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Jack!"

This was a cry of anguish and Jack shouldered the door, the old hinges gave way and he stumbled into the room. Daniel was kneeling on the bathroom countertop, the faucet running full blast, the sink threatening to overflow.

Jack got it in one. Hot water - too hot for a five year old's tender skin. He scooped Daniel off the countertop before turning off the water. "Let's check out the damage, okay?"

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There were tears and squirming but the boo boos were all fixed. Though reddened, Daniel's hands were fine and he was once again jammified, this time in the ones with tiny jet planes. "Carter's got a warped sense of humor, you know that?" Jack peeled Daniel off him and onto the bed in the spare room. He expected some resistance, but Daniel offered none and just yawned as Jack covered him with the quilt.

"Home," Daniel announced with satisfied smile and closed his eyes. "I'm home."

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It was already zero five hundred hours by the time Daniel was settled in the spare room. Not enough time to go to sleep and barely enough time to formulate the wording for his retirement letter. Jack sank into the recliner, clunked it into the upright position then instantly regretted not grabbing a pre-dawn beer before settling in. The living room was littered with the contents of the suitcase. The soiled pjs were in a pile by the stone hearth. Daniel had dumped the shopping bag so there were crayons and kid's game books in an untidy pile.

Jack sighed. His once pristine living room, after today, was going to become a thing of the past. And that sucked. Or did it?

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Daniel was still sleeping. Good. Slowly, Jack backed from the room and headed to the kitchen. The coffee pot was now filled and Jack poured himself the biggest mug of black coffee and picked up the phone and dialed General Hammond.

"Hammond."

"We have a situation, General." Jack sank into the kitchen chair.

"According to Doctor Fraiser, Jack, it would appear that you have a situation." There was a deep, grandfatherly chuckle.

Oy. "Doctor Fraiser has been in to see you already?"

"And the good doctor even brought me an egg white on bagel sandwich with freshly brewed coffee when she came to see me this morning."

"Breakfast."

"It would appear, Jack, that I got breakfast and you got Daniel Jackson."

"Yes, I did."

"You do know that I allowed you to delude yourself into believing that Daniel would end up with Doctor Fraiser..."

"Excuse me, sir?"

"The boy's exactly where he belongs, Jack."

"I'm too—"

"No, you're not too old. If you're not too old to travel across the galaxy, you're not too old to raise a child."

"My track record with raising a child, if you'll excuse my language, General, sucks."

"You'll never forget and Daniel doesn't remember. It's a perfect match."

He was speechless.

"Yeah, I figured you'd be at a loss for words. For now, I'll put in the paperwork for leave time. Give it a few days then we'll discuss the situation and your duty roster."

"General, I—"

"I'll make sure Captain Carter and Teal'c get in contact with you."

Jack watched as life as he knew it sped past his eyes.

"Don't worry, Jack."

"Considering I'm middle-aged—"

The General graciously cleared his throat.

"Well into my middle-age years," Jack amended. "That don't worry part, is pretty much an oxymoron when referring to raising a child."

That statement earned him a full belly laugh from the General. "You're the best man for the job."

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Best man for the job? Bullshit, Jack thought as he bent down to add the wet pair of pjs on the hearth to the laundry basket. He was doing laundry. When he was supposed to be at work, he was doing laundry. And he had to go shopping. As in food. Not for beer, chips or pretzels, but for things like milk and juice.

"Jack?"

Jack spun around. "Daniel."

Daniel knuckled his eyes and yawned. "I'm hungry."

Jack dropped the laundry basket. "Want cereal?"

"Pancakes."

"Blueberry?"

Daniel thought a moment. "Chocolate chip."

"Blueberry-chocolate chip?"

"Yummy. Okay."

"Go pee and wash your hands, and then join me in the kitchen."

" 'K." Daniel bounded down the hallway.

"Daniel!" Jack yelled. "Do not—"

"Close the bathroom door. I know," Daniel shouted back. "It's broke, Jack, can't close."

"Great," Jack grumbled to himself as he got out a pen and a piece of paper and began to make a list, Home Depot's hardware department being number one.

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Jack watched as Daniel stared at the pancake covering his plate. He speared it with his fork and struggled to rip off a piece, but instead, managed to pull the pancake, in one big circle, up to his mouth, the front of his face hidden behind the pancake's circumference.

Frustrated, Jack dropped his fork, leaned over, pulled the pancake off Daniel's face and dropped it back onto the plate, its nucleus gone. Daniel was chewing furiously, using his fingers to make sure he didn't miss a crumb.

Jack wiped his syrup-covered fingers on his napkin. Daniel picked up his napkin and mimicked him. Little pieces of the napkin stuck to his fingers and Jack rolled his eyes. Obviously it was going to take more than a napkin to clean Daniel. "Would you like me to cut up your pancake so it's easier for you to eat?"

"Oh. Please?" Daniel pushed the plate towards Jack.

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Daniel ate two huge pancakes and drank a large glass of milk and was now sulking in a bathtub full of bubbly stuff Cassie had given Jack on his last birthday. He'd never had a use for it, until now.

"I took a shower at Janet's last night."

"And you ate pancakes covered in syrup. Now you're covered in syrup. We need to go out shopping—"

"I don't wanna go shopping."

Jack opened the medicine cabinet, took out the large bottle of Tylenol and dry swallowed three. He flipped down the toilet seat and sat. "How come now you're talking?"

Daniel drew his attention away from the bubble pyramid he was constructing. "Because I'm home."

"Okay." Jack wasn't too sure how to answer that. He decided on another approach. "What do you remember? When you woke up, when you were sick?"

"You."

"And..."

"Hurting. But I don't hurt no more." He smiled brilliantly at Jack.

"I'm glad."

"And Teal'c and Sam. I remember them... Where are they?"

At work. Where Jack wished he was at that moment. "They're with—"

"I don't wanna go where they are. I wanna stay here." Daniel slammed his pyramid flat, bubbles and water flowing over the side of the tub. "Jack's home."

"What about before the hurt?" Jack tossed a towel to cover the flood Daniel had made.

"Nothing."

"How do you feel now?"

"Wet." Daniel scrunched his face and looked at Jack. "How do you feel?"

The words Jack wanted to use to describe his frustrations were certainly not meant for a five-year old. "Good." Too little sleep, heartburn, headache, a bathroom full of water, a kitchen full of syrupy residue and more laundry in the making. "Nothing's hurting now?"

"Nope." Daniel leaned forward and brought a huge armful of bubbles forward against his chest, exposing his legs. He forced the bubbles up until they hid his face and then blew on them, forcing an opening.

"What if Carter and Teal'c were to come here later?" Oh, bad move, Jack decided the moment Daniel's face lit up. What if Carter and Teal'c couldn't make it, and then he'd have to deal with a kid with an attitude. As if he hadn't been dealing with that since Daniel had been shrunk...

"When? Now?"

"Later." He held a hand out when Daniel made to get up. "Tonight, maybe after supper."

"Oh. Okay." Daniel smoothed the bubbles out with one hand.

"So, before the hurt..." Jack wasn't sure how much probing he should attempt but a talking Daniel, after the silent treatment of the past weeks, was a gift horse he needed to take full advantage of. "Do you remember anything before that?"

Daniel paused, his hands going still then slipping under the suds as he stared at the bubbles. He shook his head violently. "Nope. It hurt, then it didn't, and you were there." Daniel didn't look up, remained still for a long moment, then began reshaping the bubbles.

"Okay, I think you're about done now. How about we go get dressed?" Jack reached into the water and pulled Daniel out of the tub, settled him between his knees and wrapped him in a large bath towel. He rubbed Daniel dry while the kid stood there, one hand braced against his knee for balance. The motion was familiar, but it wasn't until he pulled the towel away and Daniel grinned impishly at him did the memories of doing this with Charlie hit him like a blow to the gut.

"C'mon." He went to wrap the towel around Daniel but he took off towards his bedroom at a run, the wet slap of damp, bare feet echoing down the hall. "Daniel!" he shouted as he followed after him, then sighed. No use trying to tell a kid not to run in the house, especially naked. Streaking seemed to be a built-in mechanism in kids.

Daniel had already pulled open the drawers that Jack had temporarily liberated for him, haphazardly pulling clothes from it. Jack picked out a pair of jeans and a tee shirt, handed them to Daniel, pointed at the underwear he'd dropped on the floor, tossed a balled-up pair of socks on the bed, and pushed a pair of sneakers towards Daniel with his feet.

"Don't forget your socks and shoes."

While Daniel got dressed, Jack called Fraiser. "He's talking," he said the moment she answered the phone."

"He said a few words last night."

"No, I mean, full sentences. Like a regular kid. I asked him what he remembered before and he said pain. He remembers Carter and Teal'c—"

"Sir, I think you need to bring Daniel in so we can re-evaluate him—"

"He started talking the moment he was away from the SGC. Doesn't that say something to you?"

"With all due respect, sir, Daniel wasn't talking last night at my house. That happened only when you arrived."

Jack rubbed a hand across his face, getting a whiff of the bubbly stuff from Daniel's bath. "Look, how about you and Cassie come over for supper tonight? I'll ask Carter and Teal'c also. That way you can see him in action and we can try to figure out what to do next."

"Next?" Fraiser laughed. "Seeing that he's talking, I'm thinking the next step is enrolling him in school and setting up a fund for his graduation day."

"Hey, that's not funny. Hammond gave me three days off to be with Daniel. By then, you'd better—"

"Jack?"

"Just a second, Daniel," Jack shouted. "Gotta go. Shall I get two extra steaks?"

"We'll be there, sir."

"Great." Jack put the phone on the counter and returned to the spare room. Daniel was more or less dressed, but he was staring at the waist of his pants. "What is it?"

"I can't get the button buttoned."

"Here." He crouched and reached for the small, metal button. With fingers that felt too clumsy for the tiny sized button, he finally managed to force it through the similarly tiny hole. "We'll need to get you some more pants. Maybe something easier to do up."

"Who were you talking to?" Daniel dropped onto the floor and began to thread his socks onto his feet.

"Fraiser."

Glancing quickly at Jack in a motion so reminiscent of the adult man the boy had once been, Daniel pursed his lips. "I'm not going back."

"No, we're going shopping. So hurry up."

His bare foot made a screeching sound on the wood floor as Daniel brought it forward so he could put the second sock on it. "I don't wanna go shopping."

"Well, that's too bad. We need to fix the bathroom door, we need food, and you need clothes, and those aren't going to fill the fridge or closet without our going out there to get them."

"But I wanna stay here." Daniel's voice picked up a whine.

"How about we get a couple of movies while we're out? I'm sure there're a couple of Disney movies I haven't seen."

"Movies?" The whine was gone and his face perked up in interest. "What kind of movies?"

"I dunno. That's why we need to go shopping so we can look at the titles and choose."

"Can I choose a movie?"

"Sure."

"Yippee." Daniel hurriedly reached for his sneakers, stuck his feet in them and pulled the Velcro closed then stared at his feet. "I don't need the sticky stuff, you know."

"You don't?"

Daniel did a little kid two step, testing out the shoes. "Nope. I know how to tie a bow."

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To Jack's surprise, Daniel, the adult who'd never given a shit about what he wore, was downright vocal in his choice of clothing. Embarrassingly vocal. His 'no's!' cut through the mid-morning quiet of the store and forced more than one person to give Jack a sympathetic glance.

"Ra had nothing on you." Jack dumped two armfuls of clothing, socks, boxers and pjs onto the conveyor belt of register ten.

Daniel smiled at Jack and pointed to the three-pack of Matchbox cars right by the endcap of the register. "Please?"

"Don't you think you got enough?"

Daniel blinked at Jack then sighed, his shoulders rising and falling with the effort. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"All right." Daniel gave up and instead, stood on tiptoes, watching in amazement as his new clothes traveled down the moving belt and into the waiting plastic bag.

"Daniel?"

"Hmm?" Daniel didn't take his eyes off his traveling clothes.

Jack shook his head. "Do you want the red cars or the blue trucks?"

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Wide-eyed, Daniel sat in the booster seat, arms raised, while Jack buckled him in. His gaze was glued to the three-pack of red cars in his hands. "Thank you."

"All done."

Daniel lowered his hands, then hugged the box to his chest. "Thank you, Jack."

Jack reached towards the box. "I can take them out if you want—"

"No!" Daniel swung around, protectively covering the box of cars with his body.

"Sorry." Jack offered up a gentle squeeze to his shoulder as an additional apology. "Sit up, okay?

Daniel righted his body in the seat. "I like them just the way they are."

"Got it. Ready to go food shopping?"

"Can I bring the cars?"

"Sure."

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Daniel sat in the child's seat of the shopping cart, examining the cars. Jack thought he was mumbling to himself until he realized that Daniel was actually reading the print on the boxes. "Once a genius, always a—"

Finally, Daniel looked up. "Mac 'n' cheese."

"What?"

"Kraft macaroni and cheese." Daniel leaned over the seat. Right. Left. "Where's the mac 'n' cheese."

Jack thought a moment. "Don't you hate macaroni and cheese?"

Daniel shook his head. "Nope. I don't think so."

"Well, Carter and Teal'c are coming over tonight. So are Fraiser and Cassie. I don't think that's what they want to eat."

"Why not?"

"Because they want steaks. Burgers. Franks."

"I want mac 'n' cheese."

Jack sighed.

Daniel waved the box of cars at him. "Mac 'n' cheese?"

"Hamburger?"

"Mac 'n' cheese," Daniel insisted.

Jack sighed again.

Daniel smiled.

Jack pushed the cart with the brilliantly smiling child to find a box of macaroni and cheese.

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"How are you doing, sir?"

"Surviving."

"And Daniel?"

Jack looked into the living room. Daniel was fast asleep on the couch, a three pack of Matchbox cars and a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese tucked against his body.

"Daniel's doing okay. Making me grey before my time, but doing okay."

"He hasn't even been with you twenty-four hours, Colonel."

Jack sunk down into the kitchen chair. "It just seems like forever."

"Do you need me to bring anything tonight?"

Jack thought a moment. "Something sweet. Something chocolaty."

"Something for Daniel? No problem. I know just the thing."

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Jack opened the cabinet and the can of baked beans took a nose dive. Before Jack had a chance to stop it from landing on the glass microwave-safe dish sitting on the counter, the can took a weird bounce and caught the corner of the dish. In horror, he watched the bowl and the can perform a graceful pirouette through the air. The can landed on the floor with a thud and rolled to safety. The bowl, while being able to withstand the heat of the microwave oven, was unable to save itself from the hardwood kitchen floor and shattered into a million pieces.

Jack wasn't sure if his curse stemmed from the mess he now faced or the terrified screams of a five year old in the living room.

Daniel was clambering off the couch with the cars in one hand and the box of food in the other. His balance was off, but at least Daniel was luckier than the can, Jack was able to get to him before he took a header off the couch.

He was a pool of sweat and his heart was pounding so hard, Jack could feel the vibrations as he held him. "Scared you, huh?"

Daniel nodded. "I was sleeping."

"Yeah, you were."

Daniel yawned and settled against Jack.

This really wasn't what Jack wanted - Daniel sleeping on the couch while he did barbeque preparations was more what he had in mind. Not this. "How about if I just put you down on the—"

"No! Here's fine." Daniel patted Jack's chest with the box of macaroni and cheese.

"No, here's not fine." Jack settled into the corner of the couch.

Well, here was actually fine enough for Daniel and Jack because somewhere during Jack's protests, Daniel closed his eyes, then Jack followed suit, waking up stiff and sore with an armload of Daniel and a whole lot of eyes staring down at them.

"How cute."

"Carter," Jack hissed, trying to stretch out his legs and allow the blood to once again begin to flow.

"I meant Daniel, sir, not you."

Cassie giggled.

Carter turned beet red. "It's not that you aren't cute, it's just that—"

"Carter, there's a shovel in the backyard; it can help you with the hole you're digging yourself into."

Carter huffed indignantly. "I think I'll go put dessert in the fridge."

"Watch the—" Jack yelled after her.

"Sir, you have broken glass all over the floor."

"I know," Jack said. "Give me a moment—"

Daniel gave a whimper of protest as Jack placed him on the couch.

Cassie bent down before her mother could stop her.

"Cassie, he's sleeping."

Gently, Cassie reached out and touched Daniel's cheek then looked at the adults standing behind her in awe. "Wow, Uncle Jack, he's so much cuter when he sleeping."

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"Uncle Jack?"

Jack settled on the wooden bench across from Cassie. Daniel was still sleeping, cuddling with his boxes. Jack had left the sliding glass door open just a smidge on the off chance Daniel woke up terrified.

He reached for a plate, then a hamburger, answering Cassie as he dressed his burger for consumption. "Yeah, honey?"

"Where's Uncle Daniel?"

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. Carter abandoned him by finding sudden interest in examining the ingredients of her potato salad, and Fraiser? She looked at Jack as if to ask 'where is Daniel'?

"Ummm..." There wasn't any doubt that Jack was floundering. Cassie wasn't stupid. She was a little girl in size only. Her experiences had made her galaxy-smart, held back only by her size.

Her eyes grew huge and she turned to gaze at her mom. "Did Uncle Daniel die?"

"Oh, God, no," Carter answered. "Daniel didn't die, he's—" She glanced at Jack to finish her sentence.

"He's in the living room, sleeping on the couch. You know, that cute, sleeping kid? That's Daniel."

Cassie began to giggle. "Uncle Jack, you're so fu—" She looked around the table. "Mom?"

"Uncle Jack's not kidding." Fraiser threw an arm around her daughter's shoulders and hugged her.

"Daniel's a kid?"

"Yeah. A kid. Like you."

"Uncle Jack," she huffed with a young girl's indignation. "I am not a kid."

"Sorry, how silly of me." Jack bit into his burger and chewed thoughtfully.

"Does he know?"

"It would appear that DanielJackson is not aware of his previous life."

"He doesn't remember being a grown up?"

"No, he doesn't." Carter smiled sadly.

"He doesn't wear a diaper or anything 'cause that would be just too ewwww."

Jack thought back to last night's ewww time with Daniel and suddenly feared for the safety of his couch. "No, he's housebroken."

"Phew," Cassie smiled. "Because there was no way I was going to change a diaper when I babysat—"

"Who said you were ever going to babysit for him, young lady?"

Cassie just rolled her eyes at her mom. "Give it time. Then Uncle Jack will be knocking on my door and I'll be raking in the big bucks."

"Time?"

"Don't be difficult, Uncle Jack."

"Cassie... You are not allowed to say anything to Daniel about this."

She made a zipping sound across her lips. "If I promise, can I go wake him?"

Fraiser pushed Cassie's plate closer to her. "You can eat your lunch."

"Does he remember his mom and dad, like me?"

"He is not yet comfortable with the English language and chooses not to speak."

"Yeah, about that," Jack smiled over his hamburger. "Daniel's gift of the gab returned."

Carter's smile was brilliant. "That's fantastic news, sir."

"What about DanielJackson's memory?"

Jack sighed. "Nothing. Pretty much remembers nothing except..." In deference to Cassie, he didn't want to make inference to the pain Daniel remembered. "Waking up and being five."

"Does that mean he doesn't know he's an orphan?"

"If you look around this table, CassandraFraiser, you will see that DanielJackson will never be without family. As you are not without."

"Cool. I get to be a big sister and he lives at another house. I think I like this arrangement. So when he cries, the only person he wakes up is Uncle Jack."

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Blindly, Daniel walked onto the deck, the boxes tucked into his arm, and zeroed in to where Jack sat, a bottle of beer hanging loosely from his fingertips. "I'm hungry." He dropped the macaroni and cheese box in Jack's lap.

They descended as one on him - Carter, Fraiser, Teal'c and even Cassie. All touchy feely, with bright exclamations of happiness.

Panicked, Daniel clambered up Jack, stiffening as caring hands reached out.

Jack waved everyone back. "Have a good nap?" he whispered, just loud enough for Daniel to hear.

Daniel nodded nervously, burying his face in Jack's chest.

"Want to say hi to everyone. Sam. Teal'c..."

At the mention of their names, Daniel raised his head, looking around with interest.

"Hi, Daniel," Carter said from a safe distance.

"DanielJackson, it is good to see you are awake."

"Hi." Daniel's greeting was soft.

"Don't forget Cassie and Doc Fraiser—"

Daniel looked at Jack.

"Don't worry, you're staying here." Jack felt the little body relax in his grip. Any hopes of sharing the kid with Fraiser or the rest of his team in the near future went out the window with Daniel's reaction.

Daniel waved at Cassie and Fraiser, they both waved back.

"How about I get you something to eat? You gotta be hungry after sleeping—"

Daniel pulled the box of macaroni and cheese from between their bodies and shoved it in Jack's face.

"No. We have burgers. Franks."

Daniel insistently tapped Jack on the nose with the box.

"I do not believe DanielJackson desires flame-broiled food."

"Daniel, can I make this for you?" Hesitantly, Carter stepped up and touched the box smushed into her commanding officer's face.

"You're going to cook in my kitchen, Carter?"

"Come on, Daniel." Carter plucked the box Daniel and held out her hand, waggling her fingers in invitation. "How about I make this for you?"

Daniel slid off Jack's lap, the sleeve of Matchbox cars still in his right hand. He reached up and took Carter's hand, then glanced towards Teal'c and Cassie, inviting them. Fraiser and Jack were obviously excluded from their little party.

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Jack glanced over his shoulder. "Carter can't burn down my house making macaroni and cheese, can she?"

"I don't believe so, sir."

"I'm thinking Daniel's pulling the Marcel Marceau routine in the kitchen."

"I think it's time for Mackenzie."

Jack snorted - his run in with the SGC's psychiatrist hadn't been pleasant. Actually, the man wasn't a favorite of anyone on either SG-1 or the entire SGC. "Daniel's not talking for the people he knows best, what in god's name makes you think he's going to utter a sound for that quack?"

"I'm concerned that there's more going on—"

"Ya think? A few weeks ago when I spoke to Daniel, we both stood pretty much eye to eye. Now? When and if Daniel decides to speak, he comes up to below my crotch. I'm thinking that's a pretty big adjustment for him, whether or not he even remembers the scenario that led up to this."

Jack got up suddenly, finished the rest of his beer and tossed the empty into the recyclable bin. "Time to make sure Carter read the instructions on the box."

"Sir..." Fraiser stood and blocked his way.

"Doc, not now, okay? Maybe sometime in the future we can look back at this and laugh. But not now. Now I just have to make sure that my kitchen is still in one piece."

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Daniel was sitting on Teal'c's lap, which in and of itself was a sight to behold, but to see Carter smiling while wearing an apron, stirring a pot on his stove, in his kitchen, was downright surreal.

Teal'c placed a restraining hand on Daniel as he began to squirm. "DanielJackson is most impatient."

"Almost done." And surprisingly, the macaroni was drained, prepared and placed in front of Daniel within a matter of seconds.

"I'm impressed, Carter."

"If I can save the world, sir, I can handle a simple box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese."

Ouch. Jack had definitely stepped on his 2IC's Achilles' heel.

"DanielJackson." Teal'c placed a hand over Daniel's as he dug a spoon into the orangey mess. "I believe it would be most prudent to allow this food item to cool."

Daniel pursed his lips and blew into the steam wafting from the bowl.

Cassie jumped up. "I have an idea."

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Cassie preened as Daniel ate the frankfurter that she'd cut up and put in the bowl with the macaroni and cheese. "Isn't that good? I learned how to do that when I went on my Girl Scout Jamboree in the spring."

Daniel smiled and scraped the bottom of the bowl, then handed it to Sam.

"All done?"

Daniel shook his head.

"You want more?"

"Isn't that box supposed to feed a family of four?" Jack shook the opened and empty box.

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Daniel stood leaning against Jack's leg, looking out the front door, waving along with Jack, saying goodbye to their guests. He was hot, sweaty, and a touch of sun had brought out a smattering of freckles across his nose. Daniel yawned. Loudly.

Jack moved his leg and Daniel bopped up and down. "You need a shower."

"Bath."

Jack rested his head against the doorframe; that one word had been the first word Daniel had spoken in hours. "Why?"

"I don't like showers."

"No, I meant—forget it. Bath it is."

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To be continued