The devastation to the village was hard to accept. Jack managed to keep a calm professional expression on his face. Daniel's shocked expression spoke for both of them.

"It's not as bad as villages we've seen burned to the ground by some System Lords," Jack told him.

That was true. The physical damage could be repaired. The emotional damage was extreme but survivable.

The damage assessment teams from the SCG had arrived within hours of Col. Ross's report. Tents had already sprung up to house those who had lost everything. Daniel and Jack had arrived with additional medical personnel and more MALPs full of emergency food and supplies.

Jack had time to see to the dispersing of those resources and to greet old friends, to find out who was hurt and who needed what before they had to leave for the funeral. Daniel observed him with the people of Edora for the first time since they had rescued him. Jack had been a little 'off' then, not quite himself, utterly shocked by the reality of seeing him and Sam and Teal'c and knowing he could go home. Now Daniel got a glimpse of what Jack's life among the Edorans had really been like. He had been a part of this community, existing in a kind of self-imposed solitude while still being one of them.

Daniel wasn't surprised. Jack did the same thing with the SGC.

Laira's funeral was held jointly with the five others who had perished in the storm. The entire population was there mourning the passing of their loved ones. Garan and Naytha were beyond the comfort of mere words though Jack offered what he could during the ceremony to send the mother of his child to the Ancestors.

"What we have once loved we can never lose," he said and Daniel watched him carefully, knowing he was thinking not just of Laira but of Charlie and to a certain extent Sara. "What we love becomes part of us forever. Laira was the kindest and gentlest soul I have ever known. That is how I will remember her. Forever."

Daniel fought tears as his thoughts went instantly to Sha're. He lingered there in bittersweet memory for a moment before banishing all his old grief back into the shadows of his soul.

After the ceremony they had all gone back to the community house where several of the teenagers had been left to care for the children. As they got closer they could hear the voice of a young girl saying,

"Jarrett! Get down from there before you get hurt!"

Daniel had been off world with Jack too many times over too many years not to automatically speed up when he did. So when Jack started running Daniel did too. They burst through the door to find a room of several small children and their older caregivers playing on the floor. But in the center of the room was a table and standing on the table was a small boy with a headful of unruly dark curls, huge brown eyes and a grin that could have powered the Stargate. He looked to be about a year and half old.

The boy took one look at Jack and cried in a genuinely delighted voice,

"Jack!"

Then to Daniel's horror he launched himself off the table and into the air. With reflexes honed in Special Forces and three years in the SGC Jack surged forward and caught the little ball of energy in his arms. Tiny arms wound around his neck as Jack said,

"Whoa there, buddy. Slow down a minute."

A girl Daniel recognized from the evacuation two years before as Keisha hurried over with a worried, apologetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry, Jack. We can't keep him off the furniture. All he wants to do is climb and jump off things. He seems to think he can fly."

Daniel almost rolled his eyes. Okay, no DNA test needed there. That had 'O'Neill' stamped all over it.

But Daniel was struck by the heartfelt cascade of emotions that crossed Jack's face. He had never seen so much happen on that face in such a short amount of time. Jack closed his eyes for a moment and hugged tight, until Jarrett squirmed and Jack put him down again.

Jarrett took off across the room in the direction of another boy about the same age who was playing with a red wooden ball.

"Mine!" Jarrett shrieked.

"Jett!" Jack said but it had little effect on the boy's momentum.

Another of the caregivers, a boy - Dathan, Daniel remembered – jumped up and caught Jarrett just before he would have barreled into the other child.

Jack was a half a step behind them. He reached out and took his son again, holding him firmly in spite of the squirming.

"Mine!" Jett screamed again, more vehemently.

"No, it's not. It's your friend's turn with the ball," Jack answered calmly.

Daniel was staring at Jack blankly. When Jack saw him he shrugged.

"Toddler Rules of Acquisition," he said by way of explanation.

"What?" Daniel asked.

"If I had it once it's mine. If someone else has it it's mine. If I see it it's mine," Jack said all the while juggling the wriggling dynamo who was determined to get back on the floor and get 'his' ball.

"I see," was all Daniel could think of to say.

"Come on," he said.

Daniel followed him back out the door. Garan and Naytha followed them.

Distracted by all there was to see outdoors, Jett settled down and seemed content in his father's arms. At least for now.

"My mother was always the only one who could really get him to mind," Garan said, with sad apology.

"Oh, he's fine," Jack said, dismissing it. "He's a little boy." He gave Jett a look full of affection, "Aren't you?"

Jett laughed and curled up into Jack's chest and shoulder as if he did it all the time.

"The house is still standing, high and dry," Garan went on, "Please feel free to make use of it for the time you're here."

Garan and Naytha had married the previous month and moved into their own place. Jack had attended the wedding. It was the last time he had seen Laira.

Daniel glanced at Jack. They had agreed to stay for a few days, until the damage assessments were done. There was a question in Jack's eyes. Is staying at the house okay?

Daniel shrugged and nodded.

"That would be nice, Garan. Thank you," Jack said.

"We thought you would," Naytha spoke up. "There are fresh linens and food and oil for the lamps. Please let me know if you need anything else."

They walked back to the edge of the town center together. Jack promised that they would come to the funeral feast later that evening and then they separated to go to their respective houses.

They fell into the lockstep that came naturally to them after hundreds of missions with Jack still carrying Jett. After a few hundred yards Jett said,

"I want Mama."

Jack's hand moved up to caress the head full of dark curls, ruffling the baby-fine hair. Daniel's heart clenched tight and he ground his teeth together against the flash of pain, against the memory of being a little boy, lost and bewildered, saying the same thing.

"I know you do, buddy," he said, quietly. "But she's not here anymore."

Daniel held his breath waiting for Jett to say something more but the little boy subsided finally, still curled in the safety of Jack's body.

A moment later Jett started to cry. Jack hugged him tighter and, eventually, Daniel reached out and gently stroked the little boys back.

Between the two of them they tried to console a confused little boy through the kind of loss they both knew from experience was completely inconsolable.

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