A/N: I want to say thank you to those who put my story on their story alert and their favorite story list. I haven't gotten any reviews yet, but I would very appreciate to get some, pretty please ;o)
Daniel wasn't particularly happy about the poking and prodding that was involved to see if he was a match to Benji. He knew that he had to go through with it though, if he wanted to save Benji…and he really did. He was very glad that his Dad was with him though.
"Danny, you don't have to go through with this you know!" Jack said while Janet took a blood sample from Daniel.
"I know Dad," Daniel said "…but I want to save Benji's life."
Jack bent down slightly and gently clasped Daniel's face between his two strong hands, he looked the young boy in the eyes and said. "Daniel I want you to promise me something. If you change your mind at all, if you decide you don't want to go through with it, I want you to let us know and we won't think bad of you. Maybe there will be an adult donor who is a match."
"I promise Dad, but that's not going to happen. I'm afraid that I'm the only one that can save him." Daniel said softly.
"I'm proud of you son." Said Jack "Even if you regret it and don't go through with it I'll still be proud of you."
Dr. Fraiser then spoke to him. "Daniel. I want you to know that it won't be easy for you when you're donating marrow stem cells. There will be some side effects,"
Daniel nodded his head.
This worried Jack. "What side affects do you expect he will have after the operation Doc," he asked the doctor.
"If it turns out that Daniel's a match, there won't be an operation Colonel, we're using a new method now." Janet explained "Daniel will get an injection with a medication once a day for four to five days before his bone marrow stem cell donation. This will draw the stem cells out of his bone marrow and into his bloodstream, then they will be filtered from his blood. As long as Daniel gets the medication he will have the side effects: bone pain, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, insomnia, nausea and flu-like symptoms, sweating, loss of appetite and tingling. The side effects will stop when we stop giving him the medication."
Jack wasn't happy to hear that at all. "Wow, that many side effects"
"I'll manage for Benji's sake." Daniel told him "Don't worry Dad, I'll be fine."
Jack thought about this for a moment. "Daniel I don't know? I don't think that you should go through with it you are only five after all."
"Benji is only five as well, and I don't want him to die. Please Daddy!!" Daniel cried.
"I hope he will get lucky" Jack said "…and there will be an adult who will be a match for him."
"No there won't." Daniel sobbed. "I can't tell you how I know, but there won't be an adult donor in time. I'm his only hope Daddy."
"I'm sorry Danny, but I'll have to think about it before I can give my consent." Jack said, patting him on the back.
Daniel cried his heart out onto his Dad's shoulder. He was so afraid that his Dad would refuse to help him help Benji and that Benji would die because of it.
"Well let's first see if Daniel is a match before you decide anything Colonel. I think that you both should go home and rest. I'll let you know as soon as I have the test results," Dr. Fraiser said.
Jack took his sad little boy home. The military officer wished that this whole thing was just a nightmare and that he soon would wake up from it. He waited and waited, but it didn't happen and he had to face the truth that this wasn't just a bad dream.
General Hammond kindly gave SG-1 some days off to ensure that Jack had some downtime with his son until the whole thing with the bone marrow testing and/or donation was over.
Later that day he called Sam, Teal'c and even Jonas. Daniel liked the young Kelownan a lot but Jack believed that if Daniel knew what happened with him and Jonas on Kelowna, his son wouldn't like him that much after all. He told his team about Daniel and Benji and asked them to come over and help him try to cheer up his son.
Jack and the team talked, played games and watched movies and succeeded in cheering Daniel up a little bit. They all went home when it was Daniel's bedtime, which came early when he fell asleep on the couch. Teal'c had the honour of changing him into his pyjamas and tucking him into bed for the night.
A few days later Jack got a call from Dr. Fraiser. She told him that the test results were ready and asked them to go in to the SGC to discuss them with her.
When Jack and Daniel arrived at the infirmary Dr. Fraiser asked Daniel to stay with a nurse while she talked with the colonel in her office.
"No Janet," Daniel complained "I want to be there too when you tell Dad about the test results. I know I'm a match but still I want to be there. Please Janet."
Janet squatted down so she was at eye level with the boy. "Sorry Daniel I want to talk to your Dad first. So be a good boy and stay with nurse Simons."
"But…" Daniel started to object.
"Daniel! Stay here with nurse Simons as the Doc told you too. We will get you as soon as possible," Jack said firmly.
Daniel reluctantly stayed with nurse Simons and was very disappointed that he was being left out. Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Fraiser went to her office.
"I'm afraid you won't like what the test result says Colonel." Janet said frankly.
"Just spit it out Doc." Jack said "Is Daniel a match?"
"Yes Colonel he is and even a very good match. I haven't seen anything like this before." Janet said "If I didn't know that they couldn't be identical twins, I would have believed they could be."
"Do you mean Daniel is related to Benji?" Jack said in amazement "That's impossible and they can't possibly be brothers. Daniel's parents died long before Benji was even born!"
"You are right they can't be related. But If Daniel will become Benji's donor, his prognosis will be very promising indeed." Janet stated.
"You mean that he will have a high chance of survival? And he will live long enough to grow up to adulthood?" queried Jack.
"Yes Colonel, that would be highly likely." Said Janet.
"Then" Asked Jack. "How can I refuse to sign the consent. Daniel would never forgive me."
"If you want Colonel I could tell Daniel that he isn't a match, if you don't want to sign the consent." Offered Janet.
Jack rubbed both his hands over his face and sighed "Thanks Doc. But I don't want to lie to Daniel. I'll sign the consent papers, but I hope that Daniel won't suffer too much from the side effects."
Janet placed one of her hands gently on Jack's arm and gave him a comforting squeeze. "I want you and Daniel to stay at the SGC in one of the VIP rooms for as long the procedure takes place. That way I can monitor him and keep my eye on you as well. Your team can stay with him too, if they want to help him cope with the side effects."
"I'm sure they will. I'm sure even Danny's "Grandfather" will show up when he has the time." Said Jack.
"Okay then Colonel." Said Janet "I'll notify the General and speak to Benji's doctors to make all the arrangements."
"Okay Doc. I'll go and get Daniel so you can tell him the news." Jack sighed again. "Well at least one of us will be very happy with the news."
A few minutes later Jack went back into Dr. Fraiser's office with Daniel.
"I'm a match right, Doctor Janet?" Daniel asked "Dad didn't want to say. He wants you to tell me. I hope it's not because it's bad news."
Janet smiled at him. "Daniel you were right all along. Yes, Daniel you are a match."
"I knew it!" Daniel exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "See Dad I was right! Can I visit Benji today? Does he live in Colorado Springs?"
"Yes. Daniel he lives in Colorado Springs he's in the Children's Memorial Hospital." Dr. Fraiser answered.
"I don't know if it's a good idea to visit him Danny," Jack said.
"Why?" asked Daniel "You will sign the consent, right Dad?"
"I'll sign the consent if you're really sure that you want to go through with it." Replied Jack.
"I will do everything I can to save Benji! I want to visit him today. Please let me visit him at the hospital Dad…please." Daniel said with his puppy dog's eyes.
"Okay we'll ask Benji's doctors and his parents to see if its okay with them." Agreed Jack.
"Yes! Thank you Dad!" Daniel jump of his chair, ran to his Dad and gave him a big hug.
Benji's doctors and his parents gave the 'okay' for Jack and Daniel to visit him at the hospital. His parents wanted to talk to Jack and Daniel before they told Benji that there was a potential donor.
A few hours later Jack and Daniel were at the hospital. When Benji's parents saw Daniel they were extremely surprised - he looked just like Benji did before he got sick. Mrs. Kent gave Daniel a big hug with tears welling up in her eyes.
After a few minutes she released Daniel from her embrace, wiped the tears from her face and said, "I'm sorry. I was just so surprised when I saw you, you look so much like Benji did before he got sick. You could be his twin brother...Mr. O'Neill could it be possible that your son is Benji's identical twin? Benji is adopted."
"No that's not possible." Jack said "Daniel is adopted too, but his biological father was my best friend, Daniel was the only child, his wife gave birth to."
"Oh, okay. Benji was found in the middle of nowhere, when he was about one and a half years old. He was in his birthday suit and was lucky that he was found before he starved to death. We don't know anything at all about his biological parents." Mrs. Kent told them.
Jack was surprised with the coincidence. Daniel was found on Vis Uban at the same age, also in his birthday suit. Jack was sure that it was just a coincidence, Benji couldn't be Daniel's doppelganger or his twin - could he?
"Is Benji's little brother adopted too?" Daniel asked.
"No, I gave birth to Tommy about a year ago." Said Benji's mother.
"Where is Tommy?" asked Daniel "Is he with Benji?"
"No, Daniel he is with his Grandparents." Mr. Kent informed him.
Benji's parents asked them if they were sure they would go through with the donation. Recently there had been an adult donor, who suddenly changed his mind at the last moment. They were all very upset including Benji and they didn't want to put him through that again.
"Don't worry" Daniel said. "Mr. and Mrs. Kent I won't change my mind. I want to save Benji!"
"You are a very special boy. Thank you so much Daniel," Mrs. Kent said.
"Can I see Benji now? Please." Daniel asked.
"Sure you can. I'm sure he'll be very happy when he sees you especially when we tell him that you're going to be his donor," Mrs. Kent said.
Outside Benji's room they met a nurse and Benji's parents told her about Daniel being their son's new donor.
The nurse kneeled down so she was face to face with Daniel and said, "Hi Daniel my name is Meg. You're a very brave little boy and I'm sure your Dad is very proud of you. Before you go in to see Benji I want you and your Dad to wash your hands and put an overall on. Benji is very weak and he could easily catch an infection if gets in contact with germs from other people."
"Okay Meg" said Daniel "I sure don't want to give him an infection."
A few minutes later they all went into Benji's room. When Jack saw Benji he could see what Mrs. Kent had meant. The kid really looked an awful lot like Daniel, if you looked aside from the fact that he looked weak and had a baseball cap on to hide his bald head.
Mrs. Kent leaned over Beni's bed and kissed him on the cheek. "Hi Benji, your Dad and I have a surprise for you."
"A surprise?" Benji giggled "Mom, has it something to do with the two people who followed you in here?"
Daniel walked up to Benji's bed, "Hi Benji my name is Daniel and I'm going to be your bone marrow donor."
"You are? Mom, Dad is that true?" Benji asked in amazement.
"Yes Honey it's true," his mother said and gave her son a big hug.
"Hi Daniel. Thank you." Said Benji "Maybe I can go home for Christmas. After the transplant I'm gonna write to Santa and tell him that I wanna get well again so I can go and meet him in person!"
"I hope you'll get everything you wish for. Doctor Janet says she'll give me the first shot tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to it, but I'll do it as long I know that it means that you'll be alright" Daniel said "…Hey Benji you know what?"
"No what?" asked Benji.
"Since the bone marrow will come from my blood, we'll be blood brothers after the transplant!" Daniel told him.
"Cool – way cool!" said Benji.