Okay, so I know it's been a HUGE wait. My only excuse (and it's a lame one, I know) is that my brother got Beatles Rock Band for his birthday and that's what most of my free time has been devoted to. Many apologies.


Daniel awoke when the weight lifted off his chest. Blinking, he looked around, disoriented. He squinted in the light of the lamp and realized he'd left his glasses on. Then he looked at Ethan who had sat up and was looking at Daniel with a trembling chin.

Daniel sat up and drew the boy onto his lap. "You okay, Ethan?" he asked gently.

The little boy shook his head, wrapping both arms around his midsection.

Here it comes, Daniel thought, watching the toddler for the puking face. "If you need to throw up, throw up in here, remember?" Daniel said, reaching for the basin.

The little boy suddenly began to cry. "Want Mama," he said.

Ethan's sobs and the simple sentence made Daniel ache. He wanted to ease both the little boy's physical and emotional pain, but he just didn't know how. He hugged the little boy and rubbed his back. "Shh, it's okay, Ethan. It's okay." He couldn't think of anything else to say so he just kept repeating the same thing. Ethan's sobs slowed gradually and he cuddled into Daniel's chest, smearing his t-shirt with tears and snot.

Suddenly, Ethan lifted his head and looked at Daniel. "Frow up," he announced.

Daniel recognized the face and grabbed the basin and put it under Ethan's chin just in time to catch the next wave of puke. The little boy started to cry again, but Daniel had to clean out the basin before he could do much else. He shifted Ethan off his lap and put the basin on the floor, and then grabbed one of the baby wipes to clean off the little boy's face. He had intended to leave Ethan here for a couple minutes while he rinsed out the basin in the bathroom down the hall, but the little boy was crying and hanging onto his shirt, so Daniel picked him up again, trying to calm him down.

Daniel didn't want to attempt carrying the little boy and the basin down the hall, so once Ethan had calmed down, he tried to put the little boy down. Ethan started crying again and Daniel crouched down in front of him.

"Ethan, I have to go get this cleaned up and I can't carry you," Daniel tried to explain.

"No!" Ethan cried, trying to climb into Daniel's arms.

Daniel put his hands on the little boy's shoulders, holding him still. "Ethan, I can't carry you right now."

The little boy collapsed dramatically to the floor, burying his face in his arms. "Want Mama!" he cried, his voice muffled.

Daniel wondered if he could just leave Ethan there for a couple of minutes while he rinsed out the basin, but that seemed irresponsible and he couldn't just leave the kid crying on the floor.

"Daniel?"

Daniel looked up and saw Sam coming into the room. Relief flooded through him.

"Sam! Can you watch him for a minute?" Daniel asked, looking toward the plastic basin still sitting on the floor.

"Sure," Sam said. She looked a little bewildered but came to crouch next to Ethan, laying a gentle hand on his back.

"I'll be right back," Daniel said. Then he took a deep breath and held it, hoping he wouldn't have to breath until he'd emptied the basin. He exchanged encouraging glances with Sam and headed out into the hall, holding the basin at arm's length. He managed to get to the bathroom and dump the contents down the toilet and rinse it out in the sink without breathing too much of the smell. He washed the basin out, sure he was going to need it again, and headed back down the hall. He could hear Ethan still crying from all the way down the hall and quickened his pace.

He paused in the doorway of his room. Sam was sitting on the floor trying to prevent a very upset Ethan from running out into the hallway.

"Ethan, it's okay!" Sam said. "Daniel will be right back!"

Daniel's heart warmed at the thought that Ethan wanted him to come back. He stepped forward so they could see him and Sam let go of the little boy who ran to Daniel. Daniel picked him up and Ethan hugged him around the neck tightly.

"Thanks, Sam," he said, giving her a hand up.

"No problem. He really likes you, Daniel," she said with a slightly amused smile. Ethan was already cuddled back into Daniel's shoulder, his thumb in his mouth.

Daniel shrugged but couldn't stop a faint smile from appearing on his own face. "I can't figure out why," he said.

Sam patted his shoulder. "Not that I have a lot of experience, but if my brother's kids are any indication, kids are weird."

While Daniel was deciding whether or not that was a good thing, Ethan lifted his head off his shoulder. "Pway?" he asked around his thumb.

Daniel glanced at the clock. Five AM, great. "Don't you want to sleep a little bit more?"

"No sweep!" Ethan said, even taking the thumb out of his mouth to make his point clear.

"Want me to tell you a story again?" Daniel asked, hoping that tactic would work again.

"Pway!" Ethan repeated firmly.

Daniel looked toward Sam for help, but she just shrugged. "It's almost nine o'clock on his planet."

Daniel groaned softly. "I'm going to need some coffee," he said.

Sam smiled. "Me too. Let's take Ethan to the commissary and see if he can keep some Jello or something down. He could probably use some fluids."

Daniel sighed resignedly and looked at the little boy in his arms. "Okay. I'm going to get dressed."

Sam looked at Ethan who was still in the large t-shirt he'd been using for pajamas. "Do you know if anyone brought something for him to wear?"

Daniel shook his head. "All I've found so far are the diapers."

"I'll go do a quick inventory of his room and meet you back here," Sam said, shutting the door on her way out.

Daniel grabbed his BDU's from the small chest of drawers in the room and tried to put Ethan down on the bed so he could get dressed.

"Noooo!" the little boy wailed, grabbing Daniel's t-shirt tightly in both his little fists.

"This is going to get old really fast," Daniel muttered. "Ethan, I have to put my clothes on," he said, frustration leaking through his words.

"No down!"

Daniel sighed heavily and peeled the little boy off of him and plopped him down on the bed. Ethan looked up at him, his eyes filling with tears and his lip trembling. "Want Mama," he said just before bursting into tears.

Daniel dressed as quickly as possible and picked Ethan up again, rubbing his back. "I'm sorry, Ethan. I can't hold you all the time though, okay?"

The little boy gripped his BDU jacket tightly and hid his face in Daniel's neck. "No down!"

Daniel was about to explain again, but someone knocked on the door. He opened it and found Sam standing in the hallway with a pair of pants and a t-shirt for Ethan.

"I couldn't find any shoes or socks," she said. "But these should work."

Daniel stood aside so she could come in and took the clothes from her with his free hand. "Do you think I should change his diaper?" Daniel asked reluctantly.

"Better safe than sorry," Sam said.

He looked at her. "That doesn't really answer my question."

She smiled. "I guess I can do it if you really don't want to."

"Um . . . well, I have no idea how, so . . ." Daniel looked at her helplessly.

"Actually, neither do I," Sam said, gazing at Ethan. "Do you think Lieutenant North-"

"I really don't want to bother her again," Daniel broke in, thinking of the disgusted look she would give him if he admitted he didn't know how to change a diaper.

"Who else would know how to change a diaper that would be here at five in the morning?" Sam asked.

Daniel knew the answer. No one. "It can't be that hard, can it?"

Sam shrugged. "Won't know until we try, I guess."

Daniel laid the clean pair of clothes on the bed and got a diaper out of the large package. He tried to lay Ethan down on the bed, but once again, the little boy grabbed onto his shirt and wouldn't let go.

"No down! No down!" he screamed.

Daniel took a deep breath. "Ethan, I'm right here, okay? We just need to change your diaper!"

"No down!"

Daniel looked toward Sam for help. "Hey Ethan, if you're good and let us change you diaper, we can go get a treat," she tried.

He shook his head stubbornly. "Dano!"

"I'm not going anywhere, Ethan," Daniel said, frustrated.

Ethan's eyes filled with tears, sensing Daniel's frustration with him. "No down," he said, lip trembling.

"C'mon, Ethan, please? Just for a minute?" The little boy shook his head and renewed his grip on Daniel's shirt. Daniel sighed heavily. "Um . . . let's just get it over with," he finally said, looking at Sam.

She nodded. "Right."

Daniel forcibly removed Ethan's grip from his shirt and laid him on the bed. The little boy immediately began crying and kicking his legs, trying to roll over and climb into Daniel's arms again. Daniel put a hand on his small chest, holding him down, while Sam tried to get past his flailing legs to get the old diaper off.

"Ethan! I'm right here, buddy!" Daniel said, practically shouting over the noise the little boy was making.

Sam managed to get the sopping wet diaper off him and was working on unfolding the clean one, when they heard a loud knock. Both Daniel and Sam looked up to find a very amused General O'Neill in the doorway.

"Hey, kids," he said with a grin.

"Little busy right now, Jack," Daniel said, turning his attention back to trying to hold the screaming toddler still.

Jack laughed out loud and stepped into the room. "I'll take that, Carter," he said grabbing the diaper from Sam and managing to get it strapped onto the little boy. As soon as he finished, Daniel picked him up again and the little boy stopped crying.

"Thank you, sir," Sam said, flashing a grin at him.

He grinned back. "So, there something you two aren't telling me?" he teased.

"Very funny, Jack," Daniel said. Ethan had calmed down and had one thumb back in his mouth, the other one gripping Daniel's shirt again.

"What are you doing here, sir?" Sam asked.

"You know, I am retired now," he said, raising his eyebrows at her. "You don't have to call me sir."

"You still call me Carter," she countered. They both grinned at each other for a minute.

"What are you doing here, Jack?" Daniel finally asked.

Jack cleared his throat and looked away from Sam. "A guy can't stop by every now and again to see his friends?"

"At five in the morning?" Daniel asked sceptically.

Jack shrugged.

"The general told you about . . . the situation, didn't he?" Sam asked, still smiling at him.

"Okay, okay, so I was curious," he admitted. "And you have to admit, Dannyboy, he looks just like you."

"We've already been down that road, Jack," Daniel said wearily.

"Dack," Ethan said suddenly.

Daniel looked down at him. "What?"

"Dack?" he repeated, pointing at Jack.

Daniel smiled. "Yeah, that's Jack," he answered.

Jack grinned and stepped toward the little boy. "And what's your name, pal?" he asked.

"Efan," the little boy said, even taking his thumb out of his mouth to introduce himself.

Jack looked at Daniel. "What?"

"Ethan. His full name is Ethaneas, but that's kind of a mouthful."

Jack turned his attention back to the toddler. "Ethan, huh? Pleased to meetcha!" He took one of Ethan's hands in his own and shook it up and down.

Ethan grinned. "Dack!" he repeated.

"Since he's so taken with you, Jack, you can get him dressed," Daniel said, feeling a ridiculous surge of jealousy at how much Ethan seemed to like Jack.

Jack raised his eyebrows, but held out his hands to the little boy. Ethan leaned into Daniel, a little frown on his face and Daniel barely managed to keep a smug smile off his.

"He doesn't like me that much, apparently," Jack said, amused.

Daniel sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the clothes for Ethan. He didn't dare put the little boy down again, so he dressed him in the little cargo pants and t-shirt Sam had found while the toddler was still seated in his lap. It was a little awkward, but Ethan cooperated for the most part, even though the clothes must feel strange to him. From what Daniel remembered, kids his age on his planet ran around in little more than a loin cloth.

Sam and Jack were chatting in the doorway, and he stood up and joined them. Sam turned to look at Ethan and grinned at him, her eyes sparkling.

"That's so cute!" she blurted, then blushed a little at the outburst.

Jack looked at the little boy and chuckled. "Did you read the shirt, Daniel?"

Daniel frowned and looked down at Ethan. Printed in bold letters across the dark green shirt were the words "Property of the US Air Force." Daniel couldn't help but smile.

Ethan saw that everyone was looking at his shirt and looked down, tracing the lettering with his fingers. "Say," he said, looking back up at Daniel.

"You want to know what it says?" Daniel asked with surprise.

"Say!" Ethan repeated.

"It says "'Property of the US Air Force,'" Daniel said, another smile creeping across his face.

Ethan looked down and studied his shirt, then turned and looked at Daniel's chest, pulling back his BDU jacket. He looked up with a frown. "All gone!" he exclaimed.

Jack and Sam burst into laughter. "Daniel, I am so getting you a t-shirt that says that," Sam said, still giggling.

Daniel rolled his eyes but grinned at Ethan's confusion. The little boy looked closely at Jack and Sam as well, and seeing their shirts also lacked writing, he repeated his earlier statement in resignation. "All gone."

After the second round of giggles, Daniel remembered their original purpose in getting Ethan ready for the day. "Are we going to go get coffee, or what?" he said.

"Want to join us, sir?" Sam said stepping, out into the hallway.

"Of course," Jack said with a grin. "I wouldn't ever forgive myself if I missed the opportunity to watch Daniel trying to feed a toddler."