Wayward Son - The Journey Begins:

Counting Your Blessings

by devra and JoaG

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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The high-pitched, blood-curdling screams were a thing of the night, which meant a nightmare and lost sleep. Hearing them in the early evening was something Jack wasn't expecting, and which immediately sent his pulse racing as he dropped the wet load of laundry onto the floor and rushed up the stairs.

The sound was coming from the bathroom and Jack opened the closed door, bursting into the small room where Daniel was crouched over the toilet bowl, his underwear half-pulled up onto his butt and his pajama bottoms pooled at his ankles, all the while screaming bloody murder.

"What? What? Are you sick?" The smell suddenly hit Jack, and he waved a hand in front of his face as he pulled Daniel to him.

"It fell in. It fell in. I can't see it. Jack," Daniel hiccupped, pointing to the throne that was full of human waste and toilet paper. "I can't see it."

"What? What fell in?" A quick visual showed that Daniel wasn't hurt. Automatically he finished pulling up Daniel's underwear and pants, while Daniel struggled to get back to the toilet bowl.

The smell was nauseating and Jack reached for the handle to flush.

"No! Don't! It's going to go flush away with my shit." Daniel's face paled, and Jack stopped him just in time before he plunged his hand into the bowl of crap.

"Daniel. Language." He pulled Daniel to him roughly. "What fell in the toilet bowl?"

"My car. My car. Mycar-mycar-mycar."

Jack sighed loudly as he peered into the toilet bowl. There was no sign of the toy, and he couldn't help but picture the small Matchbox car sitting at the bottom of the bowl amidst a pile of... He couldn't flush, not because Daniel wanted the car back, but because he couldn't chance having it block the toilet.

"Okay. First off, go wash your hands."

"But I want my car."

"That car's a goner, Daniel."

"But it's my green car!"

"You have other cars." He pulled Daniel to the sink and opened the faucets. He pulled a struggling Daniel closer and squirted soap into his hands. "Wash."

"But I want my car."

"Daniel, first things first. Wash your hands, and I'll go take care of the car. Do NOT touch the toilet."

Daniel stared up at him a moment, then slowly climbed onto the edge of the tub and began rubbing his hands together under the running water. Jack took the opportunity to hurry and get the items he needed.

Baggie. Large baggie. And a garbage bag. Long handled spoon. Definitely one that he wasn't attached to.

He came back and swore when he saw Daniel leaning over the toilet, trying to move the toilet paper around with a finger.

"What did I just tell you?" He pulled Daniel back, a little more roughly than he'd wanted to, and shoved him to the sink again. "Wash your hands."

"I just did—"

"Then wash them again. I told you not to touch anything."

He waited until Daniel obeyed, then gingerly began probing with the spoon. "God, what the hell did you eat?" Jack gagged at the smell. Then he felt something hard, deep inside the bowl, almost inside the pipe. Gingerly he teased it back, rolled it up out of the water and with a quick twist, got the green car into the spoon.

Moving fast, he shoved both spoon and car into the baggie and hurried to flush. Then he paused. "Daniel, how many cars were there?"

"Just that one." Daniel reached for the baggie eagerly, and Jack held it out of his reach.

"Just one? You're sure?"

"Yep." Daniel got up on tippy-toes, reaching higher. "It was in my pocket and fell out when I pulled my pajamas up." He turned around and pointed to the small pocket in his flannel pjs.

Sending a silent prayer, Jack flushed the toilet. Everything exited the bowl, and the water level rose to a normal level.

Jack blew out a puff of air, relieved that Daniel had been right. He closed the baggie and stuffed it into the garbage bag, tying it securely before dropping it on the counter so he could wash his hands.

"Jack? My car?"

Daniel was looking forlornly at the closed bag.

"Sorry, kiddo. It's a goner."

"No. You said you'd take care of it. You got my car. I want my car."

"Daniel, you've got plenty of other cars. Go play with those."

"No, I want that car. I want that car. You got it out. Why won't you give it back?"

The tears, the tantrum, the whining, and the lingering odor of shit had Jack grabbing the bag and walking out of the bathroom. Daniel followed on his heels, jumping and trying to get the bag from him until Jack turned on him and yelled, "Daniel, that's enough."

This wasn't the first time Jack had raised his voice in this manner but it was enough to startle Daniel into compliance. Unfortunately, those few moments of silence didn't last long when the whining turned into a full blown tantrum.

Jack hurriedly left the house and discarded the toy in the garage, out of Daniel's reach. He could hear Daniel screaming even from there, and when he came in, the decibels coming from Daniel's mouth felt like they were enough to shatter glass.

Jack knew there was only one way he would get peace and quiet tonight. He grabbed a blanket, wrapped Daniel in it, and grabbed his car keys. At least the grocery store was still open; that was the one thing so far he had going for him. He just prayed they still had green Matchbox cars left.

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Daniel was snuggled contentedly against Jack, sharing the recliner and an afghan with him. Jack's old scrub top was bunched against his shoulder and Daniel was using it as an impromptu pillow as he slowly rolled a green Matchbox car up and down Jack's arm.

Daniel yawned loudly, and Jack glanced down at him. His eyes were half closed and Jack had a feeling that Daniel might just not quite make it to the end of the movie. It was apparent he was fighting sleep despite the long nap he'd had today at kindergarten. Then he squirmed and sat up abruptly, all sleepiness gone.

"Jack? Gotta pee."

"Okay." Jack paused the movie and put the footrest down as Daniel slid off the chair, the scrub top falling to the floor, forgotten.

"Daniel?"

Daniel stopped halfway across the room and turned to look at Jack.

"The car?" Jack waggled his fingers. "Remember what I told you?"

"No more toys in the bathroom." Daniel hurried back to Jack, slammed the toy into his palm and ran upstairs.

While Daniel was gone, Jack picked up the scrub top and folded it neatly, trying to brush away the myriad of wrinkles. Daniel returned, all bright eyed and bushy tailed, the earlier sleepiness nowhere in evidence.

He clambered back onto the chair and wriggled around until he was settled. A small hand reached out and grabbed the scrub top and pulled it back under the afghan, then took the toy from Jack. Just as Jack reached for the remote, Daniel shivered.

"Are you cold?"

"A little." He shifted against Jack, shoving his sock-clad feet under Jack's knees.

Jack touched Daniel's neck, testing for fever, but his temperature felt normal.

"Jack? Gramma asked what I was doing for Halloween. When's Halloween?"

Jack groaned inwardly. With all the decorations out there, it was hard to miss but somehow he hadn't really thought about doing much except answering the door and handing out candies, like he normally did if he wasn't on a mission that evening. "Do you know what Halloween is?"

"Yup." He nodded. "Gramma told me. She said kids get dressed up and go and get candies from people. Trick or Treat, she said."

"That's right. It's the only day of the year where accepting candies from strangers is allowed. And, only with a parent's supervision," he emphasized. "Halloween is next Tuesday."

"Do I get dressed up? Don't I get dressed when I go to school?"

"What Grandma meant was that you got dressed up in a funny outfit. In a costume."

"Do you get dressed up, too?"

"Sometimes. When I give out the candies."

"Why do you give out candies?"

"Because little kids come to the door."

"Oh." Daniel leaned his head back against Jack's shoulder then tilted his head to look up at him, upside down. "But if you give out candies, how can you go get candies from other people?"

"You can't. We have to make a choice. Either you dress up and I take you trick or treating, or we stay home and give out candies."

"But if you stay here and give candies out, then why do I have to go and ask for them from strangers? Can't I just have your candies?"

Jack couldn't help but grin at Daniel's logic. "Of course you can. But it's also fun going out and knocking at doors and seeing what sort of loot you'll collect." He had fond memories of taking Charlie around the neighborhood one year that he'd been home on leave, notwithstanding the upset stomach and the night of vomiting that had ensued.

"I have to knock on doors?"

"Of course. You have a bag, and you open it up when the person opens the door, and you say, 'Trick or Treat'. And they'll put some candies in your bag."

"Oh."

"But you won't be alone. All the little kids will be out there also, going from door to door."

"If someone knocks on our door, do I have to say Trick or Treat?"

"Nope, all you have to do is hand out some candies." Jack could sense that Daniel was torn; he wanted to experience Halloween - what kid didn't? Next to Christmas and his birthday, Halloween had been Jack's favorite time of year as a kid. Half the fun was in choosing a costume, not to mention comparing what goodies he'd gotten with his friends. But then again, with Daniel's mutism, he could see how much of an ordeal going door to door could be.

"Can we stay home and hand out the candies, Jack? Do I still get to dress up?"

"Of course we can stay home. And I'll tell you what. We'll go to the store tomorrow and choose the candies that we give out, and then we can put some aside, just for you. Just like you'd gone out Trick or Treating."

"Yay!" Daniel rolled on the chair, his knee coming close to giving Jack a good, swift knock on more sensitive areas of his anatomy as Daniel repositioned himself. "What about dressing up?"

"Well, we'll look for a costume tomorrow at the same time. How's that?"

"Can we take a picture for Gramma to see?"

"You bet."

Suddenly Jack was engulfed in a full body hug. "I love you, Jack."

Jack hugged Daniel back, wishing he could utter the words back without making it feel like a lie.

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"Wow, look at all the candies." Daniel's head swiveled from side to side as Jack pushed the cart down the grocery store aisle. Jack grabbed several large bags of assorted miniature chocolate bars and a smaller variety of candies. "See anything you like?"

Daniel examined each bag carefully, then pointed to tiny bags of potato chips. "We had that at school last week. They were good."

Jack tossed the bag of chips into the cart. "Anything else?"

"There's so much!"

"Yeah. I know." Jack added mini Twizzlers to the cart, and as an afterthought, added some SweetTarts.

"I think we're good. Now we just gotta get a couple of pumpkins."

"We're going to eat all that?"

Jack laughed. "No, we're going to give most of this away?"

"All of this? Wow, that's a lot of candy."

"There's a lot of kids out there on Halloween night." Jack continued down the aisle, stopping at the other end where the costumes were. There wasn't much of a choice left; Jack flipped through the meager selection and finally chose a pirate costume. "Here, how about this? It's got an eye patch and a plastic sword and a hat."

Daniel fingered the sword through the plastic. "It doesn't look like a pirate."

"Well, it will once you put the patch on, and the hat. A pair of jeans and you'll be good to go." He took the package from Daniel and tossed it into the cart.

"What about you?" Daniel asked as Jack began heading towards the cash.

"I've got my costume at home."

"Is it a pirate costume, too?"

"Nope. I'll be a devil." Trusty devil horns, an old black silk cape and a drawn-on moustache would be good enough for him.

"Do you go out Trick or Treating?"

Jack swallowed back those memories of Charlie. "No. It's for kids." He told himself sternly it was time to make new memories. Watching Daniel enjoy himself surely wouldn't tarnish the visuals he had of Charlie and himself. So why did he feel guilty because he was glad he wasn't taking Daniel out on Tuesday night?

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"I don't want to take a ba-ath," Daniel sobbed, clinging to Jack, the sour aroma of vomit nearly overpowering in the bathroom.

"Just a really quick one, okay?" Jack tested the water with one hand while Daniel tried to squirm away from the tub. He peeled Daniel from him and plunked him into the tub.

Immediately Daniel began shivering despite the heat of the water. His cries increased in pitch when his feet touched the water. Fever and a nightmare had contributed to this middle of the night sickness. Jack hurriedly passed a washcloth over his body, rinsing him off as best he could, and then wrapped a towel around him.

Daniel stopped screaming the moment he was back in Jack's arms, although the sobbing continued unabated. Drying Daniel and getting him into clean pajamas took another couple of minutes, and now Jack had the odious job of changing the soiled bed linens. "Wait here." He left Daniel next to the door and holding his breath as much as he could and gagging when he had to take a breath, Jack quickly stripped the bed, added the now filthy scrub top to the pile, hurried downstairs and tossed everything into the washing machine. He added soap, slammed down the lid and rushed back upstairs to finish making the bed.

Daniel hadn't moved. He had slid down the wall, making himself into a small ball, still crying. The pitch of his cries had changed; he sounded hoarse, as if he'd strained his voice. Jack quickly made the bed.

"C'mon, get in." While Daniel got up and shuffled to the bed, Jack dug in the back of the closet for Daniel's old comforter. He unfolded it, snapped it into the air with a flick of his wrists, and let it gently float down over the bed.

"I'll be right back."

With Daniel and bed now cleaned and changed, Jack quickly got some more Tylenol and a bit of water. "Here." He held the two tiny pills in his palm, but Daniel didn't pick them up. "C'mon, it'll make you feel better."

Daniel shook his head.

"You've got a fever. These will help." He stroked the sweaty bangs away from Daniel's forehead.

"My throat hurts." Daniel's voice was definitely raspy.

"Just swallow a little bit of water, okay? Enough for the pills?"

"I don't wanna."

"Daniel. I know you're not feeling that great, but you've taken these before. C'mon, just one big swallow and they're gone."

Daniel raised himself on his elbows, took the pills and chewed. Jack held the glass as Daniel guided it to his lips. He slurped noisily, swallowed, made a grimace and plopped back down onto the pillow.

Jack moved the small lamp closer to the edge of the table. "Open up and let me see your throat."

Daniel obeyed, opening wide, and Jack maneuvered the light until he got a good look at the swollen tonsils. "Okay, I'll call Doc Fraiser tomorrow morning and we'll see if she can do something for your throat, okay?"

"Can I have scrubby?"

"It's in the wash."

"But..." Daniel sighed and turned onto his side. Jack adjusted the blankets, wishing Daniel, and himself by default, could get at least one night's uninterrupted sleep. "Read to me, Jack?"

"Okay." He picked up a book at random, held the cover up for Daniel's inspection, and when he got a nod of approval, began to read. After a few minutes, he began glancing over at Daniel, watching as his eyelids slowly began drifting lower and lower. He continued reading a few minutes after Daniel's eyes had closed, then put the book down, turned off the light and tiptoed out of the room.

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"Hi, Gramma. I'm sick."

Raspy voiced, at the moment, this was the only outward sign that Daniel actually was sick. Tylenol had taken care of the fever, had helped ease the sore throat, and a quick trip to the infirmary got him antibiotics. The meds, plus rest, fluids and time would take care of the tonsillitis.

Jack prepared supper, listening with half an ear as Daniel chattered with his mom about their trip for Halloween candies. He winced at how lacking Daniel's costume sounded as Daniel described it, and he was extremely grateful at the moment that Daniel wasn't expecting to go out trick or treating, because the forecast was for cold weather, and the last thing he needed was for Daniel to catch a chill on top of everything else.

"Honey Bunny, please." Daniel settled back on the couch as his mom regaled him with his favorite made up story. Jack wished his mom was right here in the house with them so he could listen to them again as well. Despite the number of times he'd heard the stories, he'd never gotten tired of them. And neither had Charlie, and obviously, neither would Daniel.

Supper was in the oven, Daniel's macaroni was bubbling away, and the table was set when Daniel walked into the kitchen. "Gramma wants to say hi." He handed Jack the phone then opened the refrigerator door.

"Hi, Mom." Jack grabbed the container of apple juice that Daniel was trying to drag out of the refrigerator.

"What's wrong with Daniel?"

"Tonsillitis." One-handed, Jack poured a bit of juice into a glass. "Doc gave him antibiotics. So tomorrow we're staying home, just to give him an extra day to recover."

Daniel grabbed the glass and downed the juice, coming up for air with a loud, satisfied, ahhh. Jack raised the container, and Daniel eagerly put the glass down next to it.

"You need to find yourself a babysitter. I know, I know, these are the days of single parents, but raising children with two adults is hard enough. Being on your own with a full time job like yours—"

"You're right, Mom. I have friends who'd be more than happy to sit with Daniel but unfortunately their schedules are just as crazy as mine." He poured some more juice. "We'll manage, for the time being. Worst case, I can always bring him in to work with me—"

"Don't you dare!"

"Well, it's not the best scenario but as you know, there is a well-maintained medical facility and if he's sick, he can get immediate attention." While Daniel drank up, Jack opened the refrigerator door and put the container away.

"You're not thinking about taking him out for Halloween, are you? He told me you were staying in and handing out candies. I saw on TV that you're getting cold weather on Tuesday."

"It feels cold enough to snow, and yep, we're staying in. Daniel figured out that he can get the best of both worlds this way. Get dressed up, get candies from me and not brave the cold. Mom, I gotta go and finish making supper."

"Have him call me Tuesday, after all the excitement's over."

"I will. And I'll take pictures." He took the dirty glass from Daniel and rinsed it in the sink.

"Good. I'll look forward to seeing them. Along with all the ones you've taken which I haven't seen yet."

"Damn—"

"Jonathan. Language—"

"Sorry, Mom." He winced at the realization that he hadn't printed any of the photos he'd taken of Daniel. "Look, I'll have all the pictures developed and mail them out right after."

"If you say so."

"Mom, I'm sorry. It's just been a bit crazy. I promise."

There was a pause. "I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures. And the video tape."

"I'll make you a copy as soon as possible and mail it to you. Mom, I have to go, otherwise Daniel's macaroni and cheese will be mush."

Daniel giggled. "Musharoni and cheese?"

"Give him a kiss from me."

"I will. Bye, Ma." He hung up the phone and drained the pasta. "Go and wash up. Your musharoni and cheese is coming right up."

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Daniel's eyes grew wide as Jack inserted the candle into the freshly carved Jack-O-Lantern and lit it. The scary face leered eerily at them from the kitchen table.

"That's so cool."

"Yeah, isn't it? We'll put it in the windows so kids know we have candies for them." Jack blew the candle out and put the pumpkin aside. "How about you draw a scary face on this one." Jack put a pumpkin before Daniel, and handed him a marker. "Just like the ones in the magazine." He pointed to the dozen different schemes for Jack-O-Lanterns.

Twenty minutes later, he had three carved pumpkins ready to go. He carefully arranged them in the windows, ready for tomorrow. He'd strung little orange lights along the walk leading up to the house, and strung glow-in-the-dark cut-outs of cats and witches in the door and window.

"There, we're all set. All we have to do tomorrow is put all the candies in a big bowl and get our costumes on."

"It doesn't look scary. Gramma said Halloween was scary. Even the pumkins aren't so scary."

"Oh, trust me. It'll look scary when it's dark and most of the lights are out."

"Can we put the candies in the bowl now? Then we won't have to do it tomorrow." Daniel looked away from the window and up at Jack with an eager expression.

Jack couldn't help but smile at him, knowing the kid was trying to be sneaky and get his hands on some early treats. "Nope."

When the hopeful look disappeared, Jack ruffled Daniel's head. "But, I could open one of the bags so we could at least see what the chocolates taste like. How about that?"

"Can I choose?" Daniel jumped up and down, and trotted up the stairs, anxiously prancing back and forth in front of the kitchen counter. Jack removed the bags of candies from the top shelf of the pantry, safely out of reach of eager little hands, and spread each bag on the counter. Daniel examined each one, reading the names out loud. Seeing they could be here a long time, Jack made a decision.

"You know, you probably like all of these." Jack ripped open one of the bags and took out one of the miniature chocolates. "But I bet you'll like this one best." Adult Daniel had loved 5th Avenue Bars so there was no reason this little one wouldn't either.

Daniel grabbed it eagerly while Jack helped himself to a mini Twizzler. Daniel struggled with the wrappings, and Jack had time to put everything away before Daniel was able to uncover enough chocolate bar to take a bite.

The expression on Daniel's face was priceless.

"Thish ish good," he said with his mouth full.

"I know."

"Can we stay home tomorrow, too?"

"Only if you're sick. And," Jack quickly said as he saw the proverbial gears turning, "if you're sick, you won't be helping me with Halloween. You'll be in bed, while I dole out the candies."

"But I'm sick now. And I helped with the pumkins." A chocolate smeared mouth extended into a pout.

"Pumpkins," Jack repeated, putting the emphasis on the p.

Daniel gave him a perfected five year old eye roll. "Pumkins, that's what I said Jack."

Jack just smiled, giving up without a fight. "The front door will be opening and closing all evening, and it's going to get cold in here. If you're still sick, I don't want you catching a chill. So tonight, you're going to eat the vegetables I put on your plate and go to bed early and if you're well enough to go to kindergarten in the morning, you'll be well enough to help out in the evening." Of course it wasn't all that black and white but at least this way he knew Daniel wouldn't be faking illness in the morning.

"Now, how about we clean up the kitchen so I can start making supper? Wanna get me a garbage bag?"

The doorbell interrupted cleanup duty. Daniel ran out of the kitchen while Jack wiped his hands, waiting for him anxiously as he peered through the glass windows. Jack opened the door and saw a Fed Ex truck parked at the end of his driveway.

He signed for the box, saw that the return address was his mom's, and brought it inside.

"What is it? Is it for me?"

"I don't know. Let me open it."

"Who's it from?" Daniel danced around Jack and pulled the box down so he could get a look at the writing. "It says Rose O'Neill on the box. Is that from Gramma?"

"Yeah, it looks like." Jack put the box on the kitchen table and opened it. Inside was a neatly wrapped bundle of fuzzy material, and when Jack shook it out, he held a child-sized Halloween costume.

"It's Honey Bunny!" Daniel exclaimed, grabbing the costume from Jack and dancing around with it.

"Grandma bought you a costume," Jack said slowly. It was a full-length bunny outfit, complete with feet, tail, and head. It would be cozy and warm, and Jack could actually take Daniel out to a couple of houses for the Trick or Treat experience without worrying that he'd catch a chill before handing out their own candies.

"Can I put it on now?" Daniel ran a hand down the soft material, looking pleadingly at Jack.

"Just to try on." He helped Daniel take his jeans off and get into the costume, which fit him perfectly. Daniel pulled up the head and his voice came through muffled. "I can see." There was a screen inside the head, allowing Daniel fresh air and a clear view. Daniel hopped around the kitchen with his arms bent in front of his chest until Jack told him to take the costume off.

"You're going to get overheated if you keep that up." He pushed back the head and already Daniel's face was flushed and sweaty. "Let's put this away until tomorrow."

"But—"

"Tomorrow. Right now, you can call Grandma and let her know you got her gift."

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That night, once Daniel had snuggled with him and had fallen asleep, Jack went through the boxes on the top shelf of his closet, looking for the Halloween accessories he usually used. The first box he took down was the one Carter had brought back from Daniel's apartment just a few weeks ago. He'd put it away without looking through it but, curious now, he put the box on his bed and opened it, wondering if there were any photos of Daniel at Halloween.

He flipped through the pictures, smiling at the identical little boy. Most of the photos had been taken in Egypt, and it was pretty obvious his parents had taken him with them on the digs rather than the usual practice of leaving him in town with a nanny. Many of the pictures showed Daniel to be in possession of the scruffy looking stuffed toy that Carter had packed, and Jack had a sudden idea.

He took the toy from the box and carefully examined the small tag sewn into a seam. It was dirty and faded, as was the stuffed camel itself, but he managed to make out the brand name.

A moment later he found himself on the phone, talking to Carter.

"I know it probably isn't around anymore, but if you could find one that looked the same—"

"But sir, Daniel has no memories. It doesn't matter whether or not the stuffed camel looks the same as this one or not—"

"I know that. Just consider it a gut feeling. Maybe deep down, he still remembers things. Like how he remembered me, and you and Teal'c. You saw the photo album; you saw how that camel was in just about every single picture. Maybe somewhere, subconsciously, having that camel back might help him sleep through the nights—"

"What about giving him the original one. The one in the box—"

"Have you seen how filthy it is? Besides, it's so threadbare that it'll probably fall apart the first time he sleeps with it."

"That's true." There was a pause and Jack could hear typing in the background. "I'll see what I can do, sir. I'll let you know in the morning."

"Hey," Jack said quickly before she could hang up. "What're you doing tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, you know. Ghouls and goblins and all that?"

"Giving out candies, sir."

"Have you bought them yet?"

"The candies?"

"No, the ghouls and goblins. Of course the candies. Knowing you, you're going shopping on your way home from work—"

"I was planning on stopping by and getting them on sale—"

"Would you consider giving me and Daniel a hand doing that tomorrow? My mom sent Daniel the cutest costume and I'm sure he'd love to see you guys—"

"What, you're afraid of a hundred little kids coming to your front door?"

"Terrified, Carter. There's more of them than there are of me," he said with a smile. "Actually, Daniel's been under the weather and I'm afraid he may conk out before Halloween is over and I may need some backup just in case."

"Janet said he'd been sick. How's he doing?"

"Fever's coming and going. Throat's pretty sore. Yesterday he didn't want to eat, today he was better but it's so unpredictable that I'd like to cover all my bases."

"Are you springing for supper, sir?"

"Of course. And oh, maybe Teal'c would like to get in on the act?"

"I'll ask him tomorrow. Should I bring anything?"

"Just a costume."

"I'll see you tomorrow, sir," she said, laughing.

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"Jack!" The moment Daniel spotted Jack, he slid off the chair and ran to him, only to come to a skidding halt when he spied Carter and Teal'c with him.

"DanielJackson. You appear well."

"T-Teal'c. Sam." The hug that had been heading for Jack suddenly went to Carter, who went down on one knee and hugged him back. "Are you coming to see my Honey Bunny costume?"

Carter appeared startled at the spoken words and she looked at Jack a moment before giving Daniel a bright smile. "Yep. And we're going to help with handing out candies, too."

"Yippee!" Daniel let go of Carter and threw himself at Teal'c, who bent down and picked Daniel up and tossed him up into the air before catching him and holding him close. Teal'c got a full body hug, complete with arms and legs, and Daniel nearly dislodged Teal'c's cowboy hat from his head. "You, too, Teal'c?"

"Indeed. Colonel O'Neill has invited us to share a meal and distribute the small delicacies to the local children. You will have to explain this holiday, as I have never celebrated it."

Jack grabbed Daniel's backpack and green car from the table and motioned for Teal'c to lead the way. Daniel jabbered on non-stop, explaining the finer points of Trick or Treating, presumably something Rose had told him all about.

"He's talking," Carter whispered as she leaned closer to Jack.

Jack blinked, then suddenly remembered that Daniel had seldom spoken to his teammates. Obviously things were looking up. He ignored the startled look from the teacher at the door as they left, who watched as Daniel kept up the monologue all the way to the Avalanche.

"Can I ride with Sam?"

"No, it'll take too long to take your seat out and install it in her car."

"But—"

"Daniel. She's coming over for supper. The longer we stand here and discuss this, the longer it'll take to get home and get ready for Halloween."

"You'll be right behind us?" he asked Carter worriedly.

"Yep."

"Even better, Carter, why don't you take point and we'll follow you in."

"Sure." She laughed as she slid into her car. Before Teal'c could squeeze his bulk into the passenger side, Daniel grabbed his arm and tugged. "Come sit with me?"

Jack motioned silently for Teal'c to join them, and the Jaffa regally inclined his head, accepting the invitation.

"Are you wearing costumes, too?" Daniel asked as Jack buckled him in.

"Indeed. I am dressed as a cowboy."

"And Sam?"

"She did not confide what her disguise will be."

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Dressed in an over-the-shoulder flowing white blouse, cropped black vest, skin-tight black pants with knee-high boots, Carter hardly needed the eye-patch, tri-corner hat, fake goatee and sword to complete her outfit. One look at her, and people would hardly notice the actual disguise. Jack often forgot how good looking Carter was; he was so used to her as being one of the guys, that occasionally, like tonight, it was almost a shock to be reminded she was a woman.

Unless, of course, you were a five-year old child.

"Did Jack buy you your costume, too?" Daniel tilted his head to the side and stared up at Carter. "I like your beard." He reached a hand and fingered the false whiskers when Carter knelt down to his level.

"Why, thank you. And you are... Bugs Bunny?"

"No," Daniel giggled. "Honey Bunny." He raised the costume's head so his face was covered. "See?"

"Ah, I see." She glanced quizzically at Jack.

"One of my mom's stories about a rabbit lost in the woods. She's been regaling him with tales about Honey Bunny."

"Your costume's lovely, Daniel."

"Thanks. Gramma made it." He bunny-hopped over to the mirror in the hallway to examine his costume.

"Wow, your grandmother's pretty talented."

"Actually my mom bought it. While her skills are many, sewing isn't one of them. Daniel's only been with me a few weeks and already she's spoiled him rotten." Jack scowled at the mirror he'd propped up on the kitchen table as he drew a moustache around his lips. "It was always a thing of contention between me and Sara, the way my mother kept sending Charlie gifts. Mom didn't visit very often so she made up for it by buying him things. Sara and I tried talking mom into moving here but she wouldn't sell her house."

"I'm sure her gifts were appreciated." Carter sounded uncomfortable, and Jack realized he'd shared more of his personal life with her and Teal'c in just these few sentences than in the two years they'd worked together.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure Charlie would rather have had a grandmother close by than getting toys in the mail every few months."

"Well, I guess it depends on a child's perspective."

"Charlie seeing his grandmother as someone who showers him with gifts rather than love and affection isn't exactly what I wanted. Mom and I... argued... and by the time Charlie died, we weren't exactly close."

"And now, Daniel..."

"Has worked his magic more in these few weeks than the years of our dancing around one another, trying to reforge our relationship. Mom's showered him with gifts, there's no denying that, but she's also made the effort of actually being there, as much as a telephone conversation can bring two people together." Jack put the final swirl of color on his face and stared at his reflection. "She's making an effort, for which I'm extremely grateful. And if I have to pay a small fortune in long-distance bills to keep them both happy, so be it."

"DanielJackson appears to be content."

"Yeah. He's a good kid."

"Can we light the pumkins now, Jack? It's nearly dark outside."

"Yep, that we can. Looks like we're all ready."

"Can I choose my candies now?" Daniel pushed the costume's head back, so it hung along his back.

"Sure." Jack grabbed a plastic bag and held it open for Daniel. "Help yourself."

"You're not going out Trick or Treating?" Carter grabbed some SweetTarts and opened the bag.

"Jack said I can have some of his candies."

"But every kid's got to go out Trick or Treating." Carter popped a SweetTart into her mouth, crunched down on it, and made a face. "It's fun. You get all kinds of candies, every house is a surprise."

"But..." Daniel looked at the handful of chocolate bars he'd chosen, then back at Jack.

Jack would rather Daniel stay here, with him, under his supervision, out of the cold, but at the same time, he couldn't deny Daniel having a bit of fun. "You can go if you want to. Maybe just down the street? I'll get my coat—"

"Would you permit me to accompany DanielJackson on this quest of Tricking or Treating?"

"You, T?"

"It would please me greatly to share this adventure."

"Can I, Jack? Huh? Can I?" Daniel jumped up and down in place.

"I'll get you a bag." Jack hurriedly found a medium-sized shopping bag that wouldn't be too big for Daniel to carry around. By the time he came back, Teal'c had put his leather jacket on, completing the cowboy disguise.

"Thanks." Daniel took the bag and peered into its empty depths. "Where's Teal'c's bag?"

"He's not going Trick or Treating, Daniel. He's just walking with you."

"But how can Teal'c get candies if he doesn't have a bag?"

"I do not require candies—"

"Yes, you do. You have a costume and everything. Here, you can have mine." Daniel slapped his bag into Teal'c's hands. "Jack, I need another bag."

"Coming right up." Jack rolled his eyes in Carter's direction as he got another bag for Daniel.

"Yay!" He grabbed the bag and ran to the door. "You didn't light the pumkins, Jack! C'mon, Teal'c, hurry up."

"Wait, DanielJackson. Perhaps we should attempt a rehearsal before we leave."

"Yeah, good idea." Jack lit the Jack-O-Lanterns as Teal'c and Daniel went out the door. A moment later, the doorbell rang.

Jack opened the door, and stood there, staring down at Daniel, who was looking up at Jack through the material of his costume. Jack didn't budge; he just stared, not saying a word.

Daniel fidgeted.

"I believe you must request your treat, DanielJackson."

"Oh. Right." Daniel cleared his throat. "Trick or Treat," he demanded.

"Ah, what a cute little Bugs Bunny." Jack ruffled the top of Daniel's costume. "And my, oh my, what a big boy you are," Jack said, looking at Teal'c with a critical eye as he absently dug a hand into the bowl of candies. "Aren't you a little old to be Trick or Treating?"

"I am not."

"Well, you carry your age really well. Great costume, by the way." Jack held out two small candy bars, waiting expectantly for the two to make a move. "Um, guys," Jack finally said, "you have to open your bags so I can put the stuff in them."

When Daniel eagerly thrust his bag forward, Jack dropped one chocolate bar in it. Daniel's head followed its descent, and then he thrust a gloved hand onto Teal'c's fingers as he reluctantly began to open his bag.

"You didn't say Trick or Treat," Daniel scolded. "You have to say it so you can get the candy."

"Kid's right, you know." Jack heard Carter snort behind him and he had trouble holding back his grin as Teal'c's face hardened.

"Trick. Or. Treat," Teal'c growled.

Jack was certain that if Daniel wasn't around, he would be getting the trick rather than giving out the treat.

Daniel watched avidly as Teal'c, almost reluctantly, opened his bag and allowed Jack to drop the second candy bar into it.

"That's all?" Daniel whined as Teal'c closed the bag shut nearly as fast as Pandora must have closed the box before Hope managed to escape.

"You got a stash of stuff in the kitchen. I need to save some for the other kids." Jack waved them away. "Go on. Go do the houses down the street." A bunch of giggling kids came running up the driveway and nearly bowled Daniel aside in their eagerness to be the first to thrust their bags in front of Jack. Several Trick or Treats rang out simultaneously, and Jack handed out the goodies while commenting on their costumes. When the kids ran off, Daniel was still standing to the side of the door, arms clutching his bag with his single candy bar, his costume's head pushed back and a look of utter terror on his face.

"Hey, it's okay. The kids were just a little over-eager."

When the sound of laughter trickled down the driveway from the street, Daniel scampered into the house and hid behind Jack. He watched as two more kids ran towards them and this time Jack allowed Carter to do the honors, while he stood with a hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"See how it's done? Do you want to go and try it with Teal'c?"

Daniel adamantly shook his head.

"Perhaps you would allow ColonelO'Neill to accompany you?"

"W— Would you?" Daniel looked up at Jack. The kid appeared torn between wanting to hide here in the house and go out there into the dark and experience the fun the other children were having.

"Would you two mind—" Jack waggled a finger towards the candies.

"No, not at all." Carter smiled at Daniel. "We've got it covered."

"But you only got one candy." Daniel handed Teal'c his bag. "You can have mine, if you want."

"Thank you, DanielJackson." Teal'c took the candy bar from Daniel's bag, dropped it into his, and returned the empty bag to Daniel. "Perhaps you would share what candies you are able to obtain from the others on this street? I would be curious to see what others are giving away for free."

"Okay."

"You sure about this?"

Daniel nodded slowly. "Just a couple of houses?"

"Just a couple." Jack hurried to get his coat while Carter answered the door to another bunch of giggling, shoving kids. He and Daniel left on the coattails of the group, walking slowly down the street, Daniel clutching his hand while examining the Halloween decorations on all the properties. They stopped at the next door neighbors, and Daniel waited next to Jack as the kids got their loot and continued noisily down the street.

"Go on." Jack gave Daniel a gentle nudge.

Slowly Daniel mounted the stairs and stood before the door, unmoving. For a moment Jack thought Daniel was going to change his mind and come back, when the door opened. Mrs. Reynolds stood in the doorway, exclaiming over Daniel's costume while Daniel stood stock-still. She grabbed a handful of candies, opened his bag, dropped them inside, and waved to Jack before shutting the door. In the light streaming through the windows, Daniel stuck a hand into the bag, took out the three small chocolate bars and examined them before putting them back.

"Next time, try saying Trick of Treat," Jack urged as they moved on to the next house. There were sounds of children's voices everywhere; it was almost like they came out of the woodwork.

Daniel slowly walked down the driveway and stood in front of the door.

"Ring the doorbell," Jack called out when Daniel turned to look at him. Slowly, Daniel reached for the button and pressed.

Again, he stood frozen when the door opened and the neighbor spoke to him. A sudden onrush of children overwhelmed them, coming in from behind, and for a moment, Jack lost sight of Daniel in the crush of children. Then the wave of kids left, and Daniel was still standing there, unmoving, in front of the door.

"Are you okay?" Mr. DiMateo asked. Hurriedly, Jack ran up the stairs and Daniel ran into his arms.

"It's his first time out, and he's a little overwhelmed by it all."

"Oh, I totally understand. Kids, these days. No manners, none at all. Saw you with him these past few days. Nephew?"

"Not exactly," Jack said tightly. "Ready to go, Daniel?"

"Wait, he never got his candies." DiMateo went back inside and came out with a small, decorated bag bulging with goodies inside. "Here, open up. Daniel, you said? These, my wife made for the few kids that come around that we know." Daniel opened his bag slowly, almost fearfully. He leaned closer as Jack pulled away, the bag still tightly clutched in his arms. "They've got the good stuff in them." He winked as Jack thanked him, took Daniel's hand and continued back along the driveway.

He thought Daniel had had enough, but to his surprise, but after stopping by the road to examine the bag of candies carefully, Daniel continued along the sidewalk, moving away from their house. He had to hand it to the little guy; he sure was tenacious. This time, before going up the stairs, Daniel checked the street in both directions. The only kids around were across the street. Probably feeling a little safer without the threat of a crowd, Daniel walked up the stairs with more assurance. He rang the doorbell and started to open his bag.

Unfortunately, just as the door opened, the gang of kids ran across the street and once again, surrounded Daniel. These kids were older, noisier, a couple of them pushing one another in a bid to get closer to the door.

Old Mr. Weber, however, never took any sort of nonsense from anyone. "All of you, stop pushing," he yelled in a voice that would have made a parade sergeant proud, "or none of you are getting anything. Now, move back, the bunny rabbit was here first." Speaking more softly, Weber smiled down at Daniel. "Now, young rabbit, was there something you wanted to ask me?'

Jack winced. He'd forgotten how Weber could be. He should have gone up there with Daniel, at the very least to explain to Weber how he was a little shy. Daniel stood there, as still as a rabbit caught in headlights, his bag once again clutched against his chest. Slowly, the bag opened and was slowly extended.

A couple of the kids snickered. "Hey, rabbit, cat got your tongue?" One of the kids shoved his bag on top of Daniel's. "Trick or Treat," the kid yelled loudly.

Weber merely glared at the kid, who quickly withdrew his bag. Three more kids ran past Jack and joined the melee on Weber's porch. A young woman, obviously accompanying the three, stood next to Jack, watching. "Is there a problem here?" she asked after realizing nothing was happening.

Jack sighed. "My boy's a little shy and old Weber's trying to get him to talk. I think I'd better go up there—" He'd only taken a step when the woman put a hand on his arm, stopping him.

"You don't want to do that. Trust me, your son's humiliated enough as it is. If his father comes to rescue him now, he'll never get the courage to overcome his fears."

"Yeah, well, I think Daniel's beyond humiliated and is more in the terrified zone."

"Very well, young rabbit," Weber said. "I fear if you will not speak up, then you will have to move aside."

Anger flooded through Jack but before he could walk up and get Daniel out of this ridiculous situation, a young voice spoke up. "Hey, that's not fair. He's just a little kid."

"Yes, my little vampire. But little kids have to learn the rules of the game. Now, who was next?"

"Trick or Treat," the boy in the vampire suit yelled out. "Trick or Treat." A second later, everyone in the group was yelling out the words. When the din died down, the vampire spoke up again. "Okay, you go first." To Jack's surprise, the vampire took Daniel's bag and opened it up. "I heard him yelling Trick or Treat," the vampire said, standing next to Daniel, daring Weber to disagree. "Me, too," another kid in a clown outfit piped up.

"Oh boy," the woman next to Jack said. "Now, that is my son Corey. Always coming to the rescue."

"Smart kid," Jack murmured as Weber had no choice but to give Daniel candy. Stuck as he was amongst the children, Daniel had to wait until everyone had their turn and left. The three latecomers stayed with Daniel and accompanied him back to Jack.

Daniel was crying quietly. Jack pushed the costume's head back and wiped the tears from his face. "Wanna go home now?"

Daniel nodded, and put his arms up. Jack complied and picked him up.

"That man was mean, Mom." The little vampire sounded angry. "That wasn't fair."

"No, it wasn't," Jack said as they started walking towards home. "And thank you for what you did."

"No problem. Hey, Nate, did the old guy give you a sucker, just like me?" Corey held up a red sucker and tossed it into his bag with disgust.

"Is your child mute?"

"No. He... he's had a shock lately and although he can, and does talk, it's only under circumstances where he's comfortable. And tonight was..."

"A little out of his league?"

"A lot of out of his league. But I'm really, really proud of him." Jack gave Daniel a squeeze, and Daniel squeezed back. "It took a lot of courage for him to go up to houses and beg for candies."

"But it's fun," Corey said. "But I guess if you're all alone, it's not that much fun and can be really scary. I'm glad that Li and Nate are with me. Are you really going home? It's still early?"

"Yeah, I have friends holding the fort for me and I need to get back. Thank you."

"Hey, Daniel, maybe next year you can come with us. Mom, that'd be okay, wouldn't it?"

"Well, we'll see, Corey." She smiled at Jack and mouthed the word, Sorry. "I'm Gina, by the way. Gina Middleton." She extended a hand and Jack awkwardly shifted Daniel so he could quickly shake her hand.

"Jack. Jack O'Neill." He stopped in front of his house. "Well, I live here."

"Wow, you didn't get to go very far. Are you sure you want to go home now?"

Jack laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure, Corey. Look, next year, you come around to the house before Halloween and we'll see about getting together, okay?" Jack made the offer knowing it most likely would never be followed through. "Thanks again."

To his surprise, Daniel waved at them as he walked back to the house.

Carter took one look at Daniel when Jack put him down, and held out her arms. He ran to her without hesitation and hugged her tightly, then, with his bag of candies still in his hands, went to Teal'c and offered him the bag.

"For you."

"DanielJackson." Teal'c looked stunned. He got down on one knee, and took the bag, upending everything onto a small side table. "Let us see what you have procured."

There were a couple of chocolate bars, a few toffees, a sucker, which had to have come from old man Weber, and the bag from DiMateo. Inside the bag were a variety of more expensive, individually wrapped chocolates. Teal'c chose the sucker, half the toffees, one chocolate bar, and then put everything else into Daniel's bag.

"Thank you. It has been an interesting experience and I appreciate the effort you have made in procuring these candies. I will relish the opportunity to taste them later."

"You like 'em?"

"Indeed." The doorbell rang. "Now, perhaps you would wish to aid me in distributing candies to the children at the door?"

With his hand firmly grasping Teal'c's, Daniel opened the door to a chorus of Trick or Treats.

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"One stuffed camel, as ordered, sir."

Jack looked up and saw Carter standing in the doorway, a lopsided grin on her face and a caramel colored, stuffed camel in her hand. She waggled the toy and its head bopped from side to side.

Jack motioned her in, and she plopped the toy on his desk. "So, pretty good match, eh?"

He picked up the toy and examined it critically. Not quite the same, but close. Very close. "Good job, Carter." He gave her a relieved smile. "I think Daniel will like the camel. How much do I owe you?"

Carter quickly put her hands out. "No, no, please. It's my pleasure."

"Hey, I asked you to get this, and I do appreciate that you must have paid extra for delivery just to get it here this fast."

"If it helps Daniel, sir, then it's the least I can do." She nodded at the stuffie on Jack's desk. "Let me know how it goes.

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To be continued