My Brother's Keeper

By Gemsong

Jack was pleased by the surprise his team gave Daniel. The welcome was just what he needed to help him relax. Sam had told him before he left to introduce Daniel to his grandfather that she would take care of things here for him while they were in Chicago. He hadn't thought to ask her for any details of what she had planned. He should have. His team had been very busy the last couple days.

The shipment of his brother and sister-in-law's personal belongings had been delivered and stored in the garage. The boxes were stacked neatly and labeled. There was also an inventory list to reference the contents of each box. In other words Adam had been busy. As the team's archeologist, Adam had a tendency to be a touch anal retentive. Especially when it came to dig sites and artifacts. More than once Jack would haul him out of his office literally by the ear to take care of more mundane matters like eating and sleeping.

Jack stood in the garage amused while Adam stood beside him. It also looked like it had been cleaned.

"Adam?" Jack drawled.

The archeologist put his hands to his ears. "I had help," he said quickly. "And I slept and ate so don't say it."

Jack had to laugh as he clapped him on the shoulder. "Did you have to clean my garage?" he asked.

"Yeah," Adam replied. "You had more junk…."

"And what did you do with my junk?" the colonel drawled.

"Inventoried and boxed," Adam replied.

"You need a life worse than Carter," Jack said with a shake of his head.

Adam just laughed. "Wait till you see what they did inside," he said as the two men went to re-enter the house.

"I saw all the groceries…." Jack said.

"There's more," Adam said.

When the two men re-entered the room Jack saw Daniel chatting with Doctor Janet Frazier. She was taking the time to get to know the little boy and with his gift, she would become his primary doctor. She didn't want him to feel uncomfortable with her.

"How did you like it, Colonel?" Sam asked with a grin when they returned to the living room.

"You guys seriously need a life," Jack said.

Sam chuckled. "Look who's talking…. Sir," she teased. She turned to Daniel and bent down to his level. "Now… we have a surprise for you," she said.

"What kind of surprise," Daniel asked?

"If I tell you, it won't be a surprise," Sam said. "Close your eyes."

Daniel did as instructed and closed his eyes. Sam put one hand over his eyes and the other on his shoulder. As she directed him out of the living room and guided him up the stairs, Jack followed, puzzled by what his team had been up to. He hadn't had to chance to look around, though the first floor of the house was surprisingly spotless.

Jack's house had three bedrooms. The master bedroom was large with a private bath. The other two were guest rooms where his team would stay overnight on occasion. They had made a change in one of the rooms for Daniel.

"Are you ready?" Sam asked as they stood in the doorway of the larger of the two rooms.

"I think so," Daniel replied. Sam lifted her hand away as he opened his eyes. "Wha…?"

"Whoa…." Jack said standing behind him.

The room had been transformed. Sam, Adam and Teal'c had worked hard and as quickly as possible to make the room what it was. The floor was covered with a sand colored carpet. The walls were sky blue, but one wall had a mural of the great pyramids. Along with the twin bed covered with a blue and white
comforter, there were a desk and chair, bookcases and dresser all painted to
match.

Daniel stepped into room in amazement staring around in amazement. Finally
he looked up at his uncle. "This is for me?" he asked.

Jack smiled at him. "Definitely," he said. "I think a thank you is in
order."

Daniel turned to Jack's smiling team members. "Thank you," he said quietly.
The words didn't come close to express his emotion.

Teal'c bowed his head slightly. "It was an honor to do this for you Daniel
Jackson," he said.

Daniel ran forward to hug each of them, mumbling more thanks. Jack stood to
the side with Janet next to him. "They wanted to do it, Colonel," she said.

"They did it fast," Jack replied and then gave her an affectionate hug. "I
really owe them now."

"They did it for you both," Janet said. "Take it for what it is."

Jack looked to see Daniel and Adam at the bookcase. They were filled with
books from his parents' collection. Books the boy had known all his life.
Adam Lucas was a very good archeologist and constantly on a mission to
become one of the best. He had studied everything the Jacksons's had written.
Melbourne's initial translation of the Stargate cartouche was his personal
bible. He could barely wait until Jack gave permission to share that with
Daniel.

Jack was standing in a museum. He knew it was a museum. He recognized it. He
found himself walking, almost in slow motion. He knew what he was going to
see, and he didn't want to, but he was being drawn forward. At first there
was silence and then that was broken by the sound of sobbing.

He turned a corner and saw the coverstonecover stone. It was on the floor, the pool of
blood was spreading from beneath it. Gradually, working to engulf the floor.
There was so much blood. There shouldn't have been so much blood.

"Mommy... Get up," a sobbing voice said. "Mommy... Mommy..."

Daniel.

Jack moved faster. On the other side of the coverstonecover stone the child was
kneeling. It was Daniel, but he barely looked old enough to talk. He was
covered with blood and clutching a slender pale hand that projected from
beneath the pale stone.

This was a dream. But it wasn't Jack's dream. With that thought he woke
abruptly. Jack sat up and looked around. The glowing numbers of the clock
said 3:07 am. He could hear the whimpers coming from the down the hall.

Jack leaped from his bed and ran to Daniel's room. The boy had the sheets
twisted around him as he struggled in his dream.

"Mommy! Mommy, get up! Mommy!"

Jack scooped up the small body shaking him gently. "Danny... Danny... come
on," he murmured. "I've got you. Wake up now."

Daniel continued to twist and squirm in Jack's grip, reaching for something
he couldn't touch. He was caught in the nightmare, crying for his mother.

Jack closed his eyes holding the child tight in his arms and focused. Again
he was in the dream, but this time he was awake. The blood around his feet
was thick and seemed to drag at his feet. He forced himself forward to
Daniel.

"Danny," he called gently to the child.

Daniel didn't seem to hear him. He kept pulling at the hand he held tightly
in both of his. Jack reached down and put his arms around the child. Daniel
cried trying to cling to his mother's hand as he was pulled away.

"I've got you Danny," Jack said soothingly. He turned Daniel's face toward
him. The blue eyes were glowing. Then there was recognition.

"She won't come out," Daniel wailed. "Why won't she wake up?!"

Jack cuddled him close. "She's gone, Daniel," he said gently. "They both
are. But I've got you. I won't let go."

Small arms twined around his neck tightly as Jack rocked him. Jack felt the
dream fade and he opened his eyes. Daniel was clinging to him tightly,
sobbing softly against his shoulder.

"I've got you, Danny," he murmured softly. "I won't let go."

TBC