They stood in the woods. Jack rubbed his arms as he looked around. It was chilly, but not cold. Obviously, it was early winter. There were a few stubborn leaves hanging on the trees, but not too many.

"Where are we?"

Daniel looked around, then shook his head. "I don't know. I don't remember this place."

Jack hated it when he was right. Daniel had completely blocked these memories. And they had been blocked for a reason. Looking around again, he waited to see something, anything that would get this one moving.

As though his thoughts summoned him, a man came through the trees, carrying a rifle. He looked average enough. But there was something in his eyes that set Jack's instincts off. Trailing behind him was a young Danny Jackson, no more then 10.

Daniel startled. "I remember him. The Major. He was my third foster parent. He was a nice guy. We all liked him. He never kept kids, though. He'd take in the abused ones, get them on the healing road, then send them away. "

Somehow, Jack doubted the picture Daniel was painting was the reality. The fact that the man had a rank didn't sit well with Jack either. He'd seen that look before. The guy screamed untreated PTSD. Unconsciously, he moved closer to his lover.

The Major stopped in the clearing, and went about setting up targets. Returning to the pack he had discarded, he removed a small berretta, and loaded it.

"Come here, DJ." Screwing his face up, Danny came forward.

"My name is Daniel, Sir."

Jack nudged his friend with his elbow. "How come you never called me, Sir?" It had been meant as a joke, but he was surprised when Daniel frowned. He was starting to sense something wasn't right here.

"I was never afraid of you. By the time I was, it was too ingrained to call you Jack."

Jack felt his stomach drop. Daniel had been afraid of him? Was that why he still flinched away when Jack would come up too suddenly? Before he could ask, The Major had handed the gun to Danny.

Jack took an automatic step forward to remove the gun from Danny's hand. Daniel grabbed his arm to hold him still.

"I survived, Jack. Remember that."

"Here you are, DJ. Now, you see those targets? I'm gonna teach you how to take 'em out."

"But I don't want to know how to use a gun, Sir. My parents were archaeologists. I want to be one too. We don't need guns," Danny replied in total sincerity. The Major grunted.

"Yeah, and you're parents are dead. Maybe they should have, eh?" Jack didn't miss the pain that flashed through both Danny and Daniel's eyes. Danny, ever logical, couldn't really argue, so he took aim with the berretta.

Jack and Daniel watched as the Major took Danny through his paces. Some time later, the kid was knocking targets off without flaw. The Major grinned and slapped the boy on the back.

"You're a natural, DJ. Just reload, while I look for another target." Danny nodded, and began to do as asked. Jack sensed the pivotal moment was coming. Tensing, he stepped even closer to a completely oblivious Daniel.

Daniel was watching Danny, while Jack was watching the threat. Major whoever was looking around the clearing. A movement off to the side had the man yelling at Danny to shoot where he was pointing, quickly.

Jack felt Daniel start to shake beside him, and move forward. "No! Don't do it!"

Now it was Jack's turn to grab Daniel to keep him from touching the memory. Daniel fought him violently, and Jack had to wrestle him down to his knees. Despite the struggle, Daniel hadn't taken his eyes from the child.

Jack felt his lover flinch with each shot. They waited, and when fresh blood oozed from the still creature, Daniel turned and retched. But Jack didn't dare take his eyes from the scene playing out in front of him. Now that it had been unlocked, Daniel was going to have to deal with it, and Jack would need every detail he could get.

Danny stood, completely shocked. The gun fell from nerveless fingers. "Um, S... Sir? It's bleeding, Sir." The Major nodded happily.

"Means you hit it, DJ. You're a man now. Made your first kill. Want to see what it was?"

Jack heard Daniel whispering desperately in his arms, shaking his head. "No, no, no. Don't look."

But Danny was uncertain, and he wanted to know he hadn't done anything any real harm. He moved forward slowly, as though there was a string attached between the boy and the lump of white fur.

There lay the shot up body of a small dog. It was definitely dead. Daniel had managed to get a bullet through its forehead. Jack noticed his lover's head was down, and put a hand on Daniel's neck.

"You don't have to see it again, Danny. You know what happened now, right?" Daniel nodded miserably as Jack forcefully turned him to meet only his eyes.

"It was the neighbors dog. It belonged to a little girl I had befriended. I remember now. It must have followed us out. I recognized it immediately. I couldn't believe it. The Major knew that was Geena's dog, her only friend in the universe. God, why didn't I stop to see? I was in shock. I couldn't even tell her what really happened. Fortunately, he was stupid, and left the carcass there. When Geena's step father went out looking for it, they found it, days later. I guess this was a popular spot for the Major to go, so it didn't take too much to add two and two together. He did get charged with it, and I was taken away. I knew he had done it deliberately. It was murder, in my eyes. I had murdered Geena's best friend. I never saw it as just a dog, Jack. But I couldn't tell anyone."

"Why not?" Jack asked softly.

"I didn't speak for a year after this. I just shut down. I stopped living, and went through each day simply existing. Funny part was, I could never remember what had happened."

"Daniel, what else is in this crate?"

"Nothing. I remember it all now. This is the last of it. Only good left now."

C I

Jack blinked in the sudden darkness. They were back in the room. Jack was still holding Daniel, and Daniel was still trembling. That stirring echo of emotions in the back of Jack's mind was chaos.

"It's over, Danny. You're safe now. No, don't move unless you want to. We can take a few minutes to digest this."

"I murdered something, Jack. In cold blood. My God. That dog was all Geena had left of her real father. It might as well have been a person, Jack." Daniel shuddered as sobs wracked his body.

"Not in cold blood, Daniel. You didn't know. You were too little. There was no way you could have made the connection. The Major was a very sick man. He should have been treated for his PTSD and he never was. Sometimes, they get by us. But you knew that, didn't you? That's why you hate the military so much."

Daniel didn't answer, merely cuddled closer to Jack, as though he could be protected deeper in those strong arms. Jack wanted to protect him. Wanted to go back and kill every SOB that had hurt this gentle man. But he couldn't. He barely heard the whisper from his lover.

"I'd still go back and do it again, Jack, if it meant having the family I do now. I'm horrible, and selfish. I'm so sorry, Jack, but, God forgive me, I'd do it again."

"Shhh. I understand. It doesn't make you evil, Love, or selfish. You were just a kid, Danny. Just a kid."

That flutter of emotions rose up again, and Jack sensed the same doubt and fear he'd felt earlier. He hadn't bothered to stop and really question that connection. It was his only guideline right now.

"I don't think any less of you. I love you as much now as I did coming into this test. More, even. Daniel, you've beaten them, all of them. You could have become just like them, and you didn't. You're a kind, compassionate, gentle soul. I respect the hell outta you, for everything you've survived, and for everything you've accomplished. You fought a war, all by yourself, and you won. I'm proud of you, Angel, so very proud."

Jack blinked back his tears as he realized just how true those words were.

"Come on, we still have one more to go," Jack encouraged gently. He was concerned when he felt Daniel sag against him. "Danny?"

"I'm tired, Jack. So tired." Worried, Jack felt his friend's forehead. No fever, but of course, they were in a dream world of some sort.

"Just one more, Danny, then you can rest." Daniel nodded and pulled himself away. Standing, they both approached the blue box.