Chapter 10

Being Little is Fun

They were down to one backpack. Jack decided to leave most of Menkins's gear behind. There was only so much he could carry, after all. He ripped the remaining MRE pouches open and left the plastic cases as well, packing only the soft packs of food. The contents of the MRE packages were much easier to carry that way.

After some consideration, he decided to lose their tent as well. It wasn't an easy decision, but he had to keep in mind that they'd have to cross the mountains at some point. The less he had to carry, the faster they could move. It wouldn't be a problem to build shelters for the night. Jack had three astro-foils with him. Those emergency thermal blankets, folded into tiny little packages, came in handy.

He found a couple more restraints and used them to tie their water canteens to his pack instead of putting them inside. Jack stuffed the med and sewing kits, their extra clothes, more ammo clips for his P90 and Daniel's hand-gun into his pack. He'ld wear his weapons and the knives on his body, and Daniel could keep his journal and pens in the little rucksack Ashu had given him. They had eaten the bread for breakfast this morning, and the dried meat didn't take much space so the journal should fit.

Jack still felt like a pack animal when he lifted his pack tentatively to see how heavy it was.

They didn't cover much distance that day because Jack wanted Daniel to take it easy. However, without talking about it, they both felt a lot better once they had left the place behind. It held too many dark memories and seemed to "smell" of sickness and death, no matter how brightly the sun was shining and how colorful the yellow and red flowers near the clearing were.

O'Neill kept a close eye on the kid as they wandered the forest. From time to time, they crossed grassy meadows with blooming wildflowers, and Daniel walked along for quite a while before he allowed Jack to carry him again.

He took turns letting the tyke ride on his shoulders and carrying him on his hip.

When Jack did scoop him up after Daniel had explored another meadow, the kid's right arm instantly snaked around the back of Jack's neck, and his fingers gripped the chain of the dog tags. Without the tent tied to the pack, Daniel had a little more space for his right leg, which was behind Jack's back as he rode on Jack's hip, his butt settled into the crook of Jack's left arm.

Daniel was swinging his legs, and his dirty little foot gently, but constantly, kicked Jack's pack. Sighing, he told the kid to keep his legs still every once in a while, and Daniel said, "Okay, Jack."

He would manage to keep his legs still for about five minutes before he started to absently swing them again in tune with Jack's steps. After the fourth reminder, Jack growled at Daniel that he'd tie him on top of his pack instead of carrying him if he didn't keep his legs still.

Daniel giggled at that, but tried to obey for a while.

They walked on, and Jack was thankful for the shade the trees provided. It was still very hot, but at least the sun didn't burn down on their heads as long as a rooftop of branches and foliage protected them.

Once they left the forest, they wouldn't be able to travel several hours in a row. It would take them awhile to reach the mountains. Peachy. They weren't exactly fast right now. Daniel needed lots of breaks, and even though he never complained and either walked or was carried, Jack didn't kid himself.

Compared to their hiking speed when they had both been big, their current pace was more like a turtle walk.

Well, they probably...

Jack was ripped out of his musings when Daniel started to wriggle, twisting and turning his body from left to right.

"Daniel," Jack said wearily, "do you have to go...?"

"What? Nooo... "

"Then stop bouncing, please."

"Sorry, Jack. I was trying to catch a flutterby," Daniel stated as he settled back into his original position.

"A flutterby?" Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Yes. It's a butterfly, actually. But maybe they're called flutterbys here? Who knows? This is another world, after all," the kid answered seriously.

"Right. Oh, Daniel?"

"Yes, Jack?"

He grabbed the munchkin and swung him down to his feet again. "Time to walk some more, Doctor Jackson."

Giggling, Daniel skipped off like a foal.

Jack followed at a slower pace, silently cursing his sore shoulders and the sweat trickling down his neck and back. Yet, he found himself smiling brightly at the jaunty antics of his downsized friend. There was no indication that only the previous night Daniel had been close to death.

Life was good.

###

They found another small river and a place to camp. It was only early afternoon, but Jack felt it was the right time to settle down. He set up a shelter for the night, using his survival blanket as a substitute for a poncho. Jack had learned to build shelters from ponchos and parachutes during his basic survival training.

The blanket would do the job just fine.

Jack found two trees and tied their only rope between them.

Daniel was all excited about the shelter-building and recited what he remembered from his own experiences and knowledge.

"We could build a much larger shelter, you know, Jack? There's lots of ways to build 'em. If we had a hole in the ground, we could build a sniper hole and cover it with loads of wood an' leaves. Or we could build a debris shelter... 'Course we won't need one of those. It's so warm, and it doesn't get cold at nights. We just need it in case it rains, right, Jack?"

"You got it in one, buddy. Now, do you remember what we have to do next?"

"Make a mattress! So the ground is soft, and we can put our sleeping bags on it."

"That's right. And what do we need?"

Daniel thought about this a moment, then exclaimed, "Pine needles!"

"Right again. But first we have to dust and sweep a little."

"I knooow! We haveta clean the ground so we won't lie on icky stones and sticks tonight. Can I do it, Jack? Can I?"

"Sure. I'll get you a broom."

Daniel's brow furrowed in confusion. "Jaaack... there's no broom here!"

"Ah, but there is." Smirking at his skeptical little fella, Jack got out his knife and walked over to a nearby scrub. He cut a twig full of sprigs and leaves and handed it to Daniel. "There you go."

Daniel took it and did a tentative sweep, brushing away the loose debris. "Cool!"

While Daniel was "sweeping" Jack went to the small stream and collected several large rocks. He used some to set up a fire pit and put the others aside for later usage on the "tent" he was going to build.

After Jack had approved and praised Daniel's cleaning skills, they collected pine needles and sprigs, spreading them out on the ground.

Under Daniel's watchful eyes, Jack finally threw the survival blanket over the rope. Instead of using sticks for poles, he placed the rocks on the corners of the blanket. Jack knew that once he poked the flimsy material, it would tear and be of no use anymore.

"Way cool," Daniel commented. "An' 'cuz it's a heat blanket, it'll keep us warm and dry even if it rains."

Remembering the heavy rains, lightning and thunder they had experienced the day Daniel had gotten shrunk, Jack hoped the woods would keep some of the rain at bay if the weather was going to change. The thermal blanket shelter probably kept them dry as long as there were no harsh winds.

Jack went inside, rolled out the sleeping bags next to each other, then came out again and unpacked what they needed for the remainder of the day before placing his pack inside the shelter at one of the openings. "All set," he said when he was done. "Wanna take a look inside, Danny boy?"

Daniel crawled in and out of the improvised tent, uttering lots of "oohs" and "awwws".

Their next goal was firewood, a chore they had down to a nice routine. Jack collected the heavy branches while Daniel carried small twigs and sprigs.

Once they had stored extra firewood under a tangled bush to keep it dry if it rained, they settled down at their pit. Jack started a small fire to drive off the mosquito-like insects. Even though they didn't bite, they were annoying little buggers.

"I asked Ashu what they're called here," Daniel informed Jack. "And you know what? They're just bugs."

"Go figure." Jack grinned as he handed Daniel a turkey and cheese sandwich. He promised him a Tootsie Roll if he managed to eat most of it. Daniel seemed hungry, though, and munched his sandwich without a fuss. Afterward, he enjoyed his Tootsie Roll and offered half to Jack, who thanked him, but declined the offer. He knew how much Daniel loved all things sweet, and it made Jack feel good to see the kid so happy over a simple candy bar.

Daniel spent the afternoon playing at the small stream while Jack sat on a large, flat rock and watched him search for colorful pebbles or try to catch little brown frogs. The river was too small to catch any decent fish, so Jack just put his feet in the cool water and listened to Daniel's chatter as he was talking to the frogs he had caught, before he set them free again.

Later the little explorer scribbled in his journal, and Jack was lying next to him in the soft moss, watching the clouds drift by. After the dramatic events of the last few days, they both needed some relaxing time, and Jack was more than happy to indulge.

He felt battered and stiff, and his body thanked him for the break. He wriggled his bare toes in the warm sunlight and put his folded BDU jacket under his head as a pillow. Closing his eyes, Jack allowed himself to doze a little, just enough to relax without falling asleep.

Maybe Daniel would be occupied with his journal for a while...

"Jack?"

"Mmh?"

"I like being little."

He dragged his eyes open and turned his head to blink at the boy who sat cross-legged, gnawing on his pen, his blue eyes gazing dreamily at Jack.

"You do?"

"Yep. It's hard sometimes 'cuz I'm so small. But I have fun. I didn't have fun when I was big. Not so much fun. I never collected pebbles or caught frogs. Or rode on your shoulders."

"Well... you riding on my shoulders would've looked a bit odd, don'tcha think?"

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Ja-ack. I was just figuraty speaking."

"Figuratively," Jack corrected him absently, then rubbed a hand over his face and yawned. "I knew you were."

"Jack? Why didn't I have any fun when I was big?" A frown appeared on the little face.

"You did have fun. Just... different kind of fun."

The frown deepened. "What kind of fun?"

There went Jack's semi-nap...

"Uh... well,... you loved going through the gate. Hooking up with foreign people. Doing your cultural thing. Socializing. You liked to socialize with all kinds of alien... people. And you liked rocks... artifacts. You liked to analyze them. And writings. You liked to decipher glyphs..." Jack trailed off, the vivid memories of Daniel - grown up Daniel - cutting through him like a knife, taking his breath away. Then another thought popped into his mind, and he sat up straight. "Daniel? You still remember all those things, right? From when you were big? What you liked to do..."

"Sure." Daniel shrugged, but there was a flicker of something like confusion in his eyes. Then it was gone, and he asked, "But that was work. What fun did I have when I didn't work, Jack?"

"You used to read a lot..." Jack started, then paused and reached over to tap a finger on Daniel's blond head. "No. You tell me," he said quietly. "What do you remember?"

Daniel pulled in his bottom lip to chew on it. After a moment of silence, he lowered his head and started plucking at tufts of grass with one hand. "I hurt," he whispered. "I 'member hurting a lot. I 'member liking coffee. And chocolate. And I know I loved my books. And watching movies. Wine. I liked wine. But I 'member hurting the most. When they took Sha're an' when she was dead. An' when you an' I fought..."

Oh, crap. That wasn't what Jack wanted to hear. He put a tentative hand on the kid's shoulder. "Danny... "

"First, I hurted when my mom and dad died," Daniel continued, his voice very quiet. "And when I was taken 'way from people I liked to live with. Jack... do you think some of them would've wanted to keep me?"

"Sure," Jack said, equally as quiet. "I'm sure lots of people wanted to keep you, kiddo."

"The lady from the Social Services said no one ever would. I was hard to place." Daniel looked up, his eyes searching Jack's. "Would you have kepted me, Jack?"

Swallowing the lump forming in his throat, Jack reached for Daniel. "C'mere." He pulled him onto his lap, hugging him tightly. "I would have kept you, Daniel."

"Really?"

"Yeah." But it was an easy promise to make, knowing it was water under the bridge. Jack bit his lip, and while he rubbed Daniel's back to comfort him, he silently asked for forgiveness to whoever might be listening. Because he probably would have screwed up raising a Daniel Jackson even more than he had screwed up with his own kid.

Remembering that Daniel was sensitive to moods now, he pushed his own dark thoughts back and focused on the present. Right now he would keep Daniel. And he would keep him safe.

Daniel relaxed instantly and snuggled against Jack. "I liked museums," he suddenly said. "And Egypt. And playing the piano."

"That's right." Jack smiled, glad for the change of subject.

"Jack?"

"Daniel?"

"I'm hungry."

"Well, it's almost time for dinner. Let's dig through the 'tastes-like-chicken-menu', shall we?"

They had pork with gravy and a lumpy mass that was labeled as mashed potatoes. Jack did a quick count of the MRE they still had. Later, when Daniel was tucked away in his sleeping bag, he pulled out the hand-drawn map. He tried to estimate how long it would take them to reach the mountains. At their current pace, it could be weeks. Jack saw no chance of moving faster, though.

He tapped his finger on a marked X that marked a village. Ashu had confirmed there was another village on their way, and if they continued south, they probably wouldn't miss it. However, the map was a little sketchy. All Jack knew for sure was that they were heading in the right direction, toward those mountains.

Either way, it was time to extend their menu.