EPILOGUE

Dr. Frasier kept Daniel and Jack in the isolation room for three days, not that they really noticed. Daniel slept for two days straight and a large chunk of day three. Jack slept for the majority of two days and was more than willing to stay with Daniel in the meantime. Sam and Teal'c took turns staying with their teammates, either keeping an eye on them while they slept, or helping Jack keep vigil over Daniel. Jack was cleared for duty as soon as he was released from medical care, while Daniel was kept on both medical and physiological hold as everyone worked out the full effect the isolation had on him.

Just as they team stood beside him, refusing to let him go through this isolation alone, the all refused to go off world until he was cleared to go with them. Daniel tried to convince them he was okay with them going. But, there was no moving the team.

Even though Daniel mostly kept to himself, they stayed symbolically by his side. He initiated contact when he didn't want to be alone and firmly declined invitations when he wasn't in the mood, which was most of the time. So when, two months after the necklace was removed, Daniel showed up on Jack's doorstep uninvited, Jack took it as a sign things were finally looking up.

"Look at you, two-hand Dan," Jack teased him, noticing his cast had finally been removed.

"Yeah," Daniel experimented with his hand, flexing his muscles. "Got fingers now and everything." He followed Jack into his living room. "They took the cast off this morning."

"How gross was it when they cut it off?" Jack asked, still on some level a twelve year old boy.

"It was grey there was so much dry skin. And there was still dried blood on my knuckles," Daniel admitted, still twelve himself. "And it smells weird." He gave it a little whiff then stuck his arm out for Jack to confirm.

Jack inhaled. "That is… unpleasant smelling."

"And that's after scrubbing at it for twenty minutes in the shower. I'm going to have to break down and borrow some of Sam's girly lotions if this doesn't clear up."

"Just slap on some of my aftershave."

"And smell like you?" Daniel scoffed. "I'd rather smell like Sam."

"I don't…I'm just not going to ask." Jack shook his head. "Whatcha got there?" he changed the subject to the wax sealed bottle in Daniel's left hand.

"Oh, um. For you." Daniel put the bottle on the coffee table.

"Me?" Jack turned the bottle so he could read the label. He whistled between his teeth. "Daniel, this is the good stuff. Like, the you can't even by this at a normal liquor store good stuff."

"Oh?" Daniel asked, looking at the bottle.

"Daniel, how much did you spend on this?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well, I, um…" he stammered.

"Daniel."

"Nothing, honestly," he admitted, caught.

"You pinched it?" Jack was shocked.

"What? No! My grandfather gave it to me."

"Pappy had good taste." Jack examined the bottle more closely. "What prompted this generous gift?"

"Nick gave it to me when I passed my first defense."

"I meant now."

"Oh, sorry, right," Daniel smiled- are rare occurrence over the last two months. "It's a thank you," he explained. "For staying with me," he added at Jack's blank expression. "The whole not sleeping for three days thing," he tried to clarify. "You know what I'm talking about, right?"

"Daniel," Jack started hesitantly. "This is really nice of you- and I don't think your realize how generous- but I don't deserve this."

"What do you mean?" Daniel was confused. "You helped me, stayed up with me, hell- you figured out how to entertain me… for all that time."

"I fell asleep," Jack admitted, ashamed. "More than once. You broke your hand because I let you down."

"I broke my hand because I got pissed off and punched a concrete wall," Daniel pointed out reasonably. "And to be fair, I feel asleep a few times, too. Which, if I remember correctly, lead me to getting pissed off and punching a concrete wall and then you. So, there's that."

"Daniel…"

"I didn't need a babysitter, Jack. I needed a fried. You did that part really well. Thank you." He pushed the bottle toward him.

Jack sighed and started to protest again.

"You think I won't sit here all night and argue about this?" Daniel interrupted him.

"So what you're saying is you're back to normal," Jack grumbled with a smirk. "Or whatever the hell passes for normal when it comes to you." He picked up the bottle. "What does one pair with five hundred dollar a bottle scotch?"

Daniel nearly choked. "How much?"

"Pizza seems a little low brow," Jack continued. "I'm thinking Chinese." He got up and headed for the take out menu pile on the kitchen counter.

"You made that up, right, Jack?" Daniel called after him. "This isn't really a five hundred dollars a bottle?"

"Sweet and sour pork, right?" jack asked dialing the phone, ignoring him.

"Jack, you're messing with me."

"Do you want dumplings? I think double dumplings. Oh, and those almond cookies!"

"Jack? Jack?"