Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG1, nor any of the show's characters or settings. All I own is the plot, and that's currently riddled with so many clichés that even that claim of ownership is somewhat dubious.

A/N- Hi everyone! Wow, so it's been a while since I updated this story, hasn't it? I'm so sorry, but my mind and my focus has been on my other stories for the last few months, and I just haven't had the time to update this story as well. I'm back now though, and I hope this update goes to show that I will never abandon this story no matter how long it's been! I hope you like it!

~ Chapter 10 ~

Like Father, Like Son

After leaving Jack in Teal'c's very capable hands, Sam and Daniel slowly made their way back inside the base, pausing only so that Sam could send a message with a young airman to let the General know that they'd found Jack and that he was okay. She would have told him herself, but she had a feeling that she and Daniel needed to have a long overdue talk, and she knew that it wouldn't do either of them any good to put it off any longer.

Almost in wordless agreement, they both headed straight for the Comissionary instead of going their separate ways. Daniel, it seemed, knew as well as she did that they were due a frank conversation. Thankfully he didn't seem in the mood to fight her on it, and she felt her annoyance with him shrink back slightly.

Once there, they both got fresh coffee, but neither got anything to eat. With worry still churning in her gut, Sam didn't feel much like eating, and judging by his concerned expression, Daniel was feeling exactly the same. Which only made his attitude towards the teenage Jack seem all the more ridiculous…

"You're being stupid," Sam told Daniel matter-of-factly as she and Daniel sat in a table in the far corner of the Comissionary, hopefully away from the majority of prying eyes.

Thankfully, even though the Comissionary was by no means empty, even those who were close enough to hear her words didn't seem to take any notice of them. Of course from their point of view, they probably just saw this as SG1 being SG1. In fact, they'd each probably seen stranger things before breakfast…

"I know," Daniel replied quietly, staring down at his coffee. He didn't say anything else, even though Sam knew that there was more going on in his mind.

"I mean, you're a smart man, Daniel," Sam continued seriously. "Really smart, but you're right now you're being incredibly stupid."

"I know," Daniel repeated desolately. "Sam, look I know. I just…I don't know why it's bothering me so much."

"Well, cut it out," Sam replied bluntly. "He needs us. Get over whatever it is that you need to get over, and start helping him."

Daniel flinched slightly at that, and his eyes darted up to meet hers.

"I…Sam, I'm sorry," Daniel replied, looking more than a little taken aback at her outburst. Sam immediately felt guilty, and took a long drink from her coffee in an attempt to steady herself.

In the aftermath of everything that had happened to the Colonel, Sam hadn't really had much of an opportunity to work through her own feelings on it all, and her little outburst – born of frustration and worry – was no doubt a consequence of that. That being said, she really shouldn't have been taking it out on Daniel, even if he was being uncharacteristically stupid…

"Daniel, I didn't mean…look, I'm sorry too," Sam replied softly. "I'm just…I guess I'm tired, that's all."

"And worried," Daniel pointed out shrewdly. There was forgiveness in his eyes, and she was grateful for it.

"Yeah, and worried," Sam agreed with a sigh. "It's just…why is it always him? Why does something always happen to the Colonel? Hasn't he already been through enough?"

The words came tumbling out, and she couldn't do anything to stop them. She had been worrying about the man they all called their leader for years, and it was all coming to the surface now…

"These things do always seem to happen to Jack," Daniel agreed quietly. "Although turning into a teenager is definitely a first for us. A first for anyone, really…"

"Have you had any thoughts about what might have caused this yet?" Sam asked, although she already knew the answer.

"No," Daniel replied, sighing deeply. "But I haven't…I guess I've had my mind on other things…"

"Why is it bothering you so much?" Sam asked quietly. "The Colonel never speaks about personal things, and it really doesn't surprise me that he's never told any of us about his childhood, particularly when you consider how bad it was for him. If it was me, I wouldn't want anyone to know either…"

She knew that if that was the truth for her, it applied doubly so for the Colonel. He was undoubtedly a great man, but in touch with his feelings Jack O'Neill was not…

"Me either," Daniel agreed after a long moment. "And I don't….I don't blame him for not telling us about his awful childhood. I really don't."

"So why…"

"Because…because he knows about mine," Daniel replied.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, a horrible sick feeling in her stomach. She'd always known that Daniel had had it tough, but she was starting to get the impression that there was a lot he hadn't told her. Things that maybe he'd only ever told to one person…

"My parents died when I was a young kid," Daniel began quietly, eyes fixed downwards.

Sam nodded. She already knew that, but she also knew that he was far from done.

Daniel sighed deeply and continued. "My Grandfather…he couldn't look after me then, and I didn't have any other family to take me in, so they put me into foster care. I didn't want to go and live with strangers though, and I was still grieving for my parents, so I became…difficult to handle. Some of the families understood that, and they tried to help me…"

Sam swallowed in apprehension. "And the others?"

"They didn't help," replied Daniel. "Some of them – the ones who were in the foster care business for the regular pay cheques – didn't have the patience to deal with me. So when I acted out, they…well, they didn't exactly react with quite the same patience and kindness."

"Did they hurt you?" Sam asked quietly. Judging by Daniel's expression, Sam already knew the answer. Regardless, Daniel confirmed it.

"Yes," Daniel replied, rubbing a tired hand over his face. "More than once. I wanted…"

He trailed off, and Sam had a feeling they were getting to the crux of the matter now. She sat forward in her seat and reached for his arm. She had a feeling that he would need the physical contact, however minimal, to keep him out of his own memories.

"Daniel?"

He sighed. "After one particularly bad experience with one of the families, I wanted…I wanted to run away, Sam."

And then suddenly, she understood why Daniel had been having such a hard time with the Colonel's revelations. Because even though the circumstances had been very different, teenage Jack and teenage Daniel had been in a very similar place.

"I just…when it came to it, I couldn't do it," Daniel continued, a tinge of self-loathing in his voice. "I was scared."

"Of course you were," Sam told him sympathetically, even though there was no way she would be able to understand just how he had felt back then. In fact, perhaps only the Colonel ever would. Once again, she was starting to see the situation from Daniel's point of view. Even though she still didn't blame the Colonel – and Daniel had undoubtedly been unfair in their earlier meeting – she could see how it could've upset him that the Colonel had been hiding this from him. In fact, Sam wasn't sure if she would've reacted any differently herself…

"You were a kid, Daniel," Sam continued. "You were put in a terrible situation by people who should have looked after you. It doesn't mean you weren't brave. You're one of the bravest men I know, and the fact that you survived it, that you're here now – Daniel, that says a lot about the kind of man you are."

"Jack ran away though," Daniel told her, though he wavered slightly at her passionate words. "He didn't chicken out. Jack got himself out of there."

"The Colonel does always seems to be the exception," Sam allowed. "But we still don't really know what he was running from. We may never find out."

"He still saved himself."

"He lived on the streets, Daniel," she told him. "He lived on the streets for months after being beaten half to death. If Benji hadn't found him, who knows what might have happened to the Colonel. He probably wouldn't have gone back to school, which would've stopped him joining the Airforce. He was lucky, Daniel. The odds of him surviving after running away weren't really in his favour."

Daniel shivered, and Sam felt a coldness run through her as well. A world without Colonel Jack O'Neil, United States Airforce, didn't bear thinking about.

"Maybe that's one of the reasons why he didn't want to talk about it with you," Sam mused quietly. "I mean, we all know he's brave, but…he was a kid too. Maybe he was worried that you'd think less of him for running away when you were brave enough to stick it out?"

"You think?" Daniel asked, brow furrowed.

"Maybe," Sam sighed. "You know how the Colonel is. He never thinks much of himself, even when he's saving the world. He was probably worried that you'd see him as a coward for running away."

"But he was brave," Daniel said firmly. "Back when he was a kid, as well as now."

"Maybe when he's back to normal you can tell him that," Sam said, "Rather than being mad at him for not telling you about it."

Daniel nodded his head in agreement, and Sam knew she'd finally gotten through to him.

"I'll try, but do you really think he'll want to talk about this once he's back to normal?" Daniel asked with a small, knowing smile. "You have met Jack O'Neill, right?"

"Yes, and we need to get him back," Sam said, "Our Colonel, I mean. If we don't…if he stays like this…we'll have lost him, Daniel. I don't want to lose him."

"I don't want to lose him either, Sam," Daniel told her. "I'll work harder to find a solution, I promise."

"I'll help," Sam resolved. "You're not alone anymore, Daniel, and that's something that you – and the Colonel – would do well to remember."

"So how are you feeling, Jack?" asked Dr Frasier, looking down at the teenager's chart. After allowing O'Neill to delay it for as long as he could, Teal'c had finally accompanied O'Neill back to the Infirmary for another check up with the doctor.

The young teenager had protested rather vehemently at first, but Teal'c had insisted upon their return and eventually Jack had given in. Teal'c was glad. He did not want be responsible for any more harm coming to young O'Neill, not if it was in his power to prevent it...

"I feel better," Jack mumbled, fiddling with a loose thread on the sheet. "My ribs…they hurt less. I can breathe easier now."

"Good," nodded Dr Frasier with a firm nod. "And your appetite? Has it returned?"

"A bit," Jack replied quietly. "Not completely."

Teal'c knew it would take a long time for them to undo the damage done to O'Neill during his years alone – both the malnourishment as well as the emotional hurt - so he hadn't expected a different answer. Neither, it seemed, had Dr Frasier, although she remained professional in the face of it, and O'Neill at least seemed to draw some comfort from that.

"That's fine, Jack," Dr Frasier said. "We'll work on that. Let's try increasing your calorie intake for now, and see where that gets us. Worse come to worse, there's some shakes we can try that should help you put on a bit of weight."

"Am I going to be okay?" Jack asked, and Teal'c knew instinctively that the boy was worried about permanent damage. It was something Teal'c was worried about himself.

"I don't see why not?" Dr Frasier replied with a reassuring smile. Teal'c believed her, and it seemed that Jack believed her too. "With a bit of time and effort, you'll be absolutely fine, Jack. To that end though, I'm afraid I've got a few more injections to give you."

Jack immediately pulled a face, but unlike the Colonel, he didn't immediately protest.

"Okay, I guess," Jack replied, dutifully pulling up his t-shirt sleeve.

He was a much more co-operative patient than the elder O'Neill, and the starkness of their difference made his heart ache. Teal'c liked the teenage O'Neill, but he couldn't help but miss the older one.

With a practised efficiency that Teal'c had come to expect from the doctor, Dr Frasier tried to do the injections as quickly as possible, but they clearly caused Jack some discomfort. Even so, the teenage Jack bore the pain with as much stoicism and dignity as the older version would have done. O'Neill was brave, even at this young, vulnerable age.

"All done," Janet finally announced, gathering up the medical supplies. "If you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you could stay here for the night. The injections were standard so there shouldn't be any problems, but I don't want to take any risks."

"Fine," Jack replied with a small scowl. Janet just smiled back at him, completely undeterred by her less than happy patient. Teal'c knew why – the doctor had seen much worse behaviour from the elder O'Neill and she had always come out on top.

"I am impressed," Teal'c told the young man once Janet had left. "You were very brave."

"Not really," Jack replied, flushing slightly.

"On the contrary," Teal'c argued. "It is a good indication that you will make an excellent warrior one day."

O'Neill looked a little taken aback by the praise, and Teal'c was suddenly struck by the sad thought that O'Neill probably hadn't experienced much praise, if any, up until now. Immediately, Teal'c resolved to change that.

"When I'm older, I want to…I want to be a soldier," Jack admitted softly. "Like my dad."

Teal'c raised his eyebrow in surprise. "Your father was a warrior?"

"Yeah, he was a warrior," Jack nodded. "He was a soldier with the Airforce, so he flew planes mostly."

"You wish to fly planes too?"

Teal'c already knew the answer to that question, but he knew it would do the younger O'Neill good to talk about it.

Jack nodded again. "When I was really young, my dad took me up his friend's plane, and it was great. I like the… freedom of flying, I guess."

"I find flying quite liberating as well, O'Neill," Teal'c replied, nodding in agreement.

"I just…I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to fly now," Jack said desolately, keeping his gaze firmly down. "I mean, I'm…homeless. Teal'c, I haven't got anywhere to go, and I'm so screwed up that no one in their right minds would want to take me in. And without a home or money, how am I supposed to survive? How am I supposed to go to school when I haven't even got anywhere to sleep?"

Teal'c frowned, partly in sadness and partly in confusion. He didn't really understand what the teenager was trying to say…

"You may sleep here, O'Neill," Teal'c replied with one eyebrow raised.

"For now," Jack allowed. "But what happens when I leave?"

"Why would you leave?" Teal'c asked, even more confused now.

This time it was Jack's turn to be confused. "Well, I can't exactly stay here, can I?"

"Why not?" Teal'c asked.

"Because," Jack began, throwing his hands out in frustration. "Well, it's not exactly a home, is it?"

"The SGC has become my home, O'Neill," Teal'c told him. "I see no reason why it cannot be yours as well."

"But," Jack began, hesitating slightly. "I'm just a kid…"

"So was young Cassie," Teal'c reminded him. "And yet she too found a home – and a family – here with us. The only thing that is stopping you from doing the same, O'Neill, is your own fear. Do not let it stop you. Be brave, O'Neill. Let us help you."

"How?" Jack challenged. "How can you help me? I'm just a screwed up kid that nobody wants. You might like me now, but you'll get sick of me eventually. Everyone does, and when that happens, I'll be right back where I started, only it'll be worse, because I'll actually have something to lose this time."

"It is worth the risk, O'Neill," Teal'c said softly. "We are worth the risk. I have given you my word that I will protect you, and I will die before I break that promise. You know that we will not hurt you, and yet you still believe that eventually we will lose interest in you - that we will see the 'real' you, and find you wanting in some way. You are wrong."

"I…." Jack trailed off, seemingly lost for words. Teal'c kept his gaze fixed on the teenager's.

"If you wish to go to school, we will take you," Teal'c vowed. "And if you wish to fly, we will teach you. O'Neill, I will do everything in my power to help you become a soldier, like your father before you, but you will need to learn to trust us first. There is no other way."

Jack sighed and ran a hand thought his hair. "I do trust you, T."

"Then prove it, young O'Neill," Teal'c said. "Trust us to help you in whatever way we can. We will not let you down."

The next few days passed quickly, and Daniel and Sam spent the time furiously researching any possible solutions to the Colonel's situation. It was slow going, but neither gave up. Teal'c was helping the teenage Jack come to terms with everything that had happened to him, but the sooner he was back to normal the better. The base wasn't the same without him.

Sam sighed and rubbed her face in an attempt to wake herself up a bit. She and Daniel had been poring over these texts for hours, and the six cups of coffee she'd gone though had left her wired and a little irritable. It felt as if they were getting nowhere fast, and Sam couldn't help but worry that maybe there was nothing to find...

"Sam!" Daniel exclaimed, finally lifting his gaze up. His eyes were positively fizzing with excitement. "I've found it!"

Sam immediately felt her own hope grow, and she sat up in her chair. "Found what?"

"It's in this one," Daniel said, pointing down to one of his older books. "See this symbol?"

"Yeah," Sam said, squinting down.

"I know what did it," Daniel explained, grinning widely. "I know what de-aged Jack."

"That's….great, Daniel," Sam replied, utter relief flooding through her. "That's really, really great, but…"

"There's more," Daniel interrupted, talking much faster than usual in all his excitement. He was sounding more like the Daniel Jackson she knew, and it filled her with hope once again. "I should have seen this sooner, Sam. It was staring me right in the face..."

"Just tell me, Daniel."

"I know what we need to do," Daniel said finally. "I know how to get Jack back to normal."

A/N – So there you have it. I know this chapter was a long time in coming, but I hope that it was at least worth the wait. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, particularly after the last chapter. You've all kept me going, and I hope this chapter at least shows that I do care about this story. Not long to go now, so if there's anything else you'd like to see before I wrap this up, please let me know. And if anyone has any theories about what caused Jack's condition, now is the time to say. Any comments would be welcome. Until next time then, thanks for reading!