Chapter 21
Sam was right! No one cared that she stayed with Jack during the night. Matter of fact many assumed she was scared as a child and wanted his protection akin to a little sister staying with her big brother. Perception worked to their favor in the realm of kiddom.
Much to Sam and Jack's surprise Daniel and Teal'c were both absent from their rooms. They went to gather Izzy, opened the door and stepped inside. On the bed they found the three all sleeping. What remained of a pizza, cake and ice cream was scattered about the table. It appears they had a sleepover.
Jack discovered Izzy sleeping right between Teal'c and Daniel in the bed. He nudged Daniel who was closest. "Daniel," he called his name.
His eyes slowly opened. His head pounded from all the sugar he ate the night before. It felt much like a hangover to him. He grumbled, "What is it Jack?"
He asked, "What ya guys do? Have a party!"
"Izzy wanted a sleepover," he explained sitting up. His mouth was dry as cotton and he felt a bit sick.
Teal'c and Izzy both stirred and started to yawn and stretch. Izzy spied Sam and Jack standing at the bedside. She was in her purple and pink unicorn pajamas and nearly jumped excited. She figured, "Let's have a sleepover again with the whole club."
Daniel rolled out of bed in a pair of white scrubs that were given to him and Teal'c each to wear for pajamas on base. He reminded her, "Cassie is part of the club too but she's not on base."
"Let's have Janet bring her in." she told him.
"We need a good reason to get her on base." he stated. He then announced, "Man…I fell I'm hung over."
Izzy wondered, "Hung over what?" She no idea what he meant.
"Like I was out at a bar all night long." he tried to explain.
"I've never been to a bar." she told him.
Sam stated, "And you won't for many, many years."
Izzy told her, "I wish there was a spell to make us all grownups so we can all go out to a bar and do what grownups do for a night."
Daniel and Sam traded glances. Sam figured, "The nanites would have the ability to restore us to our adult selves."
"We just need to figure out the command to undo what the pool did." he figured.
Jack asked, "What would be the command to fix this?"
Izzy tried to think of a command that would turn her into an adult so she could go a bar like the grownups do. A command came to mind that would make her appear in any image she choose and work much like a hologram or costume and allow the ability to appear solid and interact with the surroundings. She told them, "I have a command that could work. It can make us look like anything we want."
Jack asked, "Like camouflage?"
She tried to describe it to the best of her abilities, "Like a costume! The tiny robots can make a costume around you and do any anything you want."
Daniel figured, "We can use the camouflage program the nanites have to make us appear like our old selves until we can find a program to reverse the effects of the pool."
"That could work," Jack figured.
"What about me?" Izzy asked. "I was never a grownup."
Daniel asked Sam, "Could the nanites project what Izzy would like as a grownup?"
She nodded, "I'm sure they could but Janet would find out by doing a physical to clear us and she would never let us off world."
The groups stood in silence thinking of how to get past the doctor.
"The only way we can pull off using a camouflage program is with General Hammond's approval." Sam figured aloud.
Jack suggested, "We could pitch it to him. They only know about the one wand and Izzy can use it since she has the commands for the program."
Izzy cried, "You are all gonna snitch!"
"It's not snitching," he told her. "We're gonna go to Hammond, tell him we got a plan, explain the nanites can camouflage us and ask permission to use it."
Sam added, "We also tell him the nanites can undo this but we time to find the program and commands. If I can find a way to directly communicate with the nanites program I can even find that information for us."
The girl pouted, "I suppose."
Briefing Room
SG-1 requested a meeting with General Hammond and Major Frasier. They came the room all wearing extra small size battle dress uniforms that were still too big especially for Sam. She had to keep pulling up the trousers and considered borrowing some of Izzy's clothes for she was the smallest of the team. Izzy was also brought to the meeting wearing blue jeans and a pink t-shirt.
Janet sat in the chair across from General Hammond. She found situation amusing and heartbreaking all the same time. SG-1 as children were adorable in the uniforms but her heart ached for she knew they would rather be adults again.
General Hammond asked Jack, "What did you want to talk about, Colonel?"
"We think the nanites could reverse this but we need time to work on it. Izzy thinks she has a command that controls a camouflage program for the nanites." he began.
"Camouflage?" Hammond asked very interested.
Sam nodded, "The nanites can camouflage anything or anyone and make the item or person look, move and feel like something else. Show him, Iz."
Izzy removed her wand from her sleeve exposing her secret hiding place accidentally to Janet and the General.
Janet muttered, "So that's where you hid that wand."
She lean forward in the oversize chair and motioned the wand over the glass of water, "Cummataeas habitum." Before her the glass of suddenly became disguised as a mug of beer.
Sam picked up the mug and handed it to General Hammond, "Taste it!" she told him.
He looked at what his hand. It looked like a thick ceramic beer mug filled with beer. He smelled it and it smelled like beer. He tasted it but it tasted like water. "It's water!" he reported. "I can feel the mug and I can smell the beer but it's water."
"Right," she nodded. "That's the camouflage program."
He placed it down before him on the table shocked and yet impressed. He quickly realized the applications, "This is ground breaking for military tactics."
Sam told him, "What we want to do is use the camouflage program to make us look like adults until we can find a way to fix it."
Hammond processed the information, "I see."
Janet asked worried, "Have you tried this program on a test subject?"
Sam nodded, "We have already." She looked to the girl, "Izzy."
She waved the wand over her own head and stated the command again. She then appeared as she would as an adult. She looked all grown up and even had on a battle dress uniform with an SG-1 patch and a field cap. Her long hair that was usually kept in a ponytail appeared short like Sam's hair style.
Sam informed, "The nanites can predict what Izzy will look like as an adult and have made a three dimensional disguise around her. They mimic her moves…" she gave a nod as a signal to Izzy.
The girl raised hand and waved it about above her head.
"The nanites move with her and can even allow her the perspective of being taller." she gave another nod.
Izzy stood up and looked like a full grown adult standing before them. She grinned, "Wow, I can see everything from up here."
Janet gasped, "This is a ground breaking!"
Sam stated, "Sit down Iz."
She complied and then waved her wand over her head, "Restituers". She restored herself.
Jack asked Izzy, "Restituers means…"
"Restore," she told him.
Daniel stated, "It's the command that resets everything." He then squinted in thought, "Izzy…Try that command on Sam."
She waved the wand over Sam and stated, "Restituers."
Sam felt a surge of energy run through her. She looked down at herself and found she was back to normal. She took a deep breath, "We found the command to restore us." She looked to Izzy, "Do the command."
She sat and pouted looking sad.
She asked her, "What?"
"Then you won't be kids anymore and I won't be able play with any of you because you will be grownups." she cried.
Sam wrapped her arms around her, "Honey, we will still be here for you." She titled the girl's face up as she sobbed, "I promise I won't take anything from you and you can use your wand anytime."
Daniel assured her, "We can still be in your secret club even as grownups." He then admitted, "Trust me! I have a whole new perspective on what it's like to be a kid on base."
Jack stated, "I'll still be the same but taller. And I can take care of you if you put me back."
Teal'c assured her, "I will always be a Steppenwolf."
Janet asked, "Secret club?"
Jack told her, "It's a kid thing." He then added speaking to Izzy, "I can't be your new dad if I am a kid too." Though, Jack could restore himself he wanted Isabelle to do so not only to keep his wand a secret but also for her to take a step in becoming an adult herself for she would someday leave the realm of kiddom as well.
"Okay," she sniffed. She closed her eyes and concentrated on SG-1. She made a large circular motion with the wand above her head and stated the command, "Restituers." When she opened her eyes she found SG-1 were adults again. She wiped away the tear that streamed down her cheek and asked, "Can Cassie come and stay with me on base?"
Janet agreed, "She can and stay with you for a while on base."
"Make sure she brings her radio." she told her.
"That little transistor radio won't get a signal in the base," Janet replied.
"Have her bring it anyways." she told her.
"Okay," she agreed not really understanding why Izzy wanted the radio. She looked at the now restored team. "Steppenwolf?" she asked.
"It's our secret magic club." Jack told her.
She laughed figuring Jack and SG-1 had been entertaining themselves and Izzy when they were stuck as children.
Daniel stated, "You can't be in the club unless you say the secret pledge."
"I see," she laughed to herself.
SG-1 traded glances and kept tight lipped. They found the power of kiddom trumped any regulation or rule the military could muster. It was now engrained in their hearts. It was a strange bond they formed that could only rival the bond of brother and sister in arms.
NOTE: Thank you for your patients the last 5 days. Now, to catch up on some sleep.