content warning: implied child abuse, nothing graphic.
Jack and Danny stepped through the shimmering Stargate in the SGC. Jack caught his balance on reflex and only the fact that he had a death grip on Jacks hand kept Danny on his feet. Jack didn't let go and led the way to where Sam and Teal'c were standing. Hammond was standing in his customary place at the bottom of the ramp.
"Colonel."
"General." Jack held his breath, knowing what was coming.
"WHere's Dr. Jackson." Jack looked down at Danny, who was trying to hide behind Sam and keep a hold of Jack's hand at the same time. Jack gently brough him forward. "Please met Daniel Jackson, aged 6."
"Danny." The boy corrected automatically.
"Danny, this is Mr. Hammond." Hammond was giving JAck one of his exasperated looks that Jack suspected he reserved just for Sg-1.
"Infirmary, debreifing in 1 hour." he said shortly, then gave Danny a brief, slight smile and turned and walked away. The team made their way to the infirmary where they had to explain to Dr. frasier what had happened.
"He's a healthy, normal, 6 year old child." Janet said in the debriefing. Danny had been left with one of the nurses who had been delighted at the chance to play with the boy. "And if what Danok told the Colonel was true, then I think all we can do is wait." General Hammond nodded in understanding.
"In the mean time," he said, "I'd like to keep the boy here at all times." Jack immediatly started protest and Sam and even Teal'c joined him.
"you can't" Jack said. "He's just a boy. He only remembers falling asleep in a tree and waking up with us."
"Besides," Sam continued, "He's six, that means he's in school right now. How are we going to explain _that_ to a child who, if i remember what Daniel told me correctly, loves school. He's probably expecting us to wake him up tomorrow and tell him to get ready to get on the bus. It's probably a ritual and with children, you can' break paterns with them at the snap of a finger."
"It is most unwise." Teal'c took up the argument. "The child's needs would not be met by keeping him here. He should be outside, with others." Everyone looked at him in surprise. THey almost expected him to add, "The child needs a life General Hammond." Jack jumped in again.
"He can stay with me. He'll be fine, I swear." Hammond was silent for a moment before nodding.
"Alright then," he said, "But I reserve the right to decide to keep him here, understood." A collective sigh ran around the room. Jack nodded.
"Just give me time to get the house ready." He ment time to Daniel-proof it.
"I can take him out to get some clothes that fit him." Sam said with a smile. The clothes he was wearing were a loan from Cassie and weren't any better that the ones he had been wearing.
"Very well," Hammond said, "Dismissed."
Jack sat in his car, turned it off and slowly got out, what-ifing in a way he hadn't since he was a teenager. What if Danny didn't like him? What if he grew so fond of the boy that he couldn't think of him as Daniel any more? And worst of all, what if he found that he couldn't be a father after Charlie?
He dismissed these thoughts as he entered and went abou the task of child proofing the house. The chemicals under the sink went out in the garage, the extra room had a once over and extra boxes were put in the closet. He found one of those child locks for cabinets and put one on the cabinet under the sink. Matches dissapeared and valubles went into his bedroom. Then the most important. He went into his room and got out his gun. Briefly, he considered putting it high out of the way then dismissed the idea. He thought it had been high enough with Charlie and with a kid like Danny, it would never be high enough. The doorbell rang and he smiled at the most obvious answer.
He got up to answer the door, being carefull to keep the gun behind his back, out of sight. He opened the door and looked down into curious blue eyes.
"Am I really going to stay with you?" Danny asked.
"Yep, why don't you take that bag to the kitchen while I talk to Sam?" Danny ran off and JAck dragged Sam back to her car and handed her his gun.
"Keep it for me for a while, okay?" Sam gave him a startled look and took the gun.
"Sure." she said and stuck it in her glove compartment to take away later. Jack breathed easier.
Jack ran back to the house while Sam went around to the trunk to get another bag.
"He's stayin gin the guest room." He called back to her. He saw her nod before going into the kitchen. Danny was there, sitting at the table. He was wearing clothes that actually fit now. Jack quickly got him a sandwich and set it in front of him. Danny seemed to have relaxed more around him. He heard Sam rummaging around the spare room.
"Ever think about cutting your hair?" he asked, ruffling the long hair. He was expecting what he usually got, A slight smile, an "I don't think so." But something else happened instead.
Danny jerked back and away from him.
"No!" he said vehemetly. "Mr. Meyers did it once-" He cut off quickly and snapped his mouth shut, as if he was n the brink of telling something he shouldn't. Jack felt Sam stop in the doorway and he ignored her for the time being.
Something about the way Danny was acting stirred up a long forgotten memory that Jack was striving to bring back. Then he had it. In fourth grade, there had been a boy, a quiet child who Jack had always felt a remote sympathy for. His father had come to school one day and the boy had cringed away from him, like Danny was doing now with Jack.
Suddenly, rage overcame Jack. Who would do that to a little kid who'd just seen his parents crushed? Quickly he swallowed his anger and knelt down by the chair, so he was lower than Danny.
"What did he do Danny?" he asked gently. Danny gazed at him wide-eyed and shook his head. "Come on, I wont hurt you."
"He cut my hair." Danny whispered. Jack could barely hear him.
"What else?" Jack asked. Come on, Danny, he asked silently, tell me, what did he do? Why did you fall asleep in that tree? WHat else did he do to you, tell me. Danny just shook his head. Jack sighed, stood up and reached a hand to lay on his head. Danny flinched away. He was going to have to be carefull, Jack realised, as he looked up at Sam and they shared a very worried glance.
Jack woke up that night to someone yelling and he tooka moment before remembering the Very Special Guest that was staying with him. Quickly, he got up and went to the guest room. Danny was struggling with the blankets and saying- something. Jack couldn't understand what because it obviously wasn't English.
He went over and shook Danny awake gently. He came awake with a start and rolled up away form Jack.
"Hey," he said gently, "Calm down. No one's gonna hurt you, I promise." Danny relaxed a bit. "What's wrong?" Jack asked.
"I- I had a dream." Danny said, he sounded very young and very lost. "About my parents." Ahh, no Jack understood.
"How long ago?" He asked and held his breath. He didn't know if Danny trusted him enough to tell him.
"About a year." Okay, now he really understood. It was about a year since the Gamekeeper and Jack knew for a fact that Daniel still had nightmares about it. If the kid was experiencing the real thing...
"Okay, don't worry, just go back to sleep." Jack tucked him in again and started rubbing his back, a trick he had learned from Charlie after he had had a bad dream. After a while Jack heard a whimper and saw that Danny was still awake.
He went to the cluttered closet and pawed through the boxes until he found his quarry. It was a large stuffed lion that had been Charlies. He dusted it off and brought it back to the bed. It was so huge, it was almost half the size of Danny. He sat up, curious.
"This lion," JAck said, handing it to Danny, "Is named Roarer. Do you know why?" Danny looked at him as if he was particularly slow.
"Because lions roar." He said simply. Jack wondered if children all had some inate knowledge about nameing stuffed animals. 'that's the same reason Charlie gave me.'
"Right. Now this lion is a prime example of why they call lions the king of the jungle. He used to be my son's. He made sure that the room was safe through the night. No moster has ever survived in this house because of Roarer. Why don't you keep him for a while. I think that He's been lonely." Danny gazed wide eyed at the huge stuffed animal.
"Really?"
"Really."
Danny snuggled down, clutching the lion under the covers. His eyes closed heavily and Jack tiptoed out, smiling.
Silence followed him.
Jack and Danny stepped through the shimmering Stargate in the SGC. Jack caught his balance on reflex and only the fact that he had a death grip on Jacks hand kept Danny on his feet. Jack didn't let go and led the way to where Sam and Teal'c were standing. Hammond was standing in his customary place at the bottom of the ramp.
"Colonel."
"General." Jack held his breath, knowing what was coming.
"WHere's Dr. Jackson." Jack looked down at Danny, who was trying to hide behind Sam and keep a hold of Jack's hand at the same time. Jack gently brough him forward. "Please met Daniel Jackson, aged 6."
"Danny." The boy corrected automatically.
"Danny, this is Mr. Hammond." Hammond was giving JAck one of his exasperated looks that Jack suspected he reserved just for Sg-1.
"Infirmary, debreifing in 1 hour." he said shortly, then gave Danny a brief, slight smile and turned and walked away. The team made their way to the infirmary where they had to explain to Dr. frasier what had happened.
"He's a healthy, normal, 6 year old child." Janet said in the debriefing. Danny had been left with one of the nurses who had been delighted at the chance to play with the boy. "And if what Danok told the Colonel was true, then I think all we can do is wait." General Hammond nodded in understanding.
"In the mean time," he said, "I'd like to keep the boy here at all times." Jack immediatly started protest and Sam and even Teal'c joined him.
"you can't" Jack said. "He's just a boy. He only remembers falling asleep in a tree and waking up with us."
"Besides," Sam continued, "He's six, that means he's in school right now. How are we going to explain _that_ to a child who, if i remember what Daniel told me correctly, loves school. He's probably expecting us to wake him up tomorrow and tell him to get ready to get on the bus. It's probably a ritual and with children, you can' break paterns with them at the snap of a finger."
"It is most unwise." Teal'c took up the argument. "The child's needs would not be met by keeping him here. He should be outside, with others." Everyone looked at him in surprise. THey almost expected him to add, "The child needs a life General Hammond." Jack jumped in again.
"He can stay with me. He'll be fine, I swear." Hammond was silent for a moment before nodding.
"Alright then," he said, "But I reserve the right to decide to keep him here, understood." A collective sigh ran around the room. Jack nodded.
"Just give me time to get the house ready." He ment time to Daniel-proof it.
"I can take him out to get some clothes that fit him." Sam said with a smile. The clothes he was wearing were a loan from Cassie and weren't any better that the ones he had been wearing.
"Very well," Hammond said, "Dismissed."
Jack sat in his car, turned it off and slowly got out, what-ifing in a way he hadn't since he was a teenager. What if Danny didn't like him? What if he grew so fond of the boy that he couldn't think of him as Daniel any more? And worst of all, what if he found that he couldn't be a father after Charlie?
He dismissed these thoughts as he entered and went abou the task of child proofing the house. The chemicals under the sink went out in the garage, the extra room had a once over and extra boxes were put in the closet. He found one of those child locks for cabinets and put one on the cabinet under the sink. Matches dissapeared and valubles went into his bedroom. Then the most important. He went into his room and got out his gun. Briefly, he considered putting it high out of the way then dismissed the idea. He thought it had been high enough with Charlie and with a kid like Danny, it would never be high enough. The doorbell rang and he smiled at the most obvious answer.
He got up to answer the door, being carefull to keep the gun behind his back, out of sight. He opened the door and looked down into curious blue eyes.
"Am I really going to stay with you?" Danny asked.
"Yep, why don't you take that bag to the kitchen while I talk to Sam?" Danny ran off and JAck dragged Sam back to her car and handed her his gun.
"Keep it for me for a while, okay?" Sam gave him a startled look and took the gun.
"Sure." she said and stuck it in her glove compartment to take away later. Jack breathed easier.
Jack ran back to the house while Sam went around to the trunk to get another bag.
"He's stayin gin the guest room." He called back to her. He saw her nod before going into the kitchen. Danny was there, sitting at the table. He was wearing clothes that actually fit now. Jack quickly got him a sandwich and set it in front of him. Danny seemed to have relaxed more around him. He heard Sam rummaging around the spare room.
"Ever think about cutting your hair?" he asked, ruffling the long hair. He was expecting what he usually got, A slight smile, an "I don't think so." But something else happened instead.
Danny jerked back and away from him.
"No!" he said vehemetly. "Mr. Meyers did it once-" He cut off quickly and snapped his mouth shut, as if he was n the brink of telling something he shouldn't. Jack felt Sam stop in the doorway and he ignored her for the time being.
Something about the way Danny was acting stirred up a long forgotten memory that Jack was striving to bring back. Then he had it. In fourth grade, there had been a boy, a quiet child who Jack had always felt a remote sympathy for. His father had come to school one day and the boy had cringed away from him, like Danny was doing now with Jack.
Suddenly, rage overcame Jack. Who would do that to a little kid who'd just seen his parents crushed? Quickly he swallowed his anger and knelt down by the chair, so he was lower than Danny.
"What did he do Danny?" he asked gently. Danny gazed at him wide-eyed and shook his head. "Come on, I wont hurt you."
"He cut my hair." Danny whispered. Jack could barely hear him.
"What else?" Jack asked. Come on, Danny, he asked silently, tell me, what did he do? Why did you fall asleep in that tree? WHat else did he do to you, tell me. Danny just shook his head. Jack sighed, stood up and reached a hand to lay on his head. Danny flinched away. He was going to have to be carefull, Jack realised, as he looked up at Sam and they shared a very worried glance.
Jack woke up that night to someone yelling and he tooka moment before remembering the Very Special Guest that was staying with him. Quickly, he got up and went to the guest room. Danny was struggling with the blankets and saying- something. Jack couldn't understand what because it obviously wasn't English.
He went over and shook Danny awake gently. He came awake with a start and rolled up away form Jack.
"Hey," he said gently, "Calm down. No one's gonna hurt you, I promise." Danny relaxed a bit. "What's wrong?" Jack asked.
"I- I had a dream." Danny said, he sounded very young and very lost. "About my parents." Ahh, no Jack understood.
"How long ago?" He asked and held his breath. He didn't know if Danny trusted him enough to tell him.
"About a year." Okay, now he really understood. It was about a year since the Gamekeeper and Jack knew for a fact that Daniel still had nightmares about it. If the kid was experiencing the real thing...
"Okay, don't worry, just go back to sleep." Jack tucked him in again and started rubbing his back, a trick he had learned from Charlie after he had had a bad dream. After a while Jack heard a whimper and saw that Danny was still awake.
He went to the cluttered closet and pawed through the boxes until he found his quarry. It was a large stuffed lion that had been Charlies. He dusted it off and brought it back to the bed. It was so huge, it was almost half the size of Danny. He sat up, curious.
"This lion," JAck said, handing it to Danny, "Is named Roarer. Do you know why?" Danny looked at him as if he was particularly slow.
"Because lions roar." He said simply. Jack wondered if children all had some inate knowledge about nameing stuffed animals. 'that's the same reason Charlie gave me.'
"Right. Now this lion is a prime example of why they call lions the king of the jungle. He used to be my son's. He made sure that the room was safe through the night. No moster has ever survived in this house because of Roarer. Why don't you keep him for a while. I think that He's been lonely." Danny gazed wide eyed at the huge stuffed animal.
"Really?"
"Really."
Danny snuggled down, clutching the lion under the covers. His eyes closed heavily and Jack tiptoed out, smiling.
Silence followed him.