Author's Notes: Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing and all the encouragement.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed.

Melissa picked up the bag that sat on the floor and sat it on the bed placing several outfits for Ari in it. Ari was in her cot sitting silently a few tears still on her cheeks. Melissa was amazed at how quiet she was being; she'd been so upset yesterday when Daniel had been going to school and hadn't stopped crying all day. Now she was so silent Melissa found it eerie.

Finishing packing everything Ari would need for the next few days Melissa picked Ari up confused as the little girl tried to reach something.

"What?" Melissa asked, turning she saw a picture that sat in between Daniel's bed and Ari's cot, "Is this what you want?"

Picking up the picture she was surprised when Ari touched the face of the woman in it.

"Is this your Mommy?" Melissa asked, seeing the resemblance she shrugged, "Guess so. Well I hope your Dad doesn't mind me taking this for you."

Placing the picture in the bag she flicked it onto her shoulder, "We'll get this to my house then we'll go see your Daddy," she smiled at Ari.

x

Daniel was dozing when Melissa entered the room. His eyes snapped open and he smiled, "Ari."

"Hello to you too," Melissa rolled her eyes as she handed Daniel his daughter.

Ari smiled cuddling into her father, Daniel gently kissed her head before he turned to Melissa.

"Has she been behaving herself?"

"It's strange," Melissa told him, "After you went to school the moment she woke up she wouldn't stop crying. I've never known her to be so upset. Then the moment we got the call to say you were in the hospital she's been absolutely silent."

"She's just worried about me," Daniel told Melissa, "You'll probably think I'm nuts but her mother was very gifted in reading people and Ari seems to have picked up the talent."

"Whatever you say," Melissa told him, "I don't believe in that sort of thing but if you do, on you go."

"Thank you," Daniel replied wryly.

"Speaking of her mother," Melissa said tentatively, "Is that who's picture sits beside her cot?"

Daniel bit his lip slightly before nodding.

"She wouldn't let me leave without it," Melissa told him, "I hope you don't mind?"

"No," Daniel smiled softly, "Ari sleeps better with her mother watching over her."

Melissa shrugged, "Whatever," she murmured not wanting to argue with him.

"You don't have to worry about Ari," she said instead, "We're happy to have her staying with us. My mother is having a field day looking after her," Melissa frowned, "It's scary, I think she's getting broody."

"Thank you," Daniel said sincerely, "And thank your mother for me too."

"I will," Melissa smiled, "I'd better get going. The nurse told me any longer than a few minutes with you and she wouldn't let me bring Ari back."

"Then you better go," Daniel smiled trying to hand Ari to Melissa but she was clinging to Daniel, "Ari, sweetie go with Melissa. I'll be fine and I'll be home soon I promise."

Melissa waited as Daniel rocked her before whispering something in a language she'd never heard before. Ari finally let go of him and Daniel handed her back to Melissa.

"We'll be back tomorrow," Melissa told him waving Ari's hand at him before they both left.

Jack sat in the briefing room staring at the Stargate; his mind had been going over and over everything since Daniel had left. He'd been trying to catch something that was bothering him, which had been bothering him since he'd seen Daniel and he'd spent the past few weeks thinking about it.

The little 'vacation' they'd taken after stopping the Replicators on Thor's ship had given him a lot of time to think about it and he was sure he'd missed something. He had been trying to work out what it could be.

"After we destroyed the ship Thor brought me home and we rescued the Colonel and Teal'c," Sam finished her briefing.

"Well SG1," Hammond shrugged, "I suggest you all go and get some rest."

Sam, Teal'c and Captain John Martins, Daniel's replacement all nodded and left but Jack stayed in his seat.

"Something I can do for you Colonel?" Hammond asked.

"What?" Jack looked up, "Sorry sir."

"What's wrong Jack?"

"I've been thinking about a few things," Jack told him.

"Dr Jackson," Hammond deduced.

"There's something bothering me," Jack told him, "And I just can't put my finger on what."

"Anything I can do?"

"Did Daniel file a report from Kheb?" Jack asked.

"Of course," Hammond nodded, "I received it with his resignation."

"Can I see it?" Jack asked, "I want to check something out."

"Jack, you should go home for a while," Hammond told him, "Take what you need and look at it after you've slept."

"Sure," Jack agreed, "Thanks."

x

"Damn," Jack tossed the bit of paper down, "Damn, damn, damn."

He slammed the folder onto the table; this was useless. Taking a quick drink of his beer he looked at Daniel's report again then glanced at his own from the mission. Closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose Jack thought back to what had happened on Kheb.

Daniel had been moving things with his mind.

He then said Oma had done that though, Jack checked the report to make sure.

"But the doors slammed on their own," he murmured aloud as it suddenly struck him, "Ah hell."

Grabbing his jacket he left his house and headed to the base, he needed Daniel's journal.

Lying on the couch Daniel smiled as Ari kept trying to catch the ball he was floating in front of her. When her little hands grabbed at it he would move it out of reach and she'd squeal with laughter. His side was still sore after his operation but thankfully not too bad now. The game he was playing with his daughter just now was not only to keep her amused but also a way for him to hone his ability so he could hopefully teach her when she was old enough.

"Hasn't she tried to grab it with her mind?" Nick asked as he handed Daniel some coffee.

"She hasn't done anything since the time you saw her," Daniel replied, "It's strange."

"She brought the picture over you said," Nick reminded him.

"But she was upset at the time," Daniel replied, he gave Nick a worried look, "Are you alright? You've been slightly out of it since you got back."

"I had a run in with LaCroix which wasn't pleasant," Nick sighed, "He just enjoys interfering in my life."

"Will he come here?"

Nick shrugged, "I'm not sure. He might. Don't worry about it Daniel I can handle LaCroix and if I can't you sure as hell can."

Daniel smiled then frowned as Ari started to cry, he grimaced trying to get off the couch to her.

"I'll get her," Nick said lifted her wrinkling his nose, "I'll change her. Don't bother moving.

"Thanks," Daniel said, he leaned back on the couch feeling lucky that Nick cared about both him and his daughter.

"Any ideas what you're going to do all summer?" Nick asked from the other room.

"I saw the museum is looking for help," Daniel said, "I thought I could volunteer my time."

"Daniel, you can't be too good at it," Nick reminded him, "Remember you're only a High School Language teacher here."

"I know but I need something to do," Daniel told him, "And hopefully I can take Ari with me."

Nick brought Ari back to him, "Here. You can now continue your game."

Daniel smiled and sitting Ari in his lap he started to float the ball for her again.

x

"Hi," Melissa called as she came in later that day, "Are you guys here?"

"In the kitchen," Daniel called back.

"Hey," she said before laughing seeing Daniel trying to feed Ari with more food on him than she was eating.

"Welcome to the food fight," Daniel grimaced.

"I think she's winning," Melissa replied laughing, "The reason I'm here. It's my birthday tomorrow and I'm having a sort of party. If you guys want to come?"

"That sounds great though I don't know if Nick will be able to make it," Daniel smiled, "And I'll have to bring Ari with me."

"She's more than welcome," Melissa smiled, "About seven tomorrow night at my house."

"We'll see you then," Daniel told her.

"Bye," Melissa smiled again before she left.

"I have to work," Nick told him coming in.

Now used to Nick's extraordinary hearing Daniel shrugged, "Sure."

"When you go out pick up a present from me would you?" Nick asked.

"Of course," Daniel nodded looking at Ari and giving a theatrical sigh "I give in. We'll clean you up then we'll go for a walk."

Ari laughed waving her hands in agreement reaching out to him to be lifted.

"Come here," Daniel lifted her throwing her slightly in the air as she giggled away before taking her to clean off all the food.

"Hi," Melissa smiled as she answered the door to him, "Hi Ari."

Daniel handed her two packages, "One is from me and Ari and the other is from Nick."

"You guys didn't have to," Melissa smiled, "Come on in. You know most of the people here."

Daniel followed her into the living room where Adele instantly caught him; "Watch out for a few of these women who are suckers for a good looking guy with a baby. Come on I'll introduce you to Eddie."

"Melissa's boyfriend?"

"Yes," Adele laughed.

"Is there somewhere I can put Ari's things?" Daniel asked.

"I'll put the bag in the kitchen where you can find it," Adele smiled, "Eddie."

A young man with short brown hair and dark brown eyes turned, "Yeah?"

"Eddie Devon this is Daniel Jansson and his daughter Ari," Adele introduced them.

"Who Melissa has been watching," Eddie smiled reaching out to shake Daniel's hand, "Nice to meet you."

"You too," Daniel smiled sitting down resting Ari on his knee so she could see everything that was happening.

Daniel found he got on well with Melissa's boyfriend; they sat and talked for a while until Melissa came and stole him away. A few people were about to descend on him when Ari thankfully decided she was hungry.

He slipped into the kitchen to get Ari's bottle, as he waited for it to heat Melissa appeared holding the phone.

"It's a pity you haven't made it," she said giving Daniel a wave hello, "It's a good party. Okay Uncle Paul I'll see you in a few days. Bye."

Daniel rested Ari back in his arms and gave her the bottle, "Someone else missing your party?"

"My uncle," she shrugged, "He works in Washington and is very busy. He was meant to be coming but his work sort of got in the way."

"Yeah, I remember that," Daniel mused softly kissing his daughter's head as she fed, "You close?"

"Quite," Melissa smiled, "When my Dad died in a car crash, Uncle Paul he's Mom's brother he was the one who sat with me as I cried all night. Since we didn't know if Mom was going to survive or not we leaned on each other."

"You said he'd be here in a few days," Daniel shrugged, "It's not like he won't be around during the week of your birthday," Daniel smiled, "I had a friend once who decided his birthday lasted from the day of his birthday to week after the actual date."

"I like that idea," she mused.

"I thought you would," Daniel smiled.

"Sorry about that," Major Paul Davis apologised as he joined Jack in the briefing room, "Just had to make a call."

"Hammond's on the phone himself and Carter and Teal'c are still getting checked out by the doc," Jack told him, "So anything of earth shattering importance?"

"It's just my niece's birthday and I'm missing it," he sighed, "I wanted to phone to tell her I would see her in a few days."

"Wow," Jack murmured.

"What?" Davis asked.

"You actually have a life outside this place," Jack teased him, "I sort of thought you left here you existed in limbo until you were needed again."

Davis laughed, "That's exactly how I think of you Colonel."

"So what did you get her for her birthday," Jack inquired.

"I bought her some of the books she'll need for when she starts Law School," Davis said.

"That's a really, really boring present," Jack told him.

"I also bought her the brand new DVD player she's been wanting," Davis laughed.

"Now that is more like it," Jack grinned as Hammond, Carter and Teal'c all arrived, "Let's get on with this."

x

Jack finally managed to get away from the debriefing and headed back to his office. SG1 now had two weeks off which gave him some time to work on this. He had been going over Daniel's journals from his trip to Abydos where Ari and Shifu were born to the trip to Kheb. The past few weeks he hadn't really had the time to be able to sit down and decide what he was going to do with the knowledge he now had. It was confusing why he'd decided to leave Daniel be but now he had a reason. Daniel's journal entry from when they'd been in Toronto had given him it.

Jack dragged me away from the base.

I didn't want to go and fought against him. I need to find Kheb; I have to find the children, her children, our children. Ari and Shifu are the only things that are keeping me going just now. I have a huge hole in me since Sha're died, a hole I have no way of filling but Jack decided Toronto would help.

Jack had moved on quickly and found exactly what he had been looking for.

I saw a ghost today.

Nick was standing in the middle of a crime scene giving orders. I managed to overhear his name. He's no longer going by Professor Nicholas Bain as I knew him but now it's Detective Nick Knight. It really suits him. I wish I'd had a chance to go and see him but Jack has been my shadow since Sha're died. I can't be angry about it, he's worried about me and that actually makes me feel slightly better. Not much but slightly.

Jack frowned, he had gone to see that cop and was told he didn't know Daniel and that was when Jack had decided to leave him alone. He'd spent ages hunting through Daniel's even older journals, unable to believe how someone could not only keep a diary but keep one for almost thirty years and never get rid of the old ones. Finally he found the one he needed.

Professor Bain is a Vampire.

Not exactly something I expected to discover, not something I believed in but I have to now.

He saved my life from one of his own kind then tried to hypnotise me to forget but apparently I'm a resistor. He's been a good friend to me over the past few months I know I can trust him and he can trust me. I won't tell anyone, who would believe me?

I just hope I get to see him again some day.

Jack frowned, hypnosis.

"Dammit," he sighed, "That's why. Dammit."

He had to go back to Toronto and find this Knight again. He'd have to make sure this time Knight didn't manage to hypnotise him again.

Nick sat fighting with his computer.

Schanke was thankfully away for the moment leaving him just to write up the reports that had piled up on his desk. A shadow covered his screen and Nick looked up to see Jack O'Neill standing above him.

"Hello Detective," Jack said sharply, "I need to have a talk to you."

Nick sighed; he'd been waiting for this. He wasn't sure why but he'd been waiting for this.

"Come with me," Nick told him leading him to one of the empty offices.

"Are they okay?" Jack asked straight away, "And you know exactly who I'm talking about Professor Bain."

Nick frowned, "They're fine."

Jack sighed in relief, "Good. Where are they?"

"I won't tell you that," Nick said, "I promised Daniel I'd let him start over and keep his daughter safe."

"I know why he ran," Jack told him, "I know what he can do. Look Detective I need to talk to him."

"Colonel," Nick replied, "I won't betray his trust."

Jack sighed, "Fine. Then give him this letter and if he agrees the name of the hotel I'm staying at is in there."

Without another word Jack left, leaving Nick holding the letter.

x

"What?" Daniel groaned as Nick shook him awake.

"Your Colonel friend was at the station again," Nick told him.

"Jack? I thought you managed to persuade him to forget about it?" Daniel said.

"Apparently not," Nick shrugged, "He knew the identity I used when we first met."

"He read my journals," Daniel groaned, "I knew I should have brought them with me."

"It doesn't matter now," Nick told him, "He wanted me to give you this."

Daniel stared at the letter as if it were a poisonous snake for a few seconds before he reached out and took it.

"I'll be in my room when you've finished reading," Nick told him before leaving.

Daniel,

You really know how to make an exit but that's not what this is about.

I never claimed to be a genius like you and Carter but I finally worked it out, your secret and the reason you disappeared on us.

That power you showed us on Kheb, the one you said was Oma all along it wasn't. It was you moving those things, wasn't it?

I'm not going to question your friend who helped you leave but I'm guessing he's the one passing the letters under my door every so often.

I just want to talk to you, just want to make sure you're all right with my own eyes. The hotel I'm staying in is written at the bottom.

Please Daniel, let me talk to you.

Jack.

Daniel stared at the letter for a while before he walked over and looked into Ari's cot where she was sleeping peacefully. He had always trusted Jack, even before they were friends and after he'd been forced back here when Sha're and Skaara were taken he'd trusted Jack with everything. He could do it again.

Jack sighed in relief as he felt solid ground below his feet beside him Nick smiled in amusement.

"Nice way to travel," Jack told him.

"Come on," Nick led him inside to the living room where Daniel sat playing with Ari.

Daniel placed her in her walker and stood up to greet his friend.

"Danny," Jack said with a grin hugging him.

"Hi Jack," Daniel smiled amazed how good it was to see him again, "Grab a seat."

Jack looked down as Ari smacked into him, "Wow look at her."

"A little bigger than when you saw her last," Daniel smiled as Jack knelt down and tickled the little girl.

"You're not kidding," Jack smiled as she laughed at him.

"How is everyone?" Daniel asked.

"They're good," Jack smiled as he sat on the nearest chair, "Carter's still not talking to me since I called off the search for you. After your friend persuaded me."

"I asked him to do that," Daniel told him, "I didn't want you involved."

"Well it's too late," Jack replied, "I know your little secret. Let me help you."

"Jack we're fine here," Daniel told him, "I'm teaching, Ari likes it and Nick has been a good friend."

"What about the people you left behind in the SGC?"

"Dammit Jack," Daniel snapped, "I'm doing this to protect them. If Maybourne or someone like him learned what I could do now…"

Jack nodded, "You're right."

"And what about Ari?" Daniel cried, "They're not going to believe she's mine."

"Why?"

"Unless you hadn't noticed Ari was born a year and half after I was last with Sha're," Daniel snapped, "They won't believe the Gould managed to halt her growth, I won't lose Ari Jack, she is everything to me I won't lose her."

Jack nodded, "Daniel, I know now so at least let me help."

"How?"

"I don't know yet," Jack said, "I want to keep in touch with you. Daniel, come on."

Daniel closed his eyes and sighed, "I have missed you guys but I have to keep Ari away from all that."

"You will," Jack assured him.

x

Jack paced his hotel room after Nick had brought him back.

"You brought all the letters?" Jack asked him.

Nick nodded, "He needed to be able to keep in contact with you all in some way."

"Look Detective I won't just let him go," Jack said, "He's my family."

"Colonel, these things he can do," Nick replied, "I think there's more to it than any of us know."

"Then help me keep in touch with him," Jack pleaded.

Nick nodded and pulled out his notebook scribbling down his work number, "If you need to contact me Colonel."

"It's Jack."

"Nick."

Daniel sat going over the list of recent acquisitions for the museum. Max Donaldson the curator had been more than happy to have him working for them over the summer. He had been given one of the offices to use for sorting all the items in the museum, it was boring work and things he could do in his sleep. There were loads of artefacts he wanted to have a closer look at but decided not to. Nick wouldn't be happy if he broke his story of just being a High School Teacher.

He looked up as Ari laughed when she flung the ball away from her, Adele had bought her a play mat that had things to touch, push and make noise with and Ari loved it. With a thought he pushed the ball back towards her.

Daniel absently pulled over the next on his list, a stone tablet from Egypt and jumped feeling a shock go through him when he touched it. Looking down he stared at it.

"Interesting piece," Max said as he walked in.

"Yes," Daniel replied looking up, "Any idea what it says?"

"Not a clue," Max laughed, "Nobody we've got to do it could make any sense out of it."

"Maybe it doesn't mean anything," Daniel joked, "Possibly junk mail."

Max laughed, "In case you hadn't noticed it's time to leave. You can finish this tomorrow."

Daniel nodded; he threw on his jacket before leaning down and picking up his daughter.

"Da," she grinned before resting on his shoulder as he carried her to her pram.

"Stop that," he told her as she refused to sit in it, "We're going home."

Finally she was strapped in and Daniel started his walk back to what was now home.

x

"Daniel?" Nick asked when his 'brother' arrived home, "What's wrong?"

"When I was at the museum," Daniel explained as he released his daughter and picked her up, "I saw something."

"Something?" Nick took Ari when she was passed to him.

"It was a tablet," Daniel explained while he fixed Ari's dinner, "A stone tablet with writing on it nobody has ever been able to translate."

"But you could translate it."

"I only got a few words," Daniel told him, "Max interrupted me before I could get a proper look."

Nick stared at him, "What were they?"

"Child, Telekinesis," Daniel said flatly, "And Ammonet."