A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys. I like to get constructive criticism and ideas as to where you'd like the story to go and i try to factor those into the story. Sorry it's been a while but i've had lots of deadlines for dissertations. jmcqk6, he died of a broken heart. Sad i know, it is the story somewhere although it's a bit subtle; kramogh Steve's son is called Jack, just to confuse the poor readers a bit more. Again it's in the story...

"…Mr President, I know what the situation is and for exactly that reason going in guns blazing is not the best way to solve the standoff! We have to show both of them that we're neutral and offer them the opportunity to solve this diplomatically. Shooting indiscriminately at anything that moves is not most people's definition of neutral!"

"I'll take your view into consideration Dr. Jackson. I'll contact you later to fill you in on the situation."

"But sir-" The screen went blank. He could hardly believe that he was still having now the same arguments he'd been having at the beginning of SG-1. Disheartened he moved over to the percolator stood on an antique walnut table at the edge of his university office. Despite lecturing here in Chicago a few times a week, Daniel still spent a lot of time in Colorado and D.C. trying to prevent the more gung-ho members of the government from simply nuking everyone out there they didn't like. As a result he frequently pissed off politicians both on and off world. Sighing he sat back in his chair. Maybe he was getting too old for all this. With Teal'c still looking no more than 40 and the other half of the team either dead or living as a hermit he was feeling increasingly isolated. If it wasn't for Sarah, he supposed he might even get depressed.

Daniel sat back down behind his desk with a cup of coffee when the screen at the left side of his desk suddenly come to life.

"Doctor Jackson." He immediately recognized his young secretary from his main office in Washington D.C.

"Miss Peters."

"I'm sorry to interrupt sir but there's someone on the line who insists on talking to you. He asked me to say that it concerned 'the tin man.'"

"You're sure he said the tin man?"

"Yes, sir."

"Patch it through."

"Dr Jackson-" Daniel just started at the screen until his secretary gave in with a sigh. The face of a man in his early middle ages appeared on the screen. His hair –what was left of it – was starting to turn gray and he was getting chubby. From first appearances he looked like a typical bored suburban.

"Can I help you?" Daniel started the conversation.

"Dr. Jackson!" Daniel sighed.

"Last time I checked. What do you know about the tin man?" Daniel was now in investigative archaeologist mode and wanted to get to the point as fast as possible.

"Jonathon told me to say that." He blurted out. "Jonathon Carter."

"Jonathon Carter!"

"My neighbor. It all seems like some sort of sick joke but the medals and the uniform and the photos – and the letter!"

"Mr-"

"Hopkins. Steve."

"Steve, do you know who the tin man is?" Daniel asked urgently.

"The tin man is colonel Jack O'Neill of SG-1, I believe. And if I'm correct he's been living here in South Dakota for the past 25 years under the psydonym 'Jonathon Carter.'"

"South Dakota." Daniel repeated sarcastically.

"You think I'm kidding."

"I think you're probably a tabloid journalist. Prove me wrong."

"Well for starters there's this letter." Steve held it up so that it was visible for Daniel who gazed open mouthed. It was definitely Jack's handwriting.

"Jack? A book? The garage?"

"Jack's my son. We called him Jonathon after, well, Jonathon but he always insisted on calling him Jack. It sort of stuck." He smiled. "And yeah, Jon's been writing a book. Ever since he retired 10 years ago." Seeing the Doctor's curious look he elaborated. "He used to teach English at the private school down the road. I haven't checked the garage yet."

"Anything else?"

"There's this." He presented the model Stargate from the bedroom. "And his uniform, and the medals – three purple hearts! And there's the photos." Steve unexpectedly found his eyesight misting up and blinked away the tears. Steve held up a selection of unpublished photographs of Sg-1 both on and off world successfully persuading Daniel that at least he was probably telling the truth, when something in his mind clicked.

"Wait a minute, how did you get all this stuff. If you his neighbor as you say you are where's Jack?"

"Doctor Jackson, the man I knew as Jonathon Carter is…dead."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"He died, two days ago."

"How?"

"Heart attack. Apparently. Strange thing is the doctors couldn't find anything to explain the cause of death. He might have been getting on in years but he was the healthiest man I knew. Still went running every morning."

"You said they couldn't explain the cause of death!"

"My son, Jack was very close to Jon. He always falls asleep in the afternoons; Jack usually goes over there after school. On Thursday afternoon he wouldn't wake up from his nap. Jack was devastated. He always called Jon 'Grandpa', they were very close. I found this on the coffee table in front of his armchair." Steve held up the photograph of Sam. The moment Daniel saw the photo clearly he demanded:

"Open it up!"

"Sorry?"

"The back! open it up!" Steve did so. Daniel realized for the first time that what he was being told might actually be true, and this could be the proof.

"There's something on the back of the photo." He murmured.

"Read it!"

"Um…Jack – I think – here's something I thought you'd like to have. Your time will come Jack." Daniel mouthed the words as he heard them spoken out loud. "It's not signed."

"Hmm? No. I didn't." Daniel's eye's went unfocused for a few moments while he contemplated what to do. "I'll fly out!" He decided emphatically to no one in particular. "Today and I'll go military, less obvious." Steve cleared his throat to get the man's attention, unsure of what was happening. On Daniel's request Steve gave him his address and directions for his street.

"I have to go. I'll be there as soon as I can." The screen went blank. Steve relaxed and sighed deeply.

"Well, it could have been worse. It could have been a lot worse!" He mused. Then it hit him. "Shit! Doctor Jackson's coming here. HERE!"

TBC