A Trillion Little Pieces
by Jem
This is sort-of a prequel to "A Chance Meeting" and "Double Trouble"
Daniel gasped as he was released from the intense hallucination that the replicator-Carter had created in his mind.
The physical sensations overwhelmed him for a moment. Hunger... cold... dizziness... muscle cramps... His pupils constricted in reaction to the bright light of the replicator ship. So much information to process...
Sam was standing in front of him. No. Not-Sam. The replicator. So cold. So angry.
A small smile crossed the replicator's face. She raised her arm... but it wasn't an arm anymore. A sword... some kind of long blade...
Damn.
Cold metal. Fiery pain. Muscles cut. Blood flowing. Getting so hard to breathe.
The floor is so cold. And the room is getting so dark. Don't the replicators need light to see?
Numb now... fading... no more pain.. no more cold...
Everything is gone now...
Utter chaos. The end of everything. The fall of the SGC, the fall of Earth, the fall of the universe?
Jack digs in his heels and took aim with his P-90. He only has moments left... The replicators are everywhere. Damn metal bugs.
For a moment, time seems to freeze. The bugs stop advancing.
"That's odd."
Then without warning, the bugs wake-up and are attacking again.
"Well, that was too good to last."
Too many. Far too many to be stopped.
The rumble of the Stargate draws his attention for a moment. Who? What? Why now?
The gate opens. And something happens. A pulse of... something... energy maybe?
Poof! The replicators are gone. Not like the last time with Reese. No little puzzle pieces left. Just dust. Poof!
Huh. We've won? Must be Carter and Jacob. They did it.
Jack stands at the base of the ramp, waiting for his team. As three figures emerge from the event horizon, Jack smiles and raises his arm in greeting. He's so glad to get them back. They've saved the day. Again.
His smile falters. This time there were losses. Jaffa. Airmen... Daniel...
Carter, Teal'c, and Jacob walk down the ramp. Looking tired. A bit worn about the edges.
"Hey. Welcome home! You did it."
"Thank you sir."
Samantha Carter is pale. Her shoulders are slumped in exhaustion. She manages a brief smile at Jack and the gate room security team.
Her father looks even worse. Jacob is moving stiffly, like his whole body aches. Deep lines of pain are etched on his face. He manages to nod a greeting, but doesn't smile.
Teal'c guides the Carters into the briefing room. He pours them both water before sitting down at the table. Always quiet, always tough to read, Teal'c appears to be his normal everyday self. But... Jack noted that his hands shook slightly when pouring the water. And his expression was a bit stonier than usual.
So... we've won. Really. We've won.
Jack leads Carter, Teal'c and Jacob through the world's quickest briefing. He hates doing it. All three need showers, food and sleep. No one wants to be sitting in the briefing room reliving the last 24 hours.
The quick verbal summary amounts to Jacob, Carter and Ba'al working together to operate the Ancient doo-dad that destroyed the replicators, while Teal'c and the Jaffa battled the replicator ships. The battle seemed lost until a brief moment when the replicators just stopped moving.
Shortly later, the replicators revived, but the Ancient weapon was calibrated and used to emit a signal that wiped out the entire replicator army.
Every replicator ship was destroyed. Including the ship commanded by Repli-Carter. That ship was the last suspected location of Daniel Jackson.
Carter sighed, "Sir, Daniel was probably on that ship. If he hadn't been killed by the replicator before the battle, he certainly couldn't have survived after the battle. "
Jack reasoned, "Carter, we don't know anything. Maybe Repli-Carter had stashed him on a planet somewhere. Or on one of the Goa'uld ships that she had grabbed while killing system lords."
" DanielJackson was very resourceful. He may have escaped. He may be headed home, " Teal'c agreed.
Jacob just shook his head, "Danny was a bright kid who beat the odds so many times, but eventually everyone dies. There are only so many times you can cheat death."
"I want to believe that Daniel's okay... But, sir, I know she would have kept him close to her. And she would have killed him... I... just think this time is different."
Jack stood and pointed to the door. "Go visit the infirmary. Get some sleep. Jacob, we're happy to have you stay as long as you want. Carter, Teal'c... we'll meet again tomorrow. And I need your written reports by tomorrow afternoon."
"Yes, sir. Goodnight."
"Thanks for the room Jack. And I'm sorry about Danny," said Jacob.
"We don't know anything about Daniel, so hold your sympathies for a bit, okay? Let's just sort through this a bit, before declaring him dead. You look like hell, Jacob. Go get some sleep."
The next few days are spent completing reports and making repairs. For the millionth time, Jack wondered how Hammond had done his job with such grace. Everytime the SGC was attacked,
there were a million pieces to pick-up afterwards.
Siler was busy fitting new blast doors. Carter was running diagnostics on the dialing computer and the base network. An industrial vacuum cleaner was used to remove the last particles of replicator found throughout the base. And there were letters to write.
Over the past 25 years, Jack had written many letters to the families of men serving under him,
who had died in the line of duty. It was never pleasant. And these families would never know how or why their loved one's had died. Miller, Dawson, Krieble, Samuels... Just the latest in the SGC's KIA list.
Jack flipped Dawson's file shut when he heard a knock. Sam Carter stood at his doorway.
"Um, sir, may I talk to you a moment?"
Jack waved her inside his office.
"What's going on Carter?"
"Sir... it's been three days... and we still haven't heard anything from Daniel. I think we need to accept that..."
Jack interrupted the "All we know is that he's missing. How many times has Daniel disappeared or even been killed, only to show up in one form or another?"
"Yes, sir... that's only part of what I want to talk to you about... I've been trying to work-up the nerve to say... I feel responsible for this whole mess."
Jack studied Carter's face. Her expression was tight and she seemed pale.
"This whole mess Carter? I don't think so. You helped fix this whole mess. You helped save the galaxy. Again. There's no blame."
"Sir, that replicator was based on Fifth's impression of me. When she contacted us, I... trusted her. She gained the knowledge needed to take over the replicator army by tapping our database,
because I gave her access..."
Holding up a hand to stop her, Jack said," Yes. You did. And I let you. I didn't listen to my instincts. I should have had Teal'c destroy that thing the moment she stepped onto the Alpha-
site. We both showed a lack of judgement."
Carter nodded, "Yes, sir, that's why I'd like to ask for a leave of absence. Over the past several months my judgement has been flawed too many times. I don't want to be responsible for anyone else getting hurt or killed."
"Carter. We all make mistakes. However, you've helped save the world a dozen times or more,
so I think you're doing okay."
"I appreciate your confidence in me, sir, but that's not my only reason for wanting time away from work. My father... Selmac is dying and when he dies, my father is going to die with him."
Jack stared at her disbelief, "What? What's wrong? I saw Jacob the other day, he looked tired,
but... are you sure?"
"Yes, Dad says its only a matter of days. After he... after, I think I'm going to need time to pick up the pieces. I'm worried about Cassie. You know how my brother Mark has been keeping an eye on her? He said that she's been missing a lot of school. At this rate, she may not be allowed back at college next semester because her grades are so low. Sir, I promised Janet that I would take care of Cassie if anything ever happened. I figured since she was in college and my brother was helping out, it would be okay, but..."
"But she's a kid who lost her family once and now hasnearly lost Janet. How come I haven't heard about this college stuff? Cassie was always my girl," demanded Jack.
Carter shrugged, "She's eighteen. She's not into sharing her feelings."
"Yeah. Well, I understand your request, and I'll grant it as long as you stop trying to blame yourself for everything. Just take care of yourself and your family, okay?"
Blinking back tears, Carter nodded, "Yes sir. Thank you."
Daniel walked into a familiar looking restaurant. Lots of wood trim and green leather seats. Hmmmmm. This was odd.
For a diner, it was unusually quiet. There were a fair amount of people, but everyone seemed to speak in whispers.
He sat down at a table, trying to shake the strange sense of deja vu. This place looked just like the place in New York, where Nick had taken him after the funeral. Where Nick had said good-bye and good luck.
The waitress approached him and he glanced up to order coffee.
It was Oma. Go figure.
After the usual round of word games, Oma confessed to having made a serious mistake. She was the one responsible for Anubis ascending.
And now all of humanity might pay for her mistake. Daniel was furious. How could Oma let Anubis win? How could the Others do nothing?
"A whole galaxy of innocents is going to be destroyed and you're doing nothing? Oma screwed up. I get it. She gets it. You've made your point. But don't you think that you need to take action now?"
Over the next few days, the reports from Dakara were disturbing. After thwarting an attack by Ba'al, the rebel Jaffa had relaxed their guard. The various Jaffa leaders were undecided as to how best to use their freedom.
When a report came saying that Anubis was headed towards Chulak, over half of the Jaffa fleet moved to intercept him. It was a trick.
Anubis attack Dakara, slaughtering most of the remaining Jaffa. He gained control of the Temple housing the Ancient weapon.
However, just as it appeared that Anubis was going to use the weapon against humanity, he disappeared. His army of Kull warriors were unable to function without a leader. The rebel Jaffa,
the free Jaffa, took back Dakara and the Temple.
The first official act of the Free Jaffa Nation was to destroy the Ancient weapon so that it could never be used again.
Teal'c met with Jack immediately following the disappearance of Anubis.
"O'Neill. Eight years ago, I never thought that the Jaffa could be free. You gave me the inspiration to leave Apophis and fight the Goa'uld."
Jack nodded, "Yeah, those were good times."
"Indeed," smiled Teal'c. "Now my brothers are trying to move forward. Bra'tac is a wise leader,
but he needs support in forming a fair government to lead our people. I would like to spend time helping Bra'tac."
"Wow. That's heavy stuff. Nation building. You know that I've gotten approval to send along some advisors... Colonel Davis will be leading a group of Constitutional scholars and diplomats to help give you guys some ideas. But, I never really thought... I guess I thought... You need to be there, don't ya?" asked Jack, with a wry grin.
"I believe that is where I can do the most good. I have shared my knowledge and experience with you, but now that the Goa'uld have been defeated and that Colonel Carter and DanielJackson are not here to continue serving... "
"Yeah, I get you big guy. This was the goal. Freedom for Jaffa and no more Goa'uld. Bra'tac needs you for the hard part now. You can go... but I might call if we need you, understood?"
Teal'c smiled, "Yes, O'Neill. If you ever call, I'll return."
Daniel had never been so angry in his life. This wasn't just Earth. This wasn't even just humanity. This was life as he knew it.
No more people. No more animals. No flowers. No trees. No butterflies. No bees.
Nothing. If Anubis won, there would be a galaxy of rocks.
He tried to attack Anubis. First physically. But Anubis was incorporeal.
Then he thought back to his war with the Repli-Carter. Somewhere deep inside he had some kind of knowledge that could help him.
Locking eyes with Anubis, he concentrated with all his might. When he saw the man's face grow a bit worried, Daniel reached out and grabbed his arm.
It hurt. Holding onto Anubis burned. It felt like hot coals. Fire.
It felt like Kelowna.
Daniel was dying. The longer he held onto Anubis, the weaker he felt.
But if he kept Anubis here, Earth was safe.
He just needed to hold on... keep holding on... hold on...
"Daniel. Daniel, stop. You're dying. You're slipping away. You can't win," pleaded Oma.
Gritting his teeth, Daniel choked out, "I can't do nothing. Not this time."
The Others watched as Daniel desperately clung to Anubis. Both Anubis and Daniel seemed to be flickering in and out of reality. And Daniel's form seemed to fade a bit more with each flicker.
"Let him go, Daniel," ordered Oma. "I'll take care of him. He'll never hurt you or any living thing again."
Daniel looked over as Oma transformed herself from a diner waitress to her glowing energy form. He let go of Anubis and collapsed, watching as Oma and Anubis collided.
Oma's bright form fought with Anubis' dark mass. They rose up together, disappearing from the diner.
Daniel lay on the diner floor. Everything hurt.
"Why did you fight?" asked an old woman sitting at the nearby counter.
"Because it was right," Daniel answered.
A young boy shuffled forward, looking down into Daniel's face, "But Anubis was stronger. You couldn't win."
"Sometimes winning isn't the only reason to fight," gasped Daniel.
"You are going to die," observed the man sitting in the closest booth.
Daniel let his eyes slide shut and sighed, "Yeah. I guess I am. Obviously, I don't want to die. Are there any other options?"
"You seem strong of spirit. You might be able to ascend."
"Ascension didn't really work to well for me the last time."
"True. You still have the spirit of a living, corporeal being. You seek to change, improve,
contribute... we cannot do that."
Daniel realized that the Others had gathered around him and were speaking in unison.
Their voices seemed to grow quiet. All he could hear were occasional words.
Learning
Failure
Study
Weak
Grow
Live
Die
Then he heard the voices directly address him, "We will help you. Not to ascend. We believe that you are not ready for that road. But you have much to experience and you need more time to grow. We may learn much from studying you."
Daniel felt the pain fade. He felt everything fade. Lightness, then darkness...
A few weeks after Carter and Teal'c left Stargate Command, Jack sat writing his letter of resignation.
Just like both Carter and Teal'c had many reasons for leaving the program, Jack had made a mental list of why he couldn't continue as General of the SGC.
He was tired. He hated paperwork. Every minute of the day was filled with boredom at best,
dread at worst. He just didn't care right now.
The biggest problem was that his team was gone. When he had accepted the promotion to General, Jack had known that Daniel, Carter and Teal'c would still be around to support him and that he could still keep an eye on his kids.
SG-1 was his family. Without SG-1, he was barely interested in the Stargate program.
And, it had been almost a month since Daniel's disappearance. Certainly not the longest that Daniel had been gone. But, as Carter kept saying, something felt different this time.
Jack re-read his resignation letter on last time. He picked up his pen to sign it.
Huh. This was different.
It was dark and kind of stuffy. He was a bit cold, but not like dying cold, more like drafty cold. And something else felt odd.
He was sitting on something. A box?
And there was something brushing against his face. Cloth. Some kind of jacket.
Reaching up, he felt buttons and bands of cloth on the sleeves. Brass buttons...
But the sleeves seemed so big...
He was in a small dark space, sitting on a box, with a uniform jacket hitting him in the face.
"Hello?" he called.
Wow. His voice sounded really odd. It was so high pitched. Sort of young sounding...
"Daniel?"
That sounded like Jack. Please let it be Jack...
Daniel called out again, "Jack?"
Jack ran to the closet door and flung open the door. There, sitting on a cardboard box, under Jack's uniform jacket, sat a small child. With light brown hair and big blue eyes.
Jack stared at the child a moment.
Daniel stared at Jack for a moment. When did Jack get so big? Or was he...
Jack reached down and picked him up. With ease. Like he was a little kid.
Oh. He was little.
Jack was hugging him and Daniel automatically hugged back.
But, he was little. Really little. With little hands. And little feet. And...
Daniel quivered in Jack's arms. A child-like Daniel. A Daniel with longish, silky light brown-
blondish hair. A naked child-like Daniel.
Whoa!
Jack grabbed his uniform jacket from its hanger and wrapped it around Daniel. Who was staring down at his hands and feet and everything else with a look of confusion.
"Danny? Are you okay?" asked Jack.
Daniel's brow crinkled and he appeared to consider the question, "Um, I... think so. Jack? Do I look different to you?"
Jack suppressed a laugh when he saw how serious Daniel's expression was. "Now that you mention it. I think you're a bit, shorter. Sort of a miniature version of yourself."
"Huh. I'm really little. This is weird."
"Well, we do weird. So, I guess you don't remember how this," Jack waved his hand at Daniel,
"all happened."
More brow crinkling, "No. Not really. I think... I was with Oma at this diner. It was weird. I knew the place... it was the Waffle Haus where Nick took me after Mom and Dad... anyway, I was in this place and Oma was a waitress... That doesn't sound right... uh, I guess, she must have pulled the location from my memory or something,"
Jack led Daniel over to his desk. Considering the options, Jack chose to pick Daniel up and perch him on the desk in front of his chair.
He knew that he should be calling security. And that Daniel should be on his way to the infirmary. And that this could be some kind of trick and not be Daniel at all.
But right now, all he really knew was that this was Daniel. And that he needed to connect with him and figure a few things out before bringing in the rest of the SGC.
The kid looked so little. His legs dangled off the desk and he kept looking at his little body and then looking around the office, as if comparing it to his memories.
"Okay, so you and Oma were in a diner... what happened then?" prompted Jack.
"Oma was being Oma. Not giving me riddles, but not giving me any real information. She said I wasn't dead and I wasn't ascended. And I had a decision to make. But, there were all these other people at the diner. And they were all Ancients or ascended people or whatever. And they were keeping an eye on Oma. And then there was this other guy. Named Jim. He seemed really normal. And nice."
"So you made friends with this guy Jim..."
Daniel shook his head, "He seemed nice. But he wasn't. He and Oma kept arguing. He told me that Anubis was going to use the Ancient weapon on Dakara. He seemed to be challenging Oma and the Others to do something about it. Oma got really made. And that made him happy."
Jack frowned, "Back-up... What do you know about the Ancient weapon from Dakara? And how did you wind-up with Oma anyway? The last we knew, you had been snatched by the replicators."
Daniel shivered and pulled the jacket tighter around him. "Ah, well, the replicator that looked like Sam captured me. She dug into my mind and found some Ancient memories that I didn't know I had... including information on Dakara. She said that if I helped her, she would keep Earth safe, because she was just like Sam. But I knew she was lying. I was able to get into her mind, while she was digging in mine. And we sort of fought for control of the replicators."
"I knew it! Daniel, when the replicators were attacking, they paused for a minute, just froze. That pause gave Carter enough time to finish working on that Ancient dohicky and wipe the buggers out."
"Good. That's what I wanted. But, I wasn't sure because she pulled out of my mind and then... it was over and I woke up in the diner," explained Daniel in a rush.
"Are you sure that was all that happened? Seems like there's something missing," said Jack,
gazing into Daniel's eyes.
Daniel looked down at his hands. "Well, basically, that's what happened. She pulled out of my mind and then we were standing on the replicator ship and she... her arm... she stabbed me with a sword. And I died... again. But I woke up at the diner, and Oma was there and the Others and ..."
"Oh Danny! She stabbed you? The replicator that looked like Sam? And you died?"
Shrugging, Daniel answered, "Well, it wasn't the first time. And it wasn't the worst. And I woke up, so you know, it wasn't exactly permanent."
Jack gave him a quick hug and then said, "Okay, so back to the diner. Oma and the not-really nice guy were arguing. Why?"
"He was really Anubis. And Oma was the one who originally helped him ascend. She broke the rules and helped him to ascend and then realized he was evil. So the Others tried to kick him out and he kept some of his power, but as long as he didn't use it, the Others wouldn't interfere."
"But now?"
"Anubis was going to destroy all life in this galaxy. And he was winning. So I begged Oma and the Others to stop him. But they wouldn't. So I tried."
"That's my Daniel. And you kicked his butt!" crowed Jack.
"Uh, no. I kind of kept him busy for a moment or two, but I couldn't stop him. I wasn't really ascended and he was winning... It hurt and Oma said that I was dying. And that I couldn't win,
but they wouldn't help and Anubis was going to win, so I just kept fighting... Finally, Oma stepped in. She told me to let go and she and Anubis started to fight."
Daniel had started shivering again, while talking about Anubis. Jack looked around his office, but couldn't find anything else to use as a blanket.
"Hey, since you look kind of cold, do you want to sit on my lap while we finish this?" Jack offered.
"Ah, no thanks. We're almost done anyway. Oma and Anubis kind of floated off... away from the diner. And then the Others sort of gathered around me and started talking about my options. They didn't seem to know what to do with me... And I didn't have a lot of time left... they made some kind of decision and then the next thing I knew, I was sitting on that box in your closet."
"They didn't tell you about the mini-me effect?"
Daniel shook his head, "I think I would have remembered something like that. Nope. They just sent me back without any explanation. At least they didn't wipe my memories this time. That would have sucked."
"Watch your language," ordered Jack. "Okay, so I guess a visit to infirmary is the next step. We'll make sure that you're okay and then... we'll think of something."
"That makes sense. Can you get Sam and Teal'c in here before we go to the infirmary. I want,
need, to see them..."
"Well, Teal'c is on Dakara and Carter is in Nevada. It's been almost a month since you disappeared. A lot of stuff happened here... but let's go to the infirmary and I'll call Carter and send T-man a message, and I bet both will be here before you can blink. Okay?"
When Jack emerged from his office, carrying a small child dressed in nothing but Jack's dress uniform jacket, he received a few stares. No comments, just stares.
Walter Harriman blinked once and stepped forward to address Jack.
"General? You have a guest? Do you or your guest need anything? I believe I could find some clothing that may be more suitable for your visitor," Walter said.
Jack nodded, "Good idea. He's not a visitor. He'll be staying. So find what you can on base and bring it to the infirmary. Then maybe you could run out and buy any other stuff he needs."
"Yes, sir," replied Walter, already trying to guess the little boy's sizes and the best place to find clothing for him.
"Thanks Walter, I really appreciate it," said the boy.
Walter paused for just a second before answering, "You're welcome Dr. Jackson."
Watching Walter's retreating form, Jack muttered, "That guy scares me."
Then he proceeded to carry Daniel down to the infirmary. Daniel didn't want to be carried, but the lack of clothing would have made walking through the corridors even more embarrassing.
The infirmary was quiet. The hadn't been any significant off-world incidents and Siler had gone three weeks without an accident. Dr. Warner was using the time to review charts and revise the standard post-mission physical.
"Hey, Doc! I've got someone for you to see," said Jack.
Warner blinked at the child in Jack's arms. "Very good. Would you please set the boy down on the exam table? Now, son, can you tell me your name?"
Daniel rolled his eyes, "Daniel Jackson. Ph.D. Head of Archeology. Member of SG-1. Son of Melbourne and Claire Jackson. Born July 8."
Warner looked a the boy and then at Jack. The general smiled and nodded. Warner looked back at the child and studied his face with a bit more intensity.
"Well, you do look like Dr. Jackson. Ah, why don't I start by doing just a few simple tests,
including some bloodwork. Then we can, ah, confirm your identity and hopefully get a new baseline for your health."
"Fine." answered Daniel.
Jack nodded, "That sounds perfect."
"Good, good, I'll just go get a few things... I'll be right back," promised the doctor.
When he had left the room, Daniel looked up at Jack with a sad expression on his face, "So, Janet hasn't come back to work yet, huh?"
Jack shook his head, "Daniel. You know that Janet's probably never coming back. She's still in the rehab facility near the Academy hospital. That hasn't changed while you were gone."
Daniel shrugged, "I guess I didn't really think it would change. But on our way down here, I kind of forgot for a moment. I expected to see Janet when we walked in the door."
"Yeah, I know kiddo. I forget sometimes too. Okay, if I leave you here with Warner, will you be alright? I have a couple phone calls to make," said Jack.
"I'll be okay Jack," Daniel assured him.
"General, if you would like to use my office for your phone calls, you can be close by in case Dr.
Jackson needs you," suggested Warner.
"Good idea! I'll be in your office then," said Jack, giving Daniel a quick hug before heading to the back of the infirmary.
Warner handed Daniel a hospital gown and prepared to do the exam.
Jack sat down at Warner's desk and stared out at the doctor and little Daniel. How were they going to explain this one to the White House? Jack had no doubt that the little boy was Daniel. Who appeared to have all of his adult memories and certainly his adult personality intact.
So what do you do with a five year old archeologist with more top secret information in his head than the average CIA director? When the NID find out about mini-Daniel, it was going to be a mess.
Jack pushed that thought aside for a moment, while he contemplated the miracle that was Daniel Jackson. He looked healthy. Seemed reasonably sound mentally.
Daniel was back. Thank God!
Reaching for the phone, Jack tried to figure who he needed to call first. A moment later, he smiled and dialed the switchboard.
Drumming a solo with his free hand, Jack waited for someone to answer the phone.
"You have reached the voicemail of Samantha Carter. Please leave a message and I will return your call as soon as possible."
Hmmmmmm. What message to leave... "Hey, Carter! I need you to report back to the SGC immediately. There is someone here who really needs to see you."
Well, hopefully that would get her attention. Wonder where she's at that she's not answering her cell phone.
Next call, to the control room.
"Sargent Markam, I need you to dial Dakara and send a message to Teal'c. Tell him to report back to the SGC as soon as possible. Thanks."
And another phone call, "General Hammond?"
"Yes, Jack?"
"I have some very good news. Are you on a secure line?"
"Yes, I am son, what's going on?"
Jack paused, clearing his throat, "Sir, Daniel's back. He sort-of popped into my office, about,
oh, an hour or so ago. Still working on the details, but apparently he was hanging out with Oma and the other ascended beings. And now he's back."
"Hot Damn! That's great news! Is he alright? Does he have his memory this time?" inquired the general.
"Yes, he appears healthy and he has his memory, but there is something a little different. They made a bit of a change when they sent him back... not really sure why, but..." Jack hesitated.
"Just spit it out! What's wrong with the boy?" demanded Hammond.
"You see, you used the right word, boy. Daniel appears to be... now, I'm just guessing, about five years old. But he's healthy and has all his memories."
After a moment of silence, Hammond answered, "Dr. Jackson has been returned, but as a five year old boy?"
"Yep, that's about the size of it."
"Well, I guess we've seen stranger things since starting this program. I assume you are having him checked out by the doctors, to make sure he's really Daniel Jackson?"
"Yes, sir. Dr. Warner is working with him right now," Jack promised.
"Well, that's good... You're pretty sure this really is Dr. Jackson?" asked Hammond.
Jack said, "General, I know it is."
"That's good enough for me. Would it be alright for me to make a little unscheduled visit to Cheyenne mountain, General O'Neill?"
"We are always happy to see you, General Hammond."
"Good. Expect me sometime tomorrow. And don't let Dr. Jackson disappear in the meantime."
"Yes, sir. Thank you sir."
Whew. At least those phone calls were done. Jack wondered if he should make the next batch of calls, but decided to wait until Warner gave him a little proof of Daniel's identity.
Jack got up from the chair and stretched. He glanced towards Warner and Daniel, wondering if he could get back to his kid. As if reading his thoughts, Daniel called over to him.
"Hey, Jack! Dr. Warner just wants to do an MRI and then we're done for today. Tomorrow he's going to do a more thorough check-up. Which can't be good," grumbled Daniel.
Warner made a tsk-tsk sound, "We could do all the tests today, Dr. Jackson. It would only take another four hours or so..."
Daniel grimaced, "Uh, gee, that's okay. Tomorrow's fine. I'm kind of tired and hungry."
"You heard the kid, Doc. Can I take him home?" asked Jack.
Warner shook his head, "Not home. Not off-base. I can't clear him completely until I do all the tests, but after we finish the MRI, you can take him to the cafeteria and he can sleep in one of the private infirmary rooms."
"Do I have to?" whined Daniel.
"How 'bout a compromise... we grab some dinner in the cafeteria and then set you up in the VIP room?" asked Jack.
"It's a deal!" said Daniel, hopping off the exam table and following Warner to the MRI room.
Walter had dropped off a package of clothing to the infirmary before Daniel was finished his MRI. He had visited the Mountain Daycare center and appropriated a pair of jeans, underpants,
T-shirt, socks and sneakers from some kid's locker. Apparently it was SOP for the daycare to keep extra clothing on hand for emergencies. He also gave Daniel a sweatshirt from the canteen, that said "Property of the US Air Force".
Once Daniel was dressed and it was established that the pants were a bit long, and the sneakers a bit large, Walter jotted down a few notes and left the base to find a better selection of clothing for Dr. Jackson.
Jack studied Daniel in his new outfit. He looked like the perfect All-American kid. A bit skinny, but way too cute with his hair sticking up in a few directions and his jeans rolled up a couple times at the hem.
"Dinner time!" announced Jack and they headed to the cafeteria.
Jack offered to carry Daniel again, because Daniel was tired of course. And Daniel refused. So they walked through the hallways, with Jack trying to shorten his steps and Daniel trying to lengthen his steps.
Just before entering the cafeteria, Jack bent down and looked Daniel in the eye, "Hey. You have a decision to make. Do we tell everyone on base who you are, or do we keep it undercover?"
Daniel sighed, "Well, I'm hardly undercover at this point Jack. I know Walter can keep a secret,
but a bunch of other people saw you carrying me to the infirmary. And Warner knows... and I just don't feel like being someone else. This is the SGC, if they can't deal with weird, they shouldn't be here."
"That's cool. I just wanted to check with you," Jack assured him.
Daniel squared his shoulders and lifted his chin, "Okay. So let's get dinner."
It was a bit early for the dinner rush, so the cafeteria was quiet. Jack grabbed a tray and headed towards the steamline. Daniel followed close behind, carrying his own tray.
"Hello, General, what can I get you today?" asked Molly from behind the counter.
"Well, how are the pork-chops?"
"They're perfect. So, pork-chops with mashed potatoes and peas?"
Jack laughed, "Sounds great. Daniel, what are you having?"
Daniel frowned. He was hungry, but... better safe than sorry, "I'll just have some chicken noodle soup and a small salad."
Jack nodded and continued down the line. Pausing at the dessert display, he grabbed two slices of chocolate layer cake. Daniel looked at the rich dessert, but shook his head. Instead he grabbed a small bowl of jello, not the blue kind, but red, hopefully cherry.
"Hey, kiddo, are you feeling okay? What's with your dinner choices?" asked Jack, with concern etched on his face.
Daniel shrugged, "I don't know how I feel. It's weird. I think I'm hungry, but I just... let me see how I do with the soup, okay?"
"That's cool. Let's sit here and I'm going to grab some coffee. Would you like some?"
"I would love some coffee. And maybe a glass of water?"
Jack nodded and walked over to the beverage station.
Daniel was crushing up some saltines to put into his soup when he heard a voice call out to Jack.
"O'Neill. Why have you requested my presence?" demanded Teal'c.
Daniel jumped up from the table and ran towards the large Jaffa. Teal'c's eyes widened at the sight of the little boy approaching him.
"Hi, Teal'c! Welcome back! I heard that the Jaffa are free now! That's great. Ah, as you can see I've kind of changed a bit, but it's me, Daniel, DanielJackson..."
Teal'c stared at the boy, then knelt down in front of him, looking deep into his eyes.
"You have indeed changed, but I believe it is you, DanielJackson. Welcome home my friend."
He opened his arms and Daniel gave him a hug. Then Teal'c picked Daniel up and turned to face Jack who had dropped off their drinks and was standing by with a slight smirk on his face.
"I assume this is why you recalled me from Dakara, O'Neill?"
"Yeah, well, I thought you might be interested in seeing the little guy," explained Jack.
Daniel rolled his eyes, "Watch it with the little guy comments Jack. And Teal'c, could you please put me down. This is kind of embarrassing."
"As you wish," replied Teal'c, gently setting Daniel on the floor.
"Care to join us for some dinner, Teal'c?" invited Jack.
Teal'c nodded, "Yes. I would enjoy that very much. And after we dine, DanielJackson will explain where he has been and what exactly transpired to return him to us in this form."
"I'll try. But I think Jack's really hungry, so go get some food and join us!"
Throughout the meal, Teal'c would stop eating and stare at Daniel. He seemed fascinated by Daniel's hair and the size of his hands.
Daniel worked his way through his soup (that Jack had micro-waved after they finally sat down to eat and Daniel noticed it was cold). He picked at his salad (which was never one of his favorite things). But Daniel loved the coffee. He was relieved that coffee still tasted good to him.
Jack, Teal'c and Daniel didn't discuss any heavy topics during dinner. Instead they joked about old missions and Jack's ability to spend as little time as possible in his office.
They were finishing dessert when Walter approached the table.
"General O'Neill? I received a message from Colonel Carter saying that she was on her way to the mountain and would be here by 21:00 hours. Also, I completed the shopping trip and have left the packages in the VIP room. I took the liberty of making sure the room is equipped with a television, DVD player and a selection of movies."
"Good job Walter! Well boys, since Walter's done all that work, how 'bout we adjourn to the VIP room and relax. Teal'c, you can give us all the gossip from Dakara, while we wait for Carter. Daniel, do you think you can stay awake long enough to save your story for when Carter gets here?" asked Jack.
Walter had done a good job on the VIP room. Not only did it have a complete entertainment center, a mini-fridge and a coffee maker had been added to the room. And there was a complete supply of snacks.
Daniel was going through the bags of clothing, amazed that somehow, in less than 2 hours of time, Walter had managed to duplicate his grown-up wardrobe in smaller sizes. He now had 2 pairs of khaki pants, 2 pairs of jeans, several T-shirts in solid colors, several button down shirts (in both solid colors and plaids), underwear, socks, sweats, sneakers and loafers. Walter had even gotten him a leather jacket, gloves and a hat.
Teal'c was picking through the DVD collection with Jack, arguing the merits of "South Park"
versus "The Simpsons". Daniel stopped the argument by requesting "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".
Stretched out on the floor with a pillow, Daniel barely made it to the "bring out your dead"
scene before falling asleep. Neither Jack nor Teal'c commented, but just continued watching the movie, with frequent glances at the slumbering archeologist.
The phone rang just as the movie was ending and Jack answered it. It was the front gate,
announcing that Colonel Samantha Carter was on her way down to meet with the General.
Jack gently shook Daniel's arm, "Hey, Danny-boy? Think you can wake up a bit? Carter's here."
The small boy just mumbled in his sleep and snuggled closer to Jack. Teal'c leaned forward and said, "DanielJackson! You must awaken! Someone is trying to steal your coffee!"
"What! Huh? What's going on?" asked a very sleepy Daniel.
Jack sighed, "Carter's here. In fact she'll be walking through that door any moment now. And I thought you might like to be awake to see her!"
Daniel blinked and rubbed his eyes, "Uh, yeah. Why did you let me fall asleep if you knew Sam was coming?"
"Daniel, you knew that Sam was coming. And it wasn't a matter of letting you fall asleep, you were conked out the minute your head hit the pillow. I think you might be a bit tired."
"Whatever."
There was a brief knock at the door and Jack called out, "It's open. Let yourself in Carter."
Sam Carter opened the door and peered into the room. She hadn't expected to be directed to the VIP room and was confused. She saw the general, Teal'c and a young boy hanging out in front of the television set.
The boy looked familiar. Something about his eyes and the way he cocked his head at her...
"Oh, my, God! Daniel?" she cried.
"Hi, Sam!"
Sam rushed into the room and grabbed Daniel into a tight hug. Then she pulled back enough to study him up close.
"It's really you! How?"
Jack gestured to the sofa, "Sit down, relax and Daniel will tell both you and Teal'c everything he knows."
"Well, so you know that I was grabbed by the replicators? The replicator that looked like Sam wanted to pick my brain so she..."
Daniel sketched over his time with Repli-Carter and in the diner. Jack noted how Daniel downplayed his interaction with the replicator. And how he was having trouble looking at Carter during that part of his story. Daniel gave a bit more detail on the whole Anubis/Oma connection. For that part of the story, he described how Oma and Anubis were dressed and exactly what they said. It was a good story, but nowhere near complete.
Several times, Jack noticed how Carter leaned forward like she wanted to ask a question, but then restrained herself. Teal'c just listened, but occasionally would raise his eyebrow when something felt off to him.
Daniel finished the story by saying, "And then I found myself trapped in Jack's closet under his dress uniform, which really needs to be dry-cleaned. Jack found me and that's it."
"Wow. I wonder why the Others would send you back as a child?" mused Sam.
"It may be that the Others wanted DanielJackson to learn a lesson or perhaps they believe that he must be in this form for some future event," speculated Teal'c.
"Whatever. The question is can Daniel be changed back?" asked Jack.
Sam shrugged, "I have no idea sir. We don't have any kind of technology that could safely age him. Maybe we could play with the nanites, but that's risky at best. I think we should contact the Asgaard. Thor might be able to help."
"Yeah! Thor should be able to fix this, right Jack?" hoped Daniel.
Jack exchanged glances with Carter and Teal'c before answering, "Well, if anyone can fix it,
I'm sure Thor can. But, if he can't fix it, will you be okay? There's going to have to be some big changes in your life."
Daniel let out a deep sigh, "I know. But for now, let's just hope that Thor is able to help. Okay?"
"Okay. Well, it's almost midnight and I think you need some sleep. Teal'c, you still have your quarters on base... Carter, do you need a place to crash?"
"I can go stay at a hotel," she replied.
Daniel shook his head, "Sam, why don't you sleep at my place? You have a key right? Hey,
has anyone been feeding my fish?"
Jack groaned, "Yes, Daniel. Your fish are fine. I gave them to Bill Lee. He keeps them in his office here, so you can even visit them tomorrow."
"Good. I was worried. And you didn't get rid of my apartment this time, right?" demanded Daniel.
"Not this time. I wait at least six months before declaring you dead these days."
"Fine. That's settled. Sam, you go stay at my place and Teal'c is staying in his old room and I'm staying here... where are you sleeping Jack?"
"I'll stay in my quarters on base. Okay?"
Daniel smiled, "That's perfect then. Well, I'm really tired, so if you'll excuse me. I would like to go to bed now. Good-night."
Jack, Teal'c and Carter found themselves being ushered out the door, which was promptly shut behind them.
They looked at each other and shrugged, before separating and heading off to bed.
Daniel shut the door behind Jack, Sam and Teal'c with a sigh of relief. This was the weirdest day ever and he seriously needed some alone time.
He walked into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror.
Hmmmm, his hair was a bit lighter than usual, but not quite as blond as it had been when he was this size the first time. Back then, he had spent 12 hours a day in the Egyptian sun, with his parents.
Daniel stared into the mirror, studying his face. That looked a lot like the few pictures he had left from his childhood. Fair skin, large blue eyes, button nose... ugh, he looked like a Cabbage Patch doll.
Next... hands. Wow. His hands were really small. Too small to hold most of his tools... too small to carry anything heavy... just too small...
It was the same with the rest of his body. He would never be able to keep up with Sam or Teal'c on a mission. Heck, even getting around the base today with Jack was pretty tiring.
He couldn't drive his car. He couldn't go out in public by himself, or someone would probably call Children and Youth.
Hopefully the Asgaard would have a solution. Because he wouldn't be able to do his job stuck in this body and without his job... Well, there had better be a solution.
Daniel brushed his teeth and washed his face. Then he got changed into a sweat-suit from Walter's shopping spree. There were a set of flannel pajamas, but Daniel hated pajamas, so the sweat-suit would have to do.
As he climbed into bed, Daniel worried about Jack and Sam and Teal'c. He knew that they were really happy to have him back and he didn't want to hurt their feelings, but sometimes a guy just needed his space.
He drifted off to sleep, thinking about how nice it was to be with his team.
It was cold. So cold. There was something holding him in place, something metallic. Suddenly he was free, but someone loomed over him... Oh! It's Sam! She was here to rescue him! But she looked so different... so angry... oh... it wasn't Sam, it was that thing and it was going to kill him...
Daniel awoke with a gasp. He was drenched in sweat and had lost his blankets sometime during the night. Looking at the alarm clock on the night-stand, Daniel realized it was only 1AM. He lay in bed, trying to sort out his dream from his memories.
After 20 minutes of tossing and turning, Daniel climbed out of bed and flipped on the light. He decided to put in a movie and finally decided on the original Star Wars. That movie never failed to put him to sleep.
He grabbed a pillow and blanket, settling down in front of the television. He was asleep in less than an hour.
Jack carefully opened the door to the VIP room. Spying Daniel curled up on the floor in front of the television set, Jack tiptoed inside the room. He turned off the TV and gently picked Daniel up off the floor.
Just as he was putting the sleeping child on the bed, Daniel opened one eye.
"Jack"
"Go back to sleep Danny," ordered Jack.
Daniel let out a huff, "I was sleeping. Now I'm awake. What time is it?"
"Um, 3:30. You need to go back to sleep."
"How can I sleep when you're in my room talking," answered Daniel with a yawn. "Why are you in my room?"
Jack shrugged, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay... Why were you sleeping on the floor?"
"I was yawn comfortable there yawn," said Daniel.
"Well, you'll be more comfortable in bed... so go to sleep," Jack repeated.
"Whatever... 'night Jack."
At eight o'clock, Jack decided it was time to get Daniel up for real. For the past four hours, he had been dozing on the sofa, half awake, to make sure that Daniel stayed in bed. Because the kid needed sleep. Certainly not because Jack needed proof that Daniel was safe or anything.
Jack stood and stretched, groaning a bit as his muscles complained about the lack of sleep. Then he walked over to the bed and tapped Daniel on the shoulder.
"Oh, Danny-boy? Time to wake-up!"
Daniel mumbled something rude in Arabic and rolled away from Jack.
Time for harsher measures. Jack grabbed Daniel's blankets and gave a quick tug. Daniel sat up and glared at him.
"What?"
"It's time to get up for breakfast. And then you have a morning with Dr. Warner. And then we're spending the afternoon trying to figure out what next to do," Jack reminded him.
"Okay. Fine. I hope they have pancakes today. If I have to put up with Warner poking and prodding me all morning, the least I deserve are pancakes for breakfast," grumbled Daniel.
"Daniel. If you get up right now and go get showered, I will call the cafeteria and make sure that they have nice, fluffy pancakes ready for you when we get there... okay?" promised Jack.
With a nod of agreement, Daniel rolled out of bed and wandered towards the bathroom, pausing to grab some clothes on the way. Jack mused that apparently the kid version of Daniel was just as grumpy as the grown-up one tended to be before his morning coffee.
After a quiet breakfast with Sam and Tea'c, Jack escorted Daniel to the infirmary.
"So, do you need me to stick around during your tests,"asked Jack.
Daniel shook his head, "I'll be fine. Don't you have work to do?"
"Smart-alec"
"Geezer"
"Brat"
As Daniel opened his mouth to retort, Warner called him into the exam room. He gave Jack one last dirty look and marched in for his tests.
Jack walked to his office, Walter meeting him on the way with coffee, a stack of memos and his itinerary for the day. Jack glanced at the schedule and noted that Walter had canceled most of his appointments.
"I guess you know that I need to meet with Colonel Carter and Teal'c this morning," said Jack.
Walter nodded, "I did make that assumption. They're already in your office. General Hammond will be arriving at noon today... would you like to have lunch in the private dining room? And Dr. Warner expects to be ready to meet with you by 14:00 hours."
"Peachy. Thanks, Walter!"
"Anytime, sir!"
Jack entered his office and smiled at Carter and Teal'c.
"So, I guess we need a game plan," he stated with a wry grin.
"Yes, sir. I suggest we start by contacting the Asgaard. They're our only allies that might have technology capable of... aging Daniel safely. And until Daniel is... back to full-size, he's going to need someone to stay with and look out for him," commented Carter.
"I'm worried that he might need more than that, Carter. The NID and the Trust were always after Daniel when he was an adult. Can you imagine what they would do with a kid with Daniel's brains? They'll be sniffing around as soon as word leaks out."
"Anyone attempting to harm DanielJackson would face my wrath, O'Neill," promised Teal'c.
Jack nodded, "Right there with you, big guy, but you can't be with him 100 of the time. If he's stuck as a five year old, he needs to get off base and live some kind of a normal life. But,
living off-base puts him at risk for the NID or any other psycho-group who would like to have a pocket-sized version of the guy who opened the gate."
"Daniel's probably safest staying here at the mountain," said Carter, frowning.
"Not acceptable. The kid needs fresh air... if he stays on base 24/7, he'll work himself to death. Nope, we need to figure out a way for him to live out in the community, but with protection from the undesirables."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow, "In that case O'Neill, would it not make sense for DanielJackson to live with either you or Colonel Carter? Both of you would protect him with your lives and he could continue with his work here."
Carter's eyes widened, "Daniel... living with Daniel. Um, I'm not sure how he would feel about that. Daniel's the most independent person I've ever met. He likes living alone. He likes having privacy."
"He may not like, Carter, but if the alternative is moving in with some government appointed foster family... I think Daniel would rather be with us," Jack pointed out. "Besides, Teal'c is right, we can protect him. It's the only choice."
Sam walked over to the infirmary a little bit before noon, to pick-up Daniel for lunch. Her mind was whirling from all the decisions that had been made during the morning.
Once they had realized that to move Daniel off-base, he would need a new identity and background story, General O'Neill had started making phone calls. Apparently he knew some people who could create a complete life history in under two hours, complete with paper/computer trail.
The general had ordered her to contact the Asgaard and she had used the communicator that Thor had provided for emergencies. There had been no answer yet, but it often took a few hours or even days for the Asgaard to respond.
Teal'c had gated back to Dakara, in order to update Colonel Davis and make some arrangements with Bra'tac. He had resolved to stay at the SGC until Daniel's safety was assured, but needed to address his responsibilities with the newly formed Jaffa Nation.
When Sam entered the infirmary, she didn't see Daniel, but Dr. Warner pointed her towards the back, saying that Daniel was finished his tests and was getting dressed. She poked her head around the curtain and said, "Hey, Daniel! Are you ready?"
Daniel jumped, whipping his head around so fast that he lost his balance and fell. Eyes wide with fear, he scuttled back against the exam table, staring at Sam.
"Daniel, what's wrong?" Sam asked, dropping down into a crouch and leaning towards him.
"Nothing, nothing's wrong. You just surprised me," he explained, a little breathlessly.
"Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?" Sam reached forward to help him.
Daniel flinched.
Sam drew back, horrified. Why would Daniel be reacting to her like this? He'd been fine all morning with Dr. Warner and he seemed fine at breakfast. Unless.. Daniel had been captured by the replicator that looked like her. Had that machine hurt him? When he looked at her, was he really seeing the replicator?
Daniel looked at her and tried to smile.
"I'm fine Sam, I just.. I was just surprised. It's okay, really," he promised. He got up and moved forward to give her an awkward little pat on the shoulder.
"Daniel... I'm so sorry for what happened. It's all my fault. If I hadn't trusted her..." Sam tried to apologize.
Daniel sighed, "It wasn't your fault. You didn't make that thing and it might have looked like you, but I know it wasn't you. I'm just... a bit... skittish right now. Between everything that happened while I was... gone... and then finding myself... like this... I feel kind of.. off balance or something. And for just a second, some small part of me, got scared. I know you're you. And I trust you and love you. But, just bear with me, okay?"
Sam nodded, tears running down her face.
"Okay. So, let's do lunch!"
Lunch was a simple meal, soup and sandwiches, with fruit and cookies for dessert, served in the private dining room. General Hammond was thrilled to see Daniel with his own eyes. He didn't ask Daniel questions, but instead encouraged SG-1 to relax and celebrate Daniel's return.
After lunch, the group adjourned to the briefing room. Jack had already briefed the General about Daniel's experience, so they moved onto the subject of Daniel's future.
"I've been giving this a lot of thought," announced Daniel, "and I believe that I should stay here on base. My current height and size would make me a liability in the field, and it's obvious that I can't live in my old house. So, I'll simply move in here until the Asgaard or somebody is able to fix me."
"Son, that makes some sense, and I can see your reasoning, but I don't think the President would approve of a child living on base," said General Hammond.
"Darn right he wouldn't approve," agreed Jack. "Daniel, you can't live here. I won't allow it. I've made a few calls and with a little help from some old friends, created a little cover-story for you. You'll be Daniel Jackson Jr., the son of Dr. Daniel Jackson. Due to an unfortunate accident, you have to stay with a distant relative, who happens to be an officer at this facility."
"Oh. Really. Well, isn't that just great. You've got my whole life figured out. Gee, thanks Jack! And what poor slob gets stuck with me? Huh? Who has to take care of the little kid"
demanded Daniel.
Jack closed his eyes and counted to ten before replying, "That would be me."
After several minutes of Jack and Daniel arguing, General Hammond ordered them both to be quiet. Dr. Warner stood outside the briefing room, waiting to make his report. Hammond motioned the doctor inside the room, relieved to have a distraction for the bickering duo.
"Yes, Doctor? You've finished the tests?" Hammond inquired.
Warner nodded, "Yes, sir. All of Dr. Jackson's tests came back normal. He's perfectly healthy. And he is a genetic match to the records we have on file."
"Good, good. We've been discussing alternatives for Dr. Jackson's living arrangements. Do you have any recommendations?"
Warner looked at Daniel and swallowed, "Well, sir, although it appears that Dr. Jackson's memories and intellect are intact, he physically would need someone to assist him with many areas of daily living. And I'm not sure what the long term psychological effects of his situation may be. I would say that Dr. Jackson should stay with someone who can help him with day to day life and who would be sensitive to his, unique, problem."
"Ah Ha! You see, Daniel! You need someone who'll be sensitive! I'm Mr. Sensitivity"
announced Jack.
As Daniel opened his mouth, both he and Jack disappeared from the briefing room in a flash.
"Greetings O'Neill."
Jack blinked. He and Daniel were standing in an Asgaard space ship. Thor was standing in front of them, staring at Daniel.
"Hey, Thor! How's it going? We have a small problem, well, actually Daniel is a small problem. You see, this munchkin, is Daniel," explained Jack, waving at Daniel.
Daniel shot him a dirty look, before addressing the Asgaard. "Hello Thor. Is there anything you can do to age me back to my correct age?"
The Asgaard walked forward and studied Daniel, without speaking. Thor's large eyes blinked several times and he seemed to be pondering something. Finally, he spoke.
"Dr. Jackson. Our ships sensors indicate that this is indeed you. I do not believe that I can alter this body. But there is one alternative... I could manufacture a clone, using your DNA and age the clone to your chronological age. Then we could download your consciousness into the clone.
Both Daniel and Jack were quiet for a moment, processing that possible solution. They looked at each other.
Jack spoke first, "Oka-a-ay, a clone. That's an angle I hadn't thought of... but what would happen to Daniel's current body?"
"Dr. Jackson could choose to keep this body alive, with all it's memories, as well as the clone,
or we could dispose of this body, since it will no longer be needed."
Jack looked a bit green at that statement. He glanced down at Daniel who looked very pale.
"Uh, no. I don't think that's going to work for us. You see the idea is to fix this Daniel, not create more Daniels... and no one is going to dispose of anyone, understood?" asked O'Neill.
Daniel nodded several times in agreement.
Thor gave a little shrug, "Then I do not have any other viable solutions at this time. If Dr.
Jackson is to remain as a child, what provisions are being made for his care?"
Daniel blinked, "Okay, I'm standing right here. And since when do you care about my care?"
"Dr. Jackson, you have long been considered an important ally of the Asgaard. I understand that you had a vital part in the destruction of the replicators and I believe that if the beings that you call the Ancients have returned you to Earth, specifically to O'Neill, in this form, there must be a reason for it. Therefore, I would like to ensure that you are well cared for," explained Thor.
"Well, we had discussed Daniel coming to live with me," said Jack, a bit smugly.
Daniel shook his head, "No, you decided that while I was off being treated like a guinea pig by Warner. I never had any say in the matter."
"Yeah, well, there's no way in hell that I'm letting you live in the mountain and it's my base so there!" declared Jack.
His face turning red, Daniel began to shout, "Dammit Jack! Can't you just listen to me a minute? Don't I get to make any decisions about where I'm going to live?"
Jack started to answer, then hesitated, looking at Daniel's angry little face. This wasn't about where Daniel was going to live. It was about Daniel feeling like he had some control over his life. Something that both the Repli-Carter and the Others had taken away from him.
"Daniel, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make all those decisions for you. I was just trying to fix things so that you would be safe and happy. And, I'd like to have you stay with me," Jack tried to assure him.
Daniel seemed to deflate before Jack's eyes. He gave a little sigh and stepped forward to hug Jack.
"I know. I know you want to fix this, but it doesn't look like it's going to be fixed and I can't stand the thought of being a bothersome little kid again. I spent most of my first childhood being the kid that nobody wanted to deal with. I guess I was worried that you might not want to have me living with you for a long time. And it looks like it could be a very long time, Jack"
explained Daniel.
"Hey, you're always welcome to stay with me. Big or small. And I've been trying to take care of you for over eight years, ever since you got dragged away by that mastadge on Abydos. So let me help you with this, okay?" asked Jack, hugging just a bit tighter.
Daniel nodded. Then he pulled away from Jack and looked over to Thor.
"Alright. Are you happy? I'll stay with Jack."
Thor inclined his head and blinked, "I am very pleased with that solution. And I look forward to continuing our friendship, Dr. Jackson."
"Hey, hey, wait a minute! Before you go beaming us back, I have a favor to ask," said Jack.
"Yes, O'Neill?"
"Earlier, when you were talking about the whole clone-thing. It occurred to me that we have a friend, who was severely hurt last year in a Goa'uld attack. The only thing keeping her alive is a bunch of machines. Could you do your clone thing for her?"
Daniel looked at Jack in amazement.
"That's a great idea Jack! Oh, please Thor! I know you can't save everyone and you know that we would never ask, but Janet is special... please?'
Thor seemed to frown, "That would be a violation of our rules."
Daniel walked over to the alien, who actually was a bit taller than he was, and looked up into Thor's eyes.
"Please, Janet is a very good friend. And a wonderful doctor. She always took care of me and it would me a lot to me to have her healthy again," Daniel pleaded.
"I will see what can be done for your friend. Depending on the kind of damage to her body, we may have some ways to repair her current body without creating a clone."
"Thank you! Thank you so much, Thor!"
One week later, Jack hosted a barbeque at his house. Daniel was busy making sure that everyone had everything they needed, while Jack burned hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill.
Teal'c and Cassie were playing frisbee. General Hammond sat under a tree, sipping lemonade. Sam and Janet were seated at the picnic table, laughing at Daniel's new collection of plaid shirts.
Janet was a little stiff and very thin, but Thor had managed to repair the damage to her spinal cord. She was able to breathe, walk and talk without any assistance. With a bit of physical therapy, Dr. Warner felt that she would be able to return to work full-time.
Daniel had moved into Jack's house. The guest bedroom had been redecorated with Daniel's stuff and the sunroom had been converted into a home office.
Things weren't perfect. Daniel was having the occasional nightmare. And he wasn't entirely happy with his reduced schedule at the SGC. But it was workable. New routines were established and together, Jack and Daniel figured out what the new normal was.
Jack watched from the grill, as Daniel dragged Cassie and Teal'c over to the table for dinner. Hammond had already joined the ladies and was praising Sam for her contribution of coleslaw.
Yep. One big, happy family. Together, they could handle anything.
The End
Stargate, SG-1, and all the characters don't belong to me... I just like to taking them out to play occasionally. No money will be gained from this. It's just for fan entertainment purposes
Please Read and Review. Let me know if I should continue with this as a series... Thank you!