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Jack was painfully aware of his team mates watching him as he nervously paced near Daniel's desk waiting for his clone to answer the phone. He had an urge to hang up or shove the handset at Daniel but then suddenly it was too late.

"Hello?" A familiar voice.

"Hey." Jack coughed to make his voice work properly. "It's… uh… me."

"What do you want?" Mini-Jack asked, not in an entirely unfriendly manner.

"Um… Daniel told us what happened."

"Why?"

"Because we made him, that's why." Jack rolled his eyes. "Listen I was just calling to let you know that we're keeping an eye on this Frankston guy's case. There is no way he'll get away with what he's done."

"Oh… thanks."

"And uh, you know, keep up the good work."

"Sure. Whatever."

"So… um… you doing okay?"

"Never been better, Jack. Everything is just peachy. What do you think!"

Jack frowned at his clone's hostility. Here he was trying to be nice and all he got was attitude? "What do I think? I think I'm being rather understanding considering you've got my friends sneaking around my back going to visit you."

"Jack." Daniel protested from nearby.

Jack waved him off, getting his snark on well and good. "I'm not happy about you trying to steal my friends and maybe I'll have to put a stop to it."

"You can't take Daniel away from me!"

Jack blinked at the blatant need in his younger self's voice. The sudden panic that made all the bravado that both O'Neills were famous for slip away. Was Daniel really that important to Mini-Jack? He gazed at the archaeologist thoughtfully. Daniel returned the gaze looking slightly baffled.

Jack had lost Daniel before. Or thought he had. More than once and it had not been a good feeling any of those times. Even leaving him behind on Abydos that first time – realising he would probably never see him again had left kind of an ache inside him. Not that he liked to acknowledge it too much – even to himself. Even trying to think about it make his head hurt.

Daniel was like a younger brother or a son in so many ways. He was irritating and frustrating but he also had this naïve and wondering way of looking at the world that made Jack feel both protective of him and envious of him. Then there were the times when Daniel seemed so much older and more mature than Jack – which was also irritating and frustrating – but the wisdom in those way-too-blue eyes was also very comforting in times when Jack was at his wits end and didn't know what to do with himself.

Brother, son, father, mentor, spiritual advisor, friend. Daniel played many roles in his life. He was also one of the bravest people Jack had ever known. Stubborn and passionate and determined to always do the right thing no matter what the cost to himself. Jack didn't know quite what he'd do if he ever lost Daniel for good. He decided to stop thinking about it. All that touchy feely crap just led to insanity. What he needed instead was cake.

His voice grew soft as he spoke into the phone more gently. As if he was comforting himself. "I won't, kid. I promise. I'm sorry I implied otherwise. You know me… always with the jokes and craziness."

"Yeah." The clone sighed, seemingly slightly embarrassed at exposing weakness to Jack. Not that either of them really had any secrets from each other – except those that an O'Neill hid even from himself.

"Keep your chin up, kid, okay? We'll keep you updated."

"Yeah, I appreciate that, thanks. Bye Jack."

The phone clicked as the clone hung up on his end. "Bye John." Jack told the disconnection tones.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - -

Ally had really tried hard not to listen to John's conversation but she couldn't ignore the way he had begged the person on the other end not to take Daniel away from him. He had been standing with his back to her and she saw the way his shoulders slumped and his head bowed. It took all her strength not to go up to him and put her arms around him. She knew how much Daniel meant to him – even if most of the time he tried to hide it with his self-effacing blasé humour.

However, she knew better than to acknowledge a moment of weakness. It was one of his many flaws – this desire to always seem strong and in control. She really hated all the tippy-toeing around but that was what a girl had to do around the fragile male ego. Besides John O'Neill was no ordinary male at all and for some unknown reason he was worth all the hard work.

She stayed silent as he pulled a beer out of the fridge and slumped down on the couch beside her. He knew she had heard. He finally met her eyes and saw a sort of understanding there.

"Everything okay?" She asked casually.

"Yeah." He twisted open the bottle top viciously. He was so annoyed with himself for going all mental. As if the Real O'Neill could take Daniel away from him. As if anyone could tell Daniel what to do. Not even General Hammond or the President himself if push came to shove. Besides Daniel was too soft-hearted to ditch the poor old clone and leave him all on his lonesome. John swigged his beer.

"You do know that it really pisses me off that you drink beer but won't let me." She told him for the hundredth time.

He shrugged like he always did. "I'm 'emancipated'…" The way he said it made it sound more like constipated. "…and you're not so you just have to deal with it, kiddo." He stuck out his tongue at her.

She punched him. "Hey… so did you ever consider going to live with Daniel? I mean before the whole emancipation thing?"

"Live with Daniel?" John made a face. "He's got the worst taste in decorating – all these dusty rocks all over the place and crazy ass masks on the walls."

"Be serious, O'Neill."

"Okay, we talked about it but it would have just been a bit too weird. He travels a lot anyway and well, I'm kinda too independent. It would just have been a bad idea."

"Also because of his connection to your past?"

"What?"

"I mean that living with him would have put you in closer proximity to your past. Sort of shoving your face in what you can't have any more. You don't need that."

"You are way too smart, pixie. You remind me of someone I once knew."

"Someone cool?" She grinned.

"Someone way cool." John felt sad as he always did when he thought of Carter. He wondered how she was doing. Did she still get excited about doohickeys? Did her eyes light up that certain way when she was technobabbling? Did she still smile that special smile at the Real O'Neill when he said something dumb to amuse her?

Ally bumped her shoulder against his – a welcome distraction. "So about the kissing thing?"

"What about it?" John fiddled with his beer.

"If I get you drunk enough maybe?" She winked. Goddamn, he was cute when he got nervous. She should tease him like this more often.

"Ally…"

"Seriously, O'Neill… why not? You didn't ever answer that question."

"I can't… It's just that…" He sighed. "I… I'm sort of…"

"Spit it out, O'Neill."

"It just feels wrong." He finally blurted and regretted it instantly.

"Wrong?" Her voice rose slightly. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

D'oh!