Sorry for the delay! Hope you're all still enjoying this. Apologies if anything is hinky later on in this chapter because my beautiful beta reader, Mysfyt, was not online when I wrote the last bits but I decided to be brave and upload it anyway.

Nela – the humming plant episode was "One False Step" very early in the series. The SGC accidentally injured the plant and it changed the frequency of the sound it emitted and that in turn made the inhabitants of the planet sick. And it made Jack and Daniel very snippy at each other too.

Thanks for the lovely responses. I'm especially glad that people are totally getting some of the underlying things that I'm trying to get across. I must be doing something okay! And I'll try to write more often if I can!

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"I so did. What are you gonna do about it, old man?"

Things descended from there into a playful but very brief wrestling match that dumped both of them off the couch. Both O'Neills broke apart quickly.

"Woah, are you as weirded out as me?" Jack asked as they sat on the floor.

"More."

"Actually I think my weirded-out factor is much higher than either of yours." Ally was standing at the doorway with one eyebrow raised.

The O'Neills scrambled to their feet quickly, red-faced. "Ally!"

"Stop doing that! It's what set me off last time." She protested, grinning.

"What?" John looked at Jack.

Jack looked at John. "What? I'm not doing anything."

"Neither am I."

"Stop it!" She giggled.

"What?!" They both complained.

"God, you both have the exact same expression on your face! The same mannerisms. You could be twins!" She was practically dancing with merriment.

"Oh, come on." John protested a little weakly. "He's at least a hundred years older than me!"

"And I'm much much better looking." Jack shrugged.

John just looked at him.

"What?" Jack asked. "I am. I totally am."

No response from John.

"Much." Jack mumbled. "You can't handle the truth."

Ally's giggles continued, without the hysteria of the incident in the corridor. "Man, you guys are so related."

Then suddenly all three of them were silent as Ally realised what she'd said.

"Well, that's… ah… c…" Jack began.

"Classifed. I know. Sorry. Forget I said anything." She waved a hand.

"I was going to say complicated." Jack sat down and cut another slice of cake, giving his clone a very hard look. What had he been telling the girl? For her to use the word 'classified'? He'd have to get Daniel to give the kid a stern talking to. John was ignoring his glare.

"Say no more." Ally waved a hand in apparent casualness but Jack didn't miss the sharp intelligence in her gaze as she met his eyes. Reminded him too much of Carter when you just knew that she knew exactly what you were trying to hide. Then Ally's eyes left his and went to the cake. "Can I have some of that now?"

Jack went to cut her what he considered to be a ladylike slice but she kept huffing at him until he widened the angle of his cut several times. How could such a tiny girl eat a slice that big? Jack shook his head.

John went to the fridge and poured Ally a glass of something which seemed to Jack to be ice with a dash of coke.

Jack sipped at his Guinness and watched quietly as John let Ally have a sip of his own Guinness. Just a sip. Not that she grumbled much about not being allowed to have more – Guinness was an acquired taste after all. Jack could see why John and she were so close. Even after this short amount of time he found himself admiring and liking her. He could certainly imagine being friends with her but if he were in John's place could he date her?

Trying to think objectively – and trying not to feel like a letch – he thought about it but it was just too weird. Made his brain hurt. Maybe if she was 21 at least. Jack would never even think of dating someone so young but that was mostly because the age difference tended to lead towards different interests and points of view. And because people would think he was a dirty old man. Neither of those would be a problem for John – except in his own mind.

Of course, Daniel and Teal'c would know. Jack had no clue what they'd think. And Carter might find out too. Geez. No wonder the kid was all touchy about the idea. It had seemed so simple to Jack on the surface but then he kept thinking of John as a kid. Easier to see him as a kid than remember the truth of what he was. Maybe if someone had thought to ask Thor to remove the clone's memories – to give him a fresh start. About how maybe that way Jack could have adopted the kid… but no, he refused to think about that. Just as ruthlessly, Jack squashed down the memory of the kid's eyes – pleading with him. Asking him to be allowed to live. In some ways from that moment he kinda loved John. Sort of the way he loved Cassie. Did that mean he loved himself? Jack snorted.

"Are you okay?" Those eyes were on him now. So like the eyes of his – their? – dead son, Charlie that it made his heart clench. Charlie always knew when he was sad too. Ally's eyes were on him too – so filled with compassion in that moment that she could have given Daniel a run for his money. Was he really that transparent?

"Of course I am." He pulled a well-practiced roguish grin onto his face. "I was just thinking about how little cake there was left."

"Truly tragic." Ally raised an eyebrow and Jack nearly choked on his next sip of Guinness. Had she been taking lessons from Teal'c?

John just laughed and slapped him on the back as he coughed but those eyes still watched Jack.

"You know…" Ally mused, looking at Jack. "You might make a good punching bag."

"What?" Jack blinked.

"For the self defence class that John is going to run." Ally grinned mischievously. "We'll be needing some pretend bad guys to beat up. I'm sure O'Neill has his heart set on getting Daniel in on the smack down but I think I could take Daniel now so that's no challenge."

John snickered and then looked at Jack cautiously. Almost shyly. "We'll have to see what the girls feel comfortable with at first but… if you wanted to… then… that'd be good." He turned to Ally then. "Jack was… involved with me learning the hand-to-hand that I know now."

"Even better then." She looked at Jack.

"Yeah, I'd be happy to help out. Hey, what about Murray?" Jack suggested. "He'd be good cos they could hit him as hard as they wanted without being scared of hurting him."

"He is quite intimidating at first glance though." Ally tapped her index finger on her lips in thought. "Once you get to know him you realise he's a total softie but probably not a good idea for the first class or anything. Maybe later on."

"Maybe you could ask Carter for me?" John asked quietly.

"I could do that." Jack replied, cautiously. He figured Carter would probably baulk at spending time with John just as much as she'd leap at the chance to help the girls. So who knew what she'd say. "She'd be a good role model for them for sure."

"An air force chick would be brilliant. She's not scary looking or anything though, is she?" Ally wanted to know.

Jack shared a look with John, both clearly thinking of the woman's sparkly blue eyes and soft golden hair. Her glorious smile. "Definitely not scary looking. She'd be… perfect."

"So when are you going to do something about that?" John's stare was hard.

Jack let out a slow breath, practically glaring back. Don't go there, kid. Just don't.