Okay, sorry it took me so long to update! It won't take this long anymore, cause I finished one of the stories I was working on and now am only working on two and both are coming to the good part, lol, so they will go fast. So anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review so I have fuel to keep going! Thanks:)

Chapter 14

Life went on, even without Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson. None of them were happy about it, but it did. They'd had to move on when Daniel ascended the first time. They'd had to manage to keep going after Janet Fraiser's death. They had to keep going this time, as well. There was a memorial service, ostensibly for both of them but more for O'Neill than for the friend they knew was on another plane of existence now. And then life at Stargate Command went on. Even those who had not known the two very well were a bit more subdued than usual for a while, but it went on.

Now Vala sighed as she drove home from yet another day of work at the SGC--without Daniel. It wasn't quite the same anymore. But anyway, Janet was at home and waiting for her. Cassie had a day off today and had been gracious enough to give up the latter part of it to pick the girl up from school and watch her at home until Vala could get there, instead of the bus dropping her off and being watched by the usual neighbor girl baby-sitter.

When Vala walked in the door Cassandra was pacing the hallway.

"Cassie? What's wrong? Where's Janet?"

The young woman crossed her arms. "She's locked herself in her room and she won't come out. I don't know what else to do. I tried everything."

Vala sighed and dropped her purse onto the couch. "Again?"

"I don't know; has she done it before?"

Mrs. Jackson shook her head. "Yes. She's been doing that every now and then since…" she trailed off. It had been weeks and still they had heard nothing from Daniel. Apparently his suspicion that he wouldn't be allowed to interact with them any more had been correct.

Cassie's eyes lowered. "Oh." She hesitated a moment before looking up again. "I can't say I know what you and Sam are going through, but I know how Janet feels. I lost my birth parents when I was about her age, back on my home planet. You know the story. And then mom got killed off-world."

"How are you doing?" Vala asked gently, knowing that besides her original parents and Janet Fraiser, her first adopted mother, she had just lost another father.

She shrugged and gulped. "Okay, I guess. Maybe this universe just doesn't like me having parents."

"Cassie, it's not like that. These things happen…" But she knew that wasn't going to help any. It wasn't helping her either.

"I know, I know," the younger woman said, waving a hand. "At least…I've still got Sam," she sighed. "And Janet's still got you." Vala nodded, and then Cassandra perked up again. "By the way, how are going to get her out of there? Or do you?"

Now Vala finally smiled. "I know how to get it open," she said slyly, slipping past her toward her daughter's room.

Cassie smiled at Vala's professed breaking and entering skills and followed her. "Dad always did say you were a bad influence on me--or anybody," she chuckled.

"Well, Jack was only joking, but he might have been right. Besides, Daniel thought--thinks so too," she corrected herself sharply, stopping at Janet's bedroom door. She sighed and swallowed back the lump that tried to rise in her throat.

"What do you think he's doing now?" Cassie asked quietly.

Vala shrugged. "I don't know. Whatever he did last time he was ascended I suppose. But if he hasn't shown up by now I guess it doesn't matter; they won't let him talk to us."

Cassie sighed. "Oh…well, I'm not leaving yet. I'll be out here if you need me," she said, motioning back toward the living room.

"Thanks," Vala smiled at her. Then as Cassie walked off she turned to the task of getting into her daughter's room. Of course she didn't notice the silent, invisible figure in homespun robes that had stepped briefly from Janet's room to listen to their conversation, before stepping back in again when Cassie walked off.

Daniel pulled himself out of the hallway and turned back into Janet's room. None of them could see him, hear him, or know he was there…but that wasn't going to stop him from being there for them. He could do nothing but be there, so he would. What else did he have to do? Jack wasn't in the diner at the moment. He was probably keeping an eye on Sam. And Daniel was keeping an eye on his family. That was all they could really do--especially Daniel.

Janet was huddled against her pillows at the head of her bead, crying into her arms and knees. "Daddy, where are you?" she sobbed. She'd thought she would still see him sometimes, maybe…but so far nothing.

Daniel blinked back the tears that jumped into his eyes and sat down beside her. I'm right here…he though, reaching out to put his hand beside her face. But if he let her know it he didn't know what the others would do to him. He knew they would stop him, at least.

A moment later the lock clicked, and there was a soft knock before the door slowly opened. "Janet...?" Vala stopped when she saw that her daughter was crying and crossed to the bed, sitting down beside her. At least it wasn't the same side; Daniel didn't have to move.

Vala wrapped the girl in her arms. "It's okay," she soothed gently. "It's all right…" Janet cried for another few moments and Daniel stayed, willing them to understand that he was here, but of course he couldn't really make them realize it. That would be seen as interfering.

"N-no it's not," Janet said finally. "Dad's not here."

Vala sighed and pushed the girl's mussed hair from her eyes. "But at least he's not gone."

"He might as well be," she sniffed. "He can't talk to us. We can't see him."

Vala nodded. "I know it's hard, sweetie. I miss him too, but it'll all be okay. I promise."

"How?" Janet asked miserably. "We painted in art today, and I wanted to show daddy, but then I got home and remembered he wasn't here. How long is it going to hurt this much, mom?" she gulped quietly.

"I don't know," Vala admitted, hugging her again. "But we still have each other, right? We'll be okay." Though Vala seriously wished she were better at this type of thing. She didn't know what else to say. "And when your brother or sister gets here you'll have to help me take care of them, right? That'll be fun."

Janet looked at her mother's stomach, which had started to bulge and managed to smile. "I guess. I always did want a brother or sister, you know."

Daniel's eyes had gone there as well, and he smiled his own smile at the sight. But his happy thoughts of his and Vala's second child on the way were shattered when he realized that the child wouldn't know him.

Vala smiled back and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I know. You told us many times. But I've got more good news."

"Like what?" the girl asked curiously.

"We're going on a trip next week."

"We are?"

"Yep. Remember that your dad and I said we'd talk to General Landry about letting you go through the stargate sometime? Well, I did."

Janet's eyes were wide now, and Daniel looked up at them from his sudden depression. "Really? Did he say I could?"

"He did," Vala grinned.

He did? Daniel wondered. But he didn't have to wonder for much longer as he caught the thoughts that were going through Vala's mind. He and Vala had wanted to wait another year or so before taking Janet through the stargate, considering the possible dangers 'gate travel presented. Now though, the girl desperately needed something to cheer her up, and General Landry had agreed to the idea of letting SG-1 take her through to an already established, uninhabited, safe planet for a few hours at least. Daniel approved. He might have done the same thing had he been in Vala's position.

As for Janet, she was ecstatic. "Yes!" she cried, jumping up and down on the bed. It didn't affect Daniel, but Vala was being jostled quite a bit and told her not to jump on the bed. The girl obeyed and plopped back down onto the mattress, but her spirits seemed to come down with her.

"But…daddy won't be able to come," she pouted. "I wanted to go with both of you."

"The rest of SG-1 is coming. Your Aunt Sam and Uncle Cam and Uncle Teal'c will be there, and I don't think it would be a problem for Cassie to come too if she wants to."

Janet sighed. "Okay…"

Daniel sighed and stood. Janet would be all right. Her excitement was returning, and Vala was home for the afternoon now. He would go see what Jack was doing, but he would be there when Janet went through the stargate.

In a moment he was back at the diner, as it would have looked to humans, but before he could pull the door open to go inside a rough hand landed on his shoulder and turned him around, away from the glass and out of sight of those inside.

"Where have you been, Jackson?" his nemesis spouted angrily. Daniel knew who he was, but names were not important to those who had been here much longer; they all knew each other.

Daniel scowled at him. "I was keeping an eye on my family. Do you have a problem with that?" he answered, just as annoyed as he pulled away from the man.

"Actually, I do. Hanging around them so much is dangerous. It'll be too easy for you to go too far and get yourself in trouble. Not that I care if you do. I didn't want to let you off so easy with that stunt you pulled earlier, but The Powers That Be wouldn't let me do anything else to you--yet. You'd better be careful, Jackson. Watch your back."

With that, he disappeared again, leaving Daniel alone. Yes, even though all ascended were on a higher plane of existence, there were those among them that had more power--what would have been labeled as political power on earth. He'd never had much liking for them, but at the moment he was almost grateful for them. He shuddered to think what else would have been done to him if they hadn't told that particular ascended being to leave him alone. He remembered for a fact that this man that didn't like him very much could be cruel when he wanted to be--which was usually. Daniel wondered how he had ever been able to ascend in the first place.

"Problem?" Jack asked, looking up when Daniel walked in. He looked shaken.

Jackson shook his head. "No, I' fine."

O'Neill raised an eyebrow. "If you say so."

"How's Sam?" Daniel asked, changing the subject.

Jack shrugged. "She's all right, considering, I guess. I still haven't exactly figured out yet how to let her know I'm okay without…you know…breaking the rules. And she hasn't really...adjusted yet." He sighed. "Neither have I, really."

"It is hard to get used to it the first time," Daniel nodded. "But then again I'm not sure I've really figured this situation out yet, either."

"Are we really just going to stay here?"

"Jack, if you want to go back you're more than welcome to, but I just don't see any other option for me. I want to be able to help them all when they'll need it. I want us all to be together again-as a team, as family. I don't see how else that could happen."

"You could go back and be with them," O'Neill said quietly.

Daniel sighed heavily. "You don't know how much I want to. But what if something else happened to me? I couldn't come back here again. This is the last straw, Jack. This is the last chance they're going to give. They haven't said it in so many words, but that's not necessary here. If I throw this away now…" He trailed off and shook his head. "We've been over this…"

"I know, Daniel. I know. But it helps to go over things like this more than one--make sure you're sure you did the right thing and all.

Jackson nodded. "Right…" he sighed. Then he brightened. "They're going to take Janet through the 'gate," he announced. When O'Neill looked quizzical, he explained, and his friend smiled.

"Sweet. She'll have fun with that. We're going to be there, right?"

Daniel finally again. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."