Thanks as always for your reviews; they're much appreciated.

Sorry to keep you hanging on for an update, but here is the next chapter - hope you all enjoy it.

Past, Present & Future

By LetitiaRichards.

Previously:

Daniel watched them go and knew at once what Sam was going to say without being told. He couldn't have followed them even if he'd wanted to as Jack was making sure that Daniel wasn't going anywhere this time, because he held onto Daniel's sleeve as tenaciously as a dog would guard a favourite bone.

Chapter 8 – Something Sweet?

Sam sat Cassie down on one of the chairs and pulled hers up close. She took Cassie's hand in hers and cleared her throat.

"Cassie..." she began, but the girl headed her off.

"This is about that kid, Jack, isn't it?"

Sam nodded silently, still trying to figure out how to say what she had to.

"I like him. I think he's so sweet. Don't you think he's cute Sam? He has such wonderful wide chocolate eyes, and he's so full of fun..."

Sam gulped, feeling the rush of emotions colour her face.

"Um...Cassie...look... Jack's not..."

"What's wrong with him?" Cassie demanded, sensing that there was something more to this than she had expected. Was he here to be cured and then sent back to his own planet and she shouldn't get too involved? Was he going to die?

"Cassie, what do you see out there?" Sam pointed out of the window at Janet and Daniel standing beside Jack as he lay impatiently waiting, and whining, for Janet to hurry up and finish.

"I see a cute little kid that's fun to be with. Why?"

"Because that is sooo not a cute little kid out there Cass. As much as he looks and acts like a little child, he isn't."

"What? What are you saying Sam?"

"On our last mission something went wrong. Colonel O'Neill was... well, he got caught up in some sort of energy beam..."

"Are you saying that... that… that's... Oh my god!" she swung around to face Sam once more, her mouth dropping open in disbelief.

"Are you serious? That, that kid is...is really... That's really our Colonel? That it's Jack O'Neill out there?"

Sam nodded, relieved that Cassie had understood where she had been going, albeit in a roundabout way. Cassie was always quick on the uptake.

Cassie's eyes were huge with surprise as she stood and took a closer look at the scene outside the little window overlooking the main infirmary room just to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

"Will he have to stay like that?" she asked dumbfounded to think that she had been playing with her 'uncle' Jack. He had actually sat on her lap while she told him stories of his older self's antics over the years she had known him. She'd watched as he cried out for Daniel and wiped the tears off his face when she'd chatted to him. Once upon a time, not actually that long ago, it had been the other way round; when she was younger she'd often climbed onto his lap and curled up against him to listen to his stories of SG-1's adventures. He was always such great fun to be with.

"We don't know what will happen to him Cass. Right now he keeps switching backwards and forwards between what you've seen him like and his usual older self, though still in a child's body. He's sooo not a happy camper by what your mom says. Daniel's going to go over some of the videos he took of the temple or whatever it was where this happened to see if he can figure out how to get 'our' Colonel back. As it stands at the moment, he doesn't really know who we are or what we do here or what he's doing here for that matter. He's very confused right now."

"He trusts Daniel though." It was neither a statement nor a question and Sam could feel a little jealous pang roll through her because it was true. She only wished Jack would show her a little more attention and if the truth were known a little more affection too. Not that she begrudged Daniel really. After all, the two of them had already been good friends before she came on the scene, and maybe something inside the Colonel realised, remembered, recalled or whatever, that it had always been like that between them.

"Yes. Yes he does." Sam's voice sounded distant and a little wistful too, making Cassie really look at her in depth. She had always felt that Sam and Jack had something going between them, though neither would admit there was anything going on when she'd asked. But, she wasn't blind, and just because she was young it didn't mean she was stupid either. She had seen the looks they'd sent each other when they thought nobody was looking. She recalled asking her Mom about it only to be told that she had been imagining things, that it was against the regulations and that she should mind her own business.

"You know. I thought he looked familiar but I just couldn't place it. Now of course I can see it. What's going to happen if Daniel can't work out how to change him back?"

"I...I don't know. Maybe we can ask Thor or perhaps the Tok'ra..."

"Jack doesn't entirely trust the Tok'ra," Cassie was quick to point out. "He does like Thor though."

Sam smiled. She couldn't help but remember their past encounters with the Asgard's Supreme Commander. Jack had treated the little grey alien just like anyone else he knew, like a buddy, although he did have a healthy respect for Thor's people. If it wasn't for them, he certainly wouldn't have lived this long. For some strange reason Jack was their first choice of contact. They trusted him implicitly. She did too, so where did that leave them now?

What would come of their unspoken promises to leave it in that room for the time being? She could only hope that Thor could help them restore Jack to his rightful body and mind. If not, whoever was responsible for doing this to him would have succeeded where the Goa'uld had failed, and she would give up the fight and retire somewhere far away where she would have to learn to live with her broken heart.

The door crashing open abruptly interrupted her morbid thoughts and she was shaken slightly when she realised it was Jack standing there, looking up at Cassie.

"Cassie!" he cried with delight. "Your mom says I can go get something to eat in the comm...comisery? Wanna come too? Daniel's taking me. Then I have to go talk to General...um..."

"Hammond," Cassie finished for him. "And it's a Commissary."

"Yeah. Him and that. Are you coming too Sam? Daniel said they had some cake there?"

Sam snorted and broke out into a big smile. Cassie was right. He was so cute; she couldn't stay gloomy around him for long. Never could.

"Okay Jack. Let's go."

Jack grabbed one of Cassie's hands and one of Sam's too and pulled them from the room, impatient to get going.

"Hey!" called Sam. Where's the fire?"

"Fire?" Jack stopped and stared back at her with a puzzled frown. "There's a fire?" He looked a little worried.

"Um...it's just an expression Jack. It means, what's your hurry?"

"I'm hungry," he retorted seriously. "I don't want to miss out on the cake. Someone else might eat it."

Sam couldn't help but smile. Jack O'Neill big or small obviously had a thing about cake.

She stopped him and walked over to the phone on the wall, dialling a number.

"Hey Gary?"

Jack stood with his hands on his hips looking daggers at Sam for holding him back from his food. His stomach was making loud noises. What was she doing?

"Can you put four slices of chocolate cake by for us? We'll be there in a minute. Yeah it's for someone very special." She paused while she listened to Gary for a moment. "Ah...no, the Colonel isn't here right now." Again she listened, biting her bottom lip. "No that's alright. Don't bother. He won't be back for some time. Maybe a few days or a week or so. We're not sure. It's a need to know mission. Thanks." She replaced the phone and smiled down at Jack.

"See. Now they've put some by for us so that nobody else can eat it. Okay?"

"Yeah!" Jack shrieked, jumping up and down then raced round the room like an airplane, arms outstretched.

A moment later, when Janet had successfully blocked out Jack's piercing yelling, she heard something clattering to the floor and turned, as did everyone else to find a trolley had come off the worse from the attack by one pint sized Jack O'Neill. Medical instruments lay scattered across the floor along with several now un-sterile dressings.

"Janet," Daniel whispered from behind her, seeing Jack standing stock still amongst the debris, his mouth open in horror at what he'd done. "He's just a child!" Daniel reminded her.

Jack tried to apologise, he really did, but the look on Janet's face scared him speechless. When she did speak he was thankful he didn't come out of this with an overly warm, reddened butt.

Janet straightened her spine, plastered a false smile on her lips and shooed everyone out of her infirmary, telling them not to come back unless it was urgent.

Daniel didn't wait for her to change her mind. He grabbed Jack and hauled him through the door, followed quickly by Cassie, and then Sam, who was trying to apologise for Jack's little 'accident'.

After everyone had rushed from the room, Janet surveyed the area. Jack had obviously been over the entire room judging by the rumpled sheets on several of the beds and other trolley's had been shoved ruthlessly away from their stations. Hands on hips in exasperation, she should have known better. It appeared that Jack O'Neill in either guise could never leave anything alone. How many times had she left him to keep an eye on whichever one of his team was unfortunately lying in one of her beds, and found that his fingers had not been able to resist touching any of the equipment left lying within his reach? Countless times.

Forcing back a reluctant grin, she called on her staff to help her clear up after the mini tornado that was now hopefully tucking into a meal in the commissary. As she straightened the covers on another of the beds she wondered what mischief he could be up to now.

Glancing up at the clock on the wall, she couldn't help but wonder if by the time she'd gotten around to taking her break, the commissary would be the same, quiet, contemplative place where she could gather her thoughts together; or, if a five year old Jack O'Neill could destroy it in those few minutes he would be there.

Maybe they could effectively use him as a weapon against the Goa'uld? He would have them tied up in knots in no time. Perhaps she should mention it to the General in her report?

TBC