After his conference with Landry, Jack returned to Daniel's office. There he found Cameron Mitchell standing on a wheeled office chair reaching for a book on the top shelf. Jack remained quiet until the younger man stepped safely back down to the floor. He entered the room shaking his head.

Daniel looked up from where he was sitting on the floor surrounded by paper, books, laptop computer, and video tape viewer. He smiled at his friend. "Jack!"

Mitchell turned to see him enter scowling. "Hey, I was just getting a book for Jackson."

"In the most dangerous way possible," Jack groused. "What a surprise."

"What? I'm fine."

"Yep, this time." He knelt down next to where little Daniel was sitting. The youngster was back to peering into a video viewer. "How ya doing, buddy?"

"Trying to remember what inscription I came into contact with," came the absent reply. "I think it was this one here." He pointed to a spot on the wall.

"Latin?"

"Ancient," Daniel confirmed. "I told you that…"

"Yeah, Cocopuffs might have been an Ancient Tok'ra." Jack nodded. "I remember."

The child looked up impressed with his friend. "Well, a Tok'ra that was an Ancient any way. What did General Landry want?"

"Oh, usual stuff. NID wants you to fess up the secrets of the universe to them, Area 52 wants to dissect you, and the President likes you so we're good…for right now anyways."

"Oh, that." Daniel looked back at his camera apparently unconcerned with the threats to his well being. "Tell them I'll turn them into a newt if they try anything funny."

"Turn them into a newt?" Mitchell looked aghast at his team member. "Can you do that?"

Jackson didn't even look up. "Of course not, but they don't know that."

Someone tapped on the open door. They looked up to see Bill Lee holding a large bulky manila folder in his hands. "Daniel, I found the specs on the device we found in Honduras. Sam will be down shortly with the down loaded pictures so we can compare the inscriptions."

"Good." Jack shook his head. "Sometimes I wish we hadn't given that thing to the Tok'ra. We'll never see it again now."

"Well, it was too dangerous to keep here on Earth with the Trust still on the loose," Daniel murmured. "All we need are more reconstituted bad guys."

"Teal'c would probably enjoy it, but I see your point."

Mitchell looked at O'Neill curiously. "Teal'c would enjoy it?"

"He's big into the Jaffa revenge thing," Jack commented as he took the folder from Lee and began to flip through it absently. "He wanted to us to bring the dead guy back with us so he could reanimate him and take him apart for torturing Daniel with the car battery."

"What?" Mitchell looked shocked at the idea.

Jack looked at the pilot. "He's fond of Daniel here and wanted to do some dissecting of his own when he got a look at our favorite archaeologist. He hates it when Danny gets hurt, takes it as a personal affront." He looked at Bill. "Where are the pictures of the thing?"

Lee frowned at the folder. "I thought they were in there. I'll go see if I can locate them." He nodded down at Daniel. "Call if you need me."

"Okay, thanks Bill." Daniel paused the video tape and was staring intently at the picture. "Jack, look at this and tell me what you think.

Jack knelt down and looked at the screen closer. "It keeps using this phrase over and over again. What does it mean?"

"That's the one I was talking about, Jack. It says 'to relive or re-experience a time in your life to come to grips with the memories'."

"So you're supposed to get a do-over out of this? How does that work?"

Daniel shook his head and looked perplexed. "I don't get it. Carolyn says I'm six. This is, or was, the happiest period of my life. I was with my parents in Egypt. Nothing bad happened until I was eight."

Mitchell looked down at him. "Something bad happened?"

"Little bit," Daniel replied non-committally, not wanting to talk about his past at this point in time. Jack caught Mitchell's eye and shook his head. The Colonel got the point and changed the subject. "So, what do you think it does mean?"

"I'm not sure; I need to do some research into Nick's journals." He looked up at the walls and scanned the huge quantity of volumes quickly. "You see those old looking red leather ones? I need number six."

Mitchell started towards the chair, but Jack stood up and grabbed the younger man's arm. Then he pointed to a short stepladder in the corner. Mitchell looked confused until the General said in a firm voice. "Use the ladder. I hate cleaning blood up off the concrete when you fall and crack your skull." As Cameron obediently drug the other piece of furniture over, Jack glanced down at Daniel. The man child shrugged. Jack just shook his head. "I'm going to go do a quick walk around and justify my trip here with an unscheduled walk through," he commented. "I hear Selma has pie. I need to inspect all the ingredients for freshness."

Daniel smiled up at his long time friend. "Well, she'll either run you out of her kitchen with a ladle, or she'll take your order for the caramel apple crumb you like so much."

"I'm hoping it's the second choice." Jack headed out the door, "I'll meet you there for lunch, okay?"

The boy nodded absently as he began to spread the papers out from the folder Bill Lee had brought with him.

Later that afternoon, Jack reappeared in the cluttered office. He was carrying a covered tray. He nodded to Mitchell who took the hint and headed out the door.

Daniel watched the byplay silently, peering over the too large frames of his glasses. "You do that very well," he commented.

Jack sat the tray on the desk and pulled the cover off the food items, revealing a pie and some plates and silverware. "Do what?"

"Get rid of people." The youngster got easily to his feet and then climbed up into the chair next to where Jack had settled on the stool. "You seem to have developed the knack."

As he served the pieces of pie to their plates, O'Neill only shrugged. "If you don't, you never get any work done where I'm at. There's always someone who wants something; whether it's your time, your attention or your support. It's a real pain in the ass."

"So Washington is not a perfect place? You knew that when you accepted the assignment." The boy accepted the plate from his friend.

"Yeah," Jack nodded with a sigh. "I had just hoped that there would be some one with real deal meaning of life stuff there." He perched on the stool holding his own piece of pastry. "But what I'm getting is more the, 'Can my company build your MALPs and FREDs' cause we did you a favor?' and 'Gee, General O'Neill, can you get them to escort my nephew through the wormhole to help with his science project?'

Daniel snorted up some crumbs as he tried not to giggle. "No! Not really?"

"Oh yes really. And it amazes me that everyone thinks the end all and be all of the program is now Atlantis." Jack nodded morosely. "Weir and Sheppard are the new conquering heroes of the universe, even though their attrition rate is higher than ours ever was. I'm having to fight to keep you all supplied with toilet paper and fuses, much less weapons and ammunition." He looked at Daniel. "We're too boring for words right now; I almost wish what's her name would come back so I can sic her on the money counters."

"Vala?"

"Yeah." He chewed the caramel apple pastry then grinned. "I saw the tapes of your conference with the committee. She had them going big time. I think I might like her."

Daniel shook his head. "I think she'd drive you crazy."

"You drive me crazy, I like you."

"I grew on you…like a wart." Danny giggled again. "You told me that one time. I think I was insulted."

"Okay, so you were an acquired taste, but…the foundations are still strong."

"I miss you, Jack."

"I know, I miss you too." O'Neill nodded and put the plate down. "Want to come to DC and work for me there?"

"Doing what?" The boy looked at him seriously. "Being your yes-man? Giving tours at the Smithsonian?"

"Kind of, well, not the yes man part, but being the PR guy. Helping me represent Stargate Command to the civilian types the same way that I do it to the military." Jack shook his head. "They don't get it, Daniel. They either think that the gate is a Disney ride to Never Never Land or the road to perdition. Kinsey was not the only religious nut in the can that sees it as the doorway to hell. And the Ori are just what they need to push it over the edge."

Danny sat his plate up on the desk carefully. He looked at Jack. "I'm needed here, Jack. Hell, I'm needed in Atlantis. I can feel it. There's still so much out there that we don't know…and I really want to learn all about that meaning of life stuff."

O'Neill sighed and reached over to place his hand on Daniel's knee. "I know." Then he looked pointedly at his best friend. "But right now, Danny, I gotta tell you. You can't go like this."

"I know that," he groused back. "This…this is ridiculous." Daniel waved his arms around. "This is useless."

"Hey, I thought that you figured out that you were supposed to relive your life?"

"That's what it translates as, but what does it mean?"

"Well, as I remember you had a childhood that sucked big time. Maybe someone wants you to enjoy life now."

"Enjoy life?"

"Yeah, you know, smell some flowers, play in the mud, have a happy childhood."

Daniel looked at him oddly. "I'm allergic to flowers and I play in the mud all the time. I don't think that's it."

"Okay, then, how about being a kid with a dog and a picket fence."

"Where would I live? I still don't have any parents or family…" He looked at Jack with widened eyes. "You?"

The general shrugged. "It's just a thought…probably a bad one."

"No, Jack." The blue eyes looked at him in grateful acceptance. "I think it's pretty good actually."

Jack smiled. "I think we could make it work just fine."

AT 1345 hours, Jack showed up at Daniel's office door with a large brown paper bag and a frown. Daniel and Nyan were sitting on the floor. The pile of paper had grown exponentially, partially burying the two archaeologists like an excavation of paper.

"Daniel, I thought you were going to meet me for lunch." He stated unequivocally.

The small boy looked up at him and pulled the pencil out from between his teeth. "Hi Jack. We think we've got something here. Look. This pictogram…"

"No." The general replied calmly. "Daniel, come here."

"What?" The two scientists looked up at him. Daniel's expression was one of surprise, Nyan appeared aghast. No one talked to Daniel that way, or at least they hadn't in a very long time…at least since Jack left.

"Daniel, it's almost two o'clock in the afternoon. You were supposed to meet me at eleven." To Daniel Jack seemed even taller than normal from his seat on the floor, not to mention he was barely four feet tall.

"Jack…"

"No, Daniel." O'Neill was implacable, "you're coming with me…now. Nyan, go get yourself something to eat."

The Bedrosian got up from where he was sitting on the floor and crept out past the General. Daniel was looking up at him with a mix between anger and a pout. "You know, I never have these problems when your not here." The boy snarled up at him.

"That's because neither Hank nor Carolyn have found you passed out on the floor from starvation and overwork and you intimidate the hell out of Mitchell." Jack shook his head. "You do know where I got all these grey hairs from, right?"

Daniel scowled as he climbed to his feet. "So you say," he replied dryly. "I think it was more from being aged, killed, frozen, zatted and staff blasted, not to mention having the knowledge of the Ancients downloaded into your brain not once but twice. I know watching it was where I got mine."

Jack looked down at the fair haired head that came up to his belt buckle. "I don't see it from where I'm standing." He reached a hand out and ruffled the long, soft strands. "C'mon, I brought lunch."

"Jack, I have work to do…"

"There's pie." O'Neill replied softly. "French silk for you and cinnamon apple for me," he smiled. "not to mention the magic meatloaf."

"Okay, don't mention it." Daniel had to smile at the wheedling tone.

Jack's heart skipped a beat at the boy. Why did he have to look so…so Danielesque? Mel must have had hell with him as a toddler and Nick was a rat-bastard. "Let's do a picnic. Sun, fresh air and green grass, just what a growing boy needs."

Daniel looked at him in confusion. "Where's that?"

O'Neill pointed up with a finger. "Topside, kiddo, topside. I know just the place."

%%%%%

Several hours later, Jack nudged the small form sleeping next to him in their shady nest of soft grasses. "Hey," he whispered. "Hey c'mon. Wakey, wakey."

The small boy lying next to him rolled over on his side and buried his face in Jack's now rumpled uniform shirt. The stiff starch had long disappeared along with the General's military bearing.

Jack ran his hand through the long blond locks. "Danny, it's almost five. Hank and Carolyn probably have the Green Berets, the Air Borne Rangers, Special Forces and the Seals looking for us."

"No Seals here. No water." The sleepy voice mumbled into his pocket as the small arm slipped across the adult's chest. "missed you Jack."

"I missed you too, Danny." Jack sighed. "Now, come on and wake up. I don't think I can carry you down the mountain."

The blue eyes finally opened in confusion. "Mountain?" He was asked. "What are we doing here?"

"We came up to get some fresh air and have a picnic. Then you decided to take a nap."

"Nap? What time is it?" Daniel sat up and looked around.

"It's about dinner time now." Jack smiled at his little buddy. "Do you want to go and see if there's any magic meatloaf left?"

"No!" The child's face was pouting. "I have to go back to work. Jack, why did you make me fall asleep?"

"Me? As if I could ever make you do anything. No Daniel I think it was your body that was just too tired for words." He nodded and got to his feet then helped the small person at his side up. "But if you want to go in now, I guess we can."

Danny struggled up and wiped the sleep from his eyes. "Yes, please. I need to get back to work."

"Dinner first, and then bed." Jack grinned at him. "Let's go."

"Jaack, I have to work." Daniel sat up and rubbed sleepy eyes looking totally huggable. "I don't want to stay like this." He whined.

O'Neill chuckled. "Okay, you can work until you doze off, then I'm carrying you to the room."

The lower lip disagreed, but the sleepy eyes knew he was right.