By Laura
A/N: See header from part 1. Thank you all for your great reviews! Thanks for trusting me your little plot bunny Rosenquist! I hope I didn't kill the poor thing :(I really tried to be gentle with it and write something more or less readable.)
Daniel sulked all through the morning and hardly touched his lunch. And soon after Janet was done examining him, he was once again begging her to let him stay and work. But she was adamant on the issue and refused to even discuss the subject any further. So Daniel had no other choice but to concede defeat.
Jack left to talk to the General after getting the all clear to go home from Janet. Home, but no work. Sheesh…' thought Daniel, I will never get any work done like this.'
So here he was now, sitting in the back seat of Jack's SUV on their way to Jack's house, which had now become their home.
He hardly noticed the hated booster seat, dreading the moment Jack decided to break the silence. All this waiting was killing him. If Jack would just get it over with and start yelling at him, maybe he wouldn't feel so edgy.
As Jack parked the car in the garage, Daniel started getting even more restless. It was all he could do not to jump out of the car and run for the safety of his room. He was sure Jack would tear him a new one for this little incident. He certainly looked mad.
They walked into the house and Jack had yet to utter a word. The tension in the room was so thick, one could almost cut it with a knife. Daniel started creeping slowly to the staircase, eager to escape the uncomfortable silence that had befallen them. But Jack beat him to it.
"Go to your room, Daniel. And get ready for bed."
Daniel was all too happy to oblige. Any other day Daniel would've argued it was way too early for bed, but not today. Today, he ran quickly up the steps to his room, banging the door shut behind him.
Jack sighed and made his way stiffly to the kitchen, getting himself a cold beer from the fridge, spent by the day's events. He was beyond mad at Daniel. He felt like wringing his scrawny little neck right here and right now. But he knew better than to try to deal with the boy in his current mood. He flopped down on the couch and he sighed as he leaned back against the cushions, twisting his neck to get the kinks out.
He propped his feet up on the low table, picked up the remote, and turned on the TV to the sports channel. His mind wasn't on the game playing on the screen, though. To distract himself, he took a long swig from the bottle, rested his head on the back of the couch, his mouth slightly open, and stared at the ceiling. Trying to clear his head for just a few minutes. He licked his lips and tasted the beer still on his wet lips. Nodding his head, he closed his eyes and sighed deeply. This is what he needed, just a few minutes of peace and quiet to clear his head.
"Come on, Jack. Wake up!" Jack moaned and turned on his side, away from the obnoxious nudging.
But Daniel wouldn't have any of it… Wait a minute! Daniel? That just wasn't right, he didn't sound… He bolted upright suddenly and stared at his friend.
"You're big?" Jack shouted.. He held his hands up to his face and gawked, horrified at the diminutive digits he saw. Then he dragged his gaze up to Daniel again, who seemed to be very amused by his reaction.
"What the HELL is going on here?" Jack screamed in astonishment.
"Hey, watch your language, young man! I have no qualms about picking you up and carrying you to the bathroom to wash your mouth out with soap," Daniel chastised firmly.
Jack just stared at him as if he'd suddenly grown another head. "You have got to be kidding me. It's a joke, right?"
"Not joking. I won't have a four-year-old swearing like a drunken sailor in this house, or anywhere else for that matter." Daniel snorted. "I'm sure in no time I'd be having half the ladies in the neighborhood knocking at my door demanding I drill some good manners into my kid."
"Your kid!" Jack shouted incredulously. Then he started snickering at the absurdity of the situation. "I'm older than you, for crying out loud!"
"Not anymore, Jack," Daniel pointed out, much too joyously in Jack's opinion.
Daniel got to his feet, his shadow looming over Jack's now much smaller frame, as sudden sly grin appeared on his face.
Okay… this is totally creeping me out,' Jack thought.
"We don't have time to argue, Jack. I'm going to be late for work and you are going to be late for daycare."
Jack stared up at him open-mouthed; his eyes wide open in complete and utter shock. "I beg your pardon?" Jack asked in a quiet voice.
Daniel turned to look at him, "I have to go to work, Jack. The SGC? Does it ring a bell?"
Jack held up a hand, bringing Daniel's explanation to a halt. He cocked his head to the side, eyeing Daniel skeptically. "Did you just say, daycare'?" Jack asked in a barely controlled voice.
Daniel barely spared a glance at him as he gathered a set of fresh, clean clothes from a dresser. "Well, Jack. You can hardly go through the Stargate waving a P90 anymore, don't you think?" Daniel jeered.
"Maybe, but what's with the daycare thing?" Jack demanded through gritted teeth. "I don't need to go to daycare. I may look like a kid, but I'm not a kid, you know." Jack stopped in his tracks and furrowed his brow in deep thought. "Now, where have I heard that before?"
"Look, Jack," Daniel began patiently, "we've gone over this already. I can't look after you while I'm working, so you need to go to daycare, end of story."
Jack snorted incredulously. "I don't need babysitting, thank you"
"Oh… yeah, right! Like when you almost broke your neck trying to wash your hands in the bathroom."
"Excuse me?" Jack was beyond confused now.
"Don't play innocent with me, Jack. You know EXACTLY what you were doing." Daniel was apparently growing tired of his dumb act, only it wasn't an act and he was royally pissed by Daniel's patronizing attitude. He was just shorter now, not stupid, for crying out loud!
"That wasn't entirely my fault, you know," Jack groused. "If you'd kindly provide me with a step-stool or something so that I don't have to be overdependent on you 24/7, I wouldn't have found myself in such a precarious position. I think it was as much your negligence as mine," Jack elaborated haughtily.
Daniel stared at him as if dumbfounded, then knelt down and gently placed the palm of his hand on Jack's forehead.
"What are you doing?" Jack asked tonelessly.
"No, you don't seem to be running a fever," was Daniel's non-committal reply.
Jack slapped his hand away crossly. "Of course I don't have a fever, why would I have a fever? I feel fine."
"Are you sure? 'Negligence', that doesn't seem like a word you'd normally use."
"Ha ha ha! Very funny." Jack snatched his ridiculously tiny clothes from Daniel's hands. "I'm gonna hit the showers."
"Shower? Uh... I think a bath would be a better idea right now, Jack," Daniel suggested, apparently trying to sound apologetic, but sounding rather condescending to Jack's maybe oversensitive ears.
"Ah... no. I'm gonna have a shower, thank you very much," Jack enunciated through half repressed anger.
Daniel threw his hands up in the air in defeat, apparently deciding to choose to pick his battles with the young and obviously frustrated Colonel.
"Okay. Have it your way. This time." Daniel gave him the look, and Jack just glared daggers up at him. He was feeling completely out of control, something that for the invulnerable, tough Special Ops Colonel, was totally unacceptable. Daniel's overbearing attitude wasn't helping, by the way. He was unknowingly driving him up a wall here, refusing to pick out the not so subtle signs Jack was sending him full blast by now.
Jack made faces at Daniel as he turned around to walk out the door.
"I saw that!" Daniel shouted from down the hall.
Jack just rolled his eyes and walked in the opposite direction to the bathroom.
"Oh... and Jack." Daniel called before he could even take two steps.
Jack cursed under his breath, knowing full well that if Daniel heard him he was a dead man... or, boy. His anger and frustration escalated tenfold at the thought."What!" he yelled, turning around.
"Just, use the shower mat, okay? I don't want you slipping and falling flat on your face. If you don't mind, I'd like to stay away from the infirmary for a couple of days. Not that I don't like Janet. On the contrary. But the sight of you bleeding to death is something I'd rather avoid."
Jack gave him the evil eye.
Daniel matched his stare and reinforced it with a warning, "I'll walk you to the bathroom and make sure you use it if I have to. You know I will. Promise me you won't conveniently forget about it. Unless you want some company, of course." Daniel grinned down at him in that evil, foxy way Jack was seriously starting to hate with a vengeance.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Daniel asked snidely.
Jack couldn't help himself even though his better judgment was telling him to stop. He was slowly being overpowered by that unrestrained and unmanageable side of him he had been bending over backwards to control. His kid side finally won the tug o' war playing in his head, and with no more self-restraint left inside of him; he blew the loudest Bronx cheer he was capable of at Daniel.
He saw Daniel's face slowly transform from scolding to mild shock and then settle into a deep-set scowl that sent a slight shiver down his spine.
Jack tried to keep the growing trepidation from showing on his face as Daniel strode purposefully towards him. Jack refused to feel sorry for what he'd done. Daniel so had it coming to him.
Before he realized what was happening, Daniel had him secured tightly under his right arm and was striding down the hall and back to his bedroom.
"Maybe what you need is a nap, young man!" Came Daniel's angry words as he continued his advance down what seemed to be an interminable hall.
Jack started crying and screaming in spite of himself.
He wasn't a little kid. He didn't want this. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. All his fears and frustrations came tumbling down. It was a great emotional roller-coaster ride. He couldn't hold them inside any longer, so he bawled like a four-year-old kid. Sobbing for the unfairness of the situation and for the life he'd lost. Daniel just kept on stomping his way down the never ending and now pitch dark corridor, until Jack's world started spinning madly. Then all of a sudden, he wasn't in Daniel's strong grasp anymore and he felt himself falling off a steep helix-shaped cliff.
Nothing made sense anymore, and in the confusing downfall, he thought he heard a little boy crying out for help, but it wasn't him anymore. This was a voice he knew very well, the voice of his best friend crying for help, for his help.
Jack bolted upright and pushed himself unsteadily up from the couch. He ran to the staircase, down the hall and into Daniel's room. He found Daniel sitting up on his bed, still fully dressed, fat tears streaming down the sides of his face. Both his arms were stretched out in front of him, as he cried out for Jack.
Jack ran to his side without hesitation and took the sobbing child into his arms. He gently rocked him back and forth while rubbing comforting circles on his back and pressing the wet little face to his chest.
"I'm s-sorry, I'm s-sorry, J-Jack," Danny sobbed quietly into the strong embrace of his friend.
Jack spoke nonsense in his ear and continued rocking him in the hope it'd stop the heart-wrenching sobs that were threatening to break his heart.
After a while he could hear Daniel quieted down, his breathing evening out as he went back to sleep. Jack never let go and Daniel slept on. He slept snugly, curled like a croissant in Jack's arms. Jack lay back against the headrest, pressing a kiss on the mop of unruly blond hair.
"I'm so sorry, Danny." Jack whispered into the still night air.
Note from Rosenquist: no Laura you didn't kill the plot bunny I gave you at all, you did a great job with it! Isn't that right readers?