The Anunnaki

by MicheleB

Set just after Season 8, ignoring 99 percent of Seasons 9 and 10. Jack thinks he's going to retire again; the universe has other plans.

16. Chapter 16

The Gods Have a Sense of Humor
Anunnaki Part 16
By Michele
Rating: PG
Summary: our trio moves into their new house, Daniel gets a call from Michael, and Enlil tries it again.

Note: I may or may not use the Season 9 characters in the way that they have introduced on the show. Depends on how I want them to fit into my story. I won't be doing this Ori thing, I think in colors and shades of gray, not black and white, and I think the producers are making a mistake with that story line.

The weekend was busy with moving. Twenty off-duty SGC personnel showed up to help, but Daniel refused to allow anyone except his geeks assist with his own stuff. He didn't trust the nimble fingers of the military with his artifacts. He orchestrated everything, right down to categorizing and coding the various boxes of books and artifacts. Jack and Sam just boxed things up and labeled them by room so while they were sitting around with pizza and beer, Daniel had his crew marching carefully between moving truck and new house and down the stairs into the basement. The walls had paper signs stuck to them indicating, by code, which boxes went where. Jack could snicker but at least Daniel wouldn't be yelling to find out where something is before opening all the boxes.

Jack took Nate for a long walk late in the afternoon. Nate was a little pale when they returned but Jack got a promise out of him to see Dr. Edmonds. The memories may not be his but they were still affecting him; post traumatic stress happened to the families, too, not just the person they happened to. Jack told him he'd come in, too, if Dr. Edmonds wanted to see them together.

A few days later, when they were settling in, Daniel passed the time getting his library together and talking on the speaker with his new cousin, Martin. He had been nervous on the initial call but Jack had been right, Martin sounded like a nice guy. He was in Oregon, a landscaper, and he and his wife, Joy, had 2 children, Stewart, 13, and Dennis, 9.

Sam took a few days and they all went to her family, having set up a family meeting to tell them about Jacob. To say they were shocked after watching the mini-documentary Major Davis had put together would have been an understatement. Jacob had recorded much of it himself, having done so in case of this very thing happening. Mark and Susan were in tears by the end, as were Jacob's own siblings. Mark held Sam and apologized for being a jerk. He was still upset that he couldn't have been let in on it all earlier, and possibly had more time with his father, but he understood, now, the reasons for Jacob's absence. Sam's aunt and uncle were not happy about her relationships but they were grateful for the information on Jacob.

Mrs. Arthur flew in later in the week, bringing her son, Lawrence, with her. If Momma was going to be living halfway across the country, Lawrence wanted to check the place out, too, and make sure she was going to be safe. She approved of the house, not believing that such nice, clean neighborhood existed outside magazines, and not a gang sign in sight. Daniel introduced her to a couple of neighbors, and she was impressed by how friendly they were. He then took them to the Mountain to show them his office. Mrs. A took one look and wanted to know why it took him so long to decide he needed help. She met Daniel's assistant, Nyan, and declared him in need of a mother. Daniel told her how much she would be getting paid, with full bennies, and she immediately agreed to come on board. Daniel warned Nyan that he was about to be mothered to near death. He decided to wait a while before telling Mrs. A that Nyan wasn't from around there. Mrs. Arthur returned to Chicago to give two weeks notice and get what she wanted from her house before her daughter and grandchildren moved in. Grandma's house was much better than the projects.

Daniel began setting up his classes and looking over applications while Jack was overseeing the construction process on his new office. He had found them a new CO for the Mountain, a Gen. Landry, apparently an old friend of Jack's that he had talked out of retirement. Landry was amazed that Jack would ask him to be his second hand. Jack sat him down for a long talk, telling him stuff that was NOT public; he then took Landry through the gate for a test drive. Landry was hooked.

Jack was grilling chicken when the phone rang. Daniel tossed an application down, a young man who wanted to learn alien languages because that was going to be the future, and answered the phone.

"Jackson."

"Daniel, this is Mike. O'Neill."

"Oh, hey, Mike, how's it going? Hang on, I'll get Jack," he started to head out the door.

"No, that's ok, actually it's you I need to speak with," Michael stopped him. Daniel lifted an eyebrow.

"Ok, sure. What's up?"

"Listen, Daniel, I don't know how to even start this conversation, so….. I had a call from a priest in Chicago, Father John Stevens. There is a situation that they are trying to keep out of public consumption and since they've had a problem reaching you directly, they called me. I… I don't know how to put this delicately so I'll just say it: Daniel, there's a possibility you are a father."

Daniel felt the blood drain from his face and raced out of the library.

"Jack!" He held the phone out. Jack looked at him and immediately took the phone. He listened to his brother, nodding from time to time.

"Have them fax the documents, and go ahead and give them our home number. Thanks, Mike." He gave Michael their home fax number and hung up. Jack put the phone down and set his hands on Daniel's shaking shoulders.

"Ok, just breathe," he said calmly. He squatted down. "Do you know this Andrea Brooks?"

Daniel nodded. "Yeah," he said hoarsely. "I saw her for a little while about 12 years ago. She was a junior at the University. She was getting into drugs, so I stopped seeing her. Oh, God, Jack, if the kid is mine, I was on Abydos when she was born."

"Which is why Andrea couldn't find you," Jack guessed. "Ok, let's see what the paperwork says. A paternity test is simple enough, and if she's yours, we'll deal with it. We certainly have enough room for her. We need to watch out, Daniel, this won't be the first paternity claim coming our way."

"It's a girl, oh God…."

Daniel lowered his head between his knees and Jack stroked the back of his neck.

"You've been incommunicado for 11 years, Danny, some strange things were bound to come up once you hit daylight," Jack told him. He got Daniel calmed down and sent him for a run while he called Sam and waited for the fax.

The fax came with a current picture. Jack didn't think they'd need a test. Daniel took one look and put his head between his knees again.

"What do you want to do, Danny?" Jack asked him. "Sam and I will accept whatever you decide."

"Mine," came a croak. Jack nodded and called his lawyer. Daniel lifted his head and looked at the ceiling.

"Enki! I am not amused!"

Sam was unable to get away from the base so they set the phone on speaker for a conference call. Stacy Jackson was 10 and currently with a foster family. Her mother died several years earlier from a drug overdose and no family came forward to claim her. Daniel vaguely remembered that she didn't have a good relationship with her family. He did the math and knew he was Ascended at the time Andrea died. Stacy's life was troubled from day one, and foster care wasn't helping her. Daniel had no problem seeing that by looking at the picture of her; she was a little over-weight, glasses, and a face filled with acne. Her eyes reflected the pain no child should feel. He also saw his own eyes, mouth, and hair.

"You're getting out of diaper duty way too easy," Jack told him. "When Megan has her baby, you are getting a little hands-on experience."

"Guys, a pre-teen wasn't part of our deal," Daniel said.

"I think the far bedroom would be good for her," Sam said from the speaker. "It has a nice large window, plenty of room, big closet, and her own bathroom."

"Guys….."

"It'll need to be repainted," Jack said. "She's wearing a dark green shirt in that picture, so maybe she likes autumn colors. I'll pick up a few cans of paint in the morning. I'd rather not cover that hardwood floor, but an area rug would be a good idea. Bed, dresser, desk for school work, and a bookshelf if she thinks like Daniel as well as looking like him. We'll wait until we have her before getting clothes and stuff. She's old enough to have her own idea of what she wants to wear."

"Guys…"

"Looks like she needs a female in her life, so I'll take her shopping once she's home," Sam said. "Do some girl things. Maybe take Cassie with us."

"Good thing Mrs. Arthur is starting, I'll bet Stacy could use a grandma," Jack commented.

"Playing big brother will give Nate something to do, too," Sam said. "According to the paperwork, he will be her step brother."

"Ouch," Jack muttered.

"Not unless someone marries me," Daniel told them, giving up on getting their attention.

"Daniel, the moment they make all this legal, we will put a ring on your finger," Jack told him. "So until then…." Daniel looked at him for a moment and then jumped him, smothering him in kisses.

"Sam, did I just….?" Jack managed to get out as monkey arms tore his shirt off.

Sam was laughing. "Yes, honey, I think you did. Have fun, boys, and save a little for me, please."

While military attorneys quietly arranged the custody transfer, Jack and Daniel fixed up the bedroom. Daniel met with a couple of his applicants and decided that they didn't sound too bad, and if they were, he'd know better next time. He had to start somewhere. And another applicant was transferring in from Chicago, so he was a little happier about that. Jack told him he should have let Davis deal with the applicants, since interviews fell under Davis' realm, anyway. Daniel handed the rest of the applications over to Paul to weed out the space cases.

Daniel was given a reprieve when an off-world scientist disappeared. No one could figure out the key to the stone gateway where he disappeared from, so Daniel was allowed to go in, much to Jack's displeasure. It took him two days to figure out the key to the gateway, but he came back with the missing scientist and a sprained wrist.

"Do I want to know?" Jack asked, looking at the heavy bandage on the wrist.

"A little Goa'uld, a little Ancient, a little this and that. The rest I guessed at by filling in the blanks," Daniel told him. "Strange combination of various types of semi-precious gems with some sort of solar alignment that resonates on the smaller of the two suns…"

"I was talking about the wrist, Daniel."

"Oh. I tried to catch a falling rock."

"Why?"

"Because it was about to land on several of those gems."

Jack shook his head and sent Daniel to Chicago with Davis to assist with the legal paperwork during the final phase of signing his name to everything. Davis would then head off to DC and let Daniel get acquainted with the young lady on their way home to Colorado. The little girl from Las Vegas, Isabelle, was back planet-side and home with her grateful parents. The Pentagon contacted them and arranged for counseling sessions and several medical check-ups. Jack sent a copy of Davis' report to Capt. Brass in Vegas after Davis reported in person to Brass to deliver the Corriveaus.

"Daniel, it'll be fine," Davis said, giving Daniel's hand a pat. "You're great with kids. Give her time, and she'll love you."

"What if she doesn't like me?" Daniel asked. He was absent minded, negligent about schedules, knew absolutely nothing about 10-year old girls, and…oh, God, puberty was about to hit and ALL teenagers hated their parents….!

"Why wouldn't she like you? You're having an anxiety attack. Why don't you take a few deep breaths and center yourself?"

Once they were in the private chambers of a judge, along with Father John and a representative from the state, Daniel grew impatient with all the red-tape. He didn't know what the papers were that he was signing but he trusted Paul when he said, "Sign here, initial there." The state representative said they had tried to contact Daniel several times both when the girl was born and when her mother died. Paul told them they didn't try very hard because Daniel's annual taxes were on file which had his contact information. The state said they weren't even sure which Daniel Jackson was the right one, did the men know how many Daniel Jacksons there were in the country? Paul wanted to know how many Daniel Jacksons went to college with the mother of the girl.

"Alright," Father John interrupted the bickering. Michael's colleague had met them at the lawyer's office, himself representing the girl since she was taken to a private halfway house as soon as Daniel announced himself. "Dr. Jackson, I'm sorry for the confusion," he said. "We did try and contact you as soon as we knew where you were, but we kept getting the runaround by military watch dogs. When I heard about you and….the general, and his brother being a priest, I tried the inside road to you."

"I understand, Father, thank you," Daniel said. "We've had a lot of claims being made since all this has happened, and the military has only been trying to protect us. I appreciate your initiative in finding a way through and calling Mike in to help. I think I'd like to know, though, is there going to be a problem with my taking custody of Stacy and my living situation?" After all the papers had been signed, the judge excused herself for a court date. Her court was too over-booked with more immediate concerns, and she was satisfied with the reputations of the people who were taking the child.

Father John steepled his fingers, thinking. "Thank you for being open to this conversation, doctor, I was trying to find a delicate way into it. Obviously, I cannot condone your situation, as you call it, but you have friends in high places who want to see you happy. I have questioned the wisdom of this custody and I've been assured that no matter what your living arrangements are you, Gen. O'Neill, and Col. Carter are good, upstanding citizens. You are in a fairly public eye, surrounded by military and their high protocols, and Father Mike assured me he's taking a greater interest in gaining his brother's friendship. You have a lot of eyes on you."

"Dr. Jackson is a good man, Father," Davis put in. "I've known him a long time, and if I have any input in this, I don't think you'll find a better parent for Stacy. Gen. O'Neill had a son, he died in an accident many years ago, so there is parenting experience in the house, and Col. Carter will provide an excellent female influence. She has been a secondary foster mother to a young lady since the young lady's own foster mother died. The then Col. O'Neill, Major Carter, and Dr. Jackson rescued the young lady when her parents were killed. Dr. Jackson just hired an administrative assistant, an older woman, who knew him in college, so Stacy will also have a grandmother figure around. Gen. O'Neill has an older son who is ready to be a big brother. She's coming home to a build-in family all anxious to meet her, Father."

"We just bought a large house," Daniel said. "We're almost all moved in. There's plenty of room, she'll have her own bedroom and her own bathroom. There are several kids her age in our neighborhood; it's a safe, family neighborhood. We can't let her take the school bus for security reasons, but one of us will always take her to school and pick her up."

Father John had to reluctantly agree that their situation was certainly better than the foster situations that she had been in.

"What about her health, Father?" Daniel asked. "From the report, her mother died of a drug overdose. I stopped seeing Andrea because she was using drugs. Was Stacy's birth alright? Is she currently alright?"

The priest nodded. "I understand your concerns," he said. "She was a couple weeks premature, which isn't unusual for a first time pregnancy, but there hasn't been any indication of problems. In fact, she's very bright. She doesn't do well in school, but I've spent time with her and she's quick. It may be that she's bored in school. She also gets picked on quite a bit from the other children; she's a little heavy, and a little acne and wearing glasses doesn't help the situation. Children can be vicious, especially little girls. She reads unusual books, history books and mythology, and watches unusual TV shows; she enjoys the science shows, all of which doesn't help her to make friends."

"Sounds like you, Daniel," Paul commented with a soft smile. Daniel smiled.

"She'll fit in with us," Daniel told Father John. "We'll teach her to be proud of herself. And I'm afraid eye problems are in the family," he pushed up his glasses. "So is a nerdy interest in dead cultures, so I think she'll enjoy my library."

Father John smiled and pushed up his own glasses. "Well, I appreciate your honesty, Dr. Jackson. If you are ready, I have set up an appointment with Stacy's teacher at her school. I thought you'd like to get a little input from her and get her school records to take back with you. Stacy's foster family has done the best they can, but they have a full house, so I had Stacy moved into a children's home that my parish runs. It's a halfway house for teens about to move into the adult world, but she's been alright there for a couple days. The children at the foster home haven't been kind to her, and knowing that a biological parent was coming for her would have made it worse. Stacy is in school, so you can meet her there, if that's alright."

Daniel took a deep breath and nodded. Paul gave him a pat on the back. Daniel hugged him and thanked him for coming along and helping with the paperwork. Davis was going to head out for DC now that Daniel was set up. He'd meet Stacy back home.

"Doctor, may I ask how you hurt your wrist?" Father John mentioned as they walked out to his car.

"I tried to play volleyball with a rock," Daniel said. "It's just a sprain."

The Father found humor in that and chuckled. "And the major? He seems a nice young man; you've known him a while?"

"About 8 years," Daniel said. "He's been our liaison with the Pentagon; he's even been on a few missions with us. He's just been transferred to Colorado and will be starting as Gen. O'Neill's assistant at Homeworld Security."

Father John lifted an eyebrow. "That's a serious assignment," he commented, impressed. "Sounds like Stacy is going to be surrounded by people in very high military positions; will there be too much stress for her? She is, after all, just a young girl, and the heavy rule structure may be a little more than she can deal with."

"You're right, she will be acquainted with people who happen to wield a lot of power," Daniel admitted. "But we do our best not to bring work home with us. Jack may be a General, but he really doesn't like all the protocol. For him, it's just a job. We do our best to play and have fun. Sam puts motorcycles together as a hobby, when she's not trying to smash particles, and Jack likes to fish and he doesn't care if there are actually fish in the pond, and I like to cook and dig in the dirt. And we only keep people around us who also like to have fun. I think she'll be fine, Father."

"And your…housemates…how do they feel about Stacy joining the house?"

Daniel chuckled. "While I was hyperventilating at discovering It's a Girl, they began planning what colors to paint her bedroom, who was going to take her shopping, and setting up new house protocols that included Stacy. Jack was recently commenting that he wanted grandchildren, and since Nate has no plans on accommodating him, he's looking forward to movie and ice cream dates, and Sam isn't sure how she'll be at motherhood but she'd like to be a big sister and talk about boys and make-up and dresses."

"And how do you feel about fatherhood?"

Daniel groaned and put his head back for a moment. "I'm terrified, to tell you the truth," he said. "My partners keep telling me I'll be great because I do love kids, but I don't want to make a mistake. I want to be her friend, I want her to like me, but I know I'll have to find a balance and be a parent, too."

"If it helps you any, that's exactly how you should be feeling," Father John said gently. "Now what about other children? Is Col. Carter planning on having children of her own?"

"Everyone keeps asking that question," Daniel commented. "She doesn't know. We're not going to push her about it, it's her body. If she does have a baby, we will love it and welcome it with open arms and open hearts. We've talked about adopting later on, so that's a possibility, also."

"But there are other children in the neighborhood? Stacy will have peers?"

"Oh, yes," Daniel assured him. "It's a family neighborhood, and our base families often get together for picnics, and everyone's kids play together. Jack's niece and nephews will be visiting more often, their mother is pregnant with number 4, and Sam's niece and nephew will be visiting. I just discovered blood relatives, cousins, and I've begun talking with them, so I'm hoping for a closer connection there, and Stacy will have cousins."

Father John smiled. "Sounds to me like you are about to make a lonely little girl's dreams come true," he said. "She's nervous about meeting you, she knows who you are, and she's been an avid watcher of everything alien ever since the battle in Colorado. When I told her who her father was, she told a few children in school, and I'm afraid she's been ridiculed as a liar."

Daniel sighed with impatience and shook his head as his protective instincts came on line. He took his cell phone out.

"Jack, I need to put on a show," he said. "Can you get an official car to meet me at Glenridge Elementary? Yeah, the works. Thanks."

The father chuckled. "That's actually devious," he commented with admiration when Daniel put the cell away.

"Thanks, Jack taught me well. These are just kids; you should see how he deals with bickering diplomats."

Daniel took a few more deep breaths as he walked into the school with Father John. They stopped at the office first and met with the principal who expressed his pleasure at meeting Dr. Jackson. He also expressed his displeasure at having to toss out all their history books and start over. Daniel found himself promising a show and tell for the children, bringing things down to their level of understanding. As they talked, Daniel signed all the paperwork to withdraw Stacy from the school after Father John turned over copies of the court papers.

Principal Woodard brought Stacy's teacher in, Mrs. Gonzalez, and they spent time discussing Stacy's schoolwork. Mrs. Gonzalez said with disapproval that the girl spent a lot of time drawing and reading books outside the curriculum. Daniel held his tongue. There was a knock at the door and the secretary opened it.

"Sir, there's a military person here," she told Woodard. He motioned for her to let him in. An officer in uniform presented himself, hat under an arm.

"Doctor, your car is here," he said politely.

"Thank you, lieutenant, we'll be done shortly. There are two suitcases in the outer office, please take them to the car and wait for us there," Daniel instructed. He handed the copy of Stacy's school and medical records to the lieutenant.

"Yes, sir."

Before Woodard escorted Daniel out to find his daughter, Daniel having requested to go to her instead of having her brought to the office, Woodard took out a flyer from Daniel's seminar at the University and asked Daniel to sign it. Flustered, Daniel signed it, glad that Jack wasn't around to see it and rag on him.

Stacy's class was currently on the playground, so Daniel waited at the fence, shifting nervously from foot to foot. Father John gave him a pat on a shoulder.

"There she is," he said, pointing out across the yard. Daniel followed the finger to a girl sitting on a swing, drawing. Mrs. Gonzalez walked to her, spoke to the girl, and tilted her head. Daniel saw the girl look toward him and hesitantly get to her feet. Another deep breath as she came toward him. When she was standing in front of him, looking up at him with his own blue eyes, Daniel fell in love. He squatted down and took her hand.

"Hi, sweetheart," he greeted her gently. "Would you like to come home?"

She gulped, nodded and threw her arms around his neck. Daniel stood, holding on to her, ignoring his wrist. Children nearby stopped their playing, seeing the unusual behavior from the spaz girl and recognizing Daniel from TV. His new SGC jacket also made him stand out. He shook hands and carried her out to the waiting Air Force escort. The uniforms were being ogled from the fence by more children as they answered questions the children called out.

"Lieutenant, please take us to the air field," Daniel requested as they approached the car.

"Yes, sir."

Daniel got Stacy tucked into the back seat and sat next to her. He touched her cheek.

"Can I see what you're drawing?" he asked. She nodded and handed him the drawing pad. He looked through the various cartoons and landscapes, some of which were a little dark, not unexpected if she were getting picked on.

"These are pretty good," he said. "I think you have talent." She was staring at him. He didn't mind. "We'll talk personal stuff when we get to the air field," he told her. "That way we can sit privately somewhere until the plane is ready for us. We're going to take an army plane home, instead of a regular airplane. Have you ever been on a plane?"

"Uh huh," she shook her head.

"I'm not too fond of them but they get me where I need to be," he said. "I have a lot of friends who are pilots and they LOVE flying. I think pilots are just crazy." The Air Force men in front glanced in the rear view mirror and smiled. "An army transport plane is loud and noisy but it'll get us home quicker. Not everyone is allowed to fly in them, so this is an experience you can tell your new friends."

"How come the army has planes?" she asked. "I thought they were only on the ground."

Daniel ignored the quickly suppressed snicker from up front. "Because the army has to get their men and women places across seas quickly, so they have their own planes. I know, it's like the Marines in the water, instead of the Navy. We live with military people, so you'll get used to it."

"Who do we live with?" she asked.

"We live with Gen. O'Neill, remember seeing him on TV? And his wife, Col. Samantha Carter. They're both in the Air Force and they're both crazy pilots. They like to take jets up and make them go up and around and do crazy spirals." He got a giggle out of her as he demonstrated with hand gestures.

"Is General O'Neill nice?" she asked. "He was yelling on TV. He got beeped."

"He's very nice," Daniel said. "He doesn't yell much, it takes a lot to make him yell. He's looking forward to meeting you; Sam is, too. And you can call them Jack and Sam. They'll be your parents, too."

"What do I call you?" she asked shyly.

"Well, I think you're a big girl, so you decide; what would you like to call me?"

"Daddy?"

Daniel let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and put an arm around her shoulders. He pressed his mouth to the top of her head.

"I think that would be perfect," he whispered.

It didn't take long to get to the air field. Stacy's bags were taken to the loading dock while Daniel got them checked in.

"Airman, how long till we need to board?" Daniel asked. The lieutenant blinked at him.

"Sir? Anytime you'd like, sir, there's a jet waiting."

Daniel paused. "Who ordered a jet?" he asked. "I thought it was a transport….who signed that order?" he asked, knowing the answer.

"General O'Neill, sir."

Daniel sighed. "Thank you, airman. We're here, let's do it."

"Yes, sir."

"And please stop calling me sir, I'm just Daniel."

"Yes, sir. Sir?"

"Yes, lieutenant?"

The officer held his hand out which Daniel took.

"Congratulations, sir," he said with a nod toward the girl.

"Thank you," Daniel smiled at him.

"How do you know he's a lieutenant?" Stacy asked, looking at all the uniformed people around her with all their pins and badges. The man in front of them had only his last name in his jacket. Daniel nodded to the officer and the man squatted down and showed her his insignia.

"Lieutenant is my rank. See this silver bar?" he asked, tapping his shoulder. "This identifies my rank to others. This means I am a First Lieutenant. A gold bar is a Second Lieutenant. Everyone has bars, stripes, or stars, gold or silver, and different numbers of each. This is how people can tell what our ranks are. I'm sure you'll learn all about this when you live with General O'Neill and Col. Carter."

Their pilot was called onto deck and Daniel and Stacy escorted out to the waiting jet. They got buckled in, met the pilot and his co, and were off after air clearance was given. Stacy was nervous so Daniel held her hand during take-off.

"Stacy, I wanted to talk with you about how we live," he began, distracting her from the lift. "You know how men and women get married and live together? Well, I live with Jack and Sam like we were all married to each other. We all sleep in the same bed, and we all kiss each other and we all love each other. I just don't want you to be surprised if you see me kiss or hug Sam AND Jack. Do you understand?"

She frowned, thinking. "Sam is his wife and he doesn't mind if you kiss her?" she asked.

"Right," Daniel nodded. "But I kiss him, too, and she doesn't mind. I just need to be sure you understand."

"I guess so," she said with a shrug.

"Good," he said. "I know it's a little unusual. They'll be like your step-mom and step-dad, so you listen to them. And, honey, I've never been a Dad before, so I'll need your help; I want to be a really good Dad, so you need to talk to me and tell me when you need something. If you need me to listen or if you need a hug, anything, just tell me, ok?"

"Ok. Are there other kids in the house?" she asked.

"Nope," he said. "Except Jack; sometimes he's a big kid. He even likes to rake leaves and then jump in them. And he watches the Simpson's. He and Sam both have nieces and nephews, though, and they come for visits, and there are lots of kids in the neighborhood. Everyone is very nice, so I think you'll be happy."

She nodded but he could see she didn't quite believe him. "Who do I share my room with?" she asked.

"No one," he said. "It's all yours. Even your own bathroom. But you have to clean up after yourself. We all help with chores, so we'll need you to help, too."

"I have my own room?" she questioned with wide eyes. "Can I have toys, too?"

"Of course you can have toys," Daniel responded. "Don't you have any toys?"

She shrugged. "I have a couple, but my foster parents didn't have money to buy toys, so I had to play with other people's toys. It was ok."

"Sharing is a good thing but I insist you have your own toys," he told her. "We'll go toy shopping when we get home. I know Sam wants to take you shopping for clothes and stuff for your room, so you can get some toys then. Father John said you like to read; I like to read, too, so we got you a bookshelf for your room."

While they sat through the smooth flight to Colorado, he got her to talk about things she liked to read and was pleased to hear the excitement in her voice when she talked about Greek mythology, the usual starting point for archaeology and ancient history buffs. Unless one happened to be born in Egypt. He told her about digs and things that he found while digging in the dirt. She wanted a leggo set and a painting kit. Daniel groaned and warned her to keep the leggos away from Jack. She wanted to know if there was a library so she could get books for her bookshelf.

"Of course there's a library, but we can buy you books, too," he told her.

"My own books? To keep?"

Daniel was becoming angry with not only her dead mother but also her foster parents. Fifty cents at a second hand book store shouldn't have been that big a deal.

"Yes, your very own books to keep," he told her. "I have lots of books, so you can have books, too. What else would you like?"

"Can I have a bike?" she turned in her seat to look at him, trying to see if he was kidding with her.

"We will get you a bike this weekend," he promised. She quickly began to wear down after the day's events and fell asleep an hour into the flight. When she was out, Daniel called home and asked Jack to pick up a few things before they got there. Jack became a little pissy, too, when he found out what the child did NOT have.

Daniel found himself dozing when the co-pilot tapped his shoulder.

"Sir, I'm sorry to wake you," the man whispered. "There's a small problem, so we're diverting to Nellis."

Daniel was awake. In unspoken words, the Yard. "What's wrong?"

"Bogie over Iraq, sir; 302s are being scrambled."

Daniel hit the pin on his jacket. "Guys, what's going on?" he called up. The co-pilot looked at what he thought was an ornament.

"It just came in, Daniel," Inanna informed him. "We're going to take a look now. Your tag isn't where we left you, where are you?"

"On a jet heading home," he told her. "I just became a father. My daughter is with me. Tell Aba I'm not amused. How did that ship get into the solar system?"

"Mozel tov. Cloaked, more than likely," she said. "How about we get you out of the air and someplace safe?"

"My pilots have orders to take me to the Yard."

"The Yard is a little busy with scrambling the 302s, Daniel, I don't think that's a wise order."

Daniel looked at the pilot in front of him listening to the conversation.

"Orders from Gen. O'Neill, sir. Ma'am."

"Who is that?" she asked.

"Our co-pilot, Major Duran. He's standing in front of me. I don't see another choice, Inanna; we can't beam up to you; if you are about to go into battle, your ship will be even less safe than the Yard."

"True, but I can bring you up and put you down at SGC. I'm sure your pilots would appreciate being sent back to their base at a time like this."

Duran didn't say anything but Daniel could see the agreement on his face. All pilots should be on standby, Daniel knew that.

"Call Jack, Inanna, he may want me at the Yard for another reason."

"I'll get right back to you." There was silence and then she was back. "Change of plan ok'd," she said. "He's calling the SGC to let them know you are on your way."

"Ok, let's do it," he told Inanna. "Give me a ten count." He shook Stacy awake. "Honey, we're going to do something a little different. I've done this before, so you don't need to be afraid. Take my hand."

A moment later, they were gone. The pilot went back to the cockpit and the plane made a quick about-face as they radioed in and send an emergency message to the General to let him know his package was away.

Daniel and Stacy were on the Heaven's Bow for only a moment before being sent out again. They reappeared in the gateroom amidst ordered chaos as troops ran to assigned posts. The gateroom SF were startled by his appearance but Gen. Landry barked at them to stand-down.

"Come on, honey, we're ok here, this is where I work," Daniel told the frightened girl. He took her hand and hurried them down the corridor.

Jack was currently snarling his way to the Mountain, his only command post until his new offices were ready. All the 302s were being scrambled and on their way to the Middle East where a Ha'tok class ship had pulled into orbit. The Goa'uld still hadn't figured out Tau'ri chain of command, and Jack had no idea why they would have picked the middle of the desert. No demands had been heard, yet, so he didn't know who the godling was in charge of the ship. His cell phone rang.

"O'Neill!" he yelled into the handless microphone.

"Col. Markham just radioed in," Landry reported. "The Prometheus is coming in hot; he says we have Enlil illegally parked."

"Is Daniel there?"

"Just came in, along with a young girl."

"His new daughter," Jack said. "I want them close to the gateroom and off-world at the first sign of a foothold in the Mountain. You and I haven't gone over this particular Protocol, Hank, so we're wingin' it. Air Force One will be on its way, the pilot will call when they are within sight and you need to have an armed escort already at the field. The president has no command decision rights over the SGC, he is to be given all respects but don't let him push you. The SGC is now under the authority of Homeworld Security, and by the president's own authorization, Homeworld Security has the final word. Get him set up on the VIP deck, his own men know what to do, they've been there before.

"I need you to make sure the Alpha site is updated with all current information, and bring home all off-world personnel immediately, except Alpha. Off-world personnel have a thirty minute warning as of now or they will be locked out until this situation has been dealt with. If the base needs to be evacuated, I want you off-world with the rest; if anything happens to me, I need you ready to take over. Col. Reynolds is the best right hand there, let him help you, and Walter knows what you'll want before you do. I'll be there in five minutes."

The front guards saw Jack speeding toward them and pulled the gate open, jumping out of the way. He screeched to a halt, jumped out, and one of the guards took his truck and parked it. He ran past all the check-in points while talking on his cell phone with Maynard.

"Make a hole!" he yelled at the crowded elevator. Several airmen jumped out, letting him on. "302s are on their way, and the Prometheus is in the solar system," he said, keying the elevator to go straight to the 27th floor without stopping. "Daedalus happens to be home, Col. Caldwell is preparing for debarkation, the Argos is not ready for deep space but her weapons are on-line and she can skirt around the planet. We already have ground troops there, sir, just get me in communication with the CO out there, and I can direct from here."

He jumped off the elevator and bound up the half-flight of stairs to the control room.

"All teams are in except the Alpha site and SG-9," Landry reported. "We haven't been able to reach them and they're an hour overdue for check-in."

"I'd swear that team number is jinxed," Jack commented. "Alright, keep trying them. Send a message to Dakkara, let Teal'c know what's going on and to check on SG-9. Have a report sent to Alpha site so that they can follow-up. Do we have satellite from our target?"

"Set up in the conference room," Landry said. "The Iraqis are firing on the ship but their ordinance is bouncing off a shield. The Heaven's Bow is giving it a good try but none of their weapons are working, either."

Jack quickly took in the scene from the monitor as he strode into the room. The Mothership held its ground as it deflected fire from above and below. "Enlil got himself an updated ship," he said. He tapped his comm. "Inanna, you're going to get yourself killed."

"If you have a better idea, now's the time," she came back.

"Prometheus, Daedalus, and Argos are all on their way," he said. "Their weapons are more updated than yours, just hang on; try and protect the ground forces until the ships get there."

"Those ground forces are even crazier now than they were when we were the ruling class," she commented. "Jack!"

"I see them." Several squads of death gliders came out of the mothership and headed toward ground. Jack pounded on the intercom. "Sergeant, get an ETA from our ships!" he ordered.

"Daedalus is two minutes out, sir, Prometheus is six minutes, and Argos is ten," Walter called back.

"Daedalus is coming now, Inanna," Jack reported. "The 302s should be….you got 'em." Like angry hornets from a disturbed nest, 302s from America and Russia attacked the mothership and the gliders. Groups troops ran for cover as material fell from the sky.

"Sir, ground command is on line for you!" Walter yelled to him. "General Buchard, sir."

"General Buchard, this is O'Neill."

"I'd appreciate a little direction, general!" the man shouted over the sounds of gunfire and blasts that could be heard in the background.

"Your men are wasting ordinance, general," Jack told him. "You don't have the necessary weapons to penetrate those shields, not even a nuke will do it. Let our ships take care of the sky. If any of those death gliders land, your weapons will penetrate their personal body armor but follow through with a knife to the belly; if not, that symbiote can heal the host and you'll be starting all over again. A belly blast or a blast to the back of the neck will also do it. The symbiote is usually housed in the belly of the Jaffa, and in the back of the neck of a host; take out the snake and the rest of the body will follow. Get that information to ALL troops, not just ours. This isn't the time for political bullshit."

"Roger, general," Buchard said. "This new ship coming in is ours?"

"That's the Daedalus, commanded by Col. Caldwell," Jack said. "We have two more coming, the Prometheus, with Col. Markham, and the Argos, with Col. Galanakis. Argos is brand new, she's armed but not fully functional. That other ship up there is the Heaven's Bow, with allies, the Anunnaki, commanded by Queen Inanna. The Pentagon should have emailed you all relevant material, if you have access. Let our ships take care of the enemy ships, their weapons are made for it.

"We haven't been contacted by the enemy ship yet, we don't know what they want; they are very low on slaves, at the moment, so they could be head-hunting. We leave no man behind, general, I want a head-count when this is over, and if one person is missing, I want to know about it."

"Copy that," Buchard agreed.

The Daedalus came in and began firing on the Goa'uld, the naquadah enhanced energy beams slicing through the Goa'uld shields. The ha'tok pounded the Daedalus in response. The Prometheus roared in and the Goa'uld blasted out of the atmosphere, both 303s chasing after it.

"I'm feeling a little useless here, Jack," he heard.

"Why haven't you asked us to help you update?" Jack asked her.

"I'll get back to you when I have an answer."

Jack smiled. "Pride goeth before the fall, your Queenship. When we're done with this asshole, why don't you and your boys come down for a beer?" he invited. Landry lifted an eyebrow. "We have a new house, Daniel has a new daughter, we'll make a party of it and find time to talk weapons."

302s chased death gliders through the air almost too fast for the ground troops to see. The Iraqi rebel forces were too stunned by events to notice that American soldiers were standing next to them, both sides aiming weapons at the same target in the sky.

"Col. Carter, see if we can capture a Jaffa," he called over the radio. "I think an interrogation is in order."

"Roger!" she called back.

"General Buchard, our 302s are going to attempt to land a glider," Jack called out to the ground forces. "There may be two pilots in the glider. Let your men know I want them alive and to hold them for interrogation. Get the staff weapons and zats away from the Jaffa, and they can be taken down hand to hand just like anyone else. Cuff 'em and my people will pick them up. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT allow your men to be alone with these people; the symbiote can jump bodies."

"Inanna, keep watch on the 302s. When the ground troops have the Jaffa in custody, please beam them up and secure them. I want to chat with them."

"We can do that," she responded.

They watched the satellite screen as four 302s corralled a glider. The glider began to fly erratically as it was carefully forced away from the others and down. All the 302s now had a bright, pretty Tau'ri on their wings, along with an identification number. Much to the irritation of the home countries, none of the 302s identified their origin other than Tau'ri. Russia had tried putting Cyrillic lettering on the ships, but the pilots themselves brought the ships to the Yard where the lettering was painted over. From the pilot meetings held at the Yard, the pilots were bonding to each other in Tau'ri pride, not nationality. Even Sam was walking around with a slightly cockier swagger. Jack was half expecting her to show up at home with a Tau'ri tattooed on an arm. He had listened to her talking on the phone with other pilots and their language was becoming a verbal short-hand that only other SGC pilots seemed able to understand. Sam wasn't usually in the air, she was supposed to be overseeing the research and development department, but her excuse was that she wouldn't ask anyone to test new ships if she wasn't prepared to do it herself, and besides, at a time like this, all hands were needed in the air. Jack was a little jealous.

England had been given permission to start a Western Europe yard for approved countries, with Germany as a secondary site, and Australia for the Pacific site. Russia already had the Eastern Europe yard and were quite smug about being in on the whole project in concert with the US. Jack rolled his eyes and didn't bother to correct anyone. China, Japan, Korea, and the Middle East were angry at being denied the materials; Jack gave an all-out NO to the Joint Chiefs and the UN, saying when those countries learned to play nice, they could join the rest of the boys and girls. Every ounce of material was being accounted for; Jack told the other countries that the naquadah could be traced and anyone selling an unauthorized item would be charged with world treason. He didn't tell them how it could be traced.

One of the more onerous projects Jack had given Davis was to pick primary candidates for his oversight council for HomeSec, the other countries all clamoring for a say in the daily happenings of a situation they didn't understand. Jack was trusting Davis to pick people with more brains than ego.

Greece had a national celebration when a son of theirs, Col. Peter Galanakis, was given the third 303, the Argos. He was actually a grandson, but they were ignoring that part; the Greeks picked any excuse for a party.

The command room was waiting breathlessly as they watched the 302s bring down a glider. The moment it touched ground, troops pounced on it, climbing over it until it was covered in army desert fatigues. Jack gestured impatiently and the satellite image closed in on the action. Three 302s landed while the fourth remained in the air above the downed glider. The ground troops held a multitude of guns on the Jaffa while the 302 pilots scrambled over to the glider. Troops stepped back as SGC uniforms ran up and held zats on the Jaffa. Jack knew a few of the pilots, Spurlock, Lopez, and Sam. The Jaffa hesitated and then came out of the glider, staffs tossed to the side. Spurlock quickly picked them up while Sam and Lopez gestured for the Jaffa to exit their ship. The Jaffa were tossed to the ground by gung-ho troops and quickly disarmed. Sam shouted something and a space was cleared around her and the two Jaffa. A moment later, they disappeared.

"Got 'em!" Inanna shouted.

"Put them in a cell, and I'll be up as soon as I can," Jack said. Sam reappeared on the sand and they quickly headed back to their 302s. The ground troops on both sides were clearly astonished by the now-you-see-her-now-you-don't magic act. One of the co-pilots commandeered the glider and took it up and out of the atmosphere for a quick hop to the Argos which was guarding the air space over the desert like a big brother, along with big sister, Heaven's Bow, to be settled in the landing bay.

"Hank, with that mothership out of our space, for the moment, the 302s should do a patrol run around the planet and immediate vicinity of the solar system," Jack instructed. "Col. Carter and Col. Jeffries know the drill. When the all-clear comes in, the Argos can go back to the Yard, as will the 302s. A watch needs to be kept for the mothership and our 303s. If the mothership comes back, call me. Let Air Force One know there's no rush, they can come for a visit, if they want to. I'm going to check in on Daniel and then get beamed up. I'll be in touch; I have my radio, if you need me for anything."

Gen. Landry acknowledged him. Technically, Landry outranked Jack, but Jack had the experience, and the new position, and Landry had confidence in Jack to take the lead.

Jack found Daniel in his quarters, lying across the bed with a little girl and a chess board between them. Jack began to shut the door and was blocked by the SF standing outside.

"Sorry, sir," the airman said. It took Jack a moment.

"No, you're right, sergeant," he said. "I forgot, thank you."

The SF took a discrete couple steps away while leaving the door open, and Jack squatted next to the bed and put a hand on the girl's back.

"Hi, honey, I'm Jack; were you scared?" Daniel's own bright blue eyes stared back at him.

She gave a nod. "A little," she said. Generals were supposed to be big and mean and yelled a lot, but she wasn't too sure what to make of a general who was friendly.

"Well, I'm sorry we had to move so fast," he said. "The bad guys came in and I didn't want you or Daniel hurt. The bad guys are gone now. I need to go ask some people some questions, but I wanted to stop in and see you before I left. So tell me, are you happy about finding your Dad and coming to live with him?"

"I like him," she said a little shyly. "He's funny."

"Yeah, he's a riot," Jack said dryly. Daniel stuck his tongue out at him. "Did he at least feed you?"

"Uh huh, he asked the guards to bring us hamburgers from the cafeteria."

"Good. What's this, is he teaching you to play?" Jack indicated the board.

"Yeah, I never played before," she said.

"This is good you're learning because we all play and you'll be able to play with us," he told her. "I have to go; sleep here tonight, and we'll get you home in the morning. It's just a short drive from here. And move your knight to this spot," he indicated a square on the board. She moved the horse. "Now say, Checkmate!"

"Checkmate!" she giggled.

"This is a two-person game, Jack," Daniel complained with a smile. He tossed a rook at Jack. "Go interrogate something."

"Actually, that's exactly where I'm going," Jack said cheerfully. "Sam and her pilots brought down a glider and Inanna is now hosting two Jaffa in her brig."

"Two Jaffa and Camulus? That should be interesting," Daniel commented with a raised brow.

"I forgot about him," Jack scowled. "Daniel, if the Goa'uld are from different symbiote family trees, is it possible that one limb is less psychotic than the others?"

"Sure," Daniel said with a shrug. "Look at the Tok'ra. They don't live to piss you off, Jack, they just have lousy judgment. And we've had other experiences with queens who have deliberately refused to pass on certain information. I know we don't have much of a reason to trust Camulus, but seems to me he's caught between a rock and a hard place; you and Baal. You have to admit he's never gone Darth Vader on us."

Jack ruminated on that. "I'll consider it," he grumbled. He stood, gave Stacy's hair a stroke, and bent to peck at Daniel. "I kid-proofed the house already, so take her home when you get up in the morning."

"I haven't done the weapons talk, I assumed you'd want to do that," Daniel commented.

"Yes, thank you." Jack took a couple steps toward the door and turned back. "Did you….?" he waved a finger between himself and Daniel and gave a confused look.

"I told her," Daniel said.

"Oh, ok, good. Good night, kids."

Daniel looked at Stacy after Jack left.

"I love him very much but sometimes he makes me crazy," he told her. She giggled.