Story Summary: Jack and Daniel discover that apples don't fall far from the tree.

Ages: Rhen (2 months) Lilah (2 months) Jacob (2 years)

Apples and Trees

"Daniel, your kid just winked at me."

"Don't be ridiculous, Jack." The archaeologist spared his friend a glance and rolled his eyes when he saw Jack studying the baby in his arms as though she was an alien life-form. Shaking his head, Daniel turned back to changing his other daughter's diaper.

"What has your mommy been teaching you, little Rhen?" Jack asked the baby.

"She's only 2-months-old. It was probably a reaction to the light or something."

"No, I'm telling you, she winked at me. I asked her if she thought it would be funny if her sister did her thing while you were changing her, and Rhen cooed...though it sounded more like a giggle now that I think of it...then she winked."

"It is impossible for a baby her age to do that." Daniel picked up Lilah and turned toward Jack. "Hell, she can't even understand what you said to her."

"Danny, she is your kid. I mean, you've done the glowy, ascended thing more than once and, hell, Vala's a former snakehead. And let's not even get started on the whole Adria thing. Who knows what this kid is capable of? And you've got two of them!"

"Jack, this is the most idiotic-"

"Fine, don't believe me. Let's ask someone else."

"There's no one else here except Jake." Daniel pointed out.

"Perfect!" Jack exclaimed and went to kneel before his two-year-old son. Jacob looked at his father curiously for a moment then down at the bundle in his arms.

"Baby?" the child asked.

"Yes, Jake, it's a baby." Jack smiled indulgently. "Now, tell Uncle Danny that you saw her wink. Go on, do it for Daddy."

Jacob stared at his father like he'd gone completely mad then looked to his uncle for an explanation.

"Don't listen to your father, Jake." Daniel reassured the boy. "It's never too early to learn that he's a fruitcake."

"Cake?" Jake asked with a huge grin and looked at his father hopefully. "Want cake, Daddy."

Daniel snorted and rolled his eyes, smiling down at his daughter. "Can you say 'fruitcake', Lilah?" The grin left his face when he saw the infant's eyes move and felt her body jerk a little. No, that's impossible...

"See! See! I told you!" Jack exclaimed triumphantly, standing to stare at Lilah. "I saw that. That one just snorted and rolled her eyes. I knew it!"

"Th-That's not what happened. It was...Uh...It..." Daniel trailed off, looking warily between his daughters.

"You can deny it all you want, Danny Boy, but that child rolled her eyes just like this one winked. Guess we know which of their parents they each take after. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"It's a good thing Jake takes after his mom, then." Daniel said uncomfortably, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"Hey!" Jack shouted but didn't get to say anything else before the child in question spoke up.

"Want cake, Daddy!"

"Huh, guess I was wrong." Daniel said thoughtfully. "That one obviously fell from one of your branches."

Jacob just continued to look at the adults like they were crazy, wondering where his cake was.

The End