Gripping the frame of the photograph tightly Daniel looked at his friends' expectant and concerned faces- or in Teal'c's case a raised eyebrow- and then looked back at the picture of the two people that were now going to be a part of his life. Resisting the feeling of being close to passing out he walked over to the sofa in a stunned silence and collapsed onto it, he swallowed hard and looked at the people in front of him.
Jack sat down next to him never taking his eyes off the archaeologist for a second, "Daniel, what is it?" he asked trying to snap him out of his silence.
Daniel rubbed his face with his hands as he tried to work out how to tell them everything that he'd just found out, after several moments of silence he gave Jack the photo of Chris before feeling foolish, he honestly didn't know what to do or say. It's not everyday that you find out you suddenly have a young son, it's not everyday that you have to rescue the said boy and his mother from rogue agents that'll turn them into lab-rats.
Sam frowned in confusion and looked at Daniel worriedly, she saw her CO look up from the photograph and give the archaeologist a perplexed and frustrated look; he shook his head and said, "It's a picture Daniel, so what?"
Daniel gestured with his hands and looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't quite know how to say it. Jack knew that look all too well and decided to give him some advice.
"Daniel, don't beat around the damn bush, we don't have a lot of time. Just say it," he said.
Daniel considered this for a moment before nodding and saying, "Okay, I uh…I know that boy's mother."
Sam looked confused, "How? You-you live pretty far away from here."
"I-" he paused uncertain. "Five years ago…when-when Sha're died and I took time off from the SGC, I uh kinda…sleptwithacompletestranger."
The last part of his answer came out rushed but he saw that his team mates had understood what he'd said.
There! He'd said it; it was all out in the open.
He looked at his team mates trying to gauge their reactions.
Sam's eyes were slightly wider than usual, Teal'c's eyebrow yet again raised and Jack's eyes were round and both eyebrows were raised. If the situation weren't so serious he'd be trying not to laugh at the tiny, little 'o' that Sam was now making with her mouth would've seemed comical to him.
Jack didn't speak for a few moments, then he asked, "Why didn't you tell us?!"
"Why didn't I- Jack! I…Sha're died!" Daniel ran a hand through his hair. "I wasn't dealing- I got drunk and slept with a woman I didn't know only a few weeks after Sha're died, I keep thinking about how damn disappointed she would be with me." Guilt showed clearly on his face as he blinked back tears.
Jack was concerned, Daniel was his best friend after all, but- "Daniel, we need to find Chris and his mother-
"Willow," Daniel stated immediately.
Jack gave him a surprised look, "Daniel?"
Daniel took a deep breath, "Willow's the woman I slept with."
Jack blinked with momentary shock and then exclaimed, "What?!" What other surprises did Daniel have?
In the time it took for Jack to snap out of his short-term surprise and to ask the question Sam had already started guessing why Daniel had been stunned into silence, she shook her head slightly as she soaked up that information like a sponge soaking up water.
As Daniel was about to talk Sam cut in, "Daniel, Chris is four years old- right?" he nodded and already knew that she'd found out about Chris and Willow, he rose from the sofa and went to the small pile of photos, he grabbed one with Chris and the one with Willow and Tara.
"Look at the dates," he gave them a meaningful look. "They're too accurate to be a coincidence, and look at Willow and Tara, they looked like Sha're and I when we lived on Abydos, Chris can't be anyone else's kid."
"This is a lot more than a coincidence," agreed Jack as he took the photo of Chris from him. "The kid even has glasses and blue eyes."
Daniel looked at Jack, "We have to get them back!" What if the NID were already experimenting on them?
It was Teal'c who spoke, "We will find them Daniel Jackson, but if we are to bring them back alive and well I suggest we take action now."
Daniel tried to push down his frustration, "We can't do anything! We don't know where those people took them, we don't even know why!"
Okay, so trying to suppress his emotions was obviously futile.
Jack stood in front of him and grabbed his shoulders, "We'll get them back, the General's working on it. We'll get them both back I promise."
Jack was as stubborn as hell, he'd learned that over the years of being best friends. Daniel knew the Jack would try his best to live up to that promise just as he had when he'd promised to save Sha're.
Daniel never held his wife's death against Jack, the man had tried his best and knew that this time and as he looked into the eyes of his best friend he would try just as hard. Daniel looked at his team mates and knew that they'd all try to bring Willow and their son back.
"We've been in worse situations than this, Danny," Jack said. "We always figure it out in the end."
The archaeologist nodded, the NID had messed with them many times. But this time they'd gone too far.
Back at the SGC
General George Hammond sat
at his desk and read through the files of a group of kids that
reminded him of SG1. He'd known the details of the 'Scooby Gang'
for several years and the supernatural just as long.
He'd been
stunned and speechless when he'd found out about the supernatural
and also angered when he'd found out that a rather small group of
children were the first line of defense against the forces of
darkness.
Hammond had wanted to relieve them of their fight and tell them to go back to college or get a job that actually pays them.
Unfortunately, the President had informed him that attempts had been made by the military to take over the fight but had screwed up big time. The Scooby Gang had had to risk their own lives to save the soldiers and the scientists that worked in the 'Initiative'.
Apparently one of the people named Maggie Walsh ended up being a crazy scientist trying to build a demon/man/machine hybrid army to take over the world.
Looking at the photo of the monster Hammond shook his head disbelievingly.
"ADAM, he looks like something out of a 'Frankenstein' movie!"
When he had looked at how much damage the military had done in the fight he realized that it would just be better to leave the fight to the professionals and President Hayes had agreed with him.
These files were classified and strictly on a "need to know" basis which meant that SG1 hadn't needed to know at the time and weren't told.
Hammond picked up the receiver of the big red phone as it started ringing and held it to his ear.
"George, I'm afraid we've had trouble locating Miss Rosenberg and her son," said the President. "I think now might be the time to inform the Scooby Gang of the kidnapping, they have other means of finding people."
Hammond sighed and rubbed his bald scalp tiredly, "Yes, Mr. President."
When the Scooby Gang found out that two of their own had been taken there would be hell to pay, they were as close as SG1 were. Hammond had no pity for Kinsey or the NID for what was going to happen to them and if SG1 all got involved in the ordeal…
Hammond's lips twitched upwards.
…all the better.
"Miss Rosenberg's friends' numbers will most likely be at her house," said Hammond. "I'll notify Mr. Giles of their disappearance when I know how to contact them."
"Good idea, George," agreed the President. "Hopefully this will be the end of Kinsey and the NID, although I won't be surprised if they manage to slither their way out of trouble again."
Hammond nodded, he wouldn't be surprised either. "I'll notify SG1 at once."
"Oh and Mr. President?" continued Hammond. "I think that SG1 need to know about the supernatural now, knowing them they'll find out sooner or later."
After persuading the President to let him tell SG1 about the 'Initiative' project Hammond hung up the phone and then dialled O'Neill's cell phone number, he needed to find out Mr. Giles's phone number.