Author's Note: Since you guys asked so nicely here's the next chapter. Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews, I'm glad to see so many of you are enjoying this.

-Bixata

--

Daniel looked up from his desk as he heard Jack walk into his office. "Hey, Jack. Where have you been hiding?"

"Why? Did I miss a round of memos?"

Daniel's eyebrows danced as he decided not to answer that question. "Griff was looking for you. He said something about…something."

Jack stared at his friend for a long moment. "That was helpful."

"What do you want? I'm not your message service."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He stepped up to Daniel's desk, his fingers running over an artifact from P2Z-180, not quite touching it.

Daniel immediately pulled the artifact away from Jack's roving hands. There was no knowing what damage idle hands could do when Jack was bored or had something pressing on his mind. "What do you want, Jack?"

"Well, don't overdo the welcome mat, Daniel."

"Oh, don't even try the whole guilt trip scenario, I've fallen for the puppy dog eyes one too many times."

"Excuse me? Puppy dog eyes?"

"You want something, Jack, and you know I'm the guy most likely to fall for your scheme because I just can't resist doing you a favor. So what is it?"

"Well, if you're going to be like that."

"And don't pout, either. I know you too well, Jack, you're not that sensitive. So talk to me."

Jack half-smiled at Daniel's pushiness, and dropped down into the vacant chair across from Daniel. "I was just thinking about…bombshells."

Daniel blinked. He took off his glasses and quickly cleaned them, then put them back on. "Okay."

"Not actual bombshells. I'm being figurative."

"Oh. Okay." That, he could work with.

"Purely hypothetical here. Let's say that, when you were a kid, you had this best friend. You did everything together, you loved him like a brother. So what if someone convinced you that he was never real, when in reality, he and his family had just moved out of town. For years, you think your best friend was just a figment of your imagination, and eventually, you forget all about him. Then suppose that one day, you get a chance to meet him again. Would you want to do that?"

"Is this about that scientist, David Granseth?"

"Maybe. Just answer the question."

"I can't really know for sure. I didn't have a lot of friends when I was a kid, and the ones I did we don't exactly keep in touch anymore."

"Okay, you're kind of missing the point."

"Why is this important to you?"

"It just is. Seriously, Daniel, would you want to be reminded of all those years you spent in therapy, questioning your own sanity, when the reality was there was never anything wrong with you?"

"I think…that I'd want my best friend back." He studied the serious expression on Jack's face for a moment before adding, "Especially if it was you."

Jack, who had been studying his hands, looked up at him with a grateful smile, recognizing the compliment. "Thanks."

"So what is this really about, Jack?"

"Nothing," came Jack's immediate, casual, and far-too-innocent response.

"Wow. I almost believed you," Daniel said dryly, raising his eyebrows knowingly.

"I can't really talk about it. Not yet," Jack finally conceded, silently pleading with Daniel to let the matter drop for the moment.

"Okay, Jack, if that's the way you want it."

"It is."

"So should I not read into the fact that you might know more about Dr. Granseth than what's in his file?"

"Haven't a clue what you're talking about, Daniel."

"All right. It's none of my business. But I'm here if you need to talk."

"I appreciate that, really, I do."

"Then get out of here and let me get back to work, Jack."

"Right." Jack stood up, slapping his hands against his thighs as he did so. "I'll just leave you to it, then."

"See you, Jack." He immediately became reabsorbed in his work as Jack let himself out.

--

Truth be told, David was a little anxious for his personal interview with Major Carter, and it was almost humiliating for a man his age and with his experience to be this nervous. The fact was that ever since he saw Colonel O'Neill he felt like he needed to get involved with this project, no matter what it turned out to be. Deep down, he knew it was important.

When he was finally called to the Major's office he took a few steadying breaths before knocking on the door.

"Come in," he heard the female voice call out from the other side and he opened the door and stepped inside. He stopped when he saw Colonel O'Neill sitting on a table in the corner of the room, his feet dangling over the edge and his hands braced flat on the surface by his sides. "Dr. Granseth, I hope you don't mind if Colonel O'Neill joins us for your interview."

"Not at all," he agreed casually, trying not to let it bother him that this man could have such an effect on him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Colonel O'Neill."

The Colonel looked a bit off-put by that, seemingly unsure how to respond. "Ah, yeah. Backatcha."

"Do you have any questions before we get started?" Major Carter asked politely.

"A few," he admitted.

She waited patiently, but when he didn't say anything else she jutted her chin up and pursed her lips. "And?" she prompted.

"You mean, you're actually going to answer them?"

He heard a deep chuckle from the corner of the room and was secretly pleased that the Colonel had a sense of humor in line with his own. "Walked right into that one, Carter."

She smiled. "I guess I did, sir. I see you've done this before."

"I've been around. I've read some of your work, Major. The early pieces weren't all that impressive but you've really broken through in the past five years or so. Whatever you're doing here has really improved your understanding of theoretical physics."

Carter's eyebrows shot up at his audacity. He hadn't actually insulted her, he'd paid her a compliment in a roundabout way. "You've specialized in a wide variety of scientific areas, Doctor, but I don't see theoretical astrophysics on your CV."

"Not a lot of practical applications for a theoretical astrophysicist in my day, though I get the feeling things have changed. I prefer to use my knowledge, not just accumulate more of it."

"I like this guy," Colonel O'Neill stated suddenly, though his expression remained unchanged.

Major Carter smirked knowingly. "You know we don't hire people on their ability to stand up for themselves, Colonel."

"Nah, it's not that. He says he didn't get those three Ph. Ds and a Masters just to learn all that stuff, he did it so he could use it. That's the kind of commitment we need around here." He hesitated. "Isn't it?"

She was clearly impressed with the Colonel's reasoning as she replied, "Yes, sir. It is. And from the articles he's written, we know he's telling the truth. A lot of principles Dr. Granseth developed are already in widespread use in the areas of engineering and medicinal chemistry."

"I'll take your word for it," the Colonel said dryly.

"Does that mean you're going to tell me what's really going on around here?" David asked patiently, knowing it didn't.

Major Carter cringed awkwardly, chewing at her lip in obvious discomfort.

David sighed, familiar with that response and understanding what it meant. "I had leukemia, Major Carter. It was a long time ago."

"Look, I don't mean to be rude, and you've obviously come a long way, but…we can't have people imagining things that aren't really there. We have enough weird anomalies as it is, we don't need to add paranoia."

"I can't explain what happened, Major Carter. I haven't had any other strange visions or invisible friends since I was cured, and I'm a fairly rational person."

"Do you still believe your 'brother' was real?"

He scowled slightly at the emphasis she put around 'brother.' "I believe he was real to me. I loved him like a brother, I was proud of him like a brother, and I know he protected me and loved me like a brother. It's been forty years, but I still miss him, and I'd give anything to get him back. I'm sorry if that's not something you want to hear, but it's the truth and I won't deny it. Jack meant the world to me, and if the Doctors were right way back when, and he was really just a part of me, then I owe it to us both not to pretend he never existed."

He recognized the discomfort on her face and knew his chances were slim. She might admire his acceptance of what happened to him when he was a child, but she couldn't condone his belief in a fantasy.

"Thanks all the same, Major," he said swiftly to prevent her from having to say anything. He rose to his feet. "I appreciate that you even considered me at all, for whatever it is you're doing."

"Carter." Colonel O'Neill's soft voice startled him for a moment, and he glanced over at the officer, who had his head bowed down, looking at his swaying feet.

"Sir?"

"Scientifically speaking, would Dr. Granseth be a valuable asset to this command?"

She looked David straight in the eye as she answered, "Undoubtedly."

"Then sign him up. I'll vouch for his character."

She turned to the Colonel in shock. "Colonel?"

"You heard me. I'll take full responsibility. We need him, Carter, and you and I both know how important it is to have an open mind around this joint. We all have our pasts. Who's to say he's any crazier than the rest of us?"

"You're sure, sir?"

The Colonel nodded, then slid off the table and walked over to David. They were nearly the same height, same age, same brown eyes. David was slightly shorter and heftier with a softer middle section. He had lighter hair that had only begun to turn gray at the temples, fairer skin and two good knees.

As they looked each other in the eye, Colonel Jack O'Neill offered his hand and David Granseth accepted it with a firm handshake. "Welcome to Stargate Command," Jack stated coolly, then smiled reassuringly and patted him on the shoulder before releasing his hand. "This should be fun." Then he walked out of the room, leaving two stunned scientists in his wake.

"I think you've got a fan," Major Carter finally broke the silence with a nervous laugh.

He turned towards her and braced his hands on her desk. "Stargate?!"

--

Forty-two years ago

"I don't think our Dad likes me very much," Jack said, lying on his back on the sleeping mat on the floor next to David's bed.

David peered over the edge. "What makes you say that?"

Jack shrugged, sliding his hands beneath his head and looking up at the ceiling. "He doesn't talk to me."

"He just doesn't know you, yet. Give him a chance, it's been a shock to him to find out about you. You've always known you had a father, but Dad didn't know he had another son until a few days ago. He'll come around."

"And if he doesn't?"

David reached down and ruffled his hand through Jack's hair. "Well, I like you. Don't worry, Jack, things will work out."

Jack grinned as he tried to smooth down his hair, then decided he preferred it messy. "Okay."