Spoilers: Revelations, Frozen

David awoke to the annoying sound of his phone ringing. Mistaking it for the alarm in his half-asleep stupor he swatted at the snooze button on the alarm clock without success at shutting up the offensive sound. Finally he pushed himself up in the bed and glared at the clock, only then realizing his mistake. He growled irritably at the thought of someone calling him at five in the morning but reluctantly picked up the phone, knowing that he had to be available all the time in case there was an emergency at the mountain that required his attention.

"What?" he croaked groggily, his voice thick with sleep.

"Dad?"

He scowled at the amused tone of his daughter. "If you aren't in the hospital, jail, tied up in the back of a trunk or lost somewhere in the Nevada desert then I'm going to hang up this phone."

"Wait!" she laughed at his grumpy attitude, knowing he was only joking. "I have to leave for class in twenty minutes but I wanted to make sure you were okay. Grandpa called, he sounded upset. He said you had some kind of…misunderstanding?"

"Misunderstanding?" David repeated with disgust, sitting up and tossing the blankets away in irritation. "If he calls again, hang up. I don't want you talking to him until I've had a chance to knock his block off."

"Knock his…" her voice trailed off, all trace of amusement gone. "What happened?"

"Nothing. It's nothing for you to be worried about, I just realized what a complete…jerk your grandfather is." A lot more viciously descriptive yet truthful names came to mind. He'd really have to take a look at some of Jack's year 14 letters for inspiration next time he spoke to Dad, but he refused to say them to his daughter, no matter how old and grown-up she was.

"Why? What did he do? And don't tell me not to worry about it, I've never heard you this upset. I called so you could make me feel better and so I wouldn't be distracted at school, and you've just done completely the opposite."

"Sorry." He rubbed his hand through his hair and yawned, feeling a little detached all of a sudden. His entire life still felt a little surreal, and Jack's heartfelt confession, reminiscent of their introduction as children, really threw him for a loop. "Your grandfather betrayed my trust. I'm just a little bit upset with him right now."

"Wow. That has to be the understatement of all time. Just a little upset?"

"Okay, a lot upset. He's been lying to me my entire life, and what he did to my family..." He trailed off, shaking his head in disgust.

"What did he do?"

"You know that thing we don't talk about?"

"Your delusional childhood?" she answered knowingly. Her mom and grandfather thought they didn't talk about it, but she'd always been able to talk her dad into spilling all of his secrets, especially the closely guarded ones, like where he was hiding her Christmas presents, and why after the divorce Mom always called him a nutjob.

"It wasn't a delusion. It was real. My brother Jack is sleeping on my living room couch right now. A living, breathing, American hero, who your grandfather swore to me never existed."

"Are you serious?" she asked in disbelief. "That's…that's amazing. What's he like? Tell me everything, how did you recognize him, did he seek you out, is he the same as you remember? When can I meet him?"

David smiled at the familiarity of his daughter's response. That was Jackie, completely trusting and open to the possibility of even the most outlandish claims. Maybe she was a bit naïve, which annoyed her mother to no end, but Jackie and David had always shared a mutual belief that she was simply an optimist who gave most people the benefit of the doubt. Having already heard the guilt in her grandfather's voice, she knew her father could only be telling the truth.

"Slow down, girl. One thing at a time."

"Did you recognize him right away, or did he come looking for you?"

"Actually, we've been working together for a few months now. I knew he felt familiar, I kept thinking it was him, but it wasn't like I could just ask him."

"But he knew who you were, and he didn't say anything until now?"

"It's complicated, Jackie. We can talk later, after classes."

"Yeah. Yeah, okay. This is amazing. I really want to meet him. I'm so happy for you, Dad, this is so cool."

"I'm glad you think so. But you should be getting to class now."

"I'll call you back in a couple hours, okay?"

"Okay, honey. Talk to you later."

"Bye, Dad."

Now that he was awake he knew he wouldn't be falling back to sleep any time soon. He needed to find out more about his brother. He could start with the letters Jack had written as a boy. That was the boy he remembered, the boy he wanted to watch grow up.

He crept out to the living room to retrieve the letters, trying not to wake Jack, but he needn't have bothered. Jack was already awake, reading the newspaper.

"Mornin'," he greeted, pretending he hadn't been headed for the boxes of letters, adjusting his trajectory to the chair across from Jack. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah. Been a long week."

"Yeah, it has. I hope I didn't wake you."

Jack smirked. "Actually, you did. But that's okay."

"It was Jackie," he explained hurriedly, feeling guilty. "I called Dad, a few days ago. I told him I knew what he had done to us, and to stay away from my family. Obviously, he didn't listen and called Jackie. And college kids, they have trouble accounting for the two hour time difference," he scowled.

"She was worried about you," Jack offered, smiling.

David harrumphed, rubbing his hand through his hair and straightening his shirt. "Reminds me of someone else I used to know."

Jack shrugged innocently. "I have to be getting back to the base, anyway. Daniel's returning from Abydos in a few hours, and the General's been bugging me for an explanation for what happened." He stood up and stretched, running his hand through his hair exactly as David had just done. He hesitated, his hand rubbing over his jaw, his gaze fixed on David. "You want to come with me?"

David nodded emphatically, not letting Jack change his mind. He wanted to be there for his little brother. "Sure. Absolutely. Could we stop and get breakfast on the way? I'm starving." He retreated to the bedroom to change, followed by Jack's quiet laughter.

Xxx

Jack sat across the table from General Hammond, flanked by Daniel and David with Carter and Teal'c to round out the rest of the team. This meeting was long overdue, but the emergency call from the Asgard and the rescue mission to save Thor and Heimdall had postponed the discussion into Jack's 'healing powers' and Daniel's recovery. Daniel had been too shaken up still to go on the mission, so General Hammond had allowed him to spend some time on Abydos with Kasuf and Ska'ara.

"I think we've waited long enough, Colonel," General Hammond said, his voice kind but firm. "I'd appreciate an explanation," he added with a pointed look at David.

"Yes sir," Jack replied, staring down at his hands.

"If I may," Daniel interrupted, raising his hand slightly, hoping to take Jack out of the spotlight. "General, Jack gave me a choice. He saved my life."

"I understand that, Son. What I don't understand is how."

"Magic?" Jack offered lamely, flinching as he did so. This was no joking matter. "Sorry," he apologized immediately before the General could scold him. "I guess I should start from the beginning. General Hammond. You've already met, but I'd like to introduce you to my brother, David."

David smiled at the reaction from both Major Carter and General Hammond. "Half-brothers, actually," he added, hoping Jack wouldn't mind.

"My God," Carter gasped. "You're his imaginary brother."

Jack scowled. "I like to think of myself as rather corporeal, actually." He patted his belly proudly, then glanced down and frowned.

"Am I missing something?" General Hammond asked, looking lost.

"I had leukemia when I was kid, sir," David explained. "Jack cured me. I don't know how, I'd wager even he doesn't know how he did it, but he did. Our father didn't react well. He kicked Jack out and told me he had never existed, that he was just a figment of my imagination."

"And how long have you known that he wasn't just a figment of your imagination?" Hammond asked.

"I wasn't completely sure until a few days ago. But I've had my suspicions for a while. But the Jackass never said anything."

Jack smirked at the name-calling. "I had my reasons. The point is, I've always had this healing power. It's just something inside me. I feel this…warmth, I guess, when it happens. It's not all the time and not for everything. Mostly illnesses. People I care about." He looked down at the table again, scraping his fingernail against the wood. "Doesn't really work for physical trauma." He shrugged his shoulder uncomfortably. "I've tried," he said very quietly and everybody in the room except his own brother knew he was referring to his son Charlie. "That's why I needed Jacob to keep using the healing device."

"So you're certain this isn't some new ability you've picked up traveling through the Stargate," said Hammond.

"Yes sir. Positive."

"I wouldn't be here today if it was," David reminded him.

"Good enough for me," Hammond replied. "Just the same, I'd appreciate it if you allowed Dr. Fraiser and Major Carter to perform some tests. Nothing nefarious, Colonel," he warded off any arguments. General Hammond would never willingly subject any of his people to the likes of the NID researchers. "And this needn't go beyond this room. I'd just like to cover all our bases, make sure that whatever this ability is, it won't harm you or anyone else."

"As long as it's only Carter and Fraiser I have no problem with that. But it's not like I haven't already been poked and prodded and had every inch of me examined by the good doctor."

"Just the same, I'd like them to reexamine everything. Now that they know what they're looking for."

"Yes sir," Carter agreed verbally when Jack nodded his consent. "I'll let Janet know."

"Very well. Colonel, I see no reason to include your abilities in the official report. As far as anyone outside of this room is concerned, Dr. Jackson was cured by the Goa'uld healing device."

"I'd like to tell my Dad," Carter interjected. "I think he should know. We can trust him not to betray your secret, Colonel," she added before he could argue against telling the Tok'ra.

Jack just shrugged, not really liking the idea but he had no reason to doubt General Carter. He may not entirely trust the Tok'ra, but he trusted Carter's father.

"Agreed," Hammond stated, standing up. The rest of them followed suit, rising to their feet as the General made his way around the table towards David and Jack. He looked between the two of them studiously, then smiled. "Now I see it."

"See what, Sir?" Jack asked cautiously.

Hammond chuckled. "The family resemblance. It's good to keep your family close, son." He patted Jack on the shoulder and reached out to shake hands with David. "Dr. Granseth. I believe you and I have a few things to talk about. Make your way to my office in about an hour."

"Yes, General, sir," he stammered awkwardly, earning a snicker from Jack.

Hammond smiled and shook his head as he left the room, pondering on the interesting life of his second-in-command.

As soon as he was gone, they all sat down again, but Jack didn't have time to feel relieved that nothing was going to change. No, Carter wouldn't allow him even that small mercy.

"You said you could feel it, when you cured them?" Carter asked, looking like she wanted to study him and keep his secret safe at the same time. He had to smile at the contradiction, but he was proud of her restraint. She may want to understand the science behind his healing abilities, but she wasn't going to betray him to do it. "Were you controlling it?"

Jack shook his head. "It was instinct. With David, I didn't even know what I was doing. But I felt something when I touched him, so I just went with it."

"What did it feel like?" she asked, enthralled.

He tried his best to put the feeling into words. It was something he never thought he'd have to describe, something he wasn't sure he could describe, that anyone ever could. He glanced between David and Daniel, then Teal'c and Carter. Though he was not a man often given to sentimentality there was only one word that came close, the only word that could describe what he felt for his family, here in this room. "Love. It felt like love."

xxxxx

Four months later

The phone rang at four a.m. but David, now a seasoned military consultant, didn't even flinch. Of course, that didn't mean he liked it. He rolled over and picked up the phone. "What?"

"David?"

He frowned when he recognized Daniel's voice. It was never a good thing to hear from SG-1 at these hours. "Daniel?"

"You might want to come in. It's Jack."

He was out the door less than three minutes later and on his way to Stargate Command. Last he heard Jack and his team were in Antarctica studying ancient human remains. What could have gone wrong?